Death is not Eternal (Esper Reanimator)

Modern* Logics

SCORE: 33 | 18 COMMENTS | 4511 VIEWS | IN 10 FOLDERS


xTCBxNightmare says... #1

Firstly, I like your deck a lot, and I love what Esper colors have to offer. When looking at your list, I was comparing this deck to GDS lists, as they are very similar in colors and in cards.

using both delve threats and flashback is a very gentle balance. While cards like Liliana of the Veil and Thought Scour help you get there, up-ing your fetchland count to 8 would provide even more consistence.

Creatures:

I would suggest removing a Tasigur, the Golden Fang. While the card is good, its easily made bad with sideboarding, and one slot dedicated to him frees up room for more useful things.5

Elesh Norn is quite the spicy card to play, but I feel Iona is a bit far out of reach. Some decks run graveyard removal mainboard for dredge and Tarmogoyf based matchups, and the game will likely be over before you are able to get there.

Also, while Hedron Crab is one of the useful engines for making the deck work, id like to see more interaction turn 1-3. cutting this would make room for Thoughtseize / Inquisition of Kozilek, helping you to not just flatout lose to combo decks. but as you add more fetchlands, the value of hedron crab increases b/c of double landfall triggers.

Instants:

while path of exile is amazing, it does ramp your opponent, making it strictly bad on turns 1-3 except against combo and dredge. Fatal Push should be bumped up to 3 of and Path of Exile should be moved down to 2 of. B/c of revolt trigger, Push gets better as you add more fetches, which I already suggested above. Also, I'd borrow the idea from GDS of running 1-3 Stubborn Denial since your running G-Angler and Tasigur.

Ceremonious Rejection for tron is SB helps as well.

Sideboard:

I would plan to have some artifact/enchantment removal since things like Rest in Peace and Grafdigger's Cage are not in short supply. Pithing Needle stops Relic of Progenitus and Nihil Spellbomb, and has added value of dealing with pesky walkers. Spellbomb would also be quite playable in your SB as well

Wishful thinking:

your 4 drop slot is completely empty, and in any deck running esper should consider at least 2 Cryptic Command, and [Jace, the Mind Sculptor] since it's unbanned next week.

TL;DR:

Adds - (2-3) Thoughtseize, (2-3) Inquisition of Kozilek, (+1) Push, (1-2) Stubborn Denial, (2) Nihil Spellbomb (in SB), (1) Pithing Needle (in SB)

Big Ticket Adds:

Cryptic Command and Jace, the Mind Sculptor.

Drops - (1) Tasigur, the Golden Fang, (1) Iona, Shield of Emeria, (1) Path of Exile, (3) Hedron Crab

Maybeboard:

Ceremonious rejection

February 13, 2018 2:32 p.m.

Logics says... #2

@xTCBxNightmare - Hi, Thanks for the comment. I just want to clear a few things up before I continue, firstly, the sideboard was thrown together quickly and is up in the air, so I really appreciate the help. Secondly, I am already at 8 fetches, with 4 Polluted Delta and 4 Flooded Strand. Now into your suggestions.

I have been struggling with the whole Tasigur, the Golden Fang and Gurmag Angler count. The thing I've noticed is with Hedron Crab it's fairly easy to avoid the unearth cards, but that's not the case every game, so it's hard to say.

The main Idea of Iona, Shield of Emeria is to bring her back via Unburial Rites, and not to hardcast her, and based on the match-up, it can be game over if you resolve her, which can be done as early as turn 3 (with a perfect draw, more likely to be a midgame threat.)

I do like the idea of adding Cryptic Command in here somewhere, but I feel like Jace, the Mind Sculptor isn't where the deck wants to be. Personally I feel his power level is actually not near as high in modern as it is in legacy. The lack of Force of Will means tapping out for a 4 drop on turn 4 that doesn't do anything really the turn it comes out isn't appealing to me.

I agree with your reasoning behind having more pushes over paths, and will make that change for sure. Ramping the opponent in the early game can be an issue.

