What is a Bant Control deck?
General forum
Posted on Jan. 31, 2013, 10:27 a.m. by alexscript
They seem pretty popular these days, and I have no clue what they are and what makes them a Bant Control deck. Just curious. Thanks ahead of time for helping me clarify.
alexscript says... #3
Thanks kriskurse : actually that is new info :)
Is there more to it then that though?
January 31, 2013 10:40 a.m.
Yeah. But honestly, I rarely Play control decks so I'm probably not the one to explain it. lol I can point them out and fight them, but never really play them. From what I know:
The most common form of control is counters. Counterflux Negate Essence Scatter Rewind etc. Using counterspells and removal to keep their board clean so yours can get through. In bant though, usually now a days you'd see card:Sphinx's Revelation, Supreme Verdict maybe Terminus . Usually in my meta, I see Thragtusk and Restoration Angel s. lol
January 31, 2013 10:45 a.m.
The UWG color combination is called Bant because in the Shards of Alara block, each 3-color combination with a central allied color was called a "shard" and each shard had its own location, characteristics, and sometimes mechanics. The other four shards are Grixis, Esper, Naya, and Jund.
A control deck is one that seeks to control and disrupt the opponent's resources in the early game while outpacing them in resources as the game goes on. Control decks have a limited number of threats and try to win around turn 10 or later. They usually win by drawing many more cards than the opponent while maximizing value on removal to gain an advantage before deploying a difficult to deal with threat in the form of a large creature or planeswalkers.
A Bant Control deck in standard is thus one that is UWG and uses cards like Supreme Verdict , card:Sphinx's Revelation, Dissipate , and Thragtusk to accomplish its goals.
January 31, 2013 10:48 a.m.
evil_monkey says... #6
Bant control hopes to control the board, mostly by way of board sweepers and target removal e.g. Azorius Charm , and right when you think you have them killed, they cast a massive card:Sphinx's Revelation, refill their hand, land a Thragtusk or Restoration Angel or both, and bash your face in mercilessly.
They are actually starting to wane in popularity with Gatecrash coming up. Large tournaments before Gatecrash are starting to show lots of Bant Hexproof, Selesnya Aggro, Rakdos Aggro, and Esper Control.
January 31, 2013 10:54 a.m.
alexscript says... #7
Thanks kriskurse and Jimhawk : I think that answers a lot of questions. Now I understand the appeal of these decks and how some of the sets in recent years really accomodate that playstyle.
Thanks again.
January 31, 2013 10:55 a.m.
Dreadwhite509 says... #8
It's hard to explain because each deck operates differently, but in general, that strategy uses things to limit, manipulate, or effect the board in a way where it has the advantage. One example: in my treva edh, it basically "controls" how others interact with me. There's a rediculous amount of things to stop attacks, or limit attacks. Like Ghostly Prison Aurafication Forcefield and all a lot of countering spells. Mana Drain and Force of Will amoung many others. The whole idea is to block out anything that this will stop the deck from. Tutoring and building up creatures. An EXTREME control aspect treva has is with The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale and Living Plane and I have ways to get around it, while this hurts and messes up everyone. Usually, due to my defenses and counters, things like that can't be stopped. Mwahahahaha
January 31, 2013 11:19 a.m.
Dreadwhite509 says... #9
My OTHER edh deck based on Rubinia Soulsinger has many ways to take control (literally) of creatures, and perminents. Once I have them, I have things that sacrifice them, use them for my own advantage, or ways of exiling them. I actualy edited the deck a lot after I put it on here, so ill change it later. But Yu can still get an idea of what it does. Rubinia is also bant colors :)
January 31, 2013 11:22 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #10
I'm tempted to move this to Standard because the most prevalent/talked about Bant control decks are being played in Standard. However, Bant control does exist in other formats.
Bant control is usually a traditional control deck, by which I mean it aims to use board wipes and counterspells (along with some targeted removal) to stabilize the board state and neutralize threats. After turn 5 or 6, it then begins to play its own threats; at this point, the control player is leveraging the stability he or she created with his or her control spells in the early half of the game.
In other formats, you can have less traditional approaches to control. In EDH especially, Bant caters to enchantment-based control as well as combo-control. I personally believe Bant and Esper combo-control to be right next to (or perhaps slightly behind) BUG combo-control in terms of power.
January 31, 2013 12:43 p.m.
evil_monkey says... #11
That is true. I wasn't thinking out of standard for this question. A common control technique used in my local EDH meta is Sphere of Safety +Enchanted Evening . I saw a Primordial Hydra become a 96/96 the other day with Murder Investigation on it. Imagine that being destroyed with Enchanted Evening and Sphere of Safety out. You would have to pay over 100 mana for one creature to attack. Lulz.
January 31, 2013 12:50 p.m.
Dreadwhite509 says... #13
Why move it Epochalyptik?? I think he as asking about bant in general. It could be used in any format. Your right tho about bant EDH being the way it is with all the enchantments and combos, lol. My treva deck really is so annoying to people with all its AT&T k neutralizing.
*** back to the original question, while not really specific to bant, but used with versatility in Treva is Isochron Scepter , which lets one copy instants costing 2 or less by paying with (2) generic mana and tapping the artifact.For the control aspect, i could copy card:Orim's Chant which would control how opponent uses their entire turn. Or copy Mana Drain which may be worse, as opponents will have to be aware that I have a reusable counter that steals mana :) All other instants I have (aside from Force of Will are 2 or less, and they are counters and tutors.Aaallllll of that plus the crazy enchantments would be considered "control" I guess, because it effects/influences their actions twords me.
kriskurse says... #2
Bant refers to the color scheme of Blue, Green, White or U/G/W - Not sure if you knew that but if not new info! I'm sure someone will ninja me and explain what it means to be a control deck better here in a few. lol
January 31, 2013 10:34 a.m.