Hello and welcome back to another edition of "Cube Stuff Inc." Today we are building on the Comprehensive Cube Archetype List by discussing the Theater of Control. This broad topic will serve as the foundation for future, more specific articles on Control archetypes, and is a great tool for anyone looking to build their first Cube. Because Control is often viewed as a more intimidating strategy by new players, this article will focus on some of the core principles of Control as well as some tips for Cube designers or drafters who have less experience with the Theater.

Principles of Control

Draw Go

When you take actions at the last possible moment you do so with the most knowledge of that game state. A classic version of Control is simply to draw your card for the turn, play a land, then pass the turn to your opponent. If everything in your hand can be cast at instant speed you have the luxury of waiting for your opponent to make the first move. If they cast a scary creature and you get to counter it with Essence Scatter. If they do nothing you can flash in Vendilion Clique to take a peek at their hand and resolve an efficient threat. Maybe they do something you can't interact with and need to cast Fact or Fiction to dig for answers.

Resource Denial

If you prefer to be more proactive you can instead focus on Resource Denial. This equality potent variation of Control focuses less on controlling your opponents plays, and more on controlling what they are capable of doing. Cards like Strip Mine and Duress are often overlooked by newer players, because they are resource neutral or "A One For One." However that is the floor of these cards, the ceiling is much higher. Using Strip Mine against an opponent who kept a land light hand, turns it into Time Walk that allows you to get ahead on resources. Using Duress against a fragile combo deck can turn an incredible hand into a nonfunctional one.

Card Advantage

The last cornerstone of a good Control strategy is card advantage. Simply put, in your average game your cards should do more than your opponents and you should see more of your deck. Phyrexian Arena doubles your card draw, meaning you are less likely to miss land drops, and more likely to find the interactive cards you need. Fractured Identity is a potent "Two For One" that not only removes your opponents scariest nonland permanent, but it gives you one as well. Mystic Confluence is particularly noteworthy because it takes the philosophy of Draw Go, Resource Denial, and Card Advantage and Wraps them into a tidy package.

Tips For Drafting & Building Control

New players can often struggle to build an effective Control deck and by the same measure, new Cube Designers can also struggle. Here are three tips to help you become a better Control player and design an environment where Control is as fun as it can be.

Threat Density

The ratio of win conditions to other cards in a Control deck is astounding to players who are unfamiliar with the strategy. As opposed to your average Aggro deck that wants every card to be a threat capable of winning the game, a good Control deck only needs one or two win conditions to be effective. Sometimes that can be a powerful card like Elspeth, Sun's Champion that will win the game on its own. Other times it can be a less assuming threat like Creeping Tar Pit that will chip in for damage while you control the game. If your Control deck feels clunky, draft fewer bombs and prioritize good mana and interaction. Remember if you effectively Control the game you won't need multiple threats to win.

Threat Assessment

The second hurdle for many players is poor threat assessment. Control is often referred to as "Permission" because you are allowing your opponent to do specific things. Generally speaking you can't stop them from doing everything, so you need to choose your battles wisely. As a Control player it is your job to not only figure out which threats require an answer but also which answer is most appropriate. For instance if your opponent casts Luminarch Aspirant you might Mana Leak it or you might let it resolve and hope they over commit into your Wrath of God.

Silver Bullets & Double Edged Swords

Allow me to get on my soapbox for a moment, as I remind our readers that Cube designers should put worse or at the very least more interesting cards in their Cube. If you design an archetype for your Cube that can't be answered by other archetypes, you're not doing your job. The tension between finding the right answer for the right threat is what makes Control interesting for the drafter. The inability to have perfect answers for every situation is what makes it tolerable to everyone else at the table. For instance, Toxic Deluge is an objectively powerful card that gets around various forms of protection. When you pay one life to kill a board full of mana dorks it's incredible, but when you decide if you can pay six life to remove an Inferno Titan it's much more interesting. Figuring out when to cast Feed the Swarm vs Doomblade is an interesting puzzle that rewards players learning their opponents strategy.

As always, thank you for reading. Before I go, I'll leave you with a list of cards that I think every Control player needs to resolve at least once. If you have any questions or thoughts I can be reached on Instagram. Happy drafting!

Must Try Control Cards