Kess, Dissident Mage - Control

[duducrash]

Hi there, I recently asked for help over in regards to building and piloting a control Deck. Thanks to the feedback I got something. I'm not going to say I'm new to the format but I'm not experienced either. and when it comes to control I've encountered a challenge in building a consistent deck

My goal with this deck is to have long grindy matches with my friends, The targeted removal seems better in a Kess, Dissident Mage deck, I think I will stall the board not letting things get out of hand but trying not to make enemies either and try to win via the big spells, either the X ones or Rise of the Dark Realms I want this deck built arround 50-75% and would very much like help to get that far. Im not intersted in infinite combos or super competitive gameplay

I feel like this deck in specific is maybe low on ramp? I don't know, I built some decks but I really like low curves so I usually run less artifact ramp, what do you think?

I'm open to all feedback, thanks!

Decklist

DecklistCMCManaPricesChartsDraw 7

Sorcery

1 Anger of the Gods

1 Blasphemous Act

1 Bontu's Last Reckoning

1 Cathartic Reunion

1 Cruel Ultimatum

1 Damnation

1 Dark Petition

1 Dreadbore

1 Expropriate

1 Exsanguinate

1 Faithless Looting

1 Feed the Swarm

1 Ignite the Future

1 Mana Geyser

1 Preordain

1 Rise of the Dark Realms

1 Scheming Symmetry

1 See the Truth

1 Serum Visions

1 Sweltering Suns

1 Torment of Hailfire

1 Vandalblast

1 Windfall

Instant

1 Arcane Denial

1 Bedevil

1 Comet Storm

1 Counterspell

1 Dark Ritual

1 Expansion // Explosion

1 Fact or Fiction

1 Frantic Search

1 Go for the Throat

1 Hero's Downfall

1 Impulse

1 Increasing Vengeance

1 Narset's Reversal

1 Negate

1 Red Elemental Blast

1 Seething Song

1 Terminate

1 Thrill of Possibility

1 Thrilling Encore

1 Twincast

Artifact

1 Arcane Signet

1 Chromatic Lantern

1 Dimir Signet

1 Fellwar Stone

1 Izzet Signet

1 Rakdos Signet

1 Sol Ring

1 Talisman of Creativity

Creature

1 Baleful Strix

1 Baral, Chief of Compliance

1 Goblin Electromancer

1 Gravebreaker Lamia

1 Guttersnipe

1 Nezahal, Primal Tide

1 Talrand, Sky Summoner

1 Thieving Skydiver

Land

1 Bloodfell Caves

1 Command Tower

1 Crumbling Necropolis

1 Dragonskull Summit

1 Drowned Catacomb

1 Exotic Orchard

7 Island

7 Mountain

1 Shivan Reef

1 Smoldering Marsh

1 Steam Vents

1 Sulfur Falls

1 Sunken Hollow

6 Swamp

1 Tainted Isle

1 Temple of Deceit

1 Temple of Epiphany

1 Temple of Malice

1 Watery Grave

Enchantment

1 Confounding Conundrum

1 Double Vision

1 Mind's Dilation

1 Revel in Riches

Commander

1 Kess, Dissident Mage

Approximate Total Cost:

[Mookie]

Looks good! I'll call out Mental Note and Thought Scour as two easy inclusions, possibly over Faithless Looting or Impulse. Gitaxian Probe and Gamble are also good options. There really are more good cantrips available than you can ever fit into the deck.

You do look to be a little light on ramp / mana rocks - if you're hoping to cast Rise of the Dark Realms and Cruel Ultimatum, it may be appropriate to run more. My own Kess list runs twelve rocks (including Primal Amulet // Primal Wellspring, Surveyor's Scope, and Thaumatic Compass // Spires of Orazca). That said, hard to say what the correct number of mana rocks is without testing.

I'll also recommend Rakdos Charm (both Shatter and grave hate are useful) and Sire of Insanity (because you can just play out of your graveyard).

I'm not a big fan of Anger of the Gods and Sweltering Suns, but that's ultimately a meta call depending on how relevant small creatures are in your meta. Kess living through them is definitely a nice upside.

[duducrash]

I'll also recommend Rakdos Charm (both Shatter and grave hate are useful) and Sire of Insanity (because you can just play out of your graveyard).

I'm not a big fan of Anger of the Gods and Sweltering Suns, but that's ultimately a meta call depending on how relevant small creatures are in your meta. Kess living through them is definitely a nice upside.

Thanks for the feedback! Yeah its definitely lacking graveyard hate, I think being unnable to playtest does that!

I did pick both 3 dmg "wraths" because of Kess, at first I had Languish and the one from TBD bug changed.

Does flipcards like Search for Azcanta count as reliable ramp? I definitely should have it in the list

[Serenade]

Kess is definitely a deck you need to try out as much as possible to see what has success in your group. Here a few ideas of cards that have worked their way into my deck...

In the late game you might find Mystic Sanctuary helpful.
Volcanic Vision costs seven, but it's likely a one-sided board wipe on top of the recursion. I think it is the most under-appreciated red card.
Toxic Deluge is terrific for a number of reasons of which I am sure you are quite aware. I always feel like a jerk suggesting pricey cards, but in time this could replace a 3-damage wrath.
Decree of Pain is another wrath that works well with Kess.
Runechanter's Pike is a nice alternative wincon that draws little attention/removal.
Cut // Ribbons works well with Kess.

[Mookie]

Does flipcards like Search for Azcanta count as reliable ramp? I definitely should have it in the list

...I would count Search for Azcanta // Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin as reliable ramp if I could reliably flip it. Whether or not that is the case would require testing. It probably won't help to accelerate Kess out on turn 3, but I would assume it would flip by the time you're ready to cast Rise of the Dark Realms. That said though, I'd probably actually count Search for Azcanta as a draw spell - it fuels the graveyard to give Kess more action, while the flip side is a mana sink that draws more cards. I wouldn't anticipate tapping it for mana that often.

[duducrash]

Kess is definitely a deck you need to try out as much as possible to see what has success in your group. Here a few ideas of cards that have worked their way into my deck...

In the late game you might find Mystic Sanctuary helpful.
Volcanic Vision costs seven, but it's likely a one-sided board wipe on top of the recursion. I think it is the most under-appreciated red card.
Toxic Deluge is terrific for a number of reasons of which I am sure you are quite aware. I always feel like a jerk suggesting pricey cards, but in time this could replace a 3-damage wrath.
Decree of Pain is another wrath that works well with Kess.
Runechanter's Pike is a nice alternative wincon that draws little attention/removal.
Cut // Ribbons works well with Kess.

the lack os islands put me off Mystic Santuary Running so few Idk how reliably I would have the benefits of it. I'm kinda excited about Volcanic Vision, I almost put Immolating Gyre in for the one side wipe. Ngl you got me interested in Runechanter PIke, specially with the build in evasion of kess


I'm considering either cutting Cruel Ultimatum or putting more copy effects, I feel like paying it for a one time effect isnt that great I feel