Standard: Azorius Control

I always hate when the first comment on a deck is some dickhead saying that, "There are cards out there that beat some your cards!" You are one of the many different people that make me feel slightly bad about liking magic.

Kinda why I have counters in the deck. If you think I wont counter a Pithing Needle, try me. It doesn't kill my deck. Just slows it down.

I'm just saying more then one win con

Yea it's a pretty dick move. Like I said though, it wouldn't even stop my deck because if he destroys my Detention Spheres I can get them back with Elixir. If he decides to destroy Elixir then I'll just tap it and sac it in response and his spell fizzles. There are cards out there that counter every deck but any good magic player will just work around them.

Pithing Needle can be removed from the game, countered, or destroyed. It doesn't kill my deck. You're more than welcome to go try and preach to the other U/W control decks that won first place at MTG standard premier.

If worst comes to worst, he can just use Jace's ultimate instead of Elspeth if the needle goes through.

Highly unlikely they wouldn't have any type of spell, or card that can do continuous damage. Sure, it'll be a long match, but he'd still win.

So... you made a net deck?

Don't recall net decking anyone. Just saw a control deck and put one together with the cards I'd use.

EDIT: I made this deck back in March and it was an update with cards from the newer Theros block. If you want to scroll through my decks and look at the other U/W control decks I have you can see how this one was slowly updated and tweaked. I never net deck anyone. I put together a control deck on how I'd run it and go from there. If the pros have tweaks I agree with I'll make the same tweaks. If I notice something myself then I'll tweak and get peoples opinions.

That's cool. I honestly usually net deck blue devotion, but it's good that you were one of the original creators of this deck. But no change for m15?

I wouldn't call myself one of the original creators, I think that's giving me too much credit. I have been playing U/W control since I started playing magic back in Zendikar block. And hell yea, I made changes for M15.
Here is the link:

http://www.mtgvault.com/az88/decks/standard-azorius-control-m15/

Yea I used to run it back when it first came out. I'm not against running it just like what I have in the deck currently.

Very understood, could be a possible sideboard though.

Thank you.

Yea I boarded in Blind Obedience but I didn't see it which sucked because during game two his deck wasn't moving as fast.

Yea game two I take out one Jace for an AEtherling.

...interesting...I would swap the elspeth out for it. Jace filters through the deck to well to give up.

Yea that probably would have been a better move.

He has Aetherling...and Elspeth pumps out tokens like ya read about.

Lol I love new magic players.

I've been playing for 2 years

That's pretty new compared to me. Been playing since 08, anyways this deck doesn't utilize creatures like that. Just gets them from Elspeth.

Creatureless can be more effective than you would think. Control is notorious for running few if any creatures and doing well with the low to no creature count to boot!

Also, for reference, Ive been in the game on and off since scourge. (2003ish)

In my experience, running four fiendslayers in the sideboard is almost necessary. When put up against R/B aggro they make the difference and are almost necessary. Also very useful against mono red although surprisingly almost ineffective against mono black. So I'd sideboard four, but be sparing when you add them in...

If you have people running 4 of that card and it isn't helping them at all then they are not using it right.

Usually just instant it in at the end of opponent's turns if they didn't use mana on anything else. But then again out of the 4 decks I've seen IRL it wasn't useful, that isn't a good ratio against all the people online and even the pro tours who are running x4. So I may be wrong.

Thank you. I'm a big control player. Check out the rest of my decks.

Great decks, I have seen them before. Currently digging the American control also. =)
I'm actually trying to do a kind of creature-based control deck around wolves and Werewolves (I'm limiting the card pool around the flavour). It's based on cards like Master of the wild hunt (the fighting mechanic), Huntmaster of the Fells, Tovolar's Magehunter, that property of wolves flipping with the number of spells played. I'll make sure to show you once its finished. =)

Hi AZ88, here is my first control deck: http://www.mtgvault.com/whound/decks/1st-control/ eheh

It was made with the avaiable cards I and my friends have because that's all we can afford but its pretty fun to play (those vortex elementals are hilarious!). Take a look and give me some tips if something comes to mind! =) Thank you!

If you don't have any Elsepth at all then bring in more control slots or add in AEtherling. I'd go two AEtherling and 1 Fated Retribution. Try that out. Elspeth is really good though and is a must in this deck. If you don't have her then get her.

I have elspeth, but maindeck four over three. I still encounter problems such as getting behind turns because of missing mana drops or facing aggro decks. And I only run two jace because, although it seems as though he'd always help because he kills himself so quickly that you can play another, he often crowds my hand and doesn't really help until I have an elspeth pumping soldiers.
Using this deck with the things I changed, I placed second in Kentucky but only lost to a mirror match.
I've played magic since 04.

To answer your first question: "How do you stop yourself going to time?"

I have 3 Elspeth for that reason. it depends on your decks set up. If you don't have 3 Elspeth then you should probably main deck an AEtherling. You also need good cards for filtering your deck out. 4x Sphinx's Revelation does just that. Divination and Quicken do that job also, same with Azorius Charm if you need card advantage. However nothing filters like Jace. Those cards all make sure you get answers you will be needing. If you don't have those then you need to tweak your deck around to work with what you have.