Cutting cards is the hardest part. Like you identified, Hedron Crab is a huge engine in the deck, setting up Unburial Rites, fueling delve, and finding Lingering Souls. It would be hard to cut. I can see cutting one Tasigur, but Iona needs to stay as a second Unburial Rites target.

The last thing to address is the lack of 4 drops. Basically the top end on the deck is Unburial Rites at 4 (for unearth). The delve threats allow me to bypass that while still having large midgame threats.

One last potential card for me to play would be Think Twice, but as like with a lot of the things you suggested, I have no clue how to make room for it without taking out the Unburial Rites package.

February 13, 2018 3:22 p.m.

Squirrelbacon says... #3

If you want to run Unburial Rites why don't you use Gifts Ungiven? That'll be much more consistent than trying to self mill everything.

February 14, 2018 12:18 p.m.

Logics says... #4

@Squirrelbacon - The thing with Gifts Ungiven is it's a build around me card. It doesn't synergize with any of the delve threats, and it requires you to play slightly unoptimized cards to allow it to have more flexibility. A true Gifts Ungiven deck is using cards like Go for the Throat, etc. to allow you to do more than just cast gifts for reanimation.

Obviously the card is very powerful, but it just doesn't feel great in a deck like this.

February 15, 2018 11:09 p.m.

Inferno323 says... #5

This is whats wrong with magic. the top 1% of cards hold more value than the bottom 90%The Economic game is rigged, and the level of inequality is unsustainable. We need a trade economy that works for all not just the wealthy Esperites.

Esper has had control for too long now. It's time that the few remaining people and thousands of zombies in Grixis put aside our selfish red side and unite against the hegemony!!

The Problems we face do not come from Bant! They are made. They are bad decisions made by Sharuum!Good Zombie decisions can change them!

Remember. Loss has no meaning here. You cannot take from those who have nothing!!!

Kess and Jace for modern, 2018

February 15, 2018 11:22 p.m.

Squirrelbacon says... #6

That's fine, and I figured you didn't want to build around it. I Just wanted to make sure as it didn't say anything against it in the description. Best of luck!

February 15, 2018 11:23 p.m.

Inferno323 says... #7

Sweet deck btw

February 15, 2018 11:33 p.m.

Politricks says... #9

Oh looks it's solar flare in modern! Haven't seen this deck since innistrad standard.

February 25, 2018 7:03 p.m.

Mike94 says... #10

Love the deck but it looks really inconsistent, I could be wrong though. If I would take it for a spin I would make these adjustments;

Thought Scour is one of the factor's that makes the deck to inconsistent and you can only do it once. You're not aggro so one for one's are not enough, value should bring you closer to your endgame. Search for Azcanta  Flip or Jace, Vryn's Prodigy  Flip are pure value generators. If you are really set on using Thought Scour, maybe Opt could be a great way to make it more consistent, it even draws an extra card but it would use up a lot of card slots though.

Tasigur, the Golden Fang should be good enough as a one of, while this opens another slot I would definitely add Liliana, the Last Hope she has good protection of her own and can help you with your self mill strategy while still gaining value of it. Her emblem wins games one it's own so she is an awesome threat in my opinion.

Grave Titan seems kinda awkward, Gurmag Angler fits your overall strategy better.

Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite feels a bit underwhelming as a finisher, she has no evasion on her own and doesn't give you anything for a grindy game. Griselbrand seems to fit the requirements to be a potent late game threat.

The Moorland Haunt seems to slow and not mana-efficient in the long game. Ghost Quarter is a main-board answer to Tron and can be boarded out if it's not necessary, 24 seems a bit high with your curve, 23 should also be enough I think.

For your sideboard, I would definitely try to add Trinisphere. Combo decks run rampant at tournaments and this card does a great job at keeping them from going of. I would also run Supreme Verdict instead of Wrath of God. You also don't seem to have an answer against control with their playsets of Snapcaster Mages, Grixis Death Shadow decks and Dredge. So to wrap it up this is how I would fill in the sideboard:

These where just some suggestion I hope you can utilize them!

