Unfinished Esper

[Willthomjr]

Unfinished Esper 75 cards, 15 sideboard 2 {Isolated Chapel} 2 {Drowned Catacomb} 4 {Glacial Fortress} 1 {Ghost Quarter} 3 {Evolving Wilds} 5 {Island} 5 {Plains} 4 {Swamp} 26 lands 2 {Wurmcoil Engine} 2 creatures 2 {Liliana of the Veil} 4 {Lingering Souls} 2 {Sorin, Lord of Innistrad} 1 {Dissipate} 4 {Oblivion Ring} 3 {Tamiyo, the Moon Sage} 3 {Entreat the Angels} 2 {Gideon Jura} 4 {Think Twice} 4 {Mana Leak} 3 {Terminus} 32 other spells Sideboard 2 {Steel Sabotage} 2 {Karn Liberated} 3 {Timely Reinforcements} 2 {Surgical Extraction} 2 {Ray of Revelation} 3 {Ratchet Bomb} 1 {Entreat the Angels} 15 sideboard cards Notes: Viable in current format?

[Dudecore]

If you're going {Wurmcoil Engine} toss in 2 {Buried Ruin} too. Won't screw your mana too bad. Or at least sideboard em.

No {Geist of Saint Traft}?

[Willthomjr]

Win condition is entreat obviously. Wurmcoil is there for 6/6 beat stick with life link

Id like to stay on the low with creatures since there is mass removal and lots of walkers.

[Dudecore]

{Geist of Saint Traft} should kinda be auto include in Esper decks. He can outrace mostly everything, and is generally untouchable. Tamiyo and Gideon also help his cause, they'll take away most potential blockers and let his 6 dmg go through.

[Willthomjr]

Good point, I'll have to rework the mana base so I can make sure UW is my first 2 lands for sure.

[Willthomjr]

Do you think it's viable though? I know most metas are Aggro and delver heavy. I've yet to see a control deck to stick around for too long.

[Dudecore]

I think the curve is too high. And also, you don't have a true response to an opponents {Geist of Saint Traft}. Even in a trade you'll be taking 4 dmg, and no fliers. I see the {Entreat the Angels}, but you have to tap out for that.

I haven't played your deck, but I wouldn't feel safe waiting till turn 4, then tapping out every single turn to play a piece of the deck.

[Willthomjr]

Just because the curve is 3.5 ish doesn't mean I won't play anything until t3-4. I rarely keep the first hand unless it has a 2-3 mana cost card. I've play tested this and usually keep a 6-7 card hand with a leak/think twice and a lingering souls/oblivion ring with at least 2-3 lands.

I only see this losing to aggressive Aggro decks. I hit my land drop every turn. I think control decks are underplayed because Aggro is so popular. I think the only thing that this deck will benefit from is more mass
Removal.

[Willthomjr]

And I'd consider 2 liliana of the veil, 3 terminus, 4 mana leak a response to GOST...I think that's enough.

[Dudecore]

Well the reason I see for aggro beating control is their curve. Aggro decks curve out so low, that every turn it's just creature after creature. You could get lucky and be able to control, then planeswalker ways into domination. But aggro decks dont need luck to win, they just have to be supremely unlucky.

{Lingering Souls} is a great card, but it doesn't race amazingly. Its a 3cmc sorcery. You get 2 fliers, and the flashback, but by turn 4 most decks are likely to have a better creature (or creatures) to race you with. I am a control player, I've been one for years, it isn't really viable because of the way aggro curves now. It's ridiculous.

[Dudecore]

And I'd consider 2 liliana of the veil, 3 terminus, 4 mana leak a response to GOST...I think that's enough.

I see what you're saying. or at least what you're getting at, and it is essentially a "junk" deck, consisting of a large amount of the best available cards in the format. Play test it, then you'll know what's missing and whatnot. I am only being able to speculate.

[Willthomjr]

I like them both, wurmcoil and GOST, both for separate reasons.

Saint does stick to the board but he's only a 2/2 which is annoying against heavy creature decks.

I decided to play with 3 trafts though because other cards in the deck help him get in for 6 usually. Thanks dudecore