Revisiting a control deck (yuck) cleverly using Academy Loremaster to trap the opponent's choices to add the new OTJ card Stoic Sphinx as a hard clock finisher.
The original concept was to rely on instants and flash to be all the spells in the deck so that we're free to draw the extra Loremaster cards with none of the Loremaster tax headaches. The opponent has a harder choice if they have regular cast permanents or sorceries. We get the advantage and hopefully enough control power in our spells to slowly roll that advantage to a win.
But the finishers that get over the finish line are a bit rough. Mirrex is slow if inevitable in a long game. Hullbreaker Horror takes a long while to get online but then finishes quickly. Proft's Eidetic Memory can tick up the clock with the trickle buffs on the Loremaster.
But OTJ brings in Stoic Sphinx that seems perfect to fill in as a finisher. A 4 mana flash creature fits right in. 5 power and evasion gets the job done fast.
To back it up I'm going hard on the 1 mana counterspells An Offer You Can't Refuse and Wash Away. The Offer might give the opponent 2 treasure but maybe with the Loremaster tax that's manageable, and it's a full counterspell on noncreature spells unlike something more limited like a Make Disappear. The Wash is limited at 1 mana to just spells not cast from hand, but with OTJ bringing in a lot more Plot cards maybe this is reasonable now, and Wash can always be cast more like a Dissipate at 3 mana if nothing else which isn't the worst.
Also trying some Aven Interrupter which is more of a tempo play but reinforces the value of Wash Away.
Temporary Lockdown seems pretty good for the pre-OTJ meta, and also can clean out any treasures you're giving the opponent on Offers.
Other control cards I'm fitting in are things like Get Lost and Bovine Intervention for spot permanent removal, Kutzil's Flanker for graveyard hate, Werefox Bodyguard to fall on their shield to protect something else from a sweeper or edict, and the classic OG The Wandering Emperor.
I don't like control, but this pile is trying some clever things. Probably too clever by half but whatever.
