Esper Control (with Primer and Sideboarding Guide)

Standard Budget Competitive Control Primer WUB (Esper)

Wobbly_Bob

Creature (13)

• 2x Kambal, Consul of Allocation
• 1x Linvala, the Preserver
• 1x Noxious Gearhulk
• 1x Reflector Mage
• 4x Spell Queller
• 3x Thraben Inspector
• 1x Torrential Gearhulk

Land (23)

• 4x Aether Hub
• 3x Concealed Courtyard
• 3x Island
• 2x Plains
• 3x Prairie Stream
• 4x Shambling Vent
• 2x Sunken Hollow
• 2x Swamp

Enchantment (3)

• 3x Stasis Snare

Instant (18)

• 4x Anticipate
• 4x Glimmer of Genius
• 4x Grasp of Darkness
• 3x Murder
• 3x Void Shatter

Sorcery (3)

• 3x Flaying Tendrils

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Sideboard

Creature (3)

• 1x Kambal, Consul of Allocation
• 2x Reflector Mage

Enchantment (1)

• 1x Stasis Snare

Instant (4)

• 2x Ceremonious Rejection
• 2x Negate

Sorcery (7)

• 2x Fragmentize
• 3x Lost Legacy
• 2x Transgress the Mind

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Esper Control

This is a brew that I first designed after Pro Tour Kaladesh and have been refining through the last couple of weeks. Note that it's a budget build, so I'm not running Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet or a playset of Torrential Gearhulks. Below you'll find a primer and sideboard guide that covers all of the major decks in standard. Upvotes and constructive criticism is appreciated, and if I make a grammatical or spelling error, please tell me. Thanks!

Primer

Creatures Show

2x Kambal, Consul of Allocation - Kambal is powerful against control decks, Vehicular assault decks, and many midrange strategies.

1x Linvala, the Preserver - Linvala is a good lategame finisher that more often than not nets you an Angel and some life. She's especially good against aggro and midrange.

1x Noxious Gearhulk - Gearhulk is another good creature that is designed for closing out games. It'll usually net a few points of life and remove a pesky creature from the board. It's especially good against control decks, allowing you to take out their Torrential Gearhulk, gain a bunch of life, and start swinging in for large amounts of damage.

1x Reflector Mage - This card, despite the rotation of Collected Company, remains a powerful card when it comes to keeping the board clear, and acts as a speed bump against aggressive decks.

4x Spell Queller - Ah, yet another estranged victim of the fallout after the rotation of Collected Company. Just kidding. This card is better than ever, and stops many control, combo, and aggro decks.

3x Thraben Inspector - Good ol' Inspector Thraben. She smooths out our first few turns, and turn one inspector into turn two clue cracking just feels great.

1x Torrential Gearhulk - I'm playing control. And running blue. In standard. I can't not play at least one of these. I wish I could afford more.

Instants Show

4x Anticipate - This is a powerhouse when it comes to card advantage and, along with Glimmer of Genius, allows me to see more than half of the deck over the course of the game, allowing for so many one- and two-ofs.

4x Glimmer of Genius - Yet another card draw powerhouse. This is usually what I want to flash back with my Torrential Gearhulk, and it provides energy for Aether Hubs.

4x Grasp of Darkness - This card is busted. It kills most of the playable creatures in the format, including, but not limited to: Every single creature in W/U flash, with the exception of Gideon, every single creature and vehicle in W/R tokens and/or aggro, every card B/G delirium can play before turn four, and every card in dredge. In fact, it can kill about 85% of creature cards in standard.

3x Murder - Does it kill Smuggler's Copter? Yes? Awesome, I'll take three, please.

3x Void Shatter - This counters almost everything, and works especially well against control, combo, and dredge decks.

Sorceries Show

3x Flaying Tendrils - This is an important card in matchups against delve/zombies, since it exiles, as well as W/U flash, where it kills Cultists from Westvale Abbey  , Selfless Spirits, and Gideon's knight tokens. It also crushes aggro decks more often than not.

Enchantments Show

3x Stasis Snare - Snare can kill vehicles, Emrakul, and Gideon, making it a valuable part of the deck. It also gets around Selfless Spirit's sac ability.

Landbase Show

If only there were better fixing in this format. Oh well.

Sideboard Guide Show

Most of the time you'd expect to see a rundown of the sideboard, but in this primer I'm going to include a full sideboarding guide, complete with what to board in and out in postboard matches against popular competitive decks.

U/W Spirits and/or Flash

Out: 1x Noxious Gearhulk, 1x Immolating Glare, 3x Flaying Tendrils, 1x Anticipate

In: 2x Reflector Mage, 2x Transgress the Mind , 1x Fragmentize, 1x Stasis Snare

Have I made it obvious how much I hate this deck? I despise this deck from the depths of my soul, and I don't know why.

R/W Vehicles

Out: 3x Void Shatter, 1x Noxious Gearhulk, 2x Kambal, Consul of Allocation

In: 2x Ceremonious Rejection, 2x Reflector Mage, 2x Fragmentize

This deck can hold it's own against aggro, but it's good to have a control-heavy sideboard for such matchups.

G/B Delerium

Out: 3x Flaying Tendrils, 1x Thraben Inspector, 1x Spell Queller, 2x Kambal, Consul of Allocation, 1x Grasp of Darkness,

In: 3x Lost Legacy, 2x Transgress the Mind , 1x Stasis Snare , 2x Ceremonious Rejection

This is a tough matchup and Ishkana, Grafwidow is a real pain, especially with delirium online. Luckily, nothing in the deck dies to Liliana, the Last Hope.

R/G Energy

Out: 1x Grasp of Darkness, 3x Flaying Tendrils, 1x Void Shatter

In: 2x Negate, 1x Kambal, Consul of Allocation, 2x Fragmentize

This deck fights R/G energy quite well, but it's worth keeping in mind that they have Blossoming Defense and pump spells.

Aetherworks

Out: 1x Reflector Mage, 2x Murder , 4x Grasp of Darkness, 3x Flaying Tendrils

In: 2x Ceremonious Rejection, 2x Fragmentize, 3x Lost Legacy, 2x Negate, 1x Stasis Snare

Aetherworks combo absolutely dies to control, and this deck has most of the sideboard ready to destroy the stupid players who think they can play modern at a standard tournament. "Magic as Richard Garfield intended" my ass.

Colossus

Out: 4x Grasp of Darkness, 3x Flaying Tendrils, 3x Murder

In: 2x Ceremonious Rejection, 2x Fragmentize, 1x Kambal, Consul of Allocation, 3x Lost Legacy, 2x Transgress the Mind

Death to combo! Long live control!

Top Ranked	Achieved #36 position overall 8 years ago
Date added	8 years
Last updated	8 years
Legality	This deck is not Standard legal.
Rarity (main - side)	2 - 0 Mythic Rares 19 - 4 Rares 18 - 7 Uncommons 14 - 4 Commons
Cards	60
Avg. CMC	2.97
Tokens	Angel 3/3 W, Clue, Energy Reserve
Folders	Standard Stuff, Cooldecks, decks, Orzhov, Decks I like