If control never developed as a play style
General forum
Posted on April 9, 2018, 10:25 p.m. by Deathdragon
Not sure that this is the right forum, however I believe it is.
while play testing a pirate deck I had a very random thought about magic and I want opinions from other on how different would magic be as a whole if control never developed as a play style? Would it be dramatically different or not so different from what it is right now?
Well, I think it is inevitable. Magic as a game, in terms of ways of winning the game is a scale - fast and loose vs later but secure.
Any deck exists on that scale - midrange decks are somewhat in the middle, combo decks are closer to the fast and loose, as well as aggro, while control is a manifestation of the later but secure.
April 10, 2018 3:16 a.m.
Control isn't THAT secure.
You've got to have the right cards in your hand at the right time.
April 10, 2018 3:42 a.m.
Considering I just invented this scale to illustrate my point, it may not be accurate. Additionally, this scale is applicable for deckbuilding only - luck of the draw is not considered, as it is not something you can actively impact.
April 10, 2018 4:12 a.m.
SeekerofSecrets says... #6
When deck building i tend to look at the spectrum like a triangle with the sides being; combo, reactive, and proactive.
But in a game theres always two positions that you can take, proactive or reactive. Your either trying to win by outpacing your opponent or your trying to disrupt your opponent so that you can be in a spot to win. Now at points you will of course switch roles but there will always be someone taking that stance. It doesn't matter if the classic "control" archtype existed in a game there will always be a player that has to be reactive.
April 10, 2018 8:03 a.m.
Ah, yes. SeekerofSecrets mentions something very important- there is always a control deck and an aggressive deck in every match (or reactive/proactive), regardless of how you build the deck.
For example, Mono Red in the current standard is the de facto top dog aggro deck and built to be so. But in the mirror, if one of players develops say a Glorybringer, while the other doesn't, the Glorybringer-less player may temporarily stop aggression to deal with the bigger threat by spending their removal to deal with it instead of it going to the opponents face. The aggro deck will assume a control role, even temporarily to better its own position.
But as I said, the scale refers only to deckbuilding. Here is an excellent article, one of the most famous ones in fact, on the subject:
April 10, 2018 8:46 a.m.
I have to disagree with Catalog9000 - different flavors of control are still control.
Whether you counter or kill a creature, the end result is exactly the same - a creature in the yard, plus/minus an ETB ability. There is no color combination in constructed that does not have control, midrange, aggro, tempo or combo decks associated with it and distinguishing between playstyle and color combination.
For example, UR in current standard can be either God-pharaoh's gift combo-control or Pirate tribal aggro-tempo.
PS In your Ezuri situation, the abilities would still resolve, regardless of Ezuri being alive or desintegrated.
April 10, 2018 9:50 a.m. Edited.
I love how people call themselves "arseholes" when what they really mean is "look at me, I'm such a good player".
As if winning makes you an "arsehole".
Boza a Control deck isn't one that HAS controlling spells
A Control deck is one where the MAJORITY of its spells are Control.
It goes for a long game of shutting down the Opponent, until it is ready to bring its plan together.
There are more Control colour combos than what has already been mentioned.
I've played , and not too long ago in Standard was popular.
The classic hasn't even been mentioned.
April 10, 2018 9:53 a.m. Edited.
Argy, quite so - a deck with a mix of less controlling spells and more threats would be classified a midrange deck.
A definiton of a midrrange deck would be a deck that has control spells and better threats than an aggro deck and resilience/disruption/anything else vs control decks. It is aiming to be in the middle of the scale I mentioned earlier. An example from recent standard would be GR Monsters.
April 10, 2018 10:37 a.m.
buckeyetron says... #11
Catalog9000 if your opponent dumps all their mana into Ezuri, Renegade Leader and you Unlicensed Disintegration the Ezuri, the Ezuri's ability still resolves.
Argy says... #2
I assume you're taking about Counter spells.
Of COURSE the entire game would be different.
would have to have some other way for it to deal with problematic cards, which would not only affect it but all the other colours.
April 10, 2018 12:18 a.m.