Control War has swept the leaderboard of this weekend ranked, taking 5 spots with 1 25/25 and 4 24/25 wins. The deck has everything going for it, great removal with relics, blitz, and board wipes; powerful protected, twin strike, and leech creatures; and game winning buffs in Out of Its Misery and Sole Survivor.

Top Player Decklists

Let's see what top players run in their Control War deck and see what different cards they run compared to the top deck.

[tst]cautionfun

In my eyes, this is the most conventional list, just strong cards all around.

https://gudecks.com/decks/GU_1_6_BBqBBqBDoBDoBDyBDyBEXBEXBFvBFvBHEBHMCACCACCAXCAXCCuCDqCDqDAFDAFGBMGBQGBTIDkIDmIDoIDoIDrIDr?godPowers=101307&creator=[tst]cautionfun&userId=73735&archetype=Other%20War

DeVoTeD

A few interesting cards choices. Viking Longship over Archangel Bruiser, not sure about this I find bruiser more useful, maybe the flank comes in handy sometimes. Runs 2x Ravenous Chimera over Nokkvi Pillager and Aeneas, more leech but fewer twin strike creatures for Hector. Auric Rush is nice for early AOE or picking off weak creatures. No Grand Hall or Iron-tooth Goblin in the deck.
Changes:
+2 Viking Longship, -2 Archangel Bruiser
+2 Ravenous Chimera, -Aeneas, -Nokkvi Pillager
+2 Auric Rush, -Grand Hall, -Iron-tooth Goblin

https://gudecks.com/decks/GU_1_6_BBqBBqBDoBDoBDyBDyBEXBEXBFvBFvCACCACCAXCAXCCjCCjCCuCDCCDCCDqCDqDAFDAFGBQGBTIDgIDgIDkIDrIDr?godPowers=101307&creator=???&userId=284274&archetype=Other%20War

[TOXIC] Faex

The cheapest of the control war decks. No demogorgons due to budget I assume. Tartessian Improviser is good for buffing your blitz creatures and as a Out of Its Misery target. Warmonger Smith is a good early body, not sure how often you get the relic buff off in the deck.
Changes:
+2 Warmonger Smith, -2 Demogorgon
+Tartessian Improviser, -Aeneas

https://gudecks.com/decks/GU_1_6_BDoBDoBDyBDyBEXBEXBFvBFvBHMCACCACCAXCAXCBBCBBCCXCCuCDqCDqDAFDAFGBMGBQGBTIDkIDmIDoIDoIDrIDr?godPowers=101307&creator=[TOXIC]%20Faex&userId=986649&archetype=Other%20War

EcomiWhale@ig

The most interesting version of Control War here. Enduring Shield is here for the nature matchup, giving protected helps fight for board. Smith is strong with shield. No pyramid wardens is interesting, it's great early but is a big liability late game. Runs Slayer for the reach. 1 Sole Survivor since they don't run Valka's Presence for the 1/1 body to play with survivor. Avatar of War helps close out the game with the 5/2 relic with Slayer.
Changes:
+2 Enduring Shield, -Sole Survivor, -Iron-tooth Goblin
+2 Warmonger Smith, -2 Pyramid Warden
+Avatar of War, -Strength in Numbers

https://gudecks.com/decks/GU_1_6_BBqBBqBDoBDoBDyBDyBFABFvBFvBHECACCACCAXCAXCBBCBBCCuCDZCDZCDqCDqDAFDAFGBMGBTIDkIDmIDoIDoIDr?godPowers=100123&creator=EcomiWhale@ig&userId=1570889&archetype=Other%20War

Om1ch-777

Budget version of control war, cutting the expensive cards and opting to cut out some of the top end for more 3/4 mana cards for a more aggressive deck.

https://gudecks.com/decks/GU_1_6_CAXCAXCAZCAZCBBCBBCCZCChCCjCCjCCkCCuCDCCDZCDZCDqCDqHAFHAiIAZICHIDfIDgIDjIDjIDkIDmIDoIDoIDr?godPowers=100123&creator=Om1ch-777&userId=1038445&archetype=Frenzied%20Aggro%20War

General Analysis

The deck lists run most of the same cards, they share between 20-28 depending if you want to count cards in 3/4 or 4/4 of the aforementioned decks.
Most of the deck is reactive cards with lots of blitz, removal, and leech. The deck doesn't have that many proactive plays aside from Master Tactician or Pyramid Warden. Expect to hold your cards and use your god power often.
Most of the players ran Valka's Presence over Slayer. Valka's Presence summons a 1/1 that can get buffed by Sole Survivor so your opponent needs to clear your board or wary of any creature they leave and watch out for getting board wiped by Sole Survivor. The 1/1 is also good for Out of Its Misery.
Slayer is useful against Board Wipe Death for closing out the game.

