Creatures (4):
3x Prognostic Sphinx
1x Resolute Archangel
Planeswalkers (3):
2x Elspeth, Sun's Champion
1x Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
Enchantments (3):
3x Banishing Light
Instants (15):
4x Dissolve
4x Lightning Strike
4x Stoke the Flames
2x Dig Through Time
1x Jace's Ingenuity
Sorceries (9):
3x Anger of the Gods
3x End Hostilities
3x Divination
Lands (26):
4x Flooded Strand
3x Temple of Triumph
4x Temple of Epiphany
2x Temple of Enlightenment
1x Wind-Scarred Crag
1x Swiftwater Cliffs
2x Tranquil Cove
3x Mountain
3x Plains
3x Island
Sideboard:
2x Keranos, God of Storms
2x Phyrexian Revoker
2x Disdainful Stroke
2x Negate
2x Hushwing Gryff
2x Nyx-Fleece Ram
3x Magma Spray
So I was initially testing Narset Combo on a similar list to that of Chris's, but with some slight changes, since I don't have AEtherspouts yet (a huge mistake, from what I tested), and I'm currently led to believe Banishing Light is still the go-to O-Ring of the format, even with a reasonable Journey to Nowhere around (Suspension Field). I was also testing the acceleration strat for Narset/Prog Sphinx using Generator Servant, but it wasn't testing as well as I'd like due to being in situations where, at least for what I'm playing against right now, the deck did absolutely nothing at all unless Narset came down; aka the point of the combo.
This, combined with the decision that I needed to somehow squeeze End Hostilities into my build, morphed itself into this control shell in UWR.
Of course, this list is far from perfect for a number of reasons. First of all, there's no Sphinx's Revelation, so all of the drawing is relegated to six cards. Jace's Ingenuity and Dig Through Time do most of the work, with some slight refill/option coverage found in Divination. This is also the reason for a few other things such as Resolute Archangel and the Refuges in my manabase, because there isn't really safe lifegain in this color combination that doesn't cost you a turn you could be using to do something else.
On top of that, there's the fact that while I like having Anger/Strike/Stoke because Fleecemane Lion is a nightmare and I can eat Kioras for breakfast, they don't do much in the midrange matchups, something I'm expecting more of as time goes on versus the more aggressive lists we've been seeing as of late. That's not to say I don't value them; in fact, I was thinking of just going straight UW control at one point, but realized I'd be making a huge amount of changes that could backfire right in my face, particularly because it then becomes important for me to counter Fleecemane or Banishing Light it before it drops, a challenge when you could just be holding up a two-mana "nope."
I also feel like Sarkhan doesn't do what I want him to do. He's mainly there not only because he functions well as an option/finisher on turn 5, but also because I lack Stormbreath Dragons, which would be the creature I really need for a win condition. Sarkhan is able to contest Stormbreath without me needing to use Stokes, and he's a must-kill threat. So I'm really up in the air about him.
Finally, there's the manabase. My main concern about tri-colored manabases is that if you can't fix them well enough, you may as well go two-color. Since this deck isn't green-based, it runs into some slight flubs where the color dedication involves a lot of double markings (UU on Dissolve, Dig Through Time, Jace's Ingenuity and Prog Sphinx, RR on Sarkhan, Anger and Stoke, WW on End Hostilities, Elspeth and Resolute Archangel), which forces the deck to slow down. This would be okay if it wasn't for the key turns being 4 and 5 in this format, which playing taplands hinders significantly. Additionally, as I mentioned earlier, lifegain's an issue for this list, so I've been attempting to curve it by using the refuges over the wedgelands and some Temples and Pains I was running before. It's tested pretty well, to be honest, but I always feel like I'm missing a color, or that Flooded Strand won't get me anywhere that I want to be, which is silly because it's thinning the deck of a land.
I don't have much to say about my sideboard. I think it's probably the best thing in regards to the deck because it covers everything I care about right now, and lets me alter my pacing as I see fit while hindering my opponent further.
Discuss if you'd like. Probably going to post my considerations for UW in a separate thread, since I'm pretty sure I know what I'd change to make everything work out.
