Why do people hate control?
General forum
Posted on April 30, 2014, 5:28 a.m. by Arvail
Simple topic but one that often mystifies me. I hear a lot of hate for control of any kind across all formats. It could occupy a tiny wedge of the meta but still draw discussion. Why do you think?
It's really boring. Playing with your cards is fun. Not being able to get a single one onto the field is really dull. Makes the game seem pointless.
April 30, 2014 6:01 a.m.
why would you want to play against someone who negates all your moves, rendering you nothing to do but watch them draw cards and proceed to counter anything you play. Its just not fun, not even worth saying "Good Game" at the end of the match in my opinion.
April 30, 2014 6:02 a.m.
GoldGhost012 says... #5
Because control keeps you from playing and using stuff, and usually you want to have fun playing and using your stuff. So...
April 30, 2014 6:02 a.m.
I love control, both playing it and playing against it :)
April 30, 2014 6:19 a.m.
Chaos_Gopher says... #7
Control decks are no less fun to play or play against. Playing against a control deck just requires you to know that style and learn to play around it or threw it. Most of the time I find it easier to deal with control decks than 4 turn kill aggro decks. I could be biased though, since I mostly play UBx control decks.. ;)
April 30, 2014 7:23 a.m.
Servo_Token says... #8
Personally, the only control deck that I don't like is a UW variant. At this point in its life, it really doesn't require much thought to operate, as pretty much every scenario has been played out for you to memorize.
Oh wow, you know how to tap out for Sphinx's Revelation . You must be so good at Magic.
But I love playing against any other type of control, whether it be mono white pillowfort, RB killspells, or BUG Walkers. These less-played control styles often lead to tough decisions on both ends and make for really fun games.
April 30, 2014 8:25 a.m.
I speak typically for esper control (which is stupidly relevant in my meta). It's just no fun when our deck doesn't operate. Everyone knows the frustration of having no creatures and a hand full of pumps, or a hand full of kill spells when they're playing creature less. When you're playing control, it seems like their only goal is to make sure that happens to you. They make sure you can't do anything, and it's just frustrating. At leas with aggro you can defend yourself. When playing control it's all about waiting until they're tapped out to do something special, or make sure you have that Gods Willing in your hand. I might just be biased because of the amount of net-decked Esper and U/W control in my area though.
April 30, 2014 8:44 a.m.
rochdalekilla9 says... #10
I have a love/hate relationship with control decks, and when I say control decks I am referring to U/W and Gate decks. It is a strategy, and if your strategy is to piss off everyone you play, then you have succeeded. A couple times I toyed with the idea of making a U/W control deck, but then I remember how much I hate it and how much fun I wouldn't have if I played it. I'm all for a challenge, but when that challenge consists of the opponent just playing counterspell after counterspell after counterspell mixed with draw power and exiling over and over again, it gets old and annoying. BUT, it is a strategy so I don't knock those who do it. But what really frustrates me is when someone is playing a Gate deck, if that's the correct term. Get ten Gates with different names and you win the game. So I have a million creatures on the battlefield and every time I swing they merely play Fog or Fogs cousins. And unless your playing red and have Skullcracks or land destruction, there isn't much you can do unless they run out of Fog-esque cards. Annoying.
April 30, 2014 9:31 a.m.
It sounds like many of you have had bad experiences with control; I am not trying to change your mind but give you a different perspective. I myself enjoy play control as much as aggro, combo, midrange decks and I enjoy playing against them just as much. Sure some matchups are horrible, and others are easy; thats magic. Anyways control decks require a lot of tuning, lots of practice, skill, and knowledge of the meta and game. This can be said about other decks, but generally more so for control decks. They have to know when to use their tools and when to not use their tools. It may seem like they always have tools, sometimes they do, but in general they can be outplayed. Battles against a skilled control player are quite honestly my favorite, as they make me think quite a bit and tends to get my adrenalin flowing.
Now some disclaimers here. As said before sometimes your deck just has a really bad matchup against control and sometimes they always have their tools. Some decks like the current U/W standard deck are both; great against slow creature heavy decks that has a ton of great tools in a slow creature heavy format.
Control is all about the opportunity cost, the more you seize those moments the more fun you will have playing and playing against control. Hope you have a more interesting outlook on control decks.
April 30, 2014 9:35 a.m.
You ever had that significant other that always sneaks around going through your phone or questioning you like a cop everytime you wanna go hang out with your buds?
Well playing against control is a lot like that.
You don't hardly get to do anything and it usually turns into you just sitting there while they land an Elspeth, Sun's Champion or they Supreme Verdict away what little stuff you were able to cast.
Noone likes a two player game that turns into solitaire on turn 2.
Obviously this is just my opinion but the only thing less fun for ME to play against is land destruction.
April 30, 2014 9:51 a.m.
JakeHarlow says... #13
Land Destruction and Control...so damn annoying when they work well. But that's the game. I mean, I've heard similar complaints against aggro. When you lose in the first three to four turns before you can really play anything, the game might feel pointless too. Magic, especially competitive Magic, is all about abusing mechanics, that's simply the game. I get frustrated a lot, too, but I always seem to come back.
April 30, 2014 11:04 a.m.