Card Choices

The top 4 control decks run similar lists that consists of these cards:

• Out of its Misery: Big +3/+3 buff and draws a creature, getting this on a PW or Tavern Brawler is huge stats early that can win the game on the spot. Almost all of your creatures are amazing for getting buffed. Valka's Presence helps keep OOIM live.
• Master Tactician: Sticky 2/2 with protected, good early play.
• Tavern Brawler: Good early blitz.
• Nokkvi Pillager: Most decks run 1 copy for an early creature with twin strike and leech for Hector.
• Oddi, Valka's Herald: 3/2 protected and backline is hard to kill, the mana discount on a Hector or Demogorgon is backbreaking for the opponent.
• Archangel Bruiser: 4 mana for 5/3 blitz is great removal, great buff target too. Overkill can clear a bunch of small creatures
• Grand Hall: Stops aggro in its tracks, +1 strength and leech to all your creatures is a great buff and will heal you a lot.
• Magic Missile Launcher: Amazing relic, 3/2 with blitz, and afterlife that deals 2 damage to 2 random creatures and heals your god for 4 health. Can be a 4 for 1 card, hit 2 creatures with your face then proc the afterlife to kill 2 more creatures. Etherbots is not locked and can be balanced.
• Carnage Sweep: 2 damage to all creatures or destroy all creatures if you have a relic to destroy. Opponents have to be wary of getting board wiped by carnage sweep if you're holding a relic.
• Orcish Elite: 5 mana for 3/6 twin strike and blitz is big stats and removal, can usually 2 for 1.
• Hyrtacus, Brazen Hero: Big 6 mana archer that grows +1 strength at the end of turn that it's in your hand. Removal and a big threat.
• Sole Survivor: Busted card. 6 mana board wipe and a big buff. Your opponent has to clear your board every turn past 6 mana or risk getting board wiped by Sole Survivor. With Valka's Presence, survivor is always like at 8 mana.
• Hector, Prince of Troy: 7 mana 6/6 that gains the keywords of creatures in your void. You're running tons of creatures with good keywords. Big body that does everything, twin strike, protected, blitz, leech.
• Strength in Numbers: Late game gas, generates 4 war creatures and buffs them +2/+2. The creatures generated will vary a lot and can steal games out if you get a bunch of big threats.
• Leviathan Hunter: 1 mana 2/1 that gives you a relic. Great for Out of Its Misery and Carnage Sweep.
• Pyramid Warden: Great early body, amazing for getting buffed. I find it a liability late game. Too many things that destroy it Giant Pangolin, Orcish Elite, Archangel Bruiser. The afterlife is worse since there are fewer small creatures in the meta to minimize what your opponent gets back.
• Demogorgon: It does everything, stalls, heals, and is a big body.

Tech Choices

The decks have a few different tech cards they run.

• Auric Rush: Good early AOE or picking off small creatures.
• Tartessian Improviser: Buffs your creatures, nice on blitzers, OOIM target too.
• Enduring Shield: Giving protected is great for keeping board control early.
• Warmonger Smith: Good early stats, hard to get off the relic buff usually. Turn 1 Enduring Shield into Warmonger Smith can win games against some decks.
• Ravenous Chimera: Blessed can be helpful in the deck. Blitz and leech on a 3/4 can 2 for 1 and keep you healthy.
• Aeneas: 3/3 with Blitz, twin strike, and protected. Gains protected at the end of turn. Can 2 for 1 easily, hard for aggro decks to kill without spending a lot of cards.
• Avatar of War: Huge 8/8 body with leech and a 5/2 godblitz relic. Big threat that heals and has reach.
• Iron-tooth Goblin: Good relic removal, removes the majority of relics.