March 18, 2018 4:04 p.m.

Logics says... #11

@Mike94 - Hey! Thanks for all of the input, I really appreciate it. There's a lot of information here, so it may take a while for me to process it, and make changes to the deck accordingly.

I wanted to start off by saying the deck is actually more consistent than at first glance. I've had a lot of fun with this current build, but I am always looking to improve it. I will note that I don't actually own the deck, so my testing is limited to the 3 or 4 decks I do own just playing against myself.

That being said, from my playtesting Search for Azcanta  Flip has been the worst card in the deck. We don't play enough control elements to gain maximum value from it, and a lot of cases we don't have enough mana to even activate it. It generall ends up being a free island, but that's about it. I get it's a great card in control shells, but they don't mind playing a draw go game, where the flip side is at it's best.

As for Jace, Vryn's Prodigy  Flip, he's been much better, as he allows me to discard finisher's or unearth cards, rather than hope a bad card is on top of our deck, so I could see uping the count on them.

Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite is usually a game ender against any fair deck. It usually kills a few creatures, and unless they have a removal spell that turn, it will more than likely be a victory. Grave Titan is in a similar boat. It made the deck because it is a great Unburial Rites target, but can also reasonably be cast (hence the 24 lands, although I think the deck would still operate on 23).

Thought Scour is just a great card in conjuction with delve, which is why I play it over cards like Opt.

The Tasigur Gurmag split has been a weird balance for me, and I'm still not sure where I sit on it, although I can see shaving a Tasigur, the Golden Fang.

I also love the suggestion of Liliana, the Last Hope. She seems like a perfect fit into the deck, and I may slot her in over a Tasigur or something along those lines.

Now for the sideboard. I know my sideboard is full of gaps right now, that comes from not actually owning the deck, and therefore only having a moderate idea of where my worst match-ups are, and the best ways to shore them up. I personally don't see the point to Verdict over Wrath, as I'm not bringing it in against a deck running countermagic anyway, and the non-regeneration clause is likely more relevant due to that.

Anyway, that covers most of what you suggested. Thanks, I will definitly be testing with some of these cards to see how they feel. I really appreciate the help.

March 20, 2018 4:09 a.m.

ancientskull says... #12

I love the combination of midrange and reanimation! Solid build! +1!

August 15, 2018 10:29 a.m.

TKDbeast says... #13

Neat deck! Love your approach.

Two questions, though. Why don't you replace the Disenchant with a third Detention Sphere? Also, what are your thoughts on Radical Idea?

September 23, 2018 1:24 a.m.

Logics says... #14

@TKDbeast - I'm leaving one Disenchant for a bunch of reasons. It costs one less, it is instant speed, it can't be removed for them to get their card back, and it is castable from the graveyard via Snapcaster Mage or Jace, Vryn's Prodigy  Flip.

As for Radical Idea, I will probably slot in one over a Stitcher's Supplier or Chart a Course, but I am undecided. End of turn discards a fatty or even have discard that stems from the graveyard seems like something I need to make the deck more fluid. It's kind of everything the deck wants.

September 23, 2018 1:52 a.m.

legendofa says... #15

Does Connive / Concoct have any place in a Modern-competitive reanimator deck, or is it too slow?

October 9, 2018 1:19 p.m.

ZorrosRage says... #16

What do you think about Ashen Rider as a reanimation target. Possibly add some good any target removal.

October 27, 2018 9:18 a.m.

Logics says... #17

@ZorrosRage - The thing about Ashen Rider is there will be a lot of boards in modern where it's not good. If I'm tapping out on turn 4 to reanimate something, I need a bigger impact than remove 1 thing. Iona can lock out a large portion of the opponents deck, ore even win the game on the spot. Elesh Norn can do the same. TSG is a reasonably castable card that give me an immense amount of value and a recurrable body.

November 13, 2018 8:06 a.m.

VexxValentine says... #18

ever consider Gifts Ungiven because all you have to do is tutor two cards like a reanimation targert and then Unburial Rites and use that as your engine

May 16, 2019 7:04 p.m.

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