Control
Control decks are about card advantage and making your opponents ask permission before you let them play a spell. The mana curve for most control decks is highest at the 2 and 3 drop slots, with a few 1 and 4 cost spells, and even fewer power spells along the curve.
The Psychatog deck is one of the best
control decks you can play. Most of it's spells are three mana or less. Your
opponents creatures are useless when you have 1 drops like Ghastly Demise and
Innocent Blood. Even creatures that cannot be targeted are sacrificial lambs
when Chainer's Edict or Diabolic Edict see play. Cheap control spells are the
meat of this deck, not because they have to be played on turn one or two, but
because you can always leave one or two mana open for your control, or end of
turn card drawing.
The Psychatog deck gets into high gear as quick as turn 3 when the Psychatog himself hits play. He can pump to block or kill your opponents blockers when he is attacking. And he can always discard circular logic for a 1 drop counterspell. The deck has a game ending trick when you hit 9 (or 7 with some builds) mana. First you play Upheaval for 6, floating 3 mana, then play your land for the turn, just in case you need that Force Spike, and then play Psychatog and win next turn. Some type 1 builds use Berserk, and Giant Growth and don't even bother to wait for 7 or 8 turns.
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1 drops Force Spike Ghastly Demise
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2 drops Counterspell Chainer's Edict Diabolic Edict
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3 drops Circular Logic Cunning Wish Psychatog
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4 drops Concentrate Deep Analysis Fact or Fiction
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power spells Upheaval Force of Will
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| This is a build from 2002 when it was played in Standard,
called Stomas Tog: Creatures: 3
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This is the same deck, Stomas Tog,
as played by Kai Budde in the 2003 Stockholm Championships. Main
Deck 4 Force Spike Sideboard 1 Duress
A R/G version of Fiery Mongrel was the winning deck of the tournament. |