(Editor's note: I think the win ratios here are inflated beyond belief - when your worst matchup is 40%, rising to 50% after sideboarding, and you claim 75% against Goblins, I have serious questions. But there have been very few articles on B/W Control, a deck that's had a serious underground buzz lately. Thus, in an effort to spur discussion, I publish this - The Ferrett)
It's that time of the year again. Onslaught Block season has wound down, and a new set has come out full of goodies to exploit in the new Type 2. Yes, my friends - States (or, in my case, Provincials) is coming. Most decks won't survive the transition into the Post-Mirrodin Standard scene; for instance, both U/G Madness and Wake will be missing at the tables this year. Yet some decks will still be around, MBC will still be kicking around, perhaps stronger than ever with the addition of Consume Spirit. Goblins, Slide, and U/W Control are also all back after successful block seasons.
I myself am turning to a successful deck from Worlds, and Grand Prix Atlanta: B/W Control. Here is the list that Matt Linde used to place second at Grand Prix: Atlanta...
Matt Linde's Black/White Decree Deck
2 Secluded Steppe
3 Temple of the False God
10 Plains
10 Swamp
3 Eternal Dragon
2 Undead Gladiator
4 Exalted Angel
2 Haunting Echoes
3 Renewed Faith
4 Wrath of God
3 Akroma's Vengeance
4 Smother
3 Decree of Justice
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Skeletal Scrying
Sideboard:
4 Cabal Interrogator
4 Sphere of Law
3 Wipe Clean
2 Coffin Purge
2 Ghastly Demise
As you can see, the deck loses several key cards in Cabal Therapy, Skeletal Scrying, and Haunting Echoes. There are also many changes to the sideboard that will have to be addressed, but we'll deal with those later. Below is the list I have concocted, that has been tested against the gauntlet put out by StarCityGames' own Jim Grimmett. I cut out Crazy Elf because I doubt anyone will play it in my area. That leaves MBC, Goblins, Slide, U/W Control, and White Weenie. After some revisions, my current B/W Control list looks like this.
B/W Control
4 Wrath of God
4 Terror
3 Smother
3 Wing Shards
4 Coercion
3 Akroma's Vengeance
3 Decree of Justice
2 Phyrexian Arena
3 Exalted Angel
3 Eternal Dragon
2 Undead Gladiator
2 Temple of the False God
2 Secluded Steppe
1 Grand Coliseum
10 Swamp
10 Plains
Now for the card-by-card analysis:
Wrath of God
Standard fare in any control deck that runs white, I am sure I don't need to explain my reasoning behind this.
Terror
With the little red men running rampant, every deck made gets asked the same question: Can it deal with Goblins? This is one of the many answers this deck has to Goblin Piledriver, Goblin Warchief, and the like. It is also very good at dealing with the larger threats other non-black control decks will throw at you, such as Eternal Dragon and Exalted Angel. Overall, Terror is a very useful card.
Smother
Another card that's included strictly for protection from Goblins. Although if your opponent is stupid enough to play an Angel face-down...
Wing Shards
This is the #1 reason Goblins no longer try to kill you with the turn 1 Skirk Prospector, turn 2 Warchief, turn 3 triple-Goblin Piledriver. Also is very handy at killing Rorix and the like.
Coercion
If I am to receive any flack for my article, it will most likely be for this card - but before you barge into my house and rip up my Coercions, beat my head to a bloody pulp, and steal my computer and cards....Let me defend myself.
This deck needs some form of discard. Duress has gone the way of the dodo, Cabal Therapy has rotated out, Blackmail isn't good against control because they'll always holding a full grip of cards, and Wrench Mind costs two black and can be foiled by tossing a Chrome Mox. Coercion, sad as it may seem, is the only alternative. At best it resolves and you get to take the best spell in their hand, and at worst it's a juicy target for a Counterspell. Many people will say this isn't good against Goblins - but really, when was any form of non-Therapy discard ever good against Goblins? Yet now Goblins has turned to Rorix Bladewing and Siege-Gang Commander to get the job done, so it may yet have merit in that game. This deck needs this card, plain and simple.
Akroma's Vengeance
This card was great against Wake in the old Standard, and it's great against Astral Slide in the new. Cycling adds versatility and it isn't totally dead against Goblins - just a little late. A fine card.
Decree of Justice
Most games against Blue/White come down to who can cycle a bigger Decree of Justice off sooner, This is a monumentally important card against all of the control decks, and it can occasionally help out against Goblins.
Phyrexian Arena
With Skeletal Scrying rotating out, this is it's replacement. It can kill you, but chances are you'll draw what you need, or an Angel for some lifegain. Obviously, it is a dead card against Goblins, but with so many cards already included just to deal with them I feel confident including two copies of this card advantage machine in the maindeck.
Eternal Dragon
How could the best Scourge card not make the cut? It thins your deck and beats down on your poor opponent...And it can do it all over again.
Undead Gladiator
He's not flashy, but he'll dig deep to get you the things that are. This guy is amazing in the late game, as he can up your card quality while your opponent waits for your upkeep to be over. However, more than two in a deck is unnecessary, as you only need one to get the motor running.
