I've seen a lot of versions of this deck posted, everyone has their own pet cards they like to include, but I think what sets this deck apart from the others is the faster mana base.
The whole deck can be cast with one Fire pip and one Shadow pip. The only multiples you need are Primal, so the power base reflects that. Over half of it is plain, old sigils plus a couple copies of
Seek Power and three of
Eilyn's Favor to increase the chance of getting your
Seat of Cunning and
Seat of Fury out on curve undepleted.
Mark of the Den can often be used without paying the power tax for the extra pip.
Cylixes slow the deck down and are straight-up bad, especially in any deck that has
Omniscience in the game plan. When your hand gets refilled after every turn, creating a Treasure Trove is an absolute waste of two power that can cost you the late-game.
It kind of plays more like a midrange/tempo deck than control. It's a simple gameplan.
Turns 1 and 2: Mana fix
Turns 2, 3, and 4: Kill stuff and draw cards.
Turns 4, 5, and 6: Drop sticky minions.
Turns 6+: Swing the board in your favor and attack for lethal.
I'm still experimenting with the brew of removal and late-game cards, if not the power base. It's still a work in progress, but it's close. I also run a version with a Shadow market, so I included those cards in the sideboard.
Seek Power
x2
2
Dangerous Gambit
x2
2
Eilyn's Favor
x3
2
Execution Pit
x4
2
Futility
x4
2
Icy Scrying
x4
2
Wilderness Delivery
x4
3
Feed the Hecaton
x3
3
Heavy Hail
x4
3
Wisdom of the Elders
x4
4
Corrupted Riftborn
x4
4
Tenacious Heron
x4
5
Severin, the Hermit
x4
6
Fallen Winter
x4
Fire Sigil
x3
Primal Sigil
x7
Shadow Sigil
x3
Mark of the Den
x4
Seat of Cunning
x4
Seat of Fury
x4
View Deck on Shiftstoned
Thanks for letting me share in your glory. The shadow sigil where my heart used to be glows warm and vicious.
And I get it, I think of you have multiple traps the others are redundant for a moment. And having them kill a Beekeeper or something is lame. But I don't think you go to your market for it (to time it for say a Riftfeeder Wasp or Corrupted Riftborn) because of that.
I wouldn't put Furious Accusation in market either. I think you either run it, (or maybe just a couple if you're worried about life)or don't.
I also disagree with the power here. Not a fan of the 6 non primal here. And I disagree with you about cylix. It's a dual is what I'm thinking. Of you run your power in a way that most of them are primal, every cylix is guaranteed untapped turn 4 and on. Forget the card draw for this deck specifically, it's got your untapped with 2 colors, and an added bonus of a card draw before Omniscience comes. And by the time you have like 10 power and playing cards, you don't fret much about dumping two Mana on the few cylixes you play to swap for a new card. And that's if you're still digging deeper after you've drawn to 9. Sure Cylixes aren't perfect, but definitely not "Straight up bad". And I think they have a place in many decks with Omniscience, especially the dual color decks. And especially to have an extra cantrip before Omniscience comes. I don't think you snuff that.
Furious Accusation isn't included in the main deck, because as I explained, the deck is built to only require multiple Primal pips and I don't want anything that needs two Shadow pips, especially by 2. Cheap card draw is always nice in the market, though, where I don't mind having a few things with multiple Shadow pips.
Cylixes are bad in this deck because I want undepleted power by turn three, at the latest. I really prefer it by turn two, so I can answer everything with a Futility. Killing an on-curve Apprentice Mage before they can snowball it into a four-drop is often the difference between winning and losing.
I don't believe in right or wrong when it comes to deckbuilding, but this thing fits my style. I finished #7 with it last season and I hit #1 with it this month before I got bored and started farting around with other decks in ranked. I'm not the best player around, so I got to think that some of it is due to the deck's efficacy. Not saying it's perfect, I switch the list often to react to the meta, but it's a good baseline.
Formbend could be there. Of course it's not going to preemptively take an aegis. Instead it will only hit one when an opponent has a relic. But usually if you're trying to take their face shields off, you're likely going after a relic anyway. Formbend also has different uses. In a different way though.
