So right now, everyone and their mother is running Aggro, aggro R/G, aggro R/W, aggro U/W, or you have Aether Marvelworks decks. I was on the hunt for something less conventional, and something in the colors I know and love to play. So, I started researching and building Esper.
Lands:
Lands are pretty straightforward I think, 26 land drops, because if you miss land drops, you aren't winning with control. but I did a great mix of the Tango Lands and the SOI Budget Dual lands (not sure what folks have nicknamed these). I would like to give special note to Aether Hub, I think this land is amazing. It comes in untapped, and can immediately tap for any color of mana at least once. In energy decks, this thing can produce any color of mana, so it is its own mana fixer. I had to compliment with the use of Glimmer of Genius to help add energy, but still, this land has been a great addition.
Creatures:
Obviously, control decks don't run a lot of creatures, so this list is short, but bigger than your old control creature lists.
Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet - This vampire is a beast. It turns my regular board wipes in exile wipes, and gives me a bunch of zombies to boot. The life gain on this is fantastic and can keep me alive in the early to mid game. The exile ability is super relevant in this format, and the tokens even have their place protecting my walkers.
Noxious Gearhulk - My favorite of the Gearhulk cycle. I know everyone is raving about the green one, but I have never really been much of a green player, but I love the art on this, and the functionality of it. Free murder, life gain equal to toughness of that murder, and a 5/4 body with Menace. This is value for 6 mana.
Torrential Gearhulk - A lot of folks are on the fence about this guy, but in the right deck (this one for example), he is broken as hell. I can flash him in to flashback an instant (removing/killing/exiling/countering something or I can get card advantage, and then I have an immediate blocker for that combat, or an available attacker for the following turn. He's so good, I may cut one of the Noxious Gearhulks to add a second one of these in.
PlanesWalkers:
Dovin Baan - I like this guy. I would love this guy more if he started with one more loyalty, or it's +1 ability was a +2 ability, or if his CMC was 1 mana less. I know, I'm being demanding, and as a control player no less, lol. Dovin does a lot of work. His +1 is relevant, consider how clear I keep the board. However, his -1 is huge, giving me life and card advantage. Combine his ultimate with Jace, Unraveler of Secrets and you lock up your opponent's board. Overall a great edition to the control line up.
Jace, Unraveler of Secrets - Scry and Draw, Scry and Draw, Scry and Draw. It's a beautiful thing. I can bounce creatures and tokens, and his ultimate slows my opponent's advance. In fact, in play testing, I have pop his ultimate more than other PlanesWalker in this deck.
Ob Nixils Reignited - Pay 1 life, draw a card, destroy a creature, and then his ultimate while cool, though rarely achieved, puts my opponent on an inevitable death clock. Rounds out the PW suite as a one of.
Sorin, Grim Nemesis
- He is the death engine of the deck. His minus ability kills other Walkers and creatures, gaining me life, keeping me in the game. His ultimate, while fun, I will almost never use. His +1 is what wins games. I play a lot of lands and a lot of big ticket creatures. There is something grossly satisfying about drawing a card for turn (it's a land), +1 Sorin, flip reveal a Torrential Gearhulk, watch my opponent wince in pain, pass the turn, watch them swing in or cast something, forgetting the Torrential Gearhulk I just revealed, and watching me flash him in to counter their spell, or use a kill/exile spell, and then using the Gearhulk to block. Much control, so good, very Esper.
Sorceries:
Declaration in Stone - Tokens are a thing. This deals with that, en masse. Many vehicle decks run playsets of small 1 drops, this deals with that. This is a multi-function answer for a list of annoyances.
Fumigate - All control players would like this to be instant, but as a sorcery, it is still very playable, wiping the board and gaining me life. Keeps me in the game much longer.
Transgress the Mind
- I miss the days of Thoughtseize, but this is nice in a way, because it exiles whatever I choose. Aetherwork Marvel, more like Aetherwork GETtheHELLoutOFhere! Deals with problems before they become problems.
Instants:
Anguished Unmaking - I love this card. I know that the 3 life loss is a deal breaker for a lot of folks, but hot damn, as a long time Orzhov player, this card is beautiful.
Anticipate - Card advantage is good, this gives you that.
Glimmer of Genius - Scry 2, Draw 2, and get 2 Energy!? Reasonably priced, for a reasonable return. More card advantage, and it keeps fueling the Aether Hubs.
Grasp of Darkness - The best black removal in standard right now. Yes, you have to be committed to playing black, but if you are, it rewards. Gets around indestructible, instant speed for those pesky vehicles, and it hits most early/midgame targets.
Immolating Glare
- I recently added this, just as another instant speed option to deal with all of the vehicle decks currently running rampant at my meta. I hate vehicles, my removal suite shows that. ;)
Scatter to the Winds - So counter spell, a basic staple of control, but this one has Awaken 3 on it, so I can get a creature out of the deal still. I did consider
Void Shatter
over this, but I like the ability to awaken in the late game, pumping one of my man lands up.
Sideboard:
Blessed Alliance - A great utility card that keeps me in the game longer.
Declaration in Stone - Because f**k tokens and small creature based strategies.
Descend upon the Sinful - This was a 4th Fumigate, but Lost Legacy is a thing, so this is get around that.
Fragmentize - Because f**k Looter Scooters, and to a less extent, other vehicles and obnoxious enchantments.
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar - Because Gideon can win games all on his own.
Lost Legacy - Because this was a speculation card I bought and I have 150 copies. Er, I mean, because it gets rid of non-lands and non-artifacts like a champ! Yeah, that's it.
Negate - Because counter spelling Looter Scooters makes me smile.
Summary Dismissal
- Because this is a big middle finger to people playing Eldrazi. Sure, you can use Aetherwork Marvel to cheat in Emrakul, the Promised End, but this will make sure it doesn't stick, and his ability still doesn't go off.