I don't believe I need to explain the land, as it really didn't change much from the original version. The sideboard I designed is just below...
Sideboard
2 Cabal Interrogator
4 Tempest of Light
4 Silver Knight
2 Circle of Protection: Red
1 Decree of Justice
2 Karma
I briefly considered Stabilizer 'til I realized how much cycling this deck itself runs. The other choices should be pretty straightforward. Now let us continue onward to the matchup results and analysis.
Goblins:
Pre-Sideboarding Games: 70% (7/10)
Quite possibly one of the easiest matchups you'll face all day. All the maindeck removal is often too much for the poor goblin man to handle. The main reasons for the losses were mana screw, and a late-game Rorix catching me without a Wing Shards or a Terror.
Sideboarding:
-4 Coercion
-2 Phyrexian Arena
+4 Silver Knight
+2 Circle of Protection: Red
Post-Sideboarding: 80% (8/10)
One card you have to watch out for is Sulfuric Vortex...However, if you have out a Circle, then that really isn't much of a problem. (And no one's using Pyrite Spellbomb after sideboarding? - The Ferrett) The Silver Knights are amazing, and it helps not having dead cards like Arena and Coercion in hand. The main reasons for these losses were...Well, as they say, sometimes Goblins just wins!
Mono-Black Control:
I'm not going to lie to you - this is the ugliest matchup you'll face all day. Just look at the results -
Pre-Sideboarding: 40% (4/10)
There are many problems you as a B/W player face against MBC. First off, Terror is utterly useless...that's 4 dead cards. Cycling a Decree of Justice end of turn will only earn you a Decree of Pain, more often than not. They can tutor up a Mind Sludge to ruin your day...and Wrench Mind is a pain in the behind. Undead Gladiator, Eternal Dragon, and Coercion are all important cards in this match.
Sideboarding
-4 Terror
-1 Wrath Of God
+2 Karma
+2 Cabal Interrogator
+1 Decree of Justice
Post-Sideboarding: 50%
Well, its much improved, but I suppose that isn't saying much. Karma helps out a lot, the sooner it hits play the better. The Interrogators are great as they don't die to Terror, and pick their hand apart one by precious one.
Slide:
Pre-Sideboarding: 50%
These games seem to fit into two main categories - they draw Lightning Rift, or they don't. This is the reason you run three Akroma's Vengeance in the main. Undead Gladiator is good to get rid of early, but I guess that goes without saying. Exalted Angel and Eternal Dragon are often seen butting heads in these games, and huge end-of-turn Decrees are often the key to victory.
Sideboarding
-4 Wrath of God
-2 Smother
-2 Phyrexian Arena
+4 Tempest of Light
+4 Silver Knight
Post-Sideboarding: 70%
Silver Knights give you a clock against their Lightning Rifts, and having four Tempests of Light is amazing. To boot, Slide has very little to bring in against you. All in all, games against Slide get a lot easier after sideboarding.
Blue/White Control:
B/W Control's match against MBC may be the hardest to win, but the games against U/W Control are the most grueling and skill-intensive of any in the format. It's pretty irrelevant to write about sideboarding in this match, as your first game will likely eat up all your time. However, it is still included for those rare occasions that you may beat them early.
Pre-Sideboarding: 60%
Drawing a Decree in the mid-game is important, as well as drawing your Temples. If they run Chain of Vapor, then games become a lot harder to win.
Any psychological advantage you can get over your opponent in the long overdrawn affair that is the B/W U/W match is crucial. Pay close attention to your opponent's reactions, and try not to be duped!
Sideboarding:
-3 Smother
+2 Cabal Interrogator
+1 Decree of Justice
Post-Sideboarding: 50%
Yes, the rating slipped... But you can't expect for it to go up for every matchup after boarding. In reality we have very little to bring in against them, while they may have Chain of Vapor, Stifle, or more counterspells depending on the player's preference. Even so, if our little buddy from the Cabal makes it to the board, he will rarely fall off it. Having Only Wrath and Wing Shards to deal with creatures and Wrath being sided out, anything short of a Chain of Vapor won't keep this guy from doing his dirty work.
White Weenie:
Ladies and Gentlemen, when it becomes apparent that you are playing against White Weenie, fall to the floor laughing and proceed to dance around the tables. Okay, well - don't quite do all that, but really this is practically a bye.
Pre-Sideboarding: 80%
Yep - it's that easy, with only the pathetic little counter that is Mana Leak and no form of removal, you are laughing all the way to the bank. Akroma's Vengeance, Wrath of God, Wing Shards, Smother, and Terror, are all tremendous against White Weenie. 1) Stabilize the board 2) Go out for lunch...
Oops! Let's try that again.
2) Win the Game 3) Go out for a long lunch break.
Post-Sideboarding: 80%
Mess with your opponent's head by pretending to sideboard, and then do nothing.
Well not much changed here....Same old winning most of the time, and losing to the occasional mana screw that is *sigh* unavoidable.
And so this deck analysis ends, class dismissed. Oh and I do hope you decide to play it for States, unless of course you anticipate a lot of MBC. Anyways, ta ta for now!
(I can be reached at Borntafly_@hotmail.com if you have any comments, questions, or concerns....)
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