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Main Deck - 80 cards, 30 distinct
Sideboard - 57 cards, 43 distinct
Notes
I am starting my MTGO process by updating and adapting the best deck I've ever constructed, the one I played for NRG on 1/11/19.
It strikes me as well suited for the particular meta yet of again. The increase of tools for mill is what has prompted my interest in playing MTGO to new heights. I've also made mock notes and templates for these decks as sets were released. By revisiting what made this deck stand out so well and what the meta is I've realized that the dedicated archive trap control deck has never stopped being the deterministic best mystic sanctuary control deck. The dedication to not tapping out continues to pay dividends, as the opposite trend continues with the Omnath Uro piles. Midrange control is king, and for good reason. These decks just play unreasonable cards. This is such the case that more aggressive or linear strategies are being pushed out, because the incidential advantage and lifegain is too much to compete with. Oops all spells and Selesnya company are the current nitch non interactive combo decks that fight the good fight, with Lurrus death's shadow the fair deck of choice.
These decks are fragile and all in. Yes, they are packed with redundant power and interaction. But there interaction is all predicated around their curve and being on the front foot. If i design my shell to be the Alpha on the stack, and never let my guard down, how they are competeing? My true game plan, the surgical "Render your deck garbage" gameplan is so hot against these decks. They have a compliment of some main threats which are easy to pick apart this way as they cast them into interaction with abandon. The leftovers are then easy to clean up with ubiquitous answers. Field of the dead is still a difficult threat to contain, but the balance I found with Field of Ruin/Trophy is effective, and will still perform as well. I have to ramp up my role as Master of the graveyard, as many decks are freerolling using it as an extension of their hand. If I can effectively control this resource, this is another way I can fundamentally bind up how decks are meant to function. Specifically in this regard this means increasing Surgical/Guile numbers, as well as including Cling to Dust as a dedicated cantrip. Yes, you read that right. In a mill shell the assumption is that their will be more cards in my opponents graveyard at any given point in time. That means I can always assume that cling will be a cantrip as it's floor, something I want to have a dedicated amount of (4-8). Further, is additional graveyard control as needed, aggro buffing as needed, and has recursive instant speed use as needed. It is simply better than search for Azcanta in this regard, as I can often net a free card if my opponent doesn't play into my interaction. I was at first hesitant, but I think I will just claim it. This graveyard control needs to be balanced against the needs of my graveyards matters cards, as nuking a yard with a guile can leave me vulnerable, but this decision has haunted me before (Wrenn and Peatland). When I can't pick apart, I need to be able to blow up and still function. Another tension point is the viability of the esper charm play patterns. This deck thrives on the ability to ubiquitously answer, use charm to wipe my opponents hand, and then lock them out card for card. Sculpting the game to this point as I dismantle their lines of outs is my goal. This is why winning G1 is so damn important, and G2 I should try to make my self invincible. In any case, the prevalence of CA is at an all time, as is card quality. Therefore, I am worried that this approach will be to difficult to achieve in many cases. It will depend I think on how I am able to double spell early. The uncounterable spell package has as much value as it did before, and the 4 color spalsh is more than reasonable and doable. I will be targeted in my manabase much the same as an uro pile, which I believe I can spin to my advantage if I keep it in my sights. Finally, this deck is likely nothing like anyone is playing on MTGO, it takes so much thought and practice to execute well. I believe I will likely win many games by forfeit due to peoples raw impatience and lack of attention span. With abbreviated match ups, I will also make a lot of best of one style games, and I should build like I am playing best of one. A fast closing speed I think will likely just be outside my grasp, although there are a few notable considerations.
