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I know I need 2 more dissolves at least 1 more Verdict and possibly another Sphinx.
Other than that, what are your thoughts? What else could make this deck better & still be standard legal? I thought about adding some Encroaching Wastes.
http://deckbox.org/sets/494448
Your feedback is super appreciated
Josh
You're light on lands. You need to go up to 25-26 minimum. Control decks need to reliably get to 10-ish mana. You could put in a couple mutavaults here too. You don't need encroaching wastes. There is no kessig wolf run or cavern to blow up anymore. You'd basically be targeting mutavault, which you block with your own vault or chump with omen speakers potentially.
I don't think you maindeck a pithing needle. That's usually for the side. You're deck has lots of answers built in already.
Dissolve is a strictly better cancel... if you're going to run cancel why not go up to max dissolve? (which I'm not suggesting that you do, I think you should cut all the cancels and put in two essence scatters). Essence scatter is extremely efficient removal for this type of deck. 4 celestial flares seems overboard. I'd cut it to at least 2.
banisher priest and fiendslayer paladin are good cards, but not what this deck wants to be doing. You could include omen speaker, but I'm not a huge fan of that. Seraph of the sword seems out of place. I think you want more bombs here or something that provides card advantage. thassa maybe (since your missing a jace or two)? Prognostic Sphinx?
I do think you need 3 sphinx's revs and 3-4 verdicts though. I'd make that a priority. Another jace wouldn't kill you either.
I hate having too many lands though, because when it gets sketchy midgame and I'm drawing lands it pretty much means my demise.
The Pithing needle maindeck has pretty much always seemed like a good move for me. It nukes Planeswalkers and black pretty much has no way of dealing with it. It's easier to just let a planeswalker resolve and then pithing needle it the next turn for 1. I will get 2 more dissolves for sure. I may swap out a cancel or two for an Essence Scatter, not a bad idea.
I am working on at least 1 more verdict and 1 more sphinx.
Seraph of the sword allows me to survive mid game against demons / little flyers / etc.
The Paladin is great against the red & black decks I'm running up against + immune to doom blade / hero's downfall.
You're right, encroaching wastes is a waste. Mutavault may be good though to help pump up Sphinx and ping for 2 mid game.
Thassa would never become a creature, not sure if the scry every turn is worth it. Aetherling already is unblockable for 2.
Should I swap a dissolve / cancel or two for a render silent?
Josh
I agree with elpablo, you need more lands. I'd run 4 jace's if I were you. This lets you dig for more supreme verdicts and whatever else you may need. I also think 4 supreme verdicts would be good.
For your deck, I would not run a single creature outside of aetherling. You have 2 real win conditions. Elspeth and Aetherling. You have to remember that you're a control deck, don't get too cute with things.
I'd also run more counters. Essence scatters would be a nice card to have. Ratchet bombs would be good too. Quicken wouldn't be bad either.
I'm assuming the creatures you have there, you want for games against aggro. Since that's the case I'd just sideboard them. They might be kind of expensive though. Maybe a card liked omenspeaker or Yoked Ox would be better.
I don't think there's a reason for render silence. It's rare that a player is looking to plop down that many cards at once and it makes for awkward draws. I don't think it's worth it.
Ok 9 Islands, 7 Plains 4 Guildgates 4 Fountains...happy now??? 
I added 2 essence scatters, removed a celestial flare, kept both fiendslayers, but may be removing at least one.
I have the render silents on sideboard duty. I should have 2 renounce the guilds coming for sideboard as well. Any other sideboard suggestions?
I just need 1 more sphins and 1 more verdict and I'm pretty close to finished
Josh
55 (100%)In my opinion I would at least play 25 lands.. 26 wouldn't hurt.. I play esper with 26 and still don't have enough sometime..
My experience with a control deck like this and since it plays aetherling why do u need to small creatures like priest? they kill it get there creature back your no more further ahead than u were before.. would cut a few creatures and add a few for removal/counter spells so you can get to aetherling
Id do 4 verdicts, and 4 jace, 2 Elspeth, 4 detention sphere.. why would you ever play cancel over dissolve?
I feel like pithing and ratchet bomb are both sideboard cards.. ratchet bomb does almost nothing against a control matchup 3 sphinx's would be great, I might even consider 4
just my input other than that it looks fun
I hate having too many lands though, because when it gets sketchy midgame and I'm drawing lands it pretty much means my demise.
Sphinx's rev loves land... trust us here.
The Pithing needle maindeck has pretty much always seemed like a good move for me. It nukes Planeswalkers and black pretty much has no way of dealing with it. It's easier to just let a planeswalker resolve and then pithing needle it the next turn for 1. I will get 2 more dissolves for sure. I may swap out a cancel or two for an Essence Scatter, not a bad idea.
essence scatter yes. You don't need pithing maindeck with 4 detentions spheres and counters. Also Ætherling kills planeswalkers dead.
I am working on at least 1 more verdict and 1 more sphinx.
yup
Seraph of the sword allows me to survive mid game against demons / little flyers / etc.
something like omen speaker is good against aggro, digs a little and can be saced to the demon later? not ideal, but something to think about. Also, eslspeth generates enough tokens to keep demon locked down. If you're gonna play seraph for that another elspeth would just be better.
The Paladin is great against the red & black decks I'm running up against + immune to doom blade / hero's downfall.
but not anger of the gods, fiendslayer is a good card. to me a precinct captain would do the same thing and occasionally create tokens for you. Not a huge fan of either strat though. If you play fewer creatures you blank a lot of their removal.
Thassa would never become a creature, not sure if the scry every turn is worth it. Aetherling already is unblockable for 2.
Yeah probably not thassa, if you can't get another jaceaot, then perhaps a memory adept would be sufficient. It's an extra card a turn, with a possible alternate win condition. *shrug*
Should I swap a dissolve / cancel or two for a render silent?
Nah, 2 disolve, 2 syncs, 2 escence scatters would be a standard counter spell package here. Most decks are tapping out or very nearly tapping out every turn these days. Preventing them from playing spells and making it harder to cast isn't a good idea.
55 (100%)here's the esper if I can persuade you 
the sacking creatures from away and devour flesh are nice against hexproof decks
I ended up going up against another deck very similar to this (with black mixed in). The way I won was by milling out his deck. I thought about including a Jace, Memory Adept in a sideboard and maybe a traumatize or something? Any other good ways of dealing with control decks?
Josh
