The best aggro-control option for todays meta?

[pox_reborn]

Recently, I have been examining various aggro-control decklists to see if any could be viable in today's meta. I just wanted to hear responses form others as to what they think the best one would be for today.


Lam Phan - 3rd
Bird Sh*t
1 Regrowth
3 Werebear
3 Nimble Mongoose
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Time Walk
4 Brainstorm
3 Mental Note
1 Gush
3 Stifle
3 Daze
3 Misdirection
4 Force of Will
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Null Rod
4 Meddling Mage
1 Rushing River

4 Flooded Strand
1 Mox Sapphire
3 Tundra
3 Tropical Island
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Library of Alexandria

Sideboard
3 Serenity
4 Energy Flux
4 Ancient Tomb
2 Old Man of the Sea
2 Seasinger

First is the recent new aggro-control deck in the last SCG. For some reason when I look at this deck, I see parts of fish and gro in there. Creatures offer utility like mana acceleration and disruption but also can grow to become threats later on. The cantrip style is chosen over fish's curiosity and standstill draw engine. The mana denial aspect is still around though which incorporates a new disrupption game to the decks gameplan unlike the original gro.(Granted the mana denial has become weaker since fish days but it still is effective in the right circumstances) The manabase is pretty vulnerable with no basics and is one point that could be a weakness ot the deck.

[giddygorgon]

This seems to be a metagame deck, as it is really made for a heavy control metagame, I mean, Nimble Mongoose is not exactly great against Juggernaught.  I think that it will consistently do well in control heavy metas, but will not have the universal sucess that fish had, and will have many struggles against scrubby aggro (as in the guy who has apparently no more than one of each card in his deck)

[mr_rogers]

I'd have to say Madness would be a great choice right now. You can build the deck many different ways to fit any metagame you may be facing. The U/G version is great if you expect heavy combo allowing you to be more controlish, while in a control meta you can add red and use the Bombs over Bagdad version to keep putting pressure on you opponent.

[Mark_Story]

Seeing lam's deck in action is required to know that werebear and mongoose are far better choices then madness men.  The bear and mongoose start off ok. But as you fetch, waste, and counter, and draw cards.  They become beatsticks.  The deck fills up the yard fairly efficiently, and has enough control to hold down random aggro.  Furthermore, the deck is not concerned with finding and protecting a madness outlet.  I think bazzar madness can be extremely good in low-3sphere environments.  But lam's deck might fare better against 3sphere, with the tombs in the board.

[Razvan]

I think the comparaison is somewhat apt.

Workshop has 2 mana 4/4's, but it needs workshop.
Madness has 3 mana 4/4's and 0 mana 3/3's, but it needs bazaar.
Lam has 2 mana 4/4's and 1 mana untargettable 3/3's, and it needs to play the game.

It's not exactly amazing why it does well...

[pox_reborn]

I believe this deck has the potential to have continues success in the future. It has a wide array of disruptive tool to help against matches that fish and gro had some trouble against.

Combo- Null rod, wasteland, meddling mage, and various counters makes it hard for any combo to be explosive during the first few turns. As the game progresses they will need to set up one winning turn backed with disruption (possibly even heavy disruption) in order to break through. Goal in this match seems to foil combos first attempt to win then slowly capitalize by winning small in a fish manner by furthering locking them out of the game. The stacking effects of mage, null rod, and stifle make most combos stall and give you some breathing room to have big men apply pressure. The obvious role is being in control.

Aggro- Usually pure aggro will smash aggro-control but this deck seems to have a few ways to counteract it. I assume the correct role in this matchup again is to control in the beginning until you can drop undercosted fat to overwhelm the opponent. Daze can be pretty effective since aggro will seek to tap out every turn playing threats. Swords is MVP

Prison- Still seems pretty tough right now. Stax is basically immune to null rod sans moxes. An all non-basic manabase is just asking to be crucible locked out of the game. Worst of all is trinisphere which pretty much screws the deck over :/ This deck can sill make a comeback but if the workshop player capitalizes every turn things can get bleak pretty fast. The sideboard shows 11 cards to side in solely for the workshop matchup. Going first allows you to set up defenses for a daze or fow so you can surive to play a serenity or flux.

I am still testing this deck but I am liking the results. Just as long there arn't too many workshop decks around, it could reasonably compete.

Also the structure of the deck allows it to be played in 5 proxy tournaments which is always a plus.

[Moxlotus]

This deck just got infinitely better with the restriction of 3sphere.  If Stax is still around, it can still free up a lot of space in the sideboard.

[Nastaboi]

Can this deck be fully budgetized with no power? I see Library and Mox are not critical, but without Ancestral and Walk I see no reason to run Mystical or Regrowth. So I have four slots to play with. I thought adding some Seals or Naturalize, any suggestions?

[Freelancer]

You probably should play a extra mental note in the ancestral recall slot and preserve the rest as metagame slots (be it seals, w/e) and maybe some basics...

The problem with budgetizing this deck is that it takes away a lot off its refilling power (going gush/recall than a regrowth for added fun refills quite well) and that it 'might' mean that you have to lower the number off misdirections as well...Testing will have to show this though (I didn't test with a budgetized version yet), as always...

Also mystical tutor for gush, swords or rushing river is some good...

[Chaos Blade]

From playtesting, Im seeing this deck really excelling as a new Fish type deck. What could be dropped if Stax phases to smaller numbers in the board and main? Has anyone though of upping the creature count? Also Ray Of Revealation is some hott.

[Nastaboi]

I tested a bit last night with a budgetezed version. I went:
-1 Ancestral, -1 Walk, -1 Mox, -1 Library, -3 Stifle
+1 Mental Note, +1 Delta, +1 Tropical, +1 Tundra, +3 Annul

I found Annul be all superior to Stifle. I added a land as I was suffering from bad mana draws. It might be recut though. I left tutors for a while, though they are much worse without power. Gush is no Ancestral (though near) and NOTHING can replace Time Walk. Misdirection is still good as three-of as it helps resolving Mages.

I tested only against CS and Oath. I found that threat base is a bit small. With only ten critters, you are not guaranteed having one in your opening hand. I think a hand with FoW and cantrip is acceptable, but more creatures might not be a bad idea.

[Outlaw]

Why not check out a 3color control or 4color control?  They have answers to oath, dragon and slavery.  Expecially with trinisphere going down, workshop decks will not be played as much so the amount of crucibles will go down even more, allowing more non-basics.  Just my idea

[Freelancer]

I doubt you should switch stifles for annuls, since annuls don't protect your fragile mana base against wastelands...And if you mulligan aggresivly I haven't found much trouble with my mana base, it seemed quite right actually...