Just a Phase

Commander / EDH* Artifact Control WUB (Esper)

daemon_panda

Instant (13)

• 1x Condemn
• 1x Counterspell
• 1x Countersquall
• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Dismember
• 1x Dispatch
• 1x Dissolve
• 1x Enlightened Tutor
• 1x Esper Charm
• 1x Mystical Tutor
• 1x Render Silent
• 1x Swords to Plowshares
• 1x Vampiric Tutor

Sorcery (5)

• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Fabricate
• 1x Merciless Eviction
• 1x Praetor's Grasp
• 1x Worst Fears

Enchantment (9)

• 1x Aura of Silence
• 1x Celestial Dawn
• 1x Detention Sphere
• 1x Dissipation Field
• 1x Paradox Haze
• 1x Phyrexian Arena
• 1x Propaganda
• 1x Rhystic Study
• 1x Zur's Weirding

Artifact (14)

• 1x Azorius Signet
• 1x Darksteel Ingot
• 1x Dimir Signet
• 1x Ensnaring Bridge
• 1x Mana Web
• 1x Mindslaver
• 1x Mycosynth Lattice
• 1x Norn's Annex
• 1x Orb of Dreams
• 1x Orzhov Signet
• 1x Quicksilver Amulet
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Strionic Resonator
• 1x Venser's Journal

Planeswalker (2)

• 1x Sorin Markov
• 1x Venser, the Sojourner

Creature (22)

• 1x AEtherling
• 1x Agent of Masks
• 1x Alloy Myr
• 1x Beguiler of Wills
• 1x Blizzard Specter
• 1x Dark Impostor
• 1x Ertai, Wizard Adept
• 1x Ethersworn Adjudicator
• 1x Ethersworn Canonist
• 1x Evil Twin
• 1x Grand Abolisher
• 1x Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
• 1x Indomitable Archangel
• 1x Magister Sphinx
• 1x Meddling Mage
• 1x Memnarch
• 1x Sakashima the Impostor
• 1x Sharuum the Hegemon
• 1x Silent Arbiter
• 1x Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
• 1x Solemn Simulacrum
• 1x Venser, Shaper Savant

Land (34)

• 1x Academy Ruins
• 1x Ancient Ziggurat
• 1x Arcane Sanctum
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Dromar's Cavern
• 1x Esper Panorama
• 1x Evolving Wilds
• 1x Exotic Orchard
• 1x Glimmervoid
• 1x Godless Shrine
• 1x Hallowed Fountain
• 7x Island
• 1x Meteor Crater
• 1x Nimbus Maze
• 5x Plains
• 4x Swamp
• 1x Temple of Deceit
• 1x Temple of Enlightenment
• 1x Temple of Silence
• 1x Terramorphic Expanse
• 1x Watery Grave

Commander (1)

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This deck is part of a new project of mine to help me grow playing MtG. People have always suggested I play control, but I often shy away from it, because it requires too much thinking. The only game I ever truly put any brain power is chess, but that needs to stop. I need to put more effort into ALL parts of my life and this is a good place to begin. Beware the tl;dr up ahead.

 As a note, I am aware this is incomplete. Don't tell me I need to add cards unless you have suggestions.

This is only Phase 1 of the project. It involves a lot of reading, research, and evolution. If you feel like following along in my process, you may get to see a bit of the madness that infects me. I selected these cards by reading all the tri-color cards for esper, all counterspells legal in commander, all lands legal in commander, and all cards that are not red or green and have a cmc of less than 4 (from A-G alphabetically). I also read all relevant cards from both Ravnica blocks. Phase 2 involves studying some other esper decks and doing hand calculations to properly balance the mana/cmc ratio. I like doing my ratios by hand rather than use an app. My calculations are just as accurate and there is a personal satisfaction to getting it right. I am happy it came so close to how I want it already, but I am aiming for an even ratio on all colors.

It is my firm belief that all strategy games are the same. They require the same skills to win. To that point, I decided to build this deck without gimmicks or combos and instead focus on building it like a chess board. Chess is the ultimate game of control and I plan to build my layout around that. Instead of running pure combos, I want a general layout that flows similar to a chess set and would be able to respond to anything. Cards should be able to act as analogs to the pieces in chess. Pawns would be chump blockers, mana rampers, and position grabbers. Bishops would have long distance point and field control, etc. I plan on expounding upon that concept in a later phase. But if you have pieces that work with such synergy, the combos will follow.

I was hoping CurdBrosBrewingCo would be able to comment on this and maybe lend assistance. I am a huge fan of theirs since they contribute so much to this community. I find a lot of users put absolutely no information in their descriptions, but instead, these two brothers go to great lengths to insure that every facet of each deck is greatly described to insure that their thought process is understood. We grow as a community because of people like them. (I hope my gushing admiration isn't too much hahaha).

Thank you for reading this terribly long exposition and I hope you follow the rest of my journey in building this deck. For now, I have to finish reading all non red, non green cards legal in commander with CMC less than 4. After that, I plan on reading CMC costs between 3 and 8. What is a social life? haha

Date added	9 years
Last updated	9 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	13 - 0 Mythic Rares 43 - 0 Rares 18 - 0 Uncommons 10 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.50
Tokens	Emblem Venser, the Sojourner