[Variant] Esper Midrange

[ctaylor33]

Sorry in advance if there is already a thread for this but I didn't feel it belonged in the Esper Control thread since it is more midrange. I think it is a competitive deck and a lot of fun to play and I am hoping someone else out there feels the same way.

Here is a list that made top 8 at SCG Seattle this weekend:

Deck
Maindeck: Artifacts 2 Runechanter's Pike Creatures 3 Augur of Bolas 4 Restoration Angel 4 Snapcaster Mage Instants 3 Azorius Charm 3 Dissipate 2 Rewind 1 Rootborn Defenses 4 Thought Scour 2 Ultimate Price Legendary Creatures 4 Geist of Saint Traft	Sorceries 4 Lingering Souls Basic Lands 4 Island 2 Plains 1 Swamp Lands 4 Drowned Catacomb 1 Evolving Wilds 4 Glacial Fortress 4 Hallowed Fountain 1 Moorland Haunt 3 Vault of the Archangel	Sideboard: 1 Dungeon Geists 3 Detention Sphere 1 Azorius Charm 2 Purify the Grave 2 Sphinx's Revelation 2 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage 4 Supreme Verdict

And here is a list that made top 16 at SCG St. Louis on 11/3:

Deck
4 Geist of Saint Traft 3 Restoration Angel 4 Snapcaster Mage 3 Azorius Charm 2 Detention Sphere 2 Dissipate 2 Essence Scatter 3 Forbidden Alchemy 4 Lingering Souls 2 Runechanter's Pike 4 Thought Scour 2 Unsummon	3 Drowned Catacom 2 Evolving Wilds 4 Glacial Fortress 4 Hallowed Fountain 6 Island 2 Isolated Chapel 1 Plains 1 Swamp 1 Vault of the Archangel	SB: 2 Appetite for Brains 1 Azorius Charm 1 Curse of Death's Hold 2 Dissipate 1 Negate 1 Purify the Grave 3 Sensory Deprivation 2 Seraph of Dawn 2 Supreme Verdict

Here is the version I am planning to test:

Deck
Creature: 4 Snapcaster Mage 4 Restoration Angel 3 Augor of Bolas 4 Geist of Saint Traft Instant: 2 Forbidden Alchemy 3 Azorius Charm 4 Thought Scour 2 Ultimate Price 2 Rewind 2 Dissipate Sorcery: 4 Lingering Souls Artifact: 2 Runchanter's Pike	Land: 4 Hallowed Fountain 4 Glacial Fortress 3 Drowned Catacomb 2 Isolated Chapel 4 Island 1 Plains 1 Swamp 2 Evolving Wilds 2 Vault of the Archangel 1 Moorland Haunt	SB: 2 Curse of Death's Hold 2 Supreme Verdict 2 Appetite for Brains 1 Azorius Charm 2 Detention Sphere 2 Purify the Grave 1 Sever the Bloodline 2 Tragic Slip 1 Sphinx's Revelation

Still working on the SB. I might try Sensory Deprivation and maybe an Erase for Rancor.dec.

Anyone else try this archetype yet?

[Go.dec]

I have. I like it, it's a lot like UW Flash, but with tougher mana but the absolutely incredible Lingering Souls for support. You almost want to it be a control combo deck, where you stall, flash a guy in, hook up a Pike and close it out. Souls goes with that plan quite well along with the Ultimate Prices. You do miss having Godless Shrine and Watery Grave considerably though.

[ctaylor33]

The manabase is definitely inconsistent but should only get better in a few months.

[redtwister]

Hey guys, I just opened a Bant Midrange Control thread too, which like this utilizes the UWR Midrange/UW Flash core.

I find it a little odd that UW Flash and UWR Midrange are in the UW Aggro area and Esper and Bant Midrange Control are here, when all 4 decks share so much, but I'm just gonna post something to them letting them know we have variants here if players want to think about the pros and cons of the variations around the core concept.

Bant Midrange Control

I have yet to see a UW Flash thread, though it seems the UW Tempo thread has become the UW Flash thread.

DXI-Edge opened a Primer UWR Tempo thread (I know you know, I think you have both posted there, just saying... )

I think we all benefit from sharing in the UWx Midrange discussion because this is a potentially powerful core in the current meta, though UW flash is obviously a little more Tempo than the rest. Still, Flash has already influenced the UWR thread with the use of Pike and my Bant is intended to have enhanced endurance against GW and Bant aggro and midrange Beatdown decks, while the Esper Midrange, in exchange for a little pre-Gatecrash mana wonkiness, digs and fills the graveyard more effectively while creating even more 1/1 spirits to chump and swing.

[Izzet Experiment]

I had an idea for a deck similar to this, but it was more of splashing black into the UW Flash archetype, making it Esper Flash. Throw Ultimate Price in for removal, which UW Flash lacks, and maybe Lingering Souls. With everyone adding Cavern of Souls to their decks, I think adding a third color for removal is becoming more necessary.

I hadn't thought of Forbidden Alchemy. I may test it out.

[ctaylor33]

Between Thought Scour and Forbidden Alchemy the GY gets full fast. Sometimes I have to pitch stuff I would rather hold onto but for the most part we get value from much of what we pitch either through Snapcaster flashback, Lingering Souls, or Moorland Haunt, or just leave the spells there to pump Runechanter's Pike.

[redtwister]

I like the variations and the access to Ultimate Price and Forbidden Alchemy. I can't wait for the UB and BW Shocklands to make this more consistent. I see a really strong deck here.