Some of these are cantrips, like cling to dust, as mentioned. Another is the card Anticognition, which may be so excellent that it deserves maindeck consideration as a 4 of. It will always function as an inefficient mana leak on curve. What's better, with a single archive trap, it becomes virtual card advanage, with an instant speed scry 2 having a big impact on any game. The value of this card needs to be tested out, but it is likely a major upswing for the deck. I can also consider Thieves' guild enforcer as a pseudo replacement for Fatal Push, but that is likely too cute in application, but not necessarily with the added mill bonus and the option to pressure. In a similar vain, I can adopt a few cards to punish my opponents for cutting or keeping in removal, in things like shark typhoon, snapcaster mage, torrential gearhulk, and white's sun zenith/Kaheera. Of these, I most partial to Kaheera, for the difficulty it is to answer the spread of tokens and how little investment it takes for me to turn the corner this way. Further, another copy in the side fundamentally increases my ability to apply pressure without oversideboarding, which should improve my rush games. I also Really like Ondu inversion, as this is a true inevitability deck that is anti permanent, so increasing the land count while increasing the spell density and have an ultimate to catch up to all nonland permanents is a very welcome addition. The furball package very slightly enable more utility lands in that I can cut creature lands. Some of this can be used for things like Ondu, but also to improve the manabase like Triome's. Shadows' Verdict is a card that is tailored made tro many of the issues I have in midrange matchups while alos being an aggro hoser and some additional graveyard hate, i defitenly want to try a copy. And, to go with the transforamtional side options, Kaya is a passable tool in many matchups, further graveyard control, and threaten to ultimate if I untap with it. This is a surprisingly fast clock at times, or has the potential to be. Even if it doesn't kill, it should be very high on life, which is super valuable in almost all matchups.
I've updated my manabase to start, as it seems the easiest. I used the landbases from the 4 color control lists to start, as they have comparable needs in terms of wanting to cast Cryptic and Omnath, versus mine of cryptic and esper charm plus a splash. I'm happy to see the 3 copies of mystic sanctuary is now conventional wisdom, I basically prototyped that decision a few weeks after the card was spoiled. My manabase is a little easier then in terms of hard requirements. Further differences include not needing as many differently named lands for field, and slightly less fetch lands for landfall synergies. The fetch land thing is tricky, as obviously the more of them you have, the more consistent your base, especially with Triome's. They also increase the consistency of the deck over time, and offer graveyard fodder for things like cling to dust. Still, I think we accomplish what we need at 9, which leaves room for more utility, which is important in this shell. Similarly, a lot of shells are between 26-29. 26 seems really reasonable for a control deck, more seems like I will lose too many slots for spells. My version was at 25, so to split the difference I'm going to add Ondu Inversion as a 26th land. This adds a land and the incidental haymaker I raved about. It's role is to ensure my landrops, and be a late game wipe. My distribution of mana is very similar to that of the best 4c list I have, so major edits were not needed to distribution. Although I run Field, my experience with having a Forest to fetch is bad. Because I am always splashing this color for a piece of interaction, I generally don't need it expressly, and it is a colorless non-island otherwise. Careful fetching can't mitigate this shortcoming, and I am usually able to force it early if neccassary at the cost of life. Not ideal, but the option is there, and outweighs the games that just flop because forest was in my opener. Omnath demands a mountain, but I have no such demand in my deck. I've exchanged the creature lands for Triome's for the added fixing and utility, and a scalding tarn into a misty rainforest. This switch is necessary as a strict upgrade. The creature lands offered me much needed leverage against resolved planeswalkers, my bane, but very against the grain of my no tap out strategy. Because I am high on the furball package, and have 5 sources of W to support Zenith, I think this loss will largely be mitigated, but the price is worth it even if it is not. I also will have Kaheera as option even without zenith, which at least is an offering on the same angle. The last points of flexibility is recognizing that Zagoth Triome functions like a watery grave, and Hallowed Fountain #2 is largely covered by Indatha Triome. Incidential fixing is what I generally go for (Hence why these slots aren't fetches) but these two spots could offer further utility. Given the prevalence and problematic power of Field of the dead, it is very tempting to go up to a third copy of field of ruin. Attacking fragile manabases is viable right now as well, so additionally tempting. Blast zone as a mini ondu is tempting (but less so) as well. The most tempting is having some insurance against Boil, which is extremely popular at the moment. Adding Triome's effectively offer what I wanted from the second copies of grave and fountain of fetchable lands. We could instead use our two flex spots for filter lands of a single drowned ctacomb and glacial fortress. Although not synergistic with Mystic Sanctuary, low quantities of these should mean they don't often come down early. They will always enter untapped off either Triome, serve the same if not better fixing role, and hedge against boil by having two sources that tap for blue but are not islands. Yeah I think I just convinced myself, as a new play pattern of trying to get an at least one Triome early is likely (Zagoth), so needing multiple shocks is not a thing anymore. I'll try this manabase, and if in my testing I can flex a spot I'll consider another field or blast zone. Because I was never an astrolabe deck, my adjustments are minor, but running 4C pure control is more viable than ever, that G splash should feel much more matter of course that something I have to setup. I will prioritize getting a Triome at first opportunity, then once I do so I will have effectively got the G splash for free. This does make me consider if I can now access GG cards more reliably. Casualties of war is an insane card, especially on loop, as another modal spell. Being able to side it in some matchups would be extremely valuable.
