Kenny_C.002
04-04-2007, 01:57 AM
For some reason I decided to talk about one of the oldest magic deck archetypes that existed, and is part of the classic trio (control, aggro, and combo, though the new "midrange" is considered an archetype of its own). This is for describing the methods in which one uses to build a control deck from an existing card pool of any sort, and also talk about its philosophy. This guide to the archetype should apply to many different card games, and not just magic, if you extract key points from it (and not the details).
Characteristics of Control:
1. Slow
2. Weak in beginning, strong finish
3. Usually contains blue
4. few creatures, many spells
5. Full set (at least 24) of land
The idea of control is simple. You try to stall the game for as long as possible against your opponent to try to amass as much card advantage (CA, which is calculated by the total number of cards on the field and in hand by each player) as possible before being able to establish control in which nothing your opponent does would do anything to you. At that point, you drop a win condition and win. Basically, the longer it takes, the better it gets.
The slow and methodical method of control makes control the hardest archetype of the 4 to learn, but also technically the most powerful.
Cards that belong in control:
1. Land
Obviously land is important, but it's MORE important for control to get a land drop every single turn, since that is the only way they can keep their chances up.
2. Card Drawing
Some control decks don't have this element, but a majority do. This is simply because it's the easiest method to card advantage, and also allows you to dig for answers and land quickly and effectively.
3. Removal, preferably mass removal
The easiest way to gain card advantage other than card drawing is through mass removal. You pay one card to kill multiple guys on the field, profit. Sometimes just point (1 target) removal is good enough for control so that they won't waste mass removal until a better time. Either way, both are integral to the archetype.
4. Permission
Counterspell is the other word for it. Most control decks have it, it's the easiest way to control the board once you clear it, which you would with mass removal. It's the easiest reactive 1-for-1's.
5. Winning Condition
This one's obvious. Usually the winning condition is really big and splashy, and kills quickly. There is also the fact that the winning condition itself should be able to help you stabilize the board as well, which is a bonus. Some winning conditions, such as millstone, do not have that luxury.
6. Anything that lets you stay alive longer
Sometimes the opponent is so overwhelming that you need this to just stay alive. Other times this is a great way to sneak away with a turn before a mass removal to net more unsuspecting creatures out of the way. Either way, the principle here is that it lets control survive longer.
7. Some try to control tempo
Look at my UW control deck to see a deck that tries to control tempo for gains in control. This is pretty much pseudo-removal that is slightly weaker at times, and stronger at other times. Tempo advantage is too complicated even for me to understand completely, though. Generally when I say tempo, it generally means it's how fast someone has to kill me and how fast I kill my enemy, or how many "pseudo turns" each player has taken. Generally then tempo deals with what's on the table and not something more long term, like card advantage.
There is no major "way" to build a control deck, but generally it's up to the playstyle of the control player to build something that's more tailored to them. If you find yourself not getting answers quickly enough, look at your removal and card drawing. See what you can do to add to those numbers. If you find yourself unable to hold control, look into your permission and removal. It's tweaking from these aspects that change control decks from one another.
To end it, here are the pros and cons:
Pros:
- Most powerful archetype of the 4 in the slower environments (which tends to be the case in casual or standard). Shoots down aggro and midrange with removal, counter key spells from combo
- Long games are almost always ending in your win
- Very little cards on the field to manage
- Usually works in 2 levels (CA and board position), making it difficult to take it out
Cons:
- Sometimes difficult to build, have to get a good balance between all the different spells
- Learning what spells are best to use at what times
- Getting used to answering threats, and knowing when to answer
- Learning how to bluff (not required)
- Patience required
- Lots of thinking required
Editing required. COME DOWN HERE BRIAN. XD
Characteristics of Control:
1. Slow
2. Weak in beginning, strong finish
3. Usually contains blue
4. few creatures, many spells
5. Full set (at least 24) of land
The idea of control is simple. You try to stall the game for as long as possible against your opponent to try to amass as much card advantage (CA, which is calculated by the total number of cards on the field and in hand by each player) as possible before being able to establish control in which nothing your opponent does would do anything to you. At that point, you drop a win condition and win. Basically, the longer it takes, the better it gets.
The slow and methodical method of control makes control the hardest archetype of the 4 to learn, but also technically the most powerful.
Cards that belong in control:
1. Land
Obviously land is important, but it's MORE important for control to get a land drop every single turn, since that is the only way they can keep their chances up.
2. Card Drawing
Some control decks don't have this element, but a majority do. This is simply because it's the easiest method to card advantage, and also allows you to dig for answers and land quickly and effectively.
3. Removal, preferably mass removal
The easiest way to gain card advantage other than card drawing is through mass removal. You pay one card to kill multiple guys on the field, profit. Sometimes just point (1 target) removal is good enough for control so that they won't waste mass removal until a better time. Either way, both are integral to the archetype.
4. Permission
Counterspell is the other word for it. Most control decks have it, it's the easiest way to control the board once you clear it, which you would with mass removal. It's the easiest reactive 1-for-1's.
5. Winning Condition
This one's obvious. Usually the winning condition is really big and splashy, and kills quickly. There is also the fact that the winning condition itself should be able to help you stabilize the board as well, which is a bonus. Some winning conditions, such as millstone, do not have that luxury.
6. Anything that lets you stay alive longer
Sometimes the opponent is so overwhelming that you need this to just stay alive. Other times this is a great way to sneak away with a turn before a mass removal to net more unsuspecting creatures out of the way. Either way, the principle here is that it lets control survive longer.
7. Some try to control tempo
Look at my UW control deck to see a deck that tries to control tempo for gains in control. This is pretty much pseudo-removal that is slightly weaker at times, and stronger at other times. Tempo advantage is too complicated even for me to understand completely, though. Generally when I say tempo, it generally means it's how fast someone has to kill me and how fast I kill my enemy, or how many "pseudo turns" each player has taken. Generally then tempo deals with what's on the table and not something more long term, like card advantage.
There is no major "way" to build a control deck, but generally it's up to the playstyle of the control player to build something that's more tailored to them. If you find yourself not getting answers quickly enough, look at your removal and card drawing. See what you can do to add to those numbers. If you find yourself unable to hold control, look into your permission and removal. It's tweaking from these aspects that change control decks from one another.
To end it, here are the pros and cons:
Pros:
- Most powerful archetype of the 4 in the slower environments (which tends to be the case in casual or standard). Shoots down aggro and midrange with removal, counter key spells from combo
- Long games are almost always ending in your win
- Very little cards on the field to manage
- Usually works in 2 levels (CA and board position), making it difficult to take it out
Cons:
- Sometimes difficult to build, have to get a good balance between all the different spells
- Learning what spells are best to use at what times
- Getting used to answering threats, and knowing when to answer
- Learning how to bluff (not required)
- Patience required
- Lots of thinking required
Editing required. COME DOWN HERE BRIAN. XD