3x Prognostic Sphinx
1x Resolute Archangel
Planeswalkers (3):
2x Elspeth, Sun's Champion
1x Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
Enchantments (3):
3x Banishing Light
Instants (15):
4x Dissolve
4x Lightning Strike
4x Stoke the Flames
2x Dig Through Time
1x Jace's Ingenuity
Sorceries (9):
3x Anger of the Gods
3x End Hostilities
3x Divination
Lands (26):
4x Flooded Strand
3x Temple of Triumph
4x Temple of Epiphany
2x Temple of Enlightenment
1x Wind-Scarred Crag
1x Swiftwater Cliffs
2x Tranquil Cove
3x Mountain
3x Plains
3x Island
Sideboard:
2x Keranos, God of Storms
2x Phyrexian Revoker
2x Disdainful Stroke
2x Negate
2x Hushwing Gryff
2x Nyx-Fleece Ram
3x Magma Spray
So I was initially testing Narset Combo on a similar list to that of Chris's, but with some slight changes, since I don't have AEtherspouts yet (a huge mistake, from what I tested), and I'm currently led to believe Banishing Light is still the go-to O-Ring of the format, even with a reasonable Journey to Nowhere around (Suspension Field). I was also testing the acceleration strat for Narset/Prog Sphinx using Generator Servant, but it wasn't testing as well as I'd like due to being in situations where, at least for what I'm playing against right now, the deck did absolutely nothing at all unless Narset came down; aka the point of the combo.
This, combined with the decision that I needed to somehow squeeze End Hostilities into my build, morphed itself into this control shell in UWR.
Of course, this list is far from perfect for a number of reasons. First of all, there's no Sphinx's Revelation, so all of the drawing is relegated to six cards. Jace's Ingenuity and Dig Through Time do most of the work, with some slight refill/option coverage found in Divination. This is also the reason for a few other things such as Resolute Archangel and the Refuges in my manabase, because there isn't really safe lifegain in this color combination that doesn't cost you a turn you could be using to do something else.
On top of that, there's the fact that while I like having Anger/Strike/Stoke because Fleecemane Lion is a nightmare and I can eat Kioras for breakfast, they don't do much in the midrange matchups, something I'm expecting more of as time goes on versus the more aggressive lists we've been seeing as of late. That's not to say I don't value them; in fact, I was thinking of just going straight UW control at one point, but realized I'd be making a huge amount of changes that could backfire right in my face, particularly because it then becomes important for me to counter Fleecemane or Banishing Light it before it drops, a challenge when you could just be holding up a two-mana "nope."
I also feel like Sarkhan doesn't do what I want him to do. He's mainly there not only because he functions well as an option/finisher on turn 5, but also because I lack Stormbreath Dragons, which would be the creature I really need for a win condition. Sarkhan is able to contest Stormbreath without me needing to use Stokes, and he's a must-kill threat. So I'm really up in the air about him.
Finally, there's the manabase. My main concern about tri-colored manabases is that if you can't fix them well enough, you may as well go two-color. Since this deck isn't green-based, it runs into some slight flubs where the color dedication involves a lot of double markings (UU on Dissolve, Dig Through Time, Jace's Ingenuity and Prog Sphinx, RR on Sarkhan, Anger and Stoke, WW on End Hostilities, Elspeth and Resolute Archangel), which forces the deck to slow down. This would be okay if it wasn't for the key turns being 4 and 5 in this format, which playing taplands hinders significantly. Additionally, as I mentioned earlier, lifegain's an issue for this list, so I've been attempting to curve it by using the refuges over the wedgelands and some Temples and Pains I was running before. It's tested pretty well, to be honest, but I always feel like I'm missing a color, or that Flooded Strand won't get me anywhere that I want to be, which is silly because it's thinning the deck of a land.
I don't have much to say about my sideboard. I think it's probably the best thing in regards to the deck because it covers everything I care about right now, and lets me alter my pacing as I see fit while hindering my opponent further.
Discuss if you'd like. Probably going to post my considerations for UW in a separate thread, since I'm pretty sure I know what I'd change to make everything work out.