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2 years ago ::
Oct 11, 2011 - 3:34PM
#1
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Date Joined:
Aug 14, 2009
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So, here is the thread for UB Control. We are of course, updating the thread to do away with old responses from metas now in the past and hope that you refer to this thread for developing information as the format begins to take shape. This thread will be updated with as much relevant data as can be found at recent events. I welcome feedback and responses to given feedback to insure that this thread acts as a good source of information so that we can concentrate our discussions on this archetype in a central location. I will monitor activity daily and will likely make changes in the evening. Please contact via PM for anything you’d like to address privately regarding the thread. What is UB Control? Spoiler:
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It is actually more difficult to define than many give it credit for. In the Magic Community you will have many different opinions to what is and what isn’t “control.” Many would say the generic answer for this would be “lots of counterspells, drawing, and big creatures.” While this stereotype does hold some merit, it doesn’t do the archetype justice and many times the meta doesn’t permit this sort of “draw go” construct. Wikipedia describes control as an archetype looking to “devalue” an opponent’s cards. This likely captures the essence of control and gives a bit more clarity as to the purpose of counterspells and removal typical in control decks.
Because of its construct UB Control tends to play more reactively. These reactions to the other player’s actions often manifest as removal or counterspells. These spells often are cast at a much reduced cost than the opponent spent to cast them. Spells that draw cards or cause some sort of resource advantage are typically there to ensure that the player isn’t just threading water. This is to see that the game lasts beyond the preparations of the other deck and places the control player into an advantageous position. Control decks often win through a difficult to answer threat: a large creature that isn’t easy to remove, a creature/enchantment/planeswalker being protected by counterspells or some other resource, etc. Natural Strengths of the Archetype: Spoiler:
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UB Control tends to have access to better targeted creature removal than other forms of control. These removal spells tend to come at lower costs and at instant speed. Alternative strategies such as UW Control tend to address threats at sorcery speed and at a higher cost. UB Control also has access to hand disruption and discard strategies that can remove threats from the other player before they are even given an opportunity to cast the spell. In this way UB can preemptively address any threat, but recent trends appear to have weakened this aspect of the archetype. Natural Weaknesses of the Archetype: Spoiler:
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UB Control cannot address resolved non-creature threats as well as many alternative strategies. UW Control tends to have answers to planeswalkers, enchantments, and artifacts; while UB Control will often be forced to play around these threats. This factor makes the move to play proactively difficult for UB. Recent trends in UB Control place many “value” cards out of reach due to color requirements. UB will often address threats on a 1 for 1 trade, while alternative strategies will have access to “board wipes” like Day of Judgment or Slagstorm. Further, UB Control has difficulties stabilizing from Stage 1 life loss as compared to white based control strategies. Having access to cards like Timely Reinforcements ensures that white doesn’t die to common archetypes like RDW. Why play UB Control? Spoiler:
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This is something that all players must ask themselves when choosing it over other alternatives. This question should be addressed when asking yourself other related questions?
What restrictions and benefits does UB Control offer me?
The current meta offers up access to cards like Liliana of the Veil. Other alternative decks like Esper control will not have as much concentrated focus on color requirements making the mana base much more shakey for the 3 drop planeswalker. Cards like Despise, while restrictive, keeps disruptive strategies viable and cards like Wurmcoil Engine negate common life loss problems associated with the archetype. Card’s like Black Sun’s Zenith and Liliana also address difficult to answer Hexproof strategies like Thrun, Geist of Saint Traft, and Invisible Stalker.
Remembering UB’s weaknesses to artifacts, enchantments, and planeswalkers is always important to consider. Often time UB will rely on the blue aspect of its nature to “bounce back” resolved threats. This answer is often only temporary.
What are the threats in relevant meta? How does UB Control address these threats?
Again, look at the meta. UB can deal with a resolved Consecrated Sphinx better than UW Control, but a meta with threats like Koth are often difficult for it to address. Often the decision to play one deck or the other depends on what the environment looks like.
Do you like playing this sort of deck?
This is more of a personal bit of dialog, but I think you should play UB Control if you just like playing this archetype over alternatives. Whether it is “just your style” or you just like the thematic elements, UB Control has appeal to players outside of its competitive potential. Current deck lists for example: (Updated 11/6/11) Caleb Durward (6th Place SCG Nashville) Spoiler:
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Jonathan Karnacki -1st Place (SCG Open Las Vegas) Spoiler:
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Adam Prosak's Build from Arizona States (1st Place) Spoiler:
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Shouta Yasooka -Grand Prix Brisbane Spoiler:
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Chris Pregent's Bone-Blade (7th Place SCG Baltimore) Spoiler:
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Related builds include Grixis. Check out Cyrus Bales's thread located here. community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/758...
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2 years ago ::
Oct 11, 2011 - 9:47PM
#2
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Date Joined:
Aug 14, 2009
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Reserved
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2 years ago ::
Oct 12, 2011 - 4:08AM
#3
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Date Joined:
Mar 27, 2003
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I think this is a good thread, though I'll point out at this point it's not looking like a Draw-Go list all that much, and I expect that trend will continue going into the future with more work with Liliana Vess, Karn, etc. I think UB Control is going to shift away from permission-based control to more of a disruption-into-bombs style of Control.