I usually ALWAYS have either a power card or way to create power in my market. Usually it's a card with inscribe, so as to have land or a card. I don't think there's much(or any) inscribe in Expedition, but definitely things that can be like that. Blue ruin land is a hefty 3 for a snowball. But it IS a land or snowball there.
Or keep it 🥹
I hate Formbend in the market. Spending three power to turn the opponent's Omniscience into a 6/6 that I now have to deal with is the worst. Not efficient removal at all.
Ever since you first commented, I've been experimenting with the deck and lately I've ditched the market entirely and just crammed in 4 copies of Omniscience. I also replaced the fire sigils with Ruinous Rift. Seems to work okay, but I'm honestly pretty bored of this deck and have moved onto Feln midrange this season.
If you come up with market choices you have success with, let me know.
I have about 5-6 versions of this deck. In one day I made 4 versions that all slammed 4 Omniscience in main.
A TPF:
The beauty of this revolves around Krogar's Grave. Card is amazing 3 dmg on turn 3 with ramp. Amazing. Let's you get Omniscience on turn 5. Not that it's crucial to do so, but sometimes if your opponent is slow to get going, if you get that out before you have to commit every turn to must remove threats, then it's really easy going from there. Also white lets it run some Antique Polisher and Steelwarren Rebel. The latter also lets me instant speed kill an enemy Omniscience before they can draw from it... A big theme here lol.
Market is bad for this one, definitely not in a finalized deck. Market:
Formbend
Light the Beacon
Mistveil Drake
Quicksilver Mirror (The card that really doesn't fit, but I needed win con other than some TS map in main)
Elysian Cylix
A FPS version with heavy blue. Also slamming 4 Omniscience. Love the rainbow cards of this 3 color faction. Running 3 One Eye's Choice main, and I use that card way more than I imagined. It's not ideal to continue bringing back Feral Centipede early game, so many times. But I end up doing it in so many games 🤷 F Centipede just kills so many things I hate. Like Lipa, Tenacious Heron, Corrupted Riftborn, and so much more.
I don't like running the red Caravan delivery, simply because it can't be discarded to Heavy Hail, but I really like the market for this one:
-Ruin (a must). Let's me destroy enemy Omniscience at instant speed before they can draw. Alongside One Eye's in main, means I can deviate opponent Omniscience in mirror.
-Urn of Choking Embers
Flamestoker Win con
- The Hermit's Triumph
Stonescar Cylix
And 2 heavy blue versions which play land that can create other colors in case I want for TS Map, or a market card. Both versions running formbend in side. Formbend is so important because I'm relying heavily on stun. Especially with Winter's Tomb.
So, Formbend. It actually only costs 1. Of course the ideal way to use it to to turn a Skysplitter before using Deep Freeze. On top of that it transforms my extra Omniscience into 6/6's, pops aegis on stuff I wanna remove. Not ideal in an obvious way, but VERY IDEAL in the way of versatility. Good against cards like Master Archivist, Tongue Lasher, anything that grows or has a small original cost. And since it doesn't silence, it doesn't silent my Permafrosts, if I'm in a sticky situation. Formbend is in many of my Primal side boards in the game. I don't think I'm looking to hit an Omniscience with it, unless I have a permafrost, board clear, or kill card for it too. And of course the opponent already drew from it if I'm playing it on an Omniscience. But if I'm casting Deep Freeze, and I have the means to make and permafrost a 6/6 out of an Omniscience, I might. 🤷 Same with Skysplitter, as endurance is the mono primal control's bane.
I enjoyed your deck for testing it, it's very good!
I would like if you read my message to discuss it again with you on discord, I sent you a private message if you could look ... Thanks in advance
I'm a control player at heart, so I love interaction. If I lose because someone pings my face aegis with a snowball and Ruins my Omniscience, or they nuke my Heavy Hail with a Beastly Disruption, it's a bummer, because I like to win, but I tip my hat to my opponent and move on to the next game. "Good game. Well played."
The fun-killer for me is un-policed battlecruisers ramping for three turns to see who can get a better top deck with their Patrice, Your New Home or Boar Riders.
No hard feelings, enjoy the game!