The only bad part is that Ultimate Price's limitation is exactly what makes it useless against Loxodon Smiter, Niv-Mizzet Dracogenius, Armada Wurm, Centaur Healer, Dreg Mangler, Deathrite Shaman, Huntmaster of the Fells, Lotleth Troll, and Rakdos Cackler, a list that will get longer soon. that's a lot of currently important creatures. Of course, the list of what it kills instant speed for 1B is not too shabby either.

[Izzet Experiment]

Originally Posted by redtwister

I like the variations and the access to Ultimate Price and Forbidden Alchemy. I can't wait for the UB and BW Shocklands to make this more consistent. I see a really strong deck here.

The only bad part is that Ultimate Price's limitation is exactly what makes it useless against Loxodon Smiter, Niv-Mizzet Dracogenius, Armada Wurm, Centaur Healer, Dreg Mangler, Deathrite Shaman, Huntmaster of the Fells, Lotleth Troll, and Rakdos Cackler, a list that will get longer soon. that's a lot of currently important creatures. Of course, the list of what it kills instant speed for 1B is not too shabby either.

Yeah, but then you just save any counterspells you have for their multi-colored creatures. Let the monocolored ones land and kill them at end of turn. I know that doesn't work for Loxodon, but he can be dealt with. Or race them by going over their head with Angel and Pike.

I'm thinking of something like this:

Deck
4 Augur of Bolas 4 Restoration Angel 4 Snapcaster Mage 3 Azorius Charm 2 Dissipate 2 Essence Scatter 3 Forbidden Alchemy 1 Midnight Haunting 1 Rewind 2 Runechanter’s Pike 1 Sphinx’s Revelation 3 Thought Scour 1 Tragic Slip 3 Ultimate Price 2 Unsummon	4 Drowned Catacombs 4 Glacial Fortress 4 Hallowed Fountain 5 Island 3 Isolated Chapel 2 Moorland Haunt 2 Plains

But I'm not comfortable not having Think Twice in there. I do have Forbidden Alchemy, but it costs more. I'll have to test it out. Haven't made the SB yet.

[ctaylor33]

IMO, the number one reason to go Esper is Lingering Souls coupled with Vault of the Archangel.

[redtwister]

If you are interested, I did a little matchup piece on the Bant Midrange Control thread. Anyone here feel like doing a matchup analysis?

[ctaylor33]

Originally Posted by redtwister

If you are interested, I did a little matchup piece on the Bant Midrange Control thread. Anyone here feel like doing a matchup analysis?

I am not sure I am the man for that job. I haven't had a chance to test the deck yet other than a few casual games against BR Zombies.

Here is another list last 3-1'd on mtgo:

Deck
4 Drowned Catacomb 2 Evolving Wilds 4 Glacial Fortress 4 Hallowed Fountain 3 Island 3 Isolated Chapel 1 Plains 1 Swamp 2 Vault of the Archangel 4 Augur of Bolas 4 Geist of Saint Traft 4 Restoration Angel 3 Snapcaster Mage	4 Azorius Charm 2 Forbidden Alchemy 4 Lingering Souls 2 Runechanter's Pike 3 Syncopate 4 Thought Scour 2 Ultimate Price	Sideboard 3 Appetite for Brains 1 Detention Sphere 2 Duress 2 Purify the Grave 2 Righteous Blow 2 Sundering Growth 3 Supreme Verdict

Edit: Is Geist necessary in this deck?

[Izzet Experiment]

Originally Posted by ctaylor33

IMO, the number one reason to go Esper is Lingering Souls coupled with Vault of the Archangel.

In my list, I'm trying to stay fairly as close to UW Flash as I can. I want more instants. I don't want to really have to tap land on my turn unless absolutely necessary. I like Vault, but I'd only really ever use it for defense, not offense. It's something I may look into. I see its use in many different ways, but I also see how it can hurt the deck if I end up using it on my turn rather than my opponent's.

[Izzet Experiment]

Originally Posted by ctaylor33

Edit: Is Geist necessary in this deck?

I don't think so. But he's a nice aggressive play, I suppose.

[ctaylor33]

Here is a version from mtgo without Geist:

Deck
1 Cavern of Souls 4 Drowned Catacomb 1 Evolving Wilds 4 Glacial Fortress 4 Hallowed Fountain 4 Island 1 Moorland Haunt 2 Plains 1 Swamp 2 Vault of the Archangel 4 Augur of Bolas 4 Restoration Angel 4 Snapcaster Mage	3 Azorius Charm 3 Dissipate 4 Lingering Souls 2 Rewind 2 Runechanter's Pike 2 Sphinx's Revelation 2 Think Twice 4 Thought Scour 2 Ultimate Price	Sideboard 1 Cavern of Souls 2 Detention Sphere 2 Dispel 1 Jace, Memory Adept 2 Purify the Grave 3 Rhox Faithmender 2 Supreme Verdict 2 Talrand, Sky Summoner

EDIT: After playing a bunch of games with this deck I am not sure it is for me. It is probably best as UW Flash with a black splash for Ultimate Price. I personally really like Lingering Souls but I don't think that card works very well in a UWb flash shell, nor does Geist of Saint Traft work well in the UWb Flash shell. I think I might head back to Esper Control.

[redtwister]

@ctaylor33
I think this deck will be much stronger come Gatecrash. I was also wondering if Midnight Haunting is really the token generator you want, despite not being able to flashback it without Snapcaster. Seems to me that using Snappy to flash it is actually fine so that you limit your tapping out.

I also hope the presence and fleshing out of UB and BW in Gatecrash will result in some choice commons and uncommons, aside from mana fixing for Esper.