Show Notes
Control has been under siege in Legacy for a long time. But with the current metagame shifting, could Eternal Weekend finally be a place where control can compete again? Zac and Phil break down the current Legacy metagame and ask a simple question: what would a control deck actually need to do to survive right now? The current field is incredibly diverse, with Dimir Tempo, Tron, Death & Taxes, Boros Energy, Reanimator, Doomsday, Delver, Beanstalk Control, Eldrazi, Sneak & Show and more all showing up near the top of the metagame. We talk about how control needs to line up its answers with the questions being asked, including the changing role of Prismatic Ending, Swords to Plowshares, Wrath of the Skies and other removal. Tron adopting Giants' Boulder is one example of how seemingly small changes to an opposing deck can completely alter control's answer suite. Then we get into one of the biggest questions facing blue control decks right now: Is Ponder too slow? In a format full of Orcish Bowmasters, Thalia, Tamiyo, Delver threats and other ways to punish a player for spending an entire turn cycling at sorcery speed, the opportunity cost of Ponder may finally be too high. We also discuss Consider, Spell Snare, instant-speed interaction, card advantage, Beanstalk, Flow State, and how control decks need to think about maintaining resource parity while still having enough answers to actually survive. So is control ready to make its comeback at Eternal Weekend? Or are we still trying to make an archetype work that Legacy simply doesn't want anymore? Let us know what you think. 00:00 Can Control Compete in Legacy Again? 00:49 The Current Legacy Metagame 03:01 Why Tron Is Still a Problem 04:34 Control Has to Know the Questions 06:43 Aggro, Control & Combo in Legacy 10:23 The Problem With Combo Backup Plans 14:00 Bowmasters, Tamiyo & Removal 20:05 Is Ponder Too Slow? 24:48 Is Spell Snare Actually Good? 28:10 How Control Maintains Card Advantage ⏱️ Chapters
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