(The following is a
theoretical discourse in progress, and all reasonable criticism is welcome)
On one particular night not too long ago, a good friend who
often Cube drafts with our group remarked that control decks are overpowered in
my Cube. Now, before I unpack this, I must add a disclaimer. First, though I do
try to keep my Cube balanced across archetypes I have a personal preference
towards control decks, so there is the possibility that I’m unconsciously
biased. Second, my friend was not having the most successful night, despite
believing the Natural Order deck he drafted was competent. Finally, his
opponent was playing a very powerful Esper Control deck with such powerhouses
as Jace, the Mind Sculptor and Cryptic Command.
Imagine for a moment the perfect universal aggressive deck.
In my mind, Red Deck Wins jumps to mind. Goblin Guide, Fireblast, Sulfuric
Vortex, and Lightning Bolt. Now pause and think of the perfect universal control
deck. Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Swords to Plowshares, Counterspell, and Wrath of
God. In this perfect world, if these two perfect decks were matched up and
played 1000 times, who would emerge the victor? Barring mana issues, it would
be the control deck. The aggro deck’s main goal is to kill the opponent as fast
as possible, while the control deck’s main goal is to not die. The perfect RDW
list in my Cube has a nut hands capable of turn three kills, but an
uninterrupted goldfish usually kills turn four or five. This is the absolute
best it can do. A control deck, on the other hand, needs only a single removal
spell or counterspell to disrupt this plan. Add in a form of lifegain, and the
game is all but over.
You can theorize about certain aggro decks that could have a
better shot against a perfect control deck (BW Tokens, Black Aggro with hand
disruption), but ultimately, the advantage goes to the control deck when
perfect tools are available. This leads me to what I call “The Control
Dilemma,” which I define as the following:
“Given access to perfect options, a control deck will always
outperform its opponent, since by its nature a perfect control deck
will have perfect answers to any opponent.”
Now, before you fly into a rage or slump into depression if
control is not your preferred play style, let me clarify. This definition
applies only to a theoretical world where perfect options are available. The
reason we can play aggro or combo in a Cube format where control is viable is
because the perfect control deck does not
exist. A perfect control deck by definition is tailored to consistently
defeat a specific opponent. A perfect control deck battling a creature deck
needs removal. A perfect control deck battling a combo deck needs disruption
and pressure. A perfect control deck battling another control deck needs
disruption and superior card advantage. If at any time two of these perfect
control decks are brought together, their perfection is disrupted as their
suite of answers is diluted. That is why, when analyzing Constructed decks, you
often see control decks with very narrow sideboard cards, as they allow the
player to answer specific threats more consistently in games two and three.
Another safeguard that prevents the Control Dilemma from
being realized is the color wheel. Not every color has answers to every threat.
For example, black has the best non-damage-based spot removal in the Cube.
Cards like Doom Blade, Go for the Throat, and Dismember all work well to deal
with creatures. However, black has virtually zero options for dealing with
artifacts or enchantments. Blue has access to several counterspells, but cannot
deal well with resolved threats. White lacks in instant-speed reactive spells
outside of Path to Exile and Swords to Plowshares. Green cannot deal with
resolved creatures. Red has no interaction with enchantments and its removal is
all damage-based. In order to cover all bases, a control deck needs multiple
colors or risk being vulnerable to a specific strategy.
Where does this leave control decks? They must almost always
be two colors, and often splash a third color. In doing so, they simultaneously
weaken their mana bases and dilute their answers. An Esper deck may draw
Disenchant rather than Doom Blade when facing a Hero of Bladehold, or vice
versa when facing a Shrine of Burning Rage. Because control decks need to be
versatile, they cannot be perfect against every matchup, and thus, the Control
Dilemma becomes irrelevant.
So why was my friend so upset about the matchup against the
Esper deck? The truth is he happened to be playing against a near-perfect
control deck for that specific matchup. A green/white Natural Order deck is
usually a dog to counterpells and removal spells. It wasn’t a perfect control
deck universally however, as the Esper player struggled later against an aggro
deck playing Swords of This and That. Because he only splashed white, he didn’t
have answers to the equipment and was quickly dispatched.
In summary, there is no such
thing as a universally perfect control deck. Some archetypes just fold to
specific strategies. This is a universal truth for all archetypes in all formats of Magic. There is always a price
for efficiency. It’s the law of equivalent exchange.
Well, that’s all I have for this week! Thanks for reading.
Billy Jacques