What Ondu Inversion is and is not. It is a powerful sweeper to have incidentially in this deck, and certainly a bang bang 26th land. Top decking this or bouncing on my opponent's end step with cryptic and then casting the following turn is probably going to win some games. Having an added super trump against planeswalkers is going to be valuable, and is a nice countermeasure (although less timely) to removing creature lands. It is not, however, going to help out my creature heavy matchups as a sweeper like verdict does, as 8 is too much for that kind of answer. Fine as a second sweeper, but if I fall behind early-mid this is not catching me up. I can rely on a verdict to do work, the same is not true of Ondu, which needs the right conditions in the late game to be effective. That's it's a great 26th land to have essentially a free effect in the deck, but it doesn't functionally represent a spell. It's also not turning the tide against planeswalkers on it's own. 8 is a lot, and most decks will have countermagic to fight it at this point. It will need something like mystical dispute, veil, or dispel to force through in those games. This is another reason it is not verdict. So it takes a slot, is not weightbearing, but getting up to 26 lands is just correct. In practice, if I never end up casting it, this can become field of ruin. However, in some matchups, it will over perform, such as jund and tron. Having this effect in the deck improves my jund matchups enough that it will likely happily warm the bench, as those matchups I so desperately want this effect, but can't otherwise justify the deck building cost of including it.
Ashiok's Erasure is a card I find very intriguing for when I would want to reach for something like unmoored ego. Of course it is less proactive, but generally I don't want to be proactive so that is mostly a non-point. Being able to hit field of the dead before it get's going is unmoored ego's biggest boon. Erasure has a much higher floor however, always acting as a conterspell that get's around veil of summer (how cheeky) Hitting a key card like Omnath or Uro will be very good. It's downside is having to protect a permanent, and decks that carry cryptic command can get a huge temp swing if I am not vigilant or able to answer.
Further ponderences on Anticognition indicate to me that a playset is likely correct main. Most decks have viable and important targets to hit with it, and it has a relatively low fail rate as it is still effective early without enabling. Reserving this has a hard roadblock to answer threats allows my unrestricted counters and removal to play back up. I'm assuredly am going to get the scry 2 off the spell, making it not just a layer of interaction, but one that tightens my grasp on the game as it resolves. More two mana counters main allow for further double spell backup. An easy swap is the censors and the mystical disputes. For all intents and purposes, this should drastically improve my game matchups across the board. Post board it get's a little trickier. Hurdle 1 is veil of summer, which threatens to prey on the entirety of my interaction plan. That must be accounted for due to it's rampant popularity, but would have anyway given my build, so not necessarily is a strike against Anticognition. The second is further reliance on my opponents yard. I use my opponents yard as a resource for myself, which already encourages them to bring in self graveyard hate. Things like rest in peace and relic of progenitus reduce the effectiveness of many of my graveyard enabled spells and can create problems for me that will allow cards to slip through. Luckily for me these are not as en vogue as opponent graveyard hate. Everyone is playing some hate, and a lot are choosing one's like Soul-guide lantern, Ashiok, and surgical extraction/cling to dust rather than the full hosers. This means my self synergies might sometimes be disrupted, but many opponents will not have the tools available to punish me for using their graveyard. Cling to dust is a must answer card for me, due to the amount of control it gives someone over their graveyard. Even still, I will likely want to sideboard out some of these dependent cards G2, in favor of more robust and non-dependent options. It is worth noting that incidentally the tertiary modes on both charms help me turn off rest in peace and reliquary tower if they slip through. If folks do try to fight me on this angle, I can be prepared to make that fight always end in my favor. Control or midrange deck's are likely going to employ the opponent sided hate, so my cards will large part remain effective if I can curtail ecape/delve spells. The other more proactive decks that don't utilize the graveyard will likely need to double spell to leverage these cards, I can answer them 1-1 and be prepared to double spell them back, like with force of negation or otherwise. Trimming some brown in the loch for push or thirst can be effective in this regard, leaving my interaction to fight their sideboard hate.