MindAblaze says... #14
I have to agree that Control is very annoying to play against. That being said I know I'm a midrange player at heart and in the triangle, Control beats Midrange...that's how it works preboard and the game is made so that it happens. There's not much you can do about it other than accept that post-board you should have a better shot and hope for chaos to mess up their game plan.
I have to agree with JakeHarlow and anyone else who harps on aggro though. It's equally as unfun to get beat by RDW when they stomp in and you're dead by turn 4.
It lets us become better players to always face the archetypes we hate. We learn how to adapt to them...and we have to adapt. Or die.
April 30, 2014 12:09 p.m.
NobodyPicksBulbasaur says... #15
Control can be extremely fun to play against. Correctly playing around their cards and sneaking out a win is very satisfying.
That being said, not every deck has the luxury of being able to alter its gameplan to play around cards in the matchup. Some decks just have to go for broke, and Control is usually going to bare its fangs in those matchups. Those matchups will never be fun.
April 30, 2014 12:35 p.m.
trentfaris242 says... #16
I'm just gonna talk about standard, because I think this is where control has really lost...control (no pun intended).
Each archetype should be balanced. Aggro beats control, Midrange beats aggro, and control beats midrange. However, standard control decks don't fit into this meta at all. Standard control decks beat anything and everything.
A great example of this is when Alan Mai played a RUG Devo deck at SCG LA vs. a routine UW/x deck. He was able to combo out 9 fatties almost immediately only to have the other player Quicken a Supreme Verdict on turn 5.
Seriously, what's the point of playing anything other than control if control will always beat it? It doesn't matter if you're playing combo, aggro, or midrange; control dominates them all in standard. It's no fun to play against because if you want to win, you're forced to play a single archetype.
April 30, 2014 12:39 p.m.
Personally I find aggro vs. aggro or midrange vs. aggro to be less interactive than control. We can both play our creatures and turn them sideways! Yay we're so good at this game! HUR DUR WE REMEMBER OUR ATTACK STEPS! SUCH SKILL! WOW!!!111One!1!1One!
I don't play control in the current Standard, but thinking it takes no skill is laughable. You can wreck control players with good sideboarding, like Skullcrack , Pithing Needle , Duress , etc. A lot of people do poorly against control due to a lack of experience and knowing what to prioritize. I can't count the number of times I've seen people overextend and walk right into a Supreme Verdict and get four-for-one'd...then complain how it's "unfair" they can't just shit their hand into play.
April 30, 2014 1:07 p.m.
Chucktesta says... #18
I played casual magic for some time before moving to semi-competitive...playing casual was fun, 15-20 turn games with big creatures and awesome effects. Now my point of view on magic is something like "Beat the sht out of control before insert wrath effect* ruins your game". I (as a player) evolved myself from midrange player to 4-turn-win-aggro player. It is the only way to win something in my local meta. Dont take me wrong, this is not a complaint. There is nothing sweeter than winning before control-opponent has a chance to play something. Gods Willing I love you.
April 30, 2014 1:14 p.m.
JakeHarlow says... #19
Chucktesta: Judging by your remarks, I must conclude that we are kindred Magic spirits. I went from midrange to aggro for the same reasons. And I've got so much love for casual MTG still. Competitive is still fun and rewarding, but it's a very limited pool of viable cards compared to the rest of the game.
April 30, 2014 1:41 p.m.
megawurmple says... #20
I actually enjoy playing against Control most of the time. I like Magic to be a game of skill and clever thinking, and playing against Control forces you to play smart and consider your options from the very start of the game. It's all about trying to play around the opponent and throw them off their game as much as possible.
April 30, 2014 2:36 p.m.
NobodyPicksBulbasaur says... #21
@trentfaris242 as I recall, the RUG player won that game. He used a Garruk, Caller of Beasts to easily outdraw Sphinx's Revelation and had control throughout that entire game. Even when Supreme Verdict 8-for-1-ed him, he was still ahead on cards.
April 30, 2014 2:57 p.m.
NobodyPicksBulbasaur says... #22
He had overextended that far because he had an excess of both mana and cards thanks to Garruk and Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx . Playing into Verdict was more efficient than simply discarding the cards.
April 30, 2014 2:58 p.m.
trentfaris242 says... #23
@NobodyPicksBulbasaur He did win it. He won the match if I remember correctly. My point was that his play was completely flawless and was shut down early on by an archetype that shouldn't have been able to do that.
April 30, 2014 3:11 p.m.
Rasta_Viking29 says... #25
I enjoy playing against Control. Over the past 3 months I have a 18-1 record against U/W/x Control in Standard, good times.
April 30, 2014 3:41 p.m.
SkyRaider42 says... #26
I must disagree with you thePESSIMIST. The real fun police is Legacy pox. That deck makes everyone playing against it not want to play magic anymore
April 30, 2014 4:12 p.m.
ThisIsBullshit says... #27
I can deal with control or combo alone (mostly by running control against them) but what I really hate is control with infinite combos. They lock down everyone else, and then set up their infinite combo while we fume angrily because we know we can't do anything about it. It just makes the game unfun for everyone because once everyone realizes they're playing against a control combo person then they have to attack that player just to get them out of the way.
-Fulcrum says... #2
Considering a particular standard UWx deck has been dubbed "Fun Police," I would assume people hate playing against control because it's not fun. And sometimes it really isn't fun to play against.
April 30, 2014 5:42 a.m.