Breaking Block: Thought Gorger Aggro

The first quick list I was going to work through after I saw the spoiler was yet another UW-control variant, this time leveraging the awesome power of Survival Cache. Even against aggro decks, it should be able to draw two cards fairly regularly on the play following up a turn 1 Sejiri Refuge and a turn 2 Wall of Omens. But then I realized the card was a sorcery, and while I think it still has a place, I just don’t feel like going down that road. Not when I can play an 8/8 trampler on turn 4 that draws 6 cards when it leaves play. Between Thought Gorger and Abyssal Persecutor, Black now has two backbreaking 4′s that happen not to care very much about walls. They may not both make this deck, but if they do, it’s cuz boom booms are awesome.

The Deep End of the Pool – The Reality of an Eldrazi Endgame

Tonight I spent some time testing the UW control list from the previous post and learned the following:

The slowest, longest long-game axis of the Standard format will not be defined by manlands crashing through on empty boards after control has been established, but by this 6-8 card package: 4 Eldrazi Temple, 1 Eye of Ugin, 1 Ulamog/Kozilek/Emrakul. It’s possible that an extra Eye become necessary as the format adopts the package. It’s possible that you want 2 of the Eldrazi overlords. It’s also probable that the 15-drop becomes the finisher of choice as Path to Exile returns to vogue as the best answer for this Eye powered onslaught.

For Brian Kibler: Testing ‘All is Dust’ Tonight

Rough Draft:

UW Eldrazi Control

3 All is Dust
4 Wall of Omens
4 Everflowing Chalice
3 Treasure Hunt
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Sphinx of Lost Truths
2 Into the Roil
1 Day of Judgment
2 Wall of Denial
1 Martial Coup
1 Kiss of Amesha
1 Hindering Light
2 Negate
1 Mind Control
3 Flash Freeze
1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
2 Path to Exile
4 Eldrazi Temple
1 Eye of Ugin
4 Celestial Colonnade
3 Halimar Depths
2 Sejiri Refuge
2 Marsh Flats
3 Plains
5 Island