Also, pithing needle might have jumped up as good sideboard tech. I've always leaned on it as anti planeswalker tech, but with the popularity of Wrenn & Six as well as Heliod/Ballista/Spike Feeder Combo's, it gains even more traction. There is also lower artifact hate, especially against me post board, so it's pseudo weakness might be very mitigated. Nodes also has more value than before, as control matchups featuring field of the dead make the card a live abyss. This isn't a giant advantage, but the card is not dead in the match up, and can make my opponent take a turn or two off playing lands/ and or creatures. They will be able to largely ignore it, but if I choke them on creatures, they can incidentally keep it alive just by land drops but not enough to maintain pressure. May give me enough time to bind them up further. The versions that are more midrange creature focused this is especially true for. In fact, many of the Uro and control decks will just not interact with a needle favorably, needing a planeswalker or cryptic command to get it off the table and only temporarily. They are not running any naturalize effects in the 75, leaning on force of negation. I will embarrass force of negation G1 in these matchups, which may impact sideboarding decisions. Jund has many more tools they might employ, but the trend on those forms of interaction are down across the board, so it will at least serve as a meaningful speedbump, which is valuable. Pithing needle may be my best tool against Wrenn.
01/08/2021
I took my first rough cut of a functional list I can try on MTGO. I decided that scheming symetery warps my play patterns too much, it's a trap even with the added consistency, as the play pattern mostly negates that advantage. As such I have built a more traditional control list, albeit a tad more top heavy. We will have to see how this spread of cards performs and what aspects I will choose to shore up. Noticeably I've dropped my anti boil/blood moon tech as I think I should be able to play around them, and my curve is higher than average for aggro matchups and leaning. I also need to revisit value blinks for Yorion, snapcaster mage is likely another correct adaptation, as is shark typhoon.
This version should let me test out sufficiently confounding conundrum and see if it provides the endgame and proactive strategy within my card pool I'm after. Also, I have included a one of isochron scepter, given that it is essentially oversupported. Goven it's performance, I might include more, and consider the lock as Teferi is already knocking on the door, and silence is not far behind.
I have a feeling that anticognition is going to very much overperform in this shell, and that the incidential scry 2 with silundi vision is going to really increase the consistency of this deck. I need to keep working on the list to see how I might get it in.
It strikes me as well suited for the particular meta yet of again. The increase of tools for mill is what has prompted my interest in playing MTGO to new heights. I've also made mock notes and templates for these decks as sets were released. By revisiting what made this deck stand out so well and what the meta is I've realized that the dedicated archive trap control deck has never stopped being the deterministic best mystic sanctuary control deck. The dedication to not tapping out continues to pay dividends, as the opposite trend continues with the Omnath Uro piles. Midrange control is king, and for good reason. These decks just play unreasonable cards. This is such the case that more aggressive or linear strategies are being pushed out, because the incidential advantage and lifegain is too much to compete with. Oops all spells and Selesnya company are the current nitch non interactive combo decks that fight the good fight, with Lurrus death's shadow the fair deck of choice.
