Mill Talk.

[Coffee Vampire]

Hi, so being satisfied with my MBC, I really want to start something different: mill. My brother likes mill so I want to make a deck that he can play at FNM, and I can play at home. It has to be perfect though. Given that requirement, it will not be finished until old stuff rotates.

Just tell me your suggestions on mill and I will appreciate it. Just a note: I do not want to rely on creatures to mill. Creatures can get removed easily as I know well so no zombies. Also I may not run sword of body and mind, as you must pay 5 mana + the creature cost, hope it survives past summoning sickness, THEN hope it doesn't get blocked.

Though if you want to defend swords or zombies be my guest. If you give a good enough reason to run them I just might.

I will read this thread when I come back from college tomorrow...please consider all mill advice for me as I am by no means a mill expert. Even the simple suggestions will help!

[BlackJester]

I think you'll need a good amount of defensive creatures and control to slow things down long enough for mill. {Fog Bank}, {Archaeomancer} to reuse your mills and to chump. I still think {Jace's Phantasm} is good as either an early chump or a mid-late game finisher.

{Vanishment} goes great with mill.  Post-Rav build, Azorius will bring some more stall tactics, but we won't see really good mill until Dimir shows up in Gatecrash.

[Gorzo]

Are you going totally creatureless mill? Because {Stern Mentor} isn't half bad. She makes a good blocker, and when paired with another wall can mill 4/turn.

I like {Shriekgeist} too. Low mana cost for a potential repeating mill effect, can be used as a chump blocker in an emergency even against a flying enemy, and can discourage an enemy from attacking with their flying creature, as they have to choose if they want to hold their attacker back to stop the extra mill.

[Imdowd80]

{invisible stalker} plus your sword.

[Fenster]

Well in any standard (or even casual)
if you can put in {Jace memory adept}
but seeing he's very high value and alas mythic he's nothing to build on.
{Increasing confusion} is a great cardofcourse. Nothing to combo it with but still. I recently started playing {Fog bank} with {Elguad shieldmate} but never tried it at fnm or off my kitchent table so far.
Its a bit slow but it gives great protection.
{Invisible stalker} + {Trepanation blade} always a solid hitter. {Runechanter pike} if you run many cards like {thought scour} and {mindsculpt}... I plea for you not to use Delver because i hate him. But you know, he's strong so worth mentioning...

[Fenster]

Are you going totally creatureless mill? Because {Stern Mentor} isn't half bad. She makes a good blocker, and when paired with another wall can mill 4/turn.

I like {Shriekgeist} too. Low mana cost for a potential repeating mill effect, can be used as a chump blocker in an emergency even against a flying enemy, and can discourage an enemy from attacking with their flying creature, as they have to choose if they want to hold their attacker back to stop the extra mill.

{Mindshrieker}?

[Gorzo]

Mind shrieker is nice too but requires mana dumping to be a good miller. I think it's better as a damage dealer than a mill card. If I'm going to dump mana into milling my opponent, it will be with increasing confusion or {sands of delerium}.

[Rasser]

{Dream Twist}

[Fenster]

Mind shrieker is nice too but requires mana dumping to be a good miller. I think it's better as a damage dealer than a mill card. If I'm going to dump mana into milling my opponent, it will be with increasing confusion or {sands of delerium}.

True true. I totally forgor about the Sand! Its a must almost
I like mindshriek with trep blade though but since Coffe didnt want a creature based deck i agree that Shriekgeist would be best

[Wally]

Seriously consider using {undead alchemist}.
If you happen to come up against a creature heavy deck things get out of control super fast.
They have the interesting choice of having 60 cards to mill out or 20 life to lose if you swing with your zombie horde.
Also more zombies that mill when they die or enter the battlefield, are fantastic.

Played alongside true mill cards and artifacts it's something to cause concern.
I play mono blue for my zombie mill which also opens up things like {mana leak} and {vapor snag} etc. also {think twice} and {artful dodge} are great.

Some mill cards {dream twist}, {mind sculpt} etc

[Dudecore]

I feel like Mill isn't ready yet. It's best card is {Mind Sculpt} which is equivalent to 1 {Incinerate}. 4x {Sword of Body and Mind} is needed, and you gotta be able to put dmg through.

Just pure milling is too slow, you gotta make them discard 53 cards ASAP. Not an easy task. {Increasing Confusion} is mana intensive.

The only way I've ever seen it work with a {B}{U} with an insane Control suite, {Undead Alchemist}, Zombies and {Jace, Memory Adept} as the only mill card.

[Wally]

I suppose I should also mention that I use {curse of the bloody tome} and {jace's erasure} for some always ticking over mill action. Then refilling my hand with cards with stuff like {blue sun's zenith} and triggering more mill via erasure.
As already mentioned by several people, the jace plains walker is awesome. He mills for 10 when you drop him in, and demands to be dealt with before it happens again next turn.

Also if you want to use artifacts to mill, you still have a short amount of time for cards like {grindclock}, {mindcrank}, and a few other newer ones that tap for draw/mill. Can be used with {unwinding clock} for some every turn action too.

[Willthomjr]

Control deck with jace should do the trick.

I've done GU ramp mill.

{deadeye navigator}
{primeval Titan}
{increasing confusion}

Multiple win cons in ^ deck

{otherworld atlas} + {jaces archivist} is pretty good too.

{howling mine} needed for turbo fog and a goOD mill deck

[Harmon74]

I think the key to a standard mill deck right now, would be to get 10 cards in your opponents graveyard, and beat the crap out of him with the {jaces phantasm}s.  I posted a deck a while back in standard.  I believe it was titled {agro mill}

[BlackJester]

Like many posters, I think a good mill deck should be capable of winning with damage too. One {Elixir of Immortality} becomes "gain 15 life" otherwise.