Love the use of time in the ice here. Have you considered adding either Merfolk Trickster or Watertap Weaver? Even more tempo bouncing fun!

Thanks makoenergy. This isn't really a tempo deck, it's a Control deck with a 3 mana threat. For this strategy to work every card needs to support Tempest Djinn by way of drawing cards or protecting it. Time of Ice makes the cut because it is effectively like drawing extra cards and playing extra lands, but I wouldn't want more of that effect in the form of Merfolk Trickster or Watertrap Weaver, the 2/2 body isn't worth much here.

Some games I will play Tempest Djinn on turn three, but really only if the opponent has stumbled and I either have a second Tempest Djinn or don't think they can remove it for awhile. In that case it's about tempo.

I actually really like this deck. I like Tempest Djinn as a bomb and wincon. It's not something as obvious as Torrential Gearhulk, and would probably fly under the radar of some players. It's super budget and cool but personally I'd add in a few more counter spells, probably an Essence Scatter or two. I think Anticipate and Supreme Will are both right at home here, being able to filter your deck is never a bad thing

I agree with AlmondCat. I personally have NEVER ever liked Lay Claim in any deck except to cycle it. 7-mana to take something is way too much, especially if the thing just dies. With 4 copies, you're likely to have it in hand with your 5th island on the board and just wishing it was a response to your opponents threats. I think Essence Scatter or even Negate would serve as a much better replacement.

It's a fun deck but the win condition it is not enough.

@Mortenick, the win condition is 1 or 2 giant evasive creatures in a deck full of creature removal and card draw, that is the classic Control deck win condition. Typically you'll only attack 2-3 times to do 20 damage. As a bonus you can sometimes just win using the opponents win condition with Lay Claim.

I'm currently testing a Mill strategy in the side board using Psychic Corrosion against other Control decks.

Hi!

It looks like a cool deck! In general, I love budget decks and this one looks pretty cool. +1 for me!

Also, about your comment on Tempest Djinn, I think that True-Name Nemesis might be a bit better than that! :P But I agree that the Djinn certainly looks powerful! :D

Oooo... I think I'll definitely be building this to give it a go. Simple, mono-colored control is one of my favorites, even though I usually prefer doing it in .

@MurderForBrunch, thanks. True-Name Nemesis is arguably much better in some ways. When I say "Tempest Djinn is possibly the most powerful 3-drop evasive blue creature ever printed" I'm talking about actual power/toughness. Games go so many turns with this deck, I've got him up to 13/4.

Ohhh there are so many annoying cards! It makes me so happy looking at it.

Seriously though, have you considered adding a blue wizard package? This doesn’t necessarily has to entail Baral, but it gives you access to Wizard’s Retort. I would also be considering Syncopate and Supreme Will, or straight Counterspells such as Essence Scatter. As for Lay Claim, have you considered In Bolas’ Clutches as replacement? I get that it doesn’t have the Cycling clause, but it does cost 1 less, and can give you an option of Karn’s Temporal Sundering as an alternate win con in the board.

All in all, this deck looks awesome.

would not win fnm w/ this

@toastySmorc, I haven’t really considered adding any other creatures because that would just dilute the decks strategy. There’s no benefit to doing a little more player damage, you’ll do enough with a single Tempest Djinn or you won’t. This deck is simply going to lose against certain decks and I don’t think it’s worth the sideboard spots to make it a little less likely. Against lots of ETB triggers or decks that go really wide really quick you’ll just have to get real lucky.

I don’t like counterspells in this deck, beyond Negate in the sideboard. It’s better here to bounce a creature and draw a card then to counter it with Essence Scatter because the opponent will always have more creatures in their hand, you can’t really ever get ahead.

I’m still not satisfied with the sideboard, but have some new ideas. Basically I’m thinking I want a Mill strategy against Control and in any other bad matchup I just want to be able to do my thing even more reliably, so a couple Mirror Image and I’m thinking I’ll try Leave in the Dust.

PlagueRats hmm curious. I must be approaching this at a different angle. I'm considering it from a more Stop-Your-Tempo angle via counterspells. The thing is, even after you bounce a creature, they'll just replay it. Against a control deck, a tempo loss like this is mostly inconsequential if you don't have a Djinn up. I feel like the bounce cards will be better adapted to a tempo build-maybe like WU fliers or something.

Also with regards to the wizards, they're not meant to deal damage, but to give you access to the 2 mana straight counterspell. But since you're not too into counterspells we'll forget about that.

Actually I'll brew my own version of this and we can compare notes?