A Quick Note on What Makes a Control Deck

This video serves as a reminder for what makes a control deck compared to other playstyles. The reason why we care is because of depth and expansion of thinking, both for professional and casual play! Mew VMax has since rotated ,but it is recent enough in memory to serve as an example.
Check out the Discord where you can upload and discuss your own control-style decks 😎: / discord

[@owenforschler5326]

Interesting but ik it’s small but I feel like mill should be trying to deck out via attack because by that definition you can classify Snorlax as a mill

[@ControlPlayersUnite]

Hi, Slowen! One *could* classify Snorlax as mill *if* one of the primary win conditions is willfully decking out your opponent. My understanding of control (including Snorlax) is that milling is a *secondary* win condition that one pursues if the opportunity presents itself. Otherwise one is frustrating one’s opponent into submission.

[@owenforschler5326]

@@ControlPlayersUnite huh ok that an interesting insight on it

[@goldenarmour7975]

​@@ControlPlayersUnite Uuuh, not really. Most serious players are willing to play a stall matchup until their deck has no more cards. I played full-paralysis in Expanded tournaments and people played until the end. My only win condition was most definitely the mill out. Sometimes people would surrender but that is because they knew they had nothing left in their deck to answer my lock, not because they were submitted: they knew that they were getting milled out eventually.

[@ControlPlayersUnite]

@@goldenarmour7975 Thank you for your response, Golden Armour. Please know my tone below is one of curiosity and respect, not sarcasm or any such thing. Let's break down what's going on: "Uuuh, not really" in reference to the milling-is-not-a-primary-win-condition-for-control-decks comment. So, the thesis is that mill *is* a win condition for control decks. I would say, theoretically mill is a win condition for any deck build to the effect being milled can happen to anyone (even if it's just "draw, pass"). (If that's the case, why not call control decks mill decks?) We agree that milling is a win condition for control decks, more a question of its primacy or secondary nature. "Most serious players are willing to play a stall matchup until their deck has no more cards. I played full-paralysis in Expanded tournaments and people played until the end." Is your deck actively trying to mill them or are they just playing everything out and you happen to win via deck out? "My only win condition was most definitely the mill out." The theoretical problem I'm having is how we explain surrenders (or wins) unrelated to prize-taking or milling (as in a mill archetype like Great Tusk). "Sometimes people would surrender but that is because they knew they had nothing left in their deck to answer my lock not because they were submitted: they knew that they were getting milled out eventually." Not having anything left in their deck to respond--if they surrender before the inevitable deck out, is that not a frustration of resources? In other words, your opponent says, 'I *could* beat you if I had more cards, but I don't. I milled out.' Though you've said that's not a primary win condition, would it be considered a win condition at all? Frustration could also apply to a player with Pidgeot V recycling it ad nauseum, then says, 'I can't take this anymore. I give up.' Would love to hear your thoughts!

[@novaninja729]

I feel like Dragapult with how slow it is could end up being a very good Aggro-Control deck

[@ControlPlayersUnite]

I had a similar thought! You could pair it with Snorlax (experimental build) and a handful of control supporters. Dragapult effectively takes the place of Pidgeot ex. Not sure if that’s a good idea 🤔.

[@Kewa_]

I like these slideshow videos

[@ControlPlayersUnite]

Thank you so much, Kewa! There’s more coming! 😊

[@drakedanubio9368]

Sad that we can’t play mew with the disruption cards anymore

[@vibinwithchacha3329]

But what is control? Could you give an example of a control deck? I think by nature of the pokemon tcg most decks will be aggro, but I can't think at all of control decks.

[@ControlPlayersUnite]

Block-Snorlax. Put Snorlax in the active, use Rotom V to draw cards, manipulate opponent's board and deck as necessary, gust up as needed, and wait them out!