Still a budget build or not? If not, go for the ones I suggested and make some changes according to your play style and your target metagame. hehe

This might be a good deck for Mirrorpool. I always want to see that card played. Looks fun! Engulf the Shore does work every time I play it in a predominately blue control deck.

usurphling, yeah I don't think I'm putting in $20-$25 per Torrential Gearhulk at this point. Maybe after I come up with another 1 or 2 decks I want to use them in, then I can justify the expense. I like this build a lot for only about $50 though. Thanks again! What do you think about the Turtles? LOL!

Hmm, i think the turtles are underwhelming for utility. You can handle Baral, Chief of Compliance in your budget to fit in to get your Startled Awake  ^Flip discounted. Problem with aggro decks? Filigree Familiar will block for you, gain life and draw cards...also its very good with Engulf the Shore. Crush of Tentacles is always an option and its easy to cast for you.

If youre worried about a finisher, Aethertide Whale can be a substitute for Torrential Gearhulk or if you want to go wide, go for Docent of Perfection  ^Flip.

I'd put in Shielded Aether Thief over both turtle and theorist. It's a better blocker, consistently generates energy and can provide card advantage, and well block most ground-based attackers. Also, if Baral's Expertise is a 4 of, maybe put in Lunar Force. It gives you delirium fuel, can be put out by expertise, and is generally an O.K. card. At worst, it's "Opponent Discards Non-Land Card" for 3 mana, which isn't a great floor, but in this deck it might actually work.

I've made a similar list based on this one (feel free to check it out). I'm going to try seeing what works in each

I would do 4 copies of Compelling Argument and 3 copies of Startled Awake. Compelling Argument is more flexible with the ability to Cycle if you're really struggling to find cards, and you can also play one mid-game leaving mana up to play a counterspell. You can also play a turn-5 Fraying Sanity into Compelling Argument.

Also, I see Winds of Rebuke in your Sideboard. Thoughts about adding more copies or Mainboarding it? I am currently working on building my own mill deck and I want this in it. You bounce something back, they mill (at least) 2. The stall it provides is worth you milling two cards yourself imo. Plus, whatever you bounce back you can just counter next turn.

Unsummon is something I am also including.

Lastly, Baral's Expertise. Not the full playset, but maybe like 2 copies. You bounce a ton of stuff back, then play a Fraying Sanity or even a Startled Awake for free.

Thanks Bano42! I am definitely thinking about more Compelling Argument, even if they just get used for early cycling if I need it. Maybe Baral's Expertise for my SB too.

I think your creatures are just okay since you'll probably struggle to stay alive against quick aggro and they'll mill at least a little and help block but a much better option IMO is Thing in the Ice  ^Flip. Definitely put in at least 1-2 Torrential Gearhulk since you're going very control style. Switch Catalog for Supreme Will as soon as it's released cause I think that's just 100% better. I like the deck! Good luck!

Maybe try Pieces of the Puzzle to help activate the manic scribe. Another mill card you missed was Vessel of Paramnesia. Also maybe consider Scribe of the Mindful to help get some of your mill cards back. Also Mirrorpool is a great land to have in this deck to effectively quadruple the amount of cards your opponent mills if you have the curse out. Some Geier Reach Sanitariums may also help with milling by making them discard. You may also consider making this deck UB in order to access cards that make your opponent discard such as Unburden and hand disruption such as Dispossess and Lost Legacy. If you have any question feel free to respond back :)

I personally don't think you need manic scribe or minister to make the deck work. If you think about it, startled awake recurs itself, and only 2 casts of it ends the game with a fraying sanity out. Winds of Rebuke is your best friend with startle, and Baral's Expertise can bounce the nightmare into a free startled awake, while thinning your opponents board. Torrential Gearhulk is an absolute beast who gives you an out if your mill isn't quite working out. Honestly an auto include in almost every blue deck nowadays if you can get your hands on one. Also Crook of Condemnation for those pesky zombies and delirium decks

I would probably run a couple Desert of the Mindful and a full playset of Manic Scribe. Cycling the desert lets you get delirium sooner, and being a desert works with Ipnu Rivulet.

oh its in maybeboard already nvm

I run a playset of Manic Scribes. They've won me games just on the slow drain when I never see a Startled Awake. I'm not convinced of the Ministers but I know others have used them.

Here's my list that I've been running for a while. I seem to do a lot more with cycling: enter link description here

Hey! Dev from SBMtG on Youtube posted a deck-tech today on the mono-blue mill. I have some things I would change, but I think his video is a pretty solid place to look. Just an FYI! Hope this helps.

And, side note: I don't think Manic Scribe is that great here. You want to win relatively quickly, and this is a pretty slow card. I mentioned it before, but I think Winds of Rebuke is much better at the two-drop for this deck.

Any thoughts to graveyard hate once you mill your opponent's decks? Just in case they have things that synergize with their graveyards? I'm thinking Watchers of the Dead or Scavenger Grounds or something like that.

Maybe you mill fast enough it's not needed.

Crook of Condemnation is probably more effective than either, because it is targeted repeatable hate

Thanks for all the suggestions! I think the current version is what I will try first as soon as I can get the HOU cards on MTGO.

I don't hear many good things about Censor, nor have I had much luck using it, it is so easy to work around paying 1 mana to play whatever spell. Just seems like almost anything you do is better than that card. Maybe put in As Foretold just to make your opponents hate you more as you counter and control them for free?

How did swarm intelligence nit get recommended?

Check out Get a clue... And mill

I would tend to replace 6 Island with 4 Hostile Desert (which can be sacrificed for the effect of Ipnu Rivulet) and 2 Mirrorpool (which can copy a Startled Awake  ^Flip. Winds of Rebuke can be a two-edged sword, and I think that I would rather play 4 each of Censor and Essence Scatter. With the current heavy focus on control decks, Turn Aside is both a good, and a cheap counter.