Second question: "Do you have a kind of system or mental check-list to ensure you can make the right playes fast enough?"

Very very good question. It's hard to know when/what to counter and honestly sometimes I make this mistakes. The mental list really depends on the deck I'm playing. A phrase I use when playing other control players is: "I was just fishing, and I caught a sucker."

I'm a victim of this as well. Fishing out a counter, play something you want to hit but if it doesn't it wont hurt. The control player counters, wasting it, then you play what you really really wanted to hit the board because it seals the win. A big mind game control players do though, is not tapping out. Seeing mana open for a control deck is trouble and can intimidate your opponent to hold off on playing something they would NEED to hit that turn.

It's really hard to tell when/what to counter, especially if you're playing against a very aggressive deck like Naya/Jund Midrage, Mono Blue Devotion, Or Mono Red/Boros Burn. Against those decks, one wrong move could mean a loss. The main goal of this deck is hold off until you can get Elspeth. Just because you have Elspeth on turn six doesn't mean you play her on turn six. If I'm playing against a deck with red in it I hold off on playing her the turn I can so I can have mana open to counter Stormbreath Dragon. If they don't drop the dragon then I can go ahead and play Elsepth. Red decks move quick and if I'm even comfortable enough to play Elspeth they've probably lost or I'm going to at least make them work for their win.

Control vs. control match ups are really a toss up imo. Game 1 is going to be a coin toss but depending on what you board in, the next round could be yours. You want to board in more counters against control and/or even Jace, Memory Adept because he tears control apart with his mill and puts them on a huge clock. I can tell you now though, against control, Azorius Charms are there strictly for a drawing engine. DO NOT counter something like Quicken or Divination. I've had people counter those spells and it cost them the match because they didn't have a counter for my win cons. Only thing you may want to counter is Sphinx's Revelation cause it gives SO MUCH card advantage. Usually though you want to keep your mana open to counter Elspeth, AEtherling, and most importantly Jace. Second round though, get ready for Pithing Needle. Yes, you want to counter that. Unless you have a Detention Sphere handy.

Selesnya can't really do much to Elsepth. Once she hits their deck slows down, unless they have Advent of the Wurm, which even then can only do so much. Voice of Resurgence isn't even THAT big of a deal. It's an annoyance but it doesn't kill the deck.

Monoblack is a hard deck to come against because they have the tool that hurts control: Thoughtseize. Your opponent knowing what you have hurts your strategy, not to mention they get to burn a card from your hand. Luckily you have Elixir of Immortality. It combos well with Sphinx's Revelation cause if you have to discard after drawing so much, you can just pop the Elixir and get your deck back. Not only that but it's a cushion. Instant 5 life is nothing bad at all. If you absolutely have to counter a Thoughtseize then by all means, do it. You really want to look out for Desecration Demon, Erebos, and Gray Merchant. The rats will be dealt with when you Supreme Verdict, and you have Detention Sphere as well. The card advantage they get with Underworld Connections could hurt you but I wouldn't counter it. If you have to then pop a Detention Sphere on it. Mutavault is hard to deal with but nothing is more satisfying then casting Quicken and then casting Supreme Verdict after your opponent swings with the world, including all 4 of his Mutavaults. I have used Pithing Needling to stop Mutavault as well. Just keep mana open to protect Elspeth against Hero's Downfall. If you're comfortable playing her turn six against this deck then do it. If she gets hit with Hero's Downfall then it's fine because your opponent used one to get rid of her, you have 2 left, and you have Elixir of Immortality. Any devotion deck you do want mana open for their god enchantments and big threats. Facing monoblack is not that much from monoblue.

Midrange is probably the most frustrating for me because midrange decks have SO MANY THREATS! What to counter and when is the hardest against these decks and side boarding is even harder. Luckily most midrange you see is Naya/Jund. DO NOT let Xenagos, either the god enchantment or planeswalker, hit. He helps their deck too much and if you can't deal with him, the game is probably theirs. Domri gives could card advantage but I don't know if I'd counter him. I'd Detention Sphere him for sure. Garruk needs to be countered. These decks have so many threats and you need to be careful on what to counter when facing them. It depends on what else you have in your hand though. I hope this helped and sorry it was so long.

Don't apologise there is allot of good stuff in there, and your meta seems allot like mine!

After reading this it makes me wan't to have another go at control... though ill probably have to hold off and see what the next block brings (money limits on the amount i can play and draft atm) ill mess about with things till that happens!

thanks again!

I don't need omenspeaker with Jace.

Sorry, correction. Made *top eight* not either...

No. I'm stationed in Texas.

oh. Yea a guy played this deck against me... Its good.

Thanks. Ask him if he got it from me, lol.

Aetherling is suck a cheap rare and its so good...probably because its pretty much only played in this format

will do. he probably did

Yea AEtherling, if played right, wont be touched. Once he hits it's game unless you're not careful.

and those counter spells too though