Ocelot Pride Midrange wants to go wide with Ocelot Pride tokens and Ajani, Nacatl Pariah counters, so Thoughtseize lets us proactively strip their key engine piece before it snowballs, especially since it dodges their Swords to Plowshares. Force of Vigor destroys up to two of their Static Prison or Goblin Bombardment, which is important since Static Prison can exile our key creatures or Grist, and destroying it brings the exiled permanent back. We trim small mana dorks and utility creatures that die easily to their removal suite and get outclassed by Thalia, Guardian of Thraben's first-strike body. Keep Allosaurus Shepherd and Badgermole Cub as our core proactive plan since creature spells dodge Thalia's tax.

Dimir Tempo leans on Thoughtseize and free countermagic (Force of Will, Daze) to protect threats like Murktide Regent and Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student, so our own Thoughtseize and Duress proactively strip their interaction or threats before they can lock us out. Collector Ouphe is weak here since they run very few activated artifact abilities. We trim small utility creatures vulnerable to Fatal Push and Orcish Bowmasters' flash-in damage, favoring our uncounterable Allosaurus Shepherd line to play around their Force of Will and Daze.

Sultai Aluren is a combo-control deck leaning on Show and Tell into Atraxa, Grand Unifier/Omniscience and the Aluren engine, so Thoughtseize and Duress can strip their combo pieces or Force of Will before they can protect their plan. Both are sorceries, so they are not immune to countermagic: Force of Will can still counter them, and Veil of Summer gives them hexproof from black, so cast them early and ideally when they are tapped low or have few cards to protect them. Keep in mind Duress can't take creatures such as Atraxa or Acererak, while Thoughtseize can take any nonland card. We cut small utility creatures that don't pressure a control deck fast enough and trim Collector Ouphe since the only artifact activated ability it shuts off is Lotus Petal, which is a minor part of their plan. Keep the Green Sun's Zenith and Natural Order package intact as our primary fast clock to race their setup.