These decks are fragile and all in. Yes, they are packed with redundant power and interaction. But there interaction is all predicated around their curve and being on the front foot. If i design my shell to be the Alpha on the stack, and never let my guard down, how they are competeing? My true game plan, the surgical "Render your deck garbage" gameplan is so hot against these decks. They have a compliment of some main threats which are easy to pick apart this way as they cast them into interaction with abandon. The leftovers are then easy to clean up with ubiquitous answers. Field of the dead is still a difficult threat to contain, but the balance I found with Field of Ruin/Trophy is effective, and will still perform as well. I have to ramp up my role as Master of the graveyard, as many decks are freerolling using it as an extension of their hand. If I can effectively control this resource, this is another way I can fundamentally bind up how decks are meant to function. Specifically in this regard this means increasing Surgical/Guile numbers, as well as including Cling to Dust as a dedicated cantrip. Yes, you read that right. In a mill shell the assumption is that their will be more cards in my opponents graveyard at any given point in time. That means I can always assume that cling will be a cantrip as it's floor, something I want to have a dedicated amount of (4-8). Further, is additional graveyard control as needed, aggro buffing as needed, and has recursive instant speed use as needed. It is simply better than search for Azcanta in this regard, as I can often net a free card if my opponent doesn't play into my interaction. I was at first hesitant, but I think I will just claim it. This graveyard control needs to be balanced against the needs of my graveyards matters cards, as nuking a yard with a guile can leave me vulnerable, but this decision has haunted me before (Wrenn and Peatland). When I can't pick apart, I need to be able to blow up and still function. Another tension point is the viability of the esper charm play patterns. This deck thrives on the ability to ubiquitously answer, use charm to wipe my opponents hand, and then lock them out card for card. Sculpting the game to this point as I dismantle their lines of outs is my goal. This is why winning G1 is so damn important, and G2 I should try to make my self invincible. In any case, the prevalence of CA is at an all time, as is card quality. Therefore, I am worried that this approach will be to difficult to achieve in many cases. It will depend I think on how I am able to double spell early. The uncounterable spell package has as much value as it did before, and the 4 color spalsh is more than reasonable and doable. I will be targeted in my manabase much the same as an uro pile, which I believe I can spin to my advantage if I keep it in my sights. Finally, this deck is likely nothing like anyone is playing on MTGO, it takes so much thought and practice to execute well. I believe I will likely win many games by forfeit due to peoples raw impatience and lack of attention span. With abbreviated match ups, I will also make a lot of best of one style games, and I should build like I am playing best of one. A fast closing speed I think will likely just be outside my grasp, although there are a few notable considerations.
Some of these are cantrips, like cling to dust, as mentioned. Another is the card Anticognition, which may be so excellent that it deserves maindeck consideration as a 4 of. It will always function as an inefficient mana leak on curve. What's better, with a single archive trap, it becomes virtual card advanage, with an instant speed scry 2 having a big impact on any game. The value of this card needs to be tested out, but it is likely a major upswing for the deck. I can also consider Thieves' guild enforcer as a pseudo replacement for Fatal Push, but that is likely too cute in application, but not necessarily with the added mill bonus and the option to pressure. In a similar vain, I can adopt a few cards to punish my opponents for cutting or keeping in removal, in things like shark typhoon, snapcaster mage, torrential gearhulk, and white's sun zenith/Kaheera. Of these, I most partial to Kaheera, for the difficulty it is to answer the spread of tokens and how little investment it takes for me to turn the corner this way. Further, another copy in the side fundamentally increases my ability to apply pressure without oversideboarding, which should improve my rush games. I also Really like Ondu inversion, as this is a true inevitability deck that is anti permanent, so increasing the land count while increasing the spell density and have an ultimate to catch up to all nonland permanents is a very welcome addition. The furball package very slightly enable more utility lands in that I can cut creature lands. Some of this can be used for things like Ondu, but also to improve the manabase like Triome's. Shadows' Verdict is a card that is tailored made tro many of the issues I have in midrange matchups while alos being an aggro hoser and some additional graveyard hate, i defitenly want to try a copy. And, to go with the transforamtional side options, Kaya is a passable tool in many matchups, further graveyard control, and threaten to ultimate if I untap with it. This is a surprisingly fast clock at times, or has the potential to be. Even if it doesn't kill, it should be very high on life, which is super valuable in almost all matchups.
