Control Decks: Examples and Cards

Concept: Control deck is one that can neutralize the opponent's spells and/or effects until it can win the game. It can either undermine resources (land and hand), counter spells, take control of permanents, even make everything a zone that only your deck can play or simply become impenetrable to any offensive.

And behind that, the objective of neutralizing all threats preventing the opponent from ending the game and overwhelming them with value.

Although it exists in many shapes and colors, when we think of control, the first thing that comes to mind is a person with a blue deck saying: "I'll counter that!". Here I am to show you that this evil is not exclusive to blue — or don't you remember Pox in Legacy?

Or White Stax? Or even the red and/or green and/or black land destruction decks?

Without further ado, let's explain each type of deck built in these strategies.

Combo Control

It essentially comes down to holding your opponents' resources while you put your combo pieces together. In addition to the normal archetype protection and disruption, you will also have many tutors and top filtering.

This strategy is essential for resilience, as there is one difficult thing in Control decks: finishing the game quickly, and combo-control essentially allows you to win out of nowhere.

The deck will be summarized in: Combo pieces, search for the combo pieces and the basic control pieces. Some examples are:

This aquatic creature combo with infinite mana.

Classic one with Derevi.

Thief Control

The main idea here is to steal your opponents' permanent.

This deck essentially that makes the opponents lose to their own strategies. Everything that can't be stolen has to be countered or dealt with... It's the terror of lists that depends on the commander.

This deck usually needs blue in its composition. Some examples are:

Chaos Control

What if the whole game is entirely random and super hard to get down and keep something for everyone but you? Which by randomness can be unpredictable? This deck exists, and it can be your control style.

The idea of ​​this archetype is to abuse enchantments and strong, but random cards. You will be marked to play primarily with enchantments and artifacts. Check out some examples:

Or a deck based on random cascade that can win the game:

Stax Control

Focused only on negating and neutralizing opposing plays by not even allowing them to happen in the first play, often with slow finishers, this deck is for the ones who really want to be evil. You'll play with low-cost cards that have a high impact — and that gradually funnel your opponents' strategies to the point they can no longer play the game.

Some examples:

And yes, there are green Stax decks:

Pillowfort

Unlike other Control styles that simply don't want the opponent to play, this one says: Do what you want, as long as it's not with me. Think of a deck that protects itself, saves its creatures and plays its game, but isn't concerned with others, as long as it doesn't mess with it. This is Pillowfort.

Because you are always protected, you will hardly be the first to die in multiplayer games. Here are some examples:

Draw-Go

Ever played against a blue deck that draws and passes with all its mana untapped? Do you think it's distressing? That's the idea.

A deck formed only with possible answers and card advantage. Established mainly of them, it includes many counterspells! It's a deck that requires a lot of thought and planning, and that makes all the difference between how to neutralize each threat.

Draw-Go is always about being ahead, playing and preparing in advance the answers to possible threats. From a certain part of the game, only you have resources for containment, making it impossible for the opponent to win.

Some examples:

I hope you enjoyed this brushstroke on archetypes, and keep in mind that many commanders here can be played in other deck types, such as Yidris which can be a good Voltron or Chaos Control— it all depends on your playstyle.

Thanks for reading, and you are welcome to leave a comment!