Hey guys long time no see. I have just started getting back into magic, I was playing back from beta to war of the spark but haven't played much since then. I don't own many cards from the last two years save Sheoldred, the Apocalypse/ Haughty Djinn/ Tolarian Terror. I played Esper control back when I was playing, heavy on the Counterspells. Teferi, Time Raveler hit the scene and Counterspells died out. I took a long hiatus after that and now that he doesn't see play anymore I would like to get back into it. I like alternate win cons like Approach of the Second Sun. I have a bunch of wild cards saved up to make a deck but I am not sure what the op cards are in the last 2 years.

The mode I would primarily play would be historic since I have the most cards for it. I would like to play Esper or Azorius control maybe even Jeskai. I mainly play best of 1 but wouldn't mind a best of 3 deck just to try it out. I have never played ranked bo3 but think it might be a nice change of pace. Thanks in advance for any help you guys can provide from card suggestions to deck lists. Any and all help is appreciated. I am at bronze 4 since my rank has decayed from years of not playing so it should be easy to climb.

I always used to go here: https://mtgtop8.com for inspiration and ideas. I've no idea if it's still the best source, but it used to be fantastic. Back in the day, I looked at and would adapt winning concepts to the cards we had available, but nowadays you could just try out the actual deck itself.

It's also a super useful tool to examine the meta - in case you want to try to build your own, unique, response to the current best decks.

I think Modern is very equivalent - if not identical - to Historic, but fwiw I don't play Arena at all.

Last I saw mtgtop8.com didn't have much data on Historic. There are UW control decks here, though: https://mtgdecks.net/Historic/azorius-control (The deck is also quite strong right now.)

I personally recommend 4 Divine Purges (effectively a 3-mana sweeper against aggro decks) and also 4 Calim, Djinn Emperor as a difficult-to-kill win condition. The latter turns the corner very quickly, and if opponent is relying on a few big creatures - against which Divine Purge is less likely to be useful - then it's effectively a cycling Fog.

Btw it's amazing how Snapcaster Mage, of all cards, isn't seeing much play in Historic UW control.

Thanks for all the help guys, I appreciate it. I was looking through the lists and all of them use Calim, Djinn Emperor and Divine Purge so I would need to grab those cards. My deck currently is more of a prison deck with Yorion, Sky Nomand. I have 18 cards that are at 2 cmc so I can cast 2 spells on t4. The list I am going to be using is:

1 x Yorion, Sky Nomad

4 x Fateful Absence
4 x Seal Away can be retargeted by yorion
4 x Essence Scatter
4 x Omen of the Sea can be replayed with yorion
2 x Search for Azcanta
4 x Absorb
4 x Ixalan's Binding can be retargeted with yorion
4 x Settle the Wreckage For killing Arclight Phoenix,Muxus, Goblin Grandee and creature lands
4 x Supreme Verdict
4 x Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
2 x Approach of the Second Sun Win Con
4 x Emeria's Call Backup Win Con
2 x Castle Ardenvale
4 x Plains
2 x Castle Vantress
2 x Hall of Storm Giants
6 x Island
4 x Hallowed Fountain
4 x Hengegate Pathway
4 x Irrigated Farmland
4 x Field of Ruin Killing creature lands

I am thinking about getting rid of Settle the Wreckages for Doomskar since it can be a t3 field wipe or using Divine Purge. I could also replace Emeria's call for Calim, Djinn Emperor. The deck has tons of 1 for 1 plus 8 boardwipes to deal with creatures. I haven't tried bo3 but my sideboard would be:

4 x Dovin's Veto
4 x Negate
4 x The Wandering Emperor
2 x Devious Cover-up

In bo3 vs control decks I would swap out Essence Scatter and Seal Away, and all the board wipes to switch in my full sideboard. I haven't tested it but any thoughts you guys have would be appreciated. Maybe swapping out The Wandering Emperor for Calim, Djinn Emperor

Edit: Maybe replacing Emeria's Call or The Wandering Emperor with Torrential Gearhulk might be a good Idea. It can give me double the Settle the Wreckage and Yorion, Sky Nomad can flash it to cast Fateful Absence. It would increase my castable cards off Torrential Gearhulk from 16 to 20 after sideboarding.

Nice to see you around bind, hope you're doing well!

Hey Nighthawk I am doing fine. How have you been man, its good to see you are still around. I have missed you guys since I took my break from magic. I feel like I have fallen too far behind to play Standard, so I am sticking to Historic. What else is new with you what are you up to these days.

I think that list has too many sweepers and too little card advantage. Archmage's Charm is very powerful and I think 4 copies is also mandatory. You could run cards like The Wandering Emperor and Memory Deluge, which are very common in UW control lists (I think for good reason). Narset is another option. The planeswalkers can also be reset by Yorion.

