Unlocking the Vault #73: Grixis Control in Vintage

I finally have some videos for you guys this week! While I didn’t manage to qualify for the Vintage Constructed Championship this past weekend, I was able to sit down and play some matches with one of my favorite decks in Vintage right now: Grixis Control. Had I managed to qualify, this is the deck I would’ve played.

The most appealing aspect of Grixis Control is just how flexible the deck can be. It plays enough restricted cards to win with some busted opening hands, but it also plays the long game exceedingly well. The sideboard can also be tailored to suit your needs, though it’s not as flexible out of the board as a control deck with white cards (Rest in Peace, Kataki, War’s Wage, Leyline of Sanctity, etc.), but it can hold its own.

The main deck can also be configured in many different ways. This is the list that I piloted in this week’s matches:

It’s also possible to put in more Grixis planeswalkers, swap out Dark Confidants for Night’s Whispers, or even dabble into a Gush deck that splashes green for Fastbond, and maybe even Abrupt Decay. One card I wanted to experiment with in my build above is Keranos, God of Storms, but I didn’t have the time to test it prior to recording the matches. In theory, it can provide some card advantage by drawing you out of land pockets, or it can cast free Lightning Bolts. It’s also unlikely to be a creature at any point in the game, thus making it nearly impossible to remove. I’m curious to see how it would play in games…

Nonetheless, if you are looking for a deck that can give you game against the entire field, Grixis Control may be for you. Without further ado, here are the videos. I look forward to your comments below!





enderfall
Clan Magic Eternal
Follow me on Twitter @enderfall

 
  1. Round 2 Game 2 – Why sit on the tutors for so long? You mentioned how he seemed to be drawing every bullet in his deck, but you spent a few turns not shooting your own gun. At a minimum tutor for a counterspell if you’re trying to keep a winning position!

    Have you tried the Tendrils decks yet? Good way to force yourself to get aggressive with tutors instead of thinking of them as answers to be conserved.

    Keep up the good work

  2. m2g2 your use of pyroblast was weak in addition to your use of timewalk If you play correctly that game wouldn’t have ever been as close as you let it get might want to go back and reevaluate those turns.

  3. Game 2 versus Dredge, tutor for Lotus, turn 2 play key (misstep backup), play lotus, play Will, replay Lotus, tutor for Vault and Win.