This is a fnm viable control list.
the deck is much closer to the traditional draw-land-go style of play than the newer proactive planeswalker heavy U/W list that make up the current meta.
this deck was developed before the announcement of pioneer meaning there have been a lot of pretty significant prices rises with several staples increasing the prices from $60 to $120
for a viable list that still sticks to the original budget please see Snow Esper Control (super budget)
The deck is built around a snow package as this lowers the prices of the deck substantially. This consists of;
Packages Snow
Snow-Covered Island, Snow-Covered Plains, Snow-Covered Swamp the snow basic provide an important foundation for the rest of the deck.
Evolving Wilds and Field of Ruin to act as our fetches and provide some color fixing and ways to fill the gy for delve. field is also solid for targeted land destruction.
Boreal Shelf snow dual are slow and a little unwieldy but the deck needed a little more fixing so it get the job.
Arcum's Astrolabe is our serum visions and additional color fixing and making the landbase much more versatile. it also providing small value engine when used with Silumgar's Command
On Thin Ice to act as our Path to Exile solid unconditional removal (but beware ponza lists and Assassin's Trophy)
Dead of Winter as our much cheaper turn three damnation with other snow permanents it very rarly has issues clearing aways most threats.
Marit Lage's Slumber to act as our value engine and inevitable wincon. can normally hit the 10 snow permanents around turn 7 or so, and if they do not have an answer they lose.
Creatures
Creeping Tar Pit finishes our color fixing for lands and provides some solid inevitability (also pretty cheap after reprints)
Tasigur, the Golden Fang often played for , becomes a card advantage engin, and can stabilise games by himself, makes this a very solid addition, the legendary clause and the fact he uses the gy in his casting cost means 2 of is often the right number
Torrential Gearhulk he is the definition of wincon, big, expensive, and normally with a whole host of value from the chosen instant in the gy.
Lochmere Serpent a new addition and bit of an experiment, it does sac lands which are needed for card:Marit Lage but it also gets alot of value for them and this deck runs a lot of basics, the ability to mill it with fact or fiction and still be able to play it is very important, as is life gain of the card draw. for list that cannot afford gearhulk this may be the single best alternative.
Angel of Grace this is the slot im least sure of, the 4 turn clock on a big evasive flyer thats ignores most removal is good the life stabilization can be relevant very very occasionally, but the making your life total 10 from gy is much more relevant and can act as a uge life swing when your on the back foot, the fact the card can have such an impact from the gy also means it ains extra value with Fact or Fiction
Interaction Package
Mana Leak counters most stuff
Fatal Push kills most small stuff (revolt can be a little tricky to trigger but it's generally doable)
Cast Down and Go for the Throat they generally hit most other stuff, and when you need to sideboard one will normally stay in.
Drown in the Loch not highly consistent but extremely versatile and one of the better draws late game, or gearhulk targets.
Silumgar's Command is our cryptic. The -3 is normally enough to kill an important thing, and if done during combat the big creatures can normally finish the job. The destroy target planeswalker is highly relevant in the modern meta providing answers to big and little Karn, Chandra, oko, jace and lilly.
It negate effect speaks for itself and it's bounce effect is probably the most important, as it can hit anything, include lands. It also can hit your own stuff so in you need an answer but cannot 2-1 your opponent then bouncing an astrolabe to hand is often the right call.
Kaya's Guile, again all modes are relevant as is the order they play. The instant speed sac has been historically rare in modern and it's a very useful addition for dealing with things like ulamog's, bogols that traditionally would be game Ender's against the deck. As it's also works as generic removal it's a pretty key ability, the GY exile also being on the card and happening after sacing a creature but before your opponent can respond makes it one of the most useful cards against eldrazi titans, self reanimating creatures and storm when running noxious. Also just isn't speed dealing with a Gy is pretty solid anyway. The token is the least impressive but is still pretty important as it provides a clock (as small as it is ) and give you a strategic chump blocker. Lastly the life gain is huge against burn or other aggressive lists, this paired with removing a threat or chumping there tall beater can be the start of stabilisation. And lastly being able to entwine for all 4 is such a huge tempo shift (even against decks that don't rely on any one strategy your attacking it can set you ahead enough to win games.
Value Packages
Esper Charm it discards there 2 best cards they have been keeping in reserve, or draws you cards and very occasionally get rid of a pesky enchantment
Search for Azcanta
value!!!! and land
Fact or Fiction its magic own mini game!!! offen resolving one of these will win the game. dumping the other pile into the gy is often usable, by either search, delve, or gearhulk. it also provides opportunities to outplay your opponent making this one of the harder cards in the deck to use well.