I think also Caleb's list is perhaps not the most illustrative. I don't think his one-ofs are the result of careful tuning so much as diversification to deal with an unvertain metagame. Future successful lists will likely not be so heavy on one-ofs.
EDIT: A firestarter for the topic - What do people think about a Spagnolo-style toolbox coming back, using Trinket Mages into Nihil Spellbombs, Elixir of Immortality, and even more obscure options like Hex Parasite?
It's really not even about giving niche cards to black.
It should be about giving black cards to Niche.
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2 years ago ::
Oct 12, 2011 - 5:24AM
#4
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Date Joined:
Aug 14, 2009
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I think it possible. Depending on the concentration of artifacts, Tezzeret could make a showing as well, which I think because of the colors would fall under the banner of UB. I got the banner from FruFru and he put the "Draw Go" text in the corner. Perhaps, I'll pester him for another, so that it defines UB in a broader way. Not his fault though, I didn't give him any real direction. 
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2 years ago ::
Oct 12, 2011 - 5:25AM
#5
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Date Joined:
Aug 14, 2009
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I also believe that UB will evolve a lot. I've run into this problem with many control builds right now. I've had trouble deciding on a x4 of anything.
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2 years ago ::
Oct 12, 2011 - 8:12AM
#6
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Come find me on League of Legends, still under FruFruLOL 
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2 years ago ::
Oct 13, 2011 - 4:05AM
#7
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Date Joined:
Aug 30, 2007
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Here's the 4cc list that's being tested a lot over here in the UK, seems to beat solar flar, ramp etc. It's weak match ups are human aggro and land disruption decks running 4 ghost quarters pretty much. It's mainly UB, so I figured I'd put it here. If anyone wants to run it out and pull up some more numbers, that would be helpful: 4 Snapcaster Mage
3 Garruk Relentless
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Inferno Titan
2 Geistflame
2 Dismember
4 Mana Leak
4 Think Twice
2 Ancient Grudge
1 Go for the Throat
1 Doom Blade
4 Forbidden Alchemy
1 Tribute to Hunger
3 Dissipate
4 Darkslick Shores
4 Copperline Gorge
3 Hinterland Harbor
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
5 Island
2 Drowned Catacomb
3 Sulfur Falls
2 Stensia Bloodhall
Sideboard:
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Batterskull
1 Dissipate
1 Doom Blade
1 Flashfreeze
1 Inferno Titan
2 Negate
1 Nihil Spellcomb
1 Stensia Bloodhall
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Tribute to Hunger
1 Wurmcoil Engine
Website for my radio series: http://www.cyrusbalesfilms.co.uk/id2.html
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2 years ago ::
Oct 13, 2011 - 2:13PM
#8
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Date Joined:
Mar 27, 2003
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Garruk really seems irrelevant here, and while the red isn't bad I don't see a huge benefit to it either. What is Inferno for vs a second Wyrmcoil?
It's really not even about giving niche cards to black.
It should be about giving black cards to Niche.
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2 years ago ::
Oct 13, 2011 - 7:11PM
#9
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i like the idea of more tap out version running trinket mage for tools the more i think about it. elixir and spellbomb are both pretty good, but hex parasite for helping against PWs is a pretty big deal i think. how else does this deck beat something like garruk other than just playing a bunch of bombs or a karn?
obviously, light permission either main or in the board is still good. if nothing else, negate as a counterspells is finally pretty good again. and i think flashfreeze seems still fine for these new breed of GR ramp decks coming out.
snap, too, just works well here.
Blue is the best color ever. How do you deal? Team GFG - "gulf, foxtrot, gulf" Twitter: Burning_Forest ------------------------------------------------------ I started making some Dubstep and Electronica. Check me out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXLxlHeE1rg My Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/whitefender69?feature=mhee It is a little bit chill. Let me know what you think. 
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2 years ago ::
Oct 13, 2011 - 7:18PM
#10
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Date Joined:
Mar 27, 2003
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i like the idea of more tap out version running trinket mage for tools the more i think about it. elixir and spellbomb are both pretty good, but hex parasite for helping against PWs is a pretty big deal i think. how else does this deck beat something like garruk other than just playing a bunch of bombs or a karn?
obviously, light permission either main or in the board is still good. if nothing else, negate as a counterspells is finally pretty good again. and i think flashfreeze seems still fine for these new breed of GR ramp decks coming out.
snap, too, just works well here.
I like that a deck running 6-8 Trinket Mage, Elixir of Immortality, and Solemn Simulacrum can legitimately run Ponder better than even Birthing Pod. It also makes Caleb's style even more effective.
@thread: I've also seen a bit more of the wisdom of Caleb's removal suite. The reason he runs so many one-of specific removal cards is not because he wants 1 answer to every particular problem, but more the reverse. If he was to run 4 Go For The Throat, he'd basically just lose to Tempered Steel, Inkmoth Nexus or a Wurmcoil Engine. If he had 4 Victim of Night, a random Daybreak Ranger or Reckless Waif could just go all the way. If he had 4 Doom Blades, Grave Titan or Phyrexian Crusader would be a problem. If he had 4 Tribute to Hunger, tokens like Blade Splicer or Grave Titan would be a problem.
But by running 1 of each, he essentially has 3 cards that deal with each problem, and only 1 that doesn't. While I don't agree with the particular split, personally, the act of splitting is very subtle and clever.
It's really not even about giving niche cards to black.
It should be about giving black cards to Niche.
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