2001)

I really enjoy building commons decks and here is one of my more recent creations that I've enjoyed playing. I’m a control player at heart, but most commons decks are built around killing you with creatures because creatures are often the most efficient commons cards. However, counterspells are another efficient type of commons and this deck is built with that in mind.

The following deck is an all-commons control deck designed to control creatures and win through card advantage. Here is the list:

4:Counterspell
4:Prohibit
4:Exclude

3:Recoil
3:Repulse
2:Mourning

4:Stinging Barrier

4:Opt
4:Accumulated Knowledge
4:Inspiration

8:Swamps
16:Islands

The deck is a counter-control deck which gains card advantage with almost every card. The Counterspells are self-explanatory, except to say that if you have a choice, you should use the more limited counterspell whenever possible. For example, you should Exclude a creature spell if you have both an Exclude and a Counterspell in your hand. Similarly, you should generally use Prohibit instead of Counterspell if Prohibit can be used because your opponent may have a five or six casting cost threat to cast the next turn.

Early in the game, you should just try to stay alive and counter their spells. Repulse is used to bounce early creatures that get past your Counterspells and it replaces itself. It can be card advantage if you use it to bounce a creature that has a creature enchantment on it. Recoil also has this advantage, with a discard effect built in. Moreover, a Repulse followed by Exclude means you draw an extra two cards and remove a troublesome creature.

Mourning is a reusable creature control card. You can put it on an early ground creature to save yourself from early damage. Later, when you have a Stinging Barrier to block, you can return it to your hand to use on a 2/2 flyer. If possible, save one black mana so that you can return it to your hand if your opponent tries to disenchant it.

A single Stinging Barrier kills little one-toughness creatures. When you have two Barriers, you can kill the two-toughness creatures you opponent plays. The Stinging Barrier also combines well with the Mournings because Mourning can allow your Stinging Barrier to Block five- power creatures and live to tell about it.

If your life total allows it, don’t try to cast a Stinging Barrier without Counterspell backup. Ideally, you want to wait until the middle to late game to bring out a Barrier so you can protect it. You only have four of them in the deck and they are your only win mechanism, so you need to protect them.

The card drawing spells allow you to out-draw your opponent in the mid and late game. Inspiration lets you draw two cards, while Accumulated Knowledge’s become more and more powerful as the game progresses. Opt is great as well, getting to needed land in the early game and pushing you past unneeded land later in the game to the spells you need to control and win the game.

Like any control deck, you have to know how to evaluate your opponent’s threats carefully. If you have a Stinging Barrier out, you don’t need to waste a Counter on their Llanowar Elves because you will be able to Sting the elves to death.

Finally, I want to note that this deck was built a few months back as a Type-II legal deck, so it does not include some powerful commons that come from older sets. If you wish to add older commons, some good choices which would work well in this deck include: Serrated Arrows, Mana Leak, Capsize, and Expunge.

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