Type: MP "Quest for Control"

[Killer Joe]

Type: MP "Quest for Control"

1 Questing Phelddagrif

4 Absorb
4 Counterspell
4 Mana Leak
4 Propaganda
4 Repulse
4 Wrath of God
4 Fact or Fiction
3 Treva's Charm
3 Gaea's Blessing
1 Abundance
1 Sylvan Library

1 Kor Haven
2 Treva's Ruins
2 Forest
2 Plains
4 Coastal Tower
4 Elfhame Palace
9 Island

Objective:
1.) Get lots of land into play and dropping Propaganda's.
2.) Continually play Wrath of God backed up with counter magic.
3.) Clobber everyone with a single Hippo.
4.) Get thrown out of your play group.

Here's something, how come most folks don't play multiplayer games with decks that have counter magic in them? I HAVE been told, in the past, that control decks suck in multiplayer games. But I continually play them, and win, alot.

BTW, if this deck list looks vaguely familiar it's because it's wayyyyyy loosley based off the ever growing popular "Operation: Dumbo Drop". Instead of a single Morphling, I have the Q- Phelddagrif.

 

[krichaiushii]

Well, while this likely won't help your deck too much, I will attempt to answer your question.

"Here's something, how come most folks don't play multiplayer games with decks that have counter magic in them? I HAVE been told, in the past, that control decks suck in multiplayer games. But I continually play them, and win, alot."

I suspect that the reason control decks (well, counter-heavy and stalling control decks) are viewed so poorly is twofold. First off, multiplayer games take much longer to play than a standard duel to begin with, so adding heavy control and stalling tactics grinds games to a halt - reducing the fun involved for all but the control player. Secondly, is that to play control properly requires more effort and concentration than most people want to contribute to what is really a social event.

To elaborate the second point - in a large chaos game, if I am playing any deck besides control, I can go get food or visit with my neighbor when its not my turn - I defend when attacked, but otherwise I can easily divide my attention between the game and other things. If I have a control deck, my full attention is then demanded by the game - despite the allure of the food and visiting which draws me to MP magic games in the first place. Heavy control and countermagic take away from the social aspects of a good MP game.

That's not to say that the occasional bit of countermagic is bad - if you can stop or redirect a 20-point Fireball, then by all means, do so. But attempting to prevent 3-6 other people from doing anything worthwhile with their decks results in a dull, slow game. It also makes you target number one anytime you play with that group.

I hope I've answered your question.

 

[Killer Joe]

I play because I LOVE to play magic. The game IS the social-interaction I seek. You're right about grinding the game to a halt but everyone has to acknowledge that there are many aspects to the game. Do I like it when "Timmy, Power Gamer" brings out his type I P-9 deck to play a friendly game? No. But I understand that those type of decks are 'fair game'.
Food!? You have food around when you play? I want some of THAT action!!!

 

[Istanbul]

Would you consider removing an Elfhame Palace and a Coastal Tower for a Brushland and an Adarkar Wastes?
It seems like your deck rushes to countermagic, and coming into play tapped can really lose you that one crucial turn.

 

[Darsh]

"Here's something, how come most folks don't play multiplayer games with decks that have counter magic in them? I HAVE been told, in the past, that control decks suck in multiplayer games. But I continually play them, and win, alot. "

Pure blue counter magic control usually doesn't work, you don't have enough counterspells for everything and eventually you're going to piss off the wrong person. That said, control can work well, but it usually has to A. benefit 1 or more other players or B. take everyone down quickly, an example of B would be putting out Subversion (black enchantment, each player loses 1 life and you gain the life lost, at the beginning of your turn) now everyone is annoyed, but it's not a huge threat...putting down pestilence on your next turn however...well you know how it is...

This next part is just me rambling, so bear with it.
What might not be apparent as a control player is who your main enemy is...the answer to that is almost always the white mage, nearly all multiplayer control depends on some kind of enchantment, that little coniving white mage will sell you out in a heartbeat and then watch the red, green, black mages beat you down to a pulp...of course the very next turn he'll lay down some annoying enchantment himself, most of the time worship in my experience...

 

[Killer Joe]

Isty: You're right, I should put those in (heck, I've got them and they're currently not being used), but like Griffy, I sometimes like the sub-optimal cards instead.

Darsh: Yeah, the White Mage, ran into her and had problems. I altered my deck a little to include two Dismantling Blows because I kept using my Treva's Charms for it's STP effect (Damn Worship!!! ).

 

[Spiderman]

Control magic is not that bad in MP if everyone is "fair" and doesn't pick on one person. Once they start ganging up on you, then it's hard to survive.

Like in my group, if you don't have defense, you're going to get picked on. So having one creature and just Wrath's probably wouldn't cut it. I don't know how'd they respond to Propaganda though... either they'll get annoyed and try to take me out or work around it.

 

[krichaiushii]

Propaganda only annoys people when Armageddons are played in conjunction with it.

To elaborate and clarify (or perhaps confuse) my point - control that slows the game down, like the aforementioned Armageddon, is bad. But control that speeds games up, like Darsh's Subversion or Pox - though rough to deal with, can and do work.

But strongly consider having more than just that deck with you. While I don't know your group, I do know that eventually someone will decide to build an "anti-" deck, that is not designed to win, but to prevent you from doing so. Having a few versions of control (the deck you originally posted, a black Pestilence/Pox deck, and perhaps a form of CounterBurn, for example) will allow you to keep controlling things, yet not get too hammered when the monored REB/Pyroblast/Urza's Rage decks come out.

Spiderman - I've never met a group that doesn't gang up on the biggest threat/most troublesome player. I've been known to instigate and participate in such lynchings. But I've also been the target of them, so my karma balances out in this matter.

Did the above even help?

 

[Spiderman]

but sometimes the opposing players might not be able to determine who/what exactly is the biggest threat.

Is the biggest threat a player who has a Soltari Visionary out and the only creature with shadow, or the player that has Haunting Echos(?) out, the only enchantment, and keeps recycling his penumbra creatures (well, did it twice at that point)?

Unless *I* have a faulty judge of what's more dangerous...