Jokesin' with Non-tier—4 Color Control (Part II)

Part II of the 4 Color Control leaves off from deck observations of last week's article, and continues with the sideboard plan.

Sideboard Notes

Because this deck plays 4 colors I have a bit more tools at my disposal, so sideboarding can get tricky.  I'm still trying to hammer things out.  (For reference sideboard cards that are only one-of's won't have any listed cards for taking out because you can usually find one or two cards specific to your current matchup that's probably better than one card I suggest.)

1.      Chain Reaction: Always in against any sort of agro deck as it almost always leads to a few extra turns for me to set up my late game.  I typically take out Mysteries of the Deep for this, as against agro decks I almost never enter a battle of attrition.

2.      Crystal Ball: A good one-of for a late game insurance policy for getting better card quality. Gets put in against control or other slow decks.

3.      Demolish: Good against any deck packing high amounts of artifacts.  It's also good against decks that play three or more colors (which don't show up) or decks that have a heavier top curve.  Usually I won't be focusing on creatures, taking out Halimar Wavewatch, Kor Cartographer, and a World Queller.  Additionally, I toss out a Prism or two.

4.      Mind Control: Good against decks that play big creatures, especially titans.  I like taking out Lavaball Traps and a couple Mold Shamblers out for them.

5.      Oust: An extra measure against big creatures or heavy agro decks.  Sometimes you can Oust a creature and just prevent them from playing the creature ever again when you keep destroying their lands. 

6.      Prophetic Prism: An extra measure against spreading seas and potentially against land destruction, but I have yet to really play many opposing land destruction decks.

7.      Spell Contortion: Good against decks that ramp and even counter-control decks.  Just kicking it once is good enough for what I dub as “Craptastic Command.”  I'd take out my own ramping cards for this as they aren't good enough threats if they are on the counter-control plan. Otherwise, I'd take out Lavaball Traps due to their useless against bigger creatures and decks that can ramp up before you can even pay the trap costs.

8.      Whiplash Trap: This card is just the nuts against Elves and Goblins.  Bouncing back a lord is screws up combat math, and they almost certainly have 2 creatures come out.  Trap also is good for potentially bouncing back one of your creatures to try to get more value out of it when you replay it.  I would take out slower cards like Mysteries of the Deep, Prophetic Prisms, an Ulamog's Crusher, etc. for it.

So I Realized that People Might Want to Play Better Cards...

Basically jank isn't for everyone.  In fact these articles are written with the purpose to illustrate how one can be more creative with deck building, to entertain those who are tired of seeing countless articles on serious magic, but in large part, it's written for magic players that know they have a budget but want to build as best as they can. 

So yes, these articles are really pushing the extent of the term budget, so I have decided to include cards on a more affordable range, that are basically strictly better versions.  And I'd be lying if I didn't say my “Groundbreaker” deck didn't help inspire this section of the article ;)--there used to be sections after each preconstructed deck list in the included strategy booklet which go into detail (including a deck list) about how to improve the provided decks.

1.      Day of Judgment ($2-$4) for Chain Reaction

2.      Birds of Paradise ($3-$5) for Greenweaver Druid

3.      Nest Invader ($0) for Kor Cartographer/Ondu Giant/Pilgrim's Eye

4.      Raging Ravine/Celestial Colonnade/Stirring Wildwood/Scars of Mirrodin Lands ($3-$5): Dread Statuary, any number of the gain life lands

5.      Mana Leak ($0.50) for Spell Contortion

6.      Goblin Ruinblaster ($0.20) for Demolish

7.      Acidic Slime ($0) for Mold Shambler?  Some of these choices may be dependent on how much you want to tweak the deck toward land destruction and less ramp.

8.      Cultivate ($0.20) for Prophetic Prism: Helps ramp you instead of just mana fix you.

9.      Jace's Ingenuity ($0.20)/Enclave Cryptologist ($0)  for Mysteries of the Deep

10.  Kor Skyfisher ($0) for Aether Tradewinds/?.  It might push your deck more toward combo and agro where you bounce back your own creatures like Aether Tradewinds, and get a nice 2/3.  I just am not sure if I'd abandon Tradewinds yet because it helps in so many situations.

I'm sure you guys can think up more things (and I encourage them to be posted in the comments section).  Also my jank goggles—basically I've been building jank decks and playing with this one for so long, I'm not sure what I'd change without completely changing the nature of the deck—are hindering my abilities here.

Some Memorable Moments

With the most lands I've ever had in play and in hand, I cast Mysteries of the Deep into...well turns out that at the bottom of the sea was more land (which makes sense!).

I didn't concede the previous game (see above) even when I knew I had no possible way to beat him, and for good reason.  Hint: he was so mad that he had to take his time-out in advance ;).

His plan was to take decks into late game with Day of Judgment, then beat them with man-lands and titans.  My plan was to Crush those plans.

I'm really sick....

...really sick of playing...

...decks that auto-lose to Aether Tradewinds! >:(  But I actually can't lose to them :).

Forget Day of Judgement, forget Spreading Seas, forget Grave Titan...the card that all variants of Vampires lose to is Ondu Giant ;).

Remember kids: no matter how many variations of poison exist out there...they all suck :)... (NOTE: this comment is pre-Mirrodin Besieged.  Also, I beat the deck by blocking here and hoping he played out another creature.  Thereby letting me finally destroy the regenerator.)

...but they still make me sweat bullets.

Despite beating this deck, I really thought it was well made and creative, with surprise Platinum Emperion :).  Too bad it met my surprise Kor Sanctifer.

Another deck I recommend, and this one beat me, despite the good fight I put up..  Basically it's blue-red deck that plays an agro-combo idea (but this time not your typical Kiln Fiend build--don't let the Distortion Strike fool you!).  Then when all is said and done, either Inferno Titan or Molten Tail finishes off the remaining life.   

Final Thoughts
This deck is definitely one of the funnest decks out there in my honest opinion.  Many choices exist, both in playing but a lot of it in sideboarding.  Because of the greater choices, the deck is very easy to misplay, and thus, it forces you to think harder.  Some people won't like thinking harder, and this deck won't be for them (and that's perfectly okay!), but I feel that thinking is what makes magic actually fun and not just going through the motions.  Looking back at those "Groundbreaker" days, I really have realized how much my decks have certainly come a long way from "pay mana for creature and attack with creature next turn".

Keep Jokesin'.
-HWU (AKA Avatar of Woo)