Seal Away & Ixalan's Binding are likely too weak to run. The latter is four mana; the former cannot stop cards like Elvish Archdruid, Runaway Steam-Kin or Emry before they activate.

Thanks for the input banedon. I have considered your input. I have changed Emeria's call for Torrential Gearhulk. I also swapped Ixalan's Binding with The Wandering Emperor and replaced Seal Away with Brazen Borrower. If Brazen Borrower doesn't work out I'll replace it with Soul Partition. I also replaced The Wandering Emperor on the sideboard with Narset, Parter of Veils.

I will keep the board wipes as is for now but I think I can safely cut 2 of them for card advantage maybe a Memory Deluge or Behold the Multiverse since it can be cast with Torrential Gearhulk

Edit: I swapped out two Plains for two Emeria's Call

My Bo3 standard list:

Deck
2 Essence Scatter (M19) 54
2 March of Otherworldly Light (NEO) 28
3 Syncopate (DAR) 67
2 Negate (RIX) 44
3 Fateful Absence (MID) 18
1 Sunfall (MOM) 40
4 White Sun's Twilight (ONE) 38
3 Silver Scrutiny (DMU) 65
3 Mindsplice Apparatus (ONE) 63
6 Island (MIR) 336
5 Plains (MIR) 331
1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire (NEO) 268
1 Otawara, Soaring City (NEO) 271
4 Adarkar Wastes (DMU) 243
4 Deserted Beach (MID) 260
3 Tranquil Cove (M20) 259
3 Mirrex (ONE) 254
4 Thirst for Discovery (VOW) 85
4 Experimental Augury (ONE) 49
2 Farewell (NEO) 13

Sideboard
2 Unlicensed Hearse (SNC) 246
1 Negate (RIX) 44
1 Lantern of the Lost (VOW) 259
1 Spell Pierce (XLN) 81
2 Disdainful Stroke (GRN) 37
2 Temporary Lockdown (DMU) 36
2 The Wandering Emperor (NEO) 42
3 A-Knockout Blow (SNC) 20
1 Sunset Revelry (MID) 38

I'm not a good source for Historic, because I play Kethis combo in Historic.

Deck
2 The Wandering Emperor (NEO) 42
4 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria (DAR) 207
4 Calim, Djinn Emperor (HBG) 33
4 Soul Partition (BRO) 26
4 Change the Equation (MOM) 50
4 Archmage's Charm (MH1) 40
4 Memory Deluge (MID) 62
4 Divine Purge (Y22) 4
3 Island (XLN) 264
3 Adarkar Wastes (DMU) 243
4 Glacial Fortress (XLN) 255
1 Field of Ruin (XLN) 254
2 Field of Ruin (THB) 242
1 Castle Vantress (ELD) 242
3 Hall of Storm Giants (AFR) 257
4 Deserted Beach (MID) 260
4 Hallowed Fountain (RNA) 251
4 Irrigated Farmland (AKR) 304
1 Otawara, Soaring City (NEO) 271

Sideboard
2 March of Otherworldly Light (NEO) 28
3 Dovin's Veto (WAR) 193
2 Mystical Dispute (ELD) 58
2 Supreme Verdict (RTR) 201
3 Rest in Peace (AKR) 33
3 Shark Typhoon (IKO) 67

^ That's what I've been running in Historic. The main deck is very powerful. I can't imagine playing without Soul Partition - sure it's card disadvantage, but it answers everything, including planeswalkers. And +2 mana is almost removal against many threats. Take Liliana of the Veil for example. If you Soul Partition it, you gain tempo, and opponent 1) might not have 5 lands required to re-cast Liliana and 2) 5-mana Liliana is not an efficient threat at all. In a topdeck war then you're in trouble, but you're not likely to get there in the first place. Soul Partition has way overperformed and I would recommend crafting four copies.

In the maindeck the only really unusual card is Change the Equation, which is extremely good against RG decks and still serviceable otherwise. You can also hold it up with Teferi's +1. I'd surely play Mana Leak over it, but Mana Leak is not legal in Historic.

Hey thanks for the list divinevert. I wasn't able to craft the deck as I am low on rares, but I will as soon as I get some. Thank you for trying even if you don't play historic control, any help is much appreciated. Also thanks banedon I will take a look at that list as soon as I get some time. Much thanks to everyone sharing lists.

The list I posted might be a bit out of date. It dates from before LotR, and Orcish Bowmasters is quite brutal against it. Not sure if there's a better option, though.

Hey guys just an update I took banedon's advice and added Archmage's Charm and Memory Deluge into the deck and its performing much better. Thanks for all the help guys I appreciate it.