I've updated my manabase to start, as it seems the easiest. I used the landbases from the 4 color control lists to start, as they have comparable needs in terms of wanting to cast Cryptic and Omnath, versus mine of cryptic and esper charm plus a splash. I'm happy to see the 3 copies of mystic sanctuary is now conventional wisdom, I basically prototyped that decision a few weeks after the card was spoiled. My manabase is a little easier then in terms of hard requirements. Further differences include not needing as many differently named lands for field, and slightly less fetch lands for landfall synergies. The fetch land thing is tricky, as obviously the more of them you have, the more consistent your base, especially with Triome's. They also increase the consistency of the deck over time, and offer graveyard fodder for things like cling to dust. Still, I think we accomplish what we need at 9, which leaves room for more utility, which is important in this shell. Similarly, a lot of shells are between 26-29. 26 seems really reasonable for a control deck, more seems like I will lose too many slots for spells. My version was at 25, so to split the difference I'm going to add Ondu Inversion as a 26th land. This adds a land and the incidental haymaker I raved about. It's role is to ensure my landrops, and be a late game wipe. My distribution of mana is very similar to that of the best 4c list I have, so major edits were not needed to distribution. Although I run Field, my experience with having a Forest to fetch is bad. Because I am always splashing this color for a piece of interaction, I generally don't need it expressly, and it is a colorless non-island otherwise. Careful fetching can't mitigate this shortcoming, and I am usually able to force it early if neccassary at the cost of life. Not ideal, but the option is there, and outweighs the games that just flop because forest was in my opener. Omnath demands a mountain, but I have no such demand in my deck. I've exchanged the creature lands for Triome's for the added fixing and utility, and a scalding tarn into a misty rainforest. This switch is necessary as a strict upgrade. The creature lands offered me much needed leverage against resolved planeswalkers, my bane, but very against the grain of my no tap out strategy. Because I am high on the furball package, and have 5 sources of W to support Zenith, I think this loss will largely be mitigated, but the price is worth it even if it is not. I also will have Kaheera as option even without zenith, which at least is an offering on the same angle. The last points of flexibility is recognizing that Zagoth Triome functions like a watery grave, and Hallowed Fountain #2 is largely covered by Indatha Triome. Incidential fixing is what I generally go for (Hence why these slots aren't fetches) but these two spots could offer further utility. Given the prevalence and problematic power of Field of the dead, it is very tempting to go up to a third copy of field of ruin. Attacking fragile manabases is viable right now as well, so additionally tempting. Blast zone as a mini ondu is tempting (but less so) as well. The most tempting is having some insurance against Boil, which is extremely popular at the moment. Adding Triome's effectively offer what I wanted from the second copies of grave and fountain of fetchable lands. We could instead use our two flex spots for filter lands of a single drowned ctacomb and glacial fortress. Although not synergistic with Mystic Sanctuary, low quantities of these should mean they don't often come down early. They will always enter untapped off either Triome, serve the same if not better fixing role, and hedge against boil by having two sources that tap for blue but are not islands. Yeah I think I just convinced myself, as a new play pattern of trying to get an at least one Triome early is likely (Zagoth), so needing multiple shocks is not a thing anymore. I'll try this manabase, and if in my testing I can flex a spot I'll consider another field or blast zone. Because I was never an astrolabe deck, my adjustments are minor, but running 4C pure control is more viable than ever, that G splash should feel much more matter of course that something I have to setup. I will prioritize getting a Triome at first opportunity, then once I do so I will have effectively got the G splash for free. This does make me consider if I can now access GG cards more reliably. Casualties of war is an insane card, especially on loop, as another modal spell. Being able to side it in some matchups would be extremely valuable.
What Ondu Inversion is and is not. It is a powerful sweeper to have incidentially in this deck, and certainly a bang bang 26th land. Top decking this or bouncing on my opponent's end step with cryptic and then casting the following turn is probably going to win some games. Having an added super trump against planeswalkers is going to be valuable, and is a nice countermeasure (although less timely) to removing creature lands. It is not, however, going to help out my creature heavy matchups as a sweeper like verdict does, as 8 is too much for that kind of answer. Fine as a second sweeper, but if I fall behind early-mid this is not catching me up. I can rely on a verdict to do work, the same is not true of Ondu, which needs the right conditions in the late game to be effective. That's it's a great 26th land to have essentially a free effect in the deck, but it doesn't functionally represent a spell. It's also not turning the tide against planeswalkers on it's own. 8 is a lot, and most decks will have countermagic to fight it at this point. It will need something like mystical dispute, veil, or dispel to force through in those games. This is another reason it is not verdict. So it takes a slot, is not weightbearing, but getting up to 26 lands is just correct. In practice, if I never end up casting it, this can become field of ruin. However, in some matchups, it will over perform, such as jund and tron. Having this effect in the deck improves my jund matchups enough that it will likely happily warm the bench, as those matchups I so desperately want this effect, but can't otherwise justify the deck building cost of including it.
Ashiok's Erasure is a card I find very intriguing for when I would want to reach for something like unmoored ego. Of course it is less proactive, but generally I don't want to be proactive so that is mostly a non-point. Being able to hit field of the dead before it get's going is unmoored ego's biggest boon. Erasure has a much higher floor however, always acting as a conterspell that get's around veil of summer (how cheeky) Hitting a key card like Omnath or Uro will be very good. It's downside is having to protect a permanent, and decks that carry cryptic command can get a huge temp swing if I am not vigilant or able to answer.
