very cool I went with a little more discard and mill for my deck but yours is really nice +1 you seem to be doing really well I would appreciate your input if you have time. Esper control- Take and Take

Giving +1 because I'm still not good with sideboards. Never had one.

@luffy007

Thanks! Do you think you could help with my sideboard a little? I'm not sure I need another Silence the Believers , but I side it in so often I can't cut it. I have been thinking about Suspension Field in its place, but I'm not convinced thats a good idea.

@PartyGoat

No problem man, thanks! As for the above comment, do you have anything to say? Sideboards are my least favorite part of Magic. They're so hard to figure out well. DX

Mom my only suggestion might he -2 Prognostic Sphinx and instead +2 of the leonin king guy.

Brimaz, King of Oreskos is good, but Prognostic Sphinx is very good against all fliers in standard right now, as it can block them all and not die. Between Mantis Rider , Stormbreath Dragon , Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker , Wingmate Roc , and even other Prognostic Sphinx 's, there are definitely enough to make it worth having.

It really depends on what your meta is around your area. I find a bomb like Empty the Pits can have some pretty explosive results. I think you're right to want Silence the Believers in your side especially in a control shell you should have enough mana at some point to maybe use it for the seven cost which will turn around a late game which is where a control deck like yours will really shine. I can also feel the allure of Suspension Field because of Siege Rhino and Courser of Kruphix , but i might look at something along the discard route. It's my own personal bias but why wait for a