Due to GP Paris, I’ve been neglecting writing these, so here’s some ideas on how to maybe build a control deck.

Basic assumptions about the format:

1) Black-Red Vampires is going to be a thing and thus we can’t afford to be too slow.

2) With that in mind, as the dual lands either come into play tapped or do as damage, its better to keep the decks limited to two colors.

The contention between the battle lands (that come into play untapped if you control two basics) and shadow lands (that come into play tapped unless you can show a basic land of a certain type from your hand) is interesting, although it won’t really affect play patterns very much. You just don’t want one of each in your opening hand. Shadow lands are better early, because being able to play them first gives you better odds of playing them untapped and battle lands are better late, when you probably already have the necessary basics in play.

At this point, mono-blue just feels very strong. It can be quite frustrating to play against and it won’t work very well against [scryfall]Incorrigible Youth[/scryfall], but I do think there’s plenty of stuff to work with here. The problem is finding a good win condition, but here’s an idea: When you bounce the whole board, you also bounce [scryfall]Persistent Nightmare[/scryfall] to recast [scryfall]Startled Awake[/scryfall].

The real reason to play this deck mono is [scryfall]Engulf the Shore[/scryfall], but I also think we can make something out of [scryfall]Thopter Spy Network[/scryfall]. [scryfall]Crush of Tentacles[/scryfall] and [scryfall]Rise from the Tides[/scryfall] are options as well. Maybe even [scryfall]Sphinx of the Final Word[/scryfall] or simply the [scryfall]Jace, Telepath Unbound[/scryfall] ultimate.

Since I can’t decide, lets make a couple of versions.

[deck title=Monoblue Network]
[creatures]
4 Hangarback Walker
4 Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy
[/creatures]
[spells]
4 Thopter Spy Network
2 Trail of Evidence
1 Brain in a Jar
2 Hedron Archive
1 Sword of the Animist
4 Clash of Wills
4 Void Shatter
4 Clutch of Currents
4 Just the Wind
[/spells]
[lands]
18 Island
4 Blighted Cataract
4 Foundry of the Consuls
[/lands]
[/deck]

Doesn’t feel very good, to be honest. Has some early defense, but probably can’t hold the board long term. I’m not even sure about the number of ways the deck can produce artifacts. [scryfall]Darksteel Citadel[/scryfall] would really help here, but alas, its not available anymore.

[deck title=Monoblue Tides]
[spells]
4 Engulf the Shore
4 Crush of Tentacles
2 Trail of Evidence
4 Rise from the Tides
4 Clash of Wills
4 Void Shatter
4 Epiphany at the Drownyard
4 Pieces of the Puzzle
2 Dispel
2 Horribly Awry
[/spells]
[lands]
22 Island
4 Blighted Cataract
[/lands]
[/deck]

This feels somewhat better, although Epiphany can be a bit problematic, if it makes you miss the all-important wincon. Some one or two mana card that would enable [scryfall]Crush of Tentacles[/scryfall] would be great here.