Further ponderences on Anticognition indicate to me that a playset is likely correct main. Most decks have viable and important targets to hit with it, and it has a relatively low fail rate as it is still effective early without enabling. Reserving this has a hard roadblock to answer threats allows my unrestricted counters and removal to play back up. I'm assuredly am going to get the scry 2 off the spell, making it not just a layer of interaction, but one that tightens my grasp on the game as it resolves. More two mana counters main allow for further double spell backup. An easy swap is the censors and the mystical disputes. For all intents and purposes, this should drastically improve my game matchups across the board. Post board it get's a little trickier. Hurdle 1 is veil of summer, which threatens to prey on the entirety of my interaction plan. That must be accounted for due to it's rampant popularity, but would have anyway given my build, so not necessarily is a strike against Anticognition. The second is further reliance on my opponents yard. I use my opponents yard as a resource for myself, which already encourages them to bring in self graveyard hate. Things like rest in peace and relic of progenitus reduce the effectiveness of many of my graveyard enabled spells and can create problems for me that will allow cards to slip through. Luckily for me these are not as en vogue as opponent graveyard hate. Everyone is playing some hate, and a lot are choosing one's like Soul-guide lantern, Ashiok, and surgical extraction/cling to dust rather than the full hosers. This means my self synergies might sometimes be disrupted, but many opponents will not have the tools available to punish me for using their graveyard. Cling to dust is a must answer card for me, due to the amount of control it gives someone over their graveyard. Even still, I will likely want to sideboard out some of these dependent cards G2, in favor of more robust and non-dependent options. It is worth noting that incidentally the tertiary modes on both charms help me turn off rest in peace and reliquary tower if they slip through. If folks do try to fight me on this angle, I can be prepared to make that fight always end in my favor. Control or midrange deck's are likely going to employ the opponent sided hate, so my cards will large part remain effective if I can curtail ecape/delve spells. The other more proactive decks that don't utilize the graveyard will likely need to double spell to leverage these cards, I can answer them 1-1 and be prepared to double spell them back, like with force of negation or otherwise. Trimming some brown in the loch for push or thirst can be effective in this regard, leaving my interaction to fight their sideboard hate.
Also, pithing needle might have jumped up as good sideboard tech. I've always leaned on it as anti planeswalker tech, but with the popularity of Wrenn & Six as well as Heliod/Ballista/Spike Feeder Combo's, it gains even more traction. There is also lower artifact hate, especially against me post board, so it's pseudo weakness might be very mitigated. Nodes also has more value than before, as control matchups featuring field of the dead make the card a live abyss. This isn't a giant advantage, but the card is not dead in the match up, and can make my opponent take a turn or two off playing lands/ and or creatures. They will be able to largely ignore it, but if I choke them on creatures, they can incidentally keep it alive just by land drops but not enough to maintain pressure. May give me enough time to bind them up further. The versions that are more midrange creature focused this is especially true for. In fact, many of the Uro and control decks will just not interact with a needle favorably, needing a planeswalker or cryptic command to get it off the table and only temporarily. They are not running any naturalize effects in the 75, leaning on force of negation. I will embarrass force of negation G1 in these matchups, which may impact sideboarding decisions. Jund has many more tools they might employ, but the trend on those forms of interaction are down across the board, so it will at least serve as a meaningful speedbump, which is valuable. Pithing needle may be my best tool against Wrenn.
01/08/2021
I took my first rough cut of a functional list I can try on MTGO. I decided that scheming symetery warps my play patterns too much, it's a trap even with the added consistency, as the play pattern mostly negates that advantage. As such I have built a more traditional control list, albeit a tad more top heavy. We will have to see how this spread of cards performs and what aspects I will choose to shore up. Noticeably I've dropped my anti boil/blood moon tech as I think I should be able to play around them, and my curve is higher than average for aggro matchups and leaning. I also need to revisit value blinks for Yorion, snapcaster mage is likely another correct adaptation, as is shark typhoon.
This version should let me test out sufficiently confounding conundrum and see if it provides the endgame and proactive strategy within my card pool I'm after. Also, I have included a one of isochron scepter, given that it is essentially oversupported. Goven it's performance, I might include more, and consider the lock as Teferi is already knocking on the door, and silence is not far behind.
I have a feeling that anticognition is going to very much overperform in this shell, and that the incidential scry 2 with silundi vision is going to really increase the consistency of this deck. I need to keep working on the list to see how I might get it in.
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