1 drop into Curious Obsession, counter anything relevant and then win.
I've gone all in on Faerie Vandal and Curious Obsession (this in place of Merfolk Trickster). Since we added Censor as Opt 5-6, I think we do well with it.
Emphasis on threats that grow bigger over the game, as I've lost too many matches with a 9 turn clock (1/1 flyer).
Use Opt when it puts the most +1/+1 counters on your creatures: your turn for Vandal, their turn for Cutthroat. Cycling censor does draw a card, but it isn't casting a spell. Remember Vandal can get a counter on your opponents turn if you can find 2 card draw effects.
Sideboarding Guide:
Mono Black Agro
In: 1 Ashiok, 1 Grafdigger's cage, 1 Entrancing Melody, 2 Essence Capture, 1 Unsummon, 1 Unsubstatiate, 1 Lazotep Plating.
Out: 2 Censor, 2 Cloudfin Raptor, 2 Spell Pierce, 1 Lookout's dispersal, 1 Faerie Vandal.
Permission spells are ok in G2, because of the castle activation to draw cards and then play them, but Censor is the most conditional and this is a creature heavy deck so Spell Pierce a bit less effective. Bouncing creatures out from under Murderous Rider's adventure is A+.
Mono red agro
In: 1 unsummon, 2 Unsubstantiate, 1 Lazotep Plating, 2 Essence Capture, 1 Entrancing Melody.
Out: 1 Lookout's Dispersal, 2 Wizard's Retort, 3 Cloudfin Raptor
Cloudfin dies to wild slash even after Curious obsession or a counter, and they have so much instant speed removal that I don't like it here. As much bounce as we can get, for their prowess creatures after buffs, and for ours from under burn spells. Better to put an extra counter on in response though!
UW control
In: 2 Mystical Dispute, 2 Unsubstantiate, 2 Disdainful Stroke*, 1 Ashiok Dream Render.
Out: 4(3) Cloudfin Raptor, 2 Dive Down, 1(0) Brineborn Cutthroat.
It is essential to leave up Spell Pierce in this matchup - it can counter Azorius Charm and obnoxious planeswalkers.
The sideboarding is really tough to judge. You want all the countermagic you got, because you must stop the planeswalkers resolving and taking over the game. Unsubstantiate is your only answer to Supreme Verdict.
The worst offenders are 3 mana - Narset and 3Feri. They must be countered, or attacked to death if they resolve. Either one kills the game plan of the deck.
Disdainful Stroke is tricky because it depends on their sideboard plan. If its Elspeth or Dream Trawler, then we want it, but if its Monastery Mentor, it's useless. Basically only board it in G2 if you saw at least one 4 mana threat G1. I suspect it comes in a fair bit for G3. If you don't cut it, leave some threats in.
Dimir Inverter
In: 2 mystical dispute, 2 essence capture, 2 disdainful stroke, 1 Thassa, God of the Sea.
Out: 4 Cloudfin Raptor, 2 Brineborn Cutthroat, 1 Faerie Vandal.
The counterspells are what matter here. You can let Inverter resolve if you can for sure counter Jace or Oracle. If they already have Jace, you must counter Inverter. Let them kill themselves by decking. If we had space for more lands in the sideboard, I'd board them in here!
Thassa comes in so you can attack through the 6/6 flyer and keep drawing cards. Plus the scry is very useful to make sure you have a hand full of counterspells, and are hitting your land drops.
Lotus breach
In: 1 Damping Sphere, 1 Grafdigger's cage, 1 Ashiok, Dream Render, 2 Mystical Dispute, 2 Disdainful Stroke.
Out: 2 Spell Pierce, 3 Lookout's Dispersal, 2 Censor.
We need to evolve/obsess up to 3 power, so we can kill the Arborial Grazer in one attack. Permission spells are terrible against 5+ floating mana. Disdainful stroke counters granted and Pore Through Pages. (And Jace). Our win con is damage, after disrupting them enough that they can't combo. If they do, hold up a hard counter for the Jace/Oracle.
Niv to Light:
In: 2 Disdainful Stroke, 1 Ashiok, Dream Render, 2 Mystical Dispute, 2 Essence Capture.
Out: 2 Censor, 2 Brineborn Cutthroat, 3 Cloudfin Raptor.
Counter Bring to Light and Niv Mizzet Reborn, and you are doing ok. Slam Ashiok if you can, to put them off their mana fixing and to counter Bring to Light. Kill them with creatures, eventually.
Bant Spirits:
In: 1 Unsummon, 2 Unsubstantiate, 1 Grafdigger's Cage, 1 Thassa, God of the sea, 2 Mystical Dispute, 1 Entrancing Melody, 2 Essence Capture
Out: 4 Brineborn Cutthroat, 3 Spell Pierce, 1 Lookout's Dispersal, 2 Dive Down.
Wow, 10 cards to swap. A tempo deck that plays all flyers!
Thassa is very useful here. You want every spell that can counter Spell Queller.
Counter the lords, if you can. Hopefully you'll +1/+1 counter your creatures enough to be able to stall the board up if you can stop the passive buffs.
Izzet Ensoul:
In: 1 Unsummon, 2 Unsubstantiate, 2 Mystical Dispute, 1 Entrancing Melody, 2 Essence Capture.
Out: 4 Cloudfin raptor, 2 Dive Down, 2 Siren Stormtamer
Bounce the enchanted thing, or the thing animated by the M19 creature (don't bounce the animating creature, they can use it again.) If all else fails, entrancing melody a 5/5 gingerbrute.
You won't board stall this deck, so board out the 0/1s and some 1/1s. Better just counter all the good things they're doing.
Sultai Delirium:
In: 1 Ashiok, Dream Render, 1 Grafdigger's Cage, 2 Essence Capture, 2 Unsubstantiate, 1 Lazotep Plating.
Out: 3 Spell Pierce, 3 Cloudfin Raptor, 1 Tempest Djinn
Your plan here is plan A, with optimised disruption. Hopefully you find Cage or Ashiok and can resolve them, shutting off yards and/or the tutoring. The first time the cast and sack Uro should be the last (exile it or cage it into the yard). Keep drawing as many extra cards as possible, and counter that spider if it shows up. Other counter-worthy creatures include Tireless tracker and baby Jace.
Sideboard card usage:
Ashiok, Dream Render.
Useful against any deck with complex colour requirements (turns off Fabled Passage), or that uses the graveyard for escape cards or recursive creatures.
Damping Sphere
Good for slowing down combo decks, mainly Lotus Breach.
Disdainful Stroke
Big mana/long game /ramp decks. Counters Granted, Inverter of Truth, Pore over pages, Niv Mizzet Reborn, etc.
Entrancing Melody
Decks with scary 1 and 2 drops. Can also steal Mutavault if they use it to block!
Essence Capture
Good against any creature deck. Marginal in combo decks using creatures (pretty bad against Fae of Wishes, for example).
Grafdigger's cage
Turns off escape, Flip Jace, Collected Company, recursive creatures.
Lazotep Plating
Good for Fatal Push+Thoughtseize .deck! Also good against mono red.
Mystical Disupte
Good against blue decks in general, and control decks in particular (counter wars.)
Thassa, God of the Sea
Good against decks with flying or reach, or stompy decks with little removal.
Unsubstantiate
An expensive Unsummon (see that entry,) but also good against expensive/ uncounterable spells like Supreme Verdict or Slaughter Games.
Unsummon
As per in limited, use this to pick up your creature in response to removal, or to bounce theirs in response to a pump or aura spell. Amazing tempo play, but use it when you get at least a card of value from it. One rather epic use is to bounce a creature from under an Adventure spell (murderous rider, rimrock knight) - the spell fizzles and they don't get to cast the creature afterwards!
