Again, we've got a lot of creatures that help us remove threats on the board, but this is a control deck. Sometimes we need to respond immediately, either via a counterspell or a removal spell.
Archaeomancer helps us play all of these cards repeatedly, so sometimes Archaeomancer is actually more important to protect than Marchesa since she can always come back and is readily available. Adding a Diabolic Tutor would be a smart play to go search for this wizard, and using Recall to get him back if he dies would also be a good call. Protect him so you can get the most out of these cards!
Here's our suite of counter and removal:
Annul - This here to counter Rest in Peace if you're playing against white. Seriously, if against white, hold this card to stop THAT spell exactly. Even if a Tormod's Crypt-like artifact is played, save Annul for RIP! We can get rid of artifacts via destruction and simply not send anything to the graveyard until we do. There are other cards to worry about, too, that Annul is specifically in here to counter, such as Leyline of the Void, Planar Void, Wheel of Sun and Moon, Night Soil, etc. You get the idea. Annul is our best chance to avoid being shut down completely.
Circular Logic - Normally we'll just pay the full price for this spell. It's here, though, because it gives us the ability to only pay 1 mana for it in an emergency. Otherwise, we can keep recurring it until that emergency arrives.
Counterspell - One of the most powerful cards ever made. 'Nuff said.
Essence Scatter - Save this for creatures that will be hard to get rid of once you understand your opponent's plan.
Dispel - Use it wisely. It's worth holding on to to stop infinite combos.
Rakdos Charm - If your opponent is playing a token deck and you expect them to play a massive amount of tokens for a final blow, esp infinite tokens, save this card. Cast at the right time, you can use their tokens against them to not only survive, but knock them out in the process. Also handy against other graveyard manipulation decks and stopping artifacts that are parts of combos.
Reality Shift - This is for hard-to-kill creatures. Just exile really bad ones! A 2/2 is nothing compared to what you'd be up against otherwise.
Sudden Spoiling - Another card to stop "unstoppable" creatures. Take away their hexproof and indestructability and what's left? A grounded Ornithopter ripe for the kill. Go get 'er!
Tragic Slip - Nearly no creature can survive a -13/-13 condition. Use it wisely.
Barter in Blood - Everybody sacs 2 creatures. For us? Good! For them? Baaaaaad!
Dreadbore - Planeswalker hate. We hate them because they avoid sacrifices, and because Dethrone doesn't trigger when attacking planeswalkers (only actual players). This spell is gold.
Note: It's important that we keep recurring counterspells from the graveyard (via Archaeomancer and Recall)), in order to protect and keep Marchesa alive, or to stop somebody from removing our graveyard when it has important stuff in it that we don't think we can't win without (esp late-game). Take advantage of Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge to cast GY retrieval spells from your opponent's exiled cards to use on our own spells!
Note 2: If Marchesa is in the command zone and therefore you cannot bring Archaeomancer automatically back from the graveyard, your opponents may strike while the iron is hot. If they try to Swords to Plowshares, you can simply sacrifice your Archaeomancer in response and send it to the graveyard before it is exiled. If you are not confident in getting it back (or don't have a sacrifice outlet any more), and since it's def a creature you want active on the board, you will want to counterspell the STP. Now, if you've been recurring a counterspell constantly with Archaeomancer already, your opponents are already expecting it to be countered ... which means they probably have another removal spell ready to come in behind the counterspell. But if you've drawn a second counter, let's say Dispel, do not use Dispel first, so as not to give up the game that you have a second counter ready. If you did use Dispel first, then they know you still have the other counter ready and they'll hold their removal until they have yet another one and try again later. Don't give them that advantage to hold over your head. Use Counterspell on the first, then when they pull out another removal card, THEN you use Dispel.
Morale of the story is: keep track of what you've brought back with Archaeomancer, because that's all public information. Keep using those, save the other cards you've drawn a secret for as long as you can.
