I managed to get my hands on Supreme Verdict and Sphinx's Revelation, so here is my first attempt at a competitive control deck and riding the 'Rev train to victory while it's still standard. It runs a fairly common U/W control shell, splashing green and giving me a few extra ramp / aggressive options.
In the past, I've always preferred to play aggressive or mid-range decks. Since this is my first competitive control deck, I'm looking for any and all comments or suggestions :)
MainBoard
Creature (4)
AEtherling - A 1-of win con that can finish a game very quickly if it goes long enough. Virtually un-blockable and un-killable.
Fleecemane Lion - This guy is the unlikely star of the deck. Although Fleecemane seems an odd choice for control at first, he can fill 1 of 2 roles depending on what my opponent is playing. Can be played on turn 2 as a very early blocker against weenie decks or played on turn 5-7 as an 'almost-impossible-to-remove' beater against other control decks. Can also simply wall against mid-range creature strategies. Best part is that he hangs around after Supreme Verdict.
Sorcery (4)
Supreme Verdict - Un-counterable board sweeper. Keeps the board clear for me to start resolving spells. 4-of as creature strategies are popular at the moment.
Instant (15)
Sphinx's Revelation - Re-filler of hands and of life totals. Resolving one of these late game can be the nail in the coffin when your opponent goes in to top-deck mode.
Azorius Charm - Generally used to bounce a creature or draws a card if needed. The lifelink ability is occasionally relevant in stabilizing my life total.
Dissolve - General counter-spell with scry attached. A 4-of as I always like to have one in my hand.
Plasm Capture
- 'Surprise' counter-spell that can help fuel large Sphinx's Revelation or allow me to resolve a win-con while leaving counter spell mana up.
Render Silent
- An underrated counterspell. Gets better in the late game when my opponent's try to play multiple spells in one turn.
Swan Song - Added in place of Syncopate to allow me an earlier counter-spell against gods and enchantment creatures. Also helpful to stop my opponent answering Supreme Verdict.
Planeswalker (7)
Elspeth, Sun's Champion - A win-con that either clogs the board with weenies or clears any big threats (ideally both).
Jace, Architect of Thought - +1 hoses weenies. -2 draws card. Ultimate wins the game (usually). What more do you need this guy to do?
Kiora, the Crashing Wave - Shuts down a single threat or helps me ramp/re-fill my hand. The emblem can also be an alternative win con by giving me large threats every turn.
Enchantment (4)
Detention Sphere - Removes threats on the board (generally Planeswalkers) when I have no other answers. Using these over Banishing Light while its still standard. Being able to 2-for-1 my opponent puts it slightly above Banishing Light in my opinion.
Land (26)
I won't go in to too much detail about lands as most people know the value of shocklands and scrylands already. I will note that Mana Confluence is amazing in this deck. The color fixing that this brings allows turn 4 Supreme Verdict to go off almost every single time its needed.
SideBoard
Jace, Memory Adept - Sided in as an alternate win-con vs other control decks.
Brimaz, King of Oreskos - Brought in against Weenie decks as he comes out early and can constantly pressure my opponent.
Celestial Flare - Mainly brought in against voltron or monster decks, this gets around hexproof or protection by targeting the player instead and forcing them to sacrifice.
Glare of Heresy - Brought in against anything running white. Exiling a Elspeth, Sun's Champion or even an opposing Detention Sphere for little cost makes a great sideboard card.
Negate - Another cheaper counter spell to side in against Burn and Control decks.
Pithing Needle - Every. Single. Sideboard. This card stops ANY activated that I need it to stop. Opposing planeswalkers, Pack Rat, even
Ghor-Clan Rampager
bloodrush.
Rest in Peace - This addition was a hedge against the increasingly popular dredge decks and it also stops "When this creature dies..." triggers by exiling them instead EG. Athreos, God of Passage / Xathrid Necromancer.
