So, I have been indecisive on building the perfect control shell. The deck we build needs to be good against RGx Ramp shells, UR aggro shells (prowess or thopters), and midrange UG shells like Yondar's list. I would like to establish a good mix of removal spells that are great against large threats and early threats. A card drawing package that transitions from early to late game and versatile hay maker cards. This is currently what I'm working with...

**Early to midgame disruption**
2 x Disperse
3 x Horribly Awry

2 x Declaration in Stone
1 x Reprisal

2 x Anguished Unmaking
2 x Scatter to the Winds
3 x Roil Spout

2 x Languish
2 x Planar Outburst

**Card filtering package**
1 x Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
3 x Telling Time

2 x Oath of Jace
1 x Tamiyo's Journal

**Planeswalkers**
1 x Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1 x Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
1 x Ob Nixilis Reignited
1 x Sorin, Grim Nemesis

**Finishers**
2 x Thought-Knot Seer
1 x Linvala, the Preserver
1 x Part the Waterveil

**Lands**
4 x Warped Landscape
2 x Isolated Chapel
2 x Shambling Vent
2 x Glacial Fortress
2 x Prairie Stream
2 x Drowned Catacomb
2 x Sunken Hollow
4 x Island
3 x Plains
2 x Swamp
1 x Wastes

I believe, the shell is WB + x. Personally I don't think it has to be blue.

The core cards are imo:
2 x Declaration in Stone
2 x Anguished Unmaking
2 x Languish
1 x Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2 x Planar Outburst
1 x Archangel Avacyn
1 x Ob Nixilis Reignited
1 x Linvala, the Preserver
1 x Sorin, Grim Nemesis


That's 13 cards that are insane in control.

I agree with Kryder for the most part - I'm actually not as sold as you might think on those finishers. I think color 3 is pretty open to debate. I originally thought it would be Red. I'm not sure yet, but there are certainly plenty of payoffs to go with red, not the least of which is Chandra.

"perfect control shell" lol

there is no perfect control shell because there isn't one type of control

I was mentioning in another thread how I think clues/Investigate would be great in a control deck. Incorporate some scry in there and could be interesting.


elk

and then finish with Ghirapur Æther Grid

I'm not even sure W/B is the way to go TBH. I think W/U is the shell. Next it depends on the meta. Do you:

- Want to deal with the overabundant aggro decks? Jeskai for earlier removal/faster clocks in Nahiri and Chandra.
- Want to deal with Planeswalker.dec or other Control if they become more common? Esper for Unmaking and better lategame.
- Want to add Green for a reason I can't justify yet? Bant, sure, why not...

W/B to me (and I'm really dissing on Unmaking here) gets chewed up by aggro HARD. I still think you need to be a lifedrain deck to run things like Unmaking/Ob Nix/RTB with all the aggro running around. Blue gives you access to the Catalog/Just The Wind option which has been monumentally consistent for me to stall. Counterspells are still very relevant, and Blue Jace doesn't cost you life like Ob Nix. Hell, even WeCo's Azorius list is a general pain in many decks sides (given how running his Esper list against him last night was "unfun for aggro", I'll stand by that ).

I think the draw-go way is stronger in Jeskai and supports TITI more, but I think something more creature focussed with Kalitas/Ayli could be the way to go in Esper. I'm still trying to think of a way to justify From Under the Floorboards as a pseudo-Black Sphinx's Revelation.

Just had a thought over on DJ's Esper thread. If we're going the Kalitas angle, and if Murderous Compulsion is appealing, would it not make sense to include Call the Bloodline? That way you could more reliably use it's madness cost where it may as well read "pay 3, destroy target tapped creature at instant speed, gain a 1/1 lifelink vampire".

I still really think there's something there in that more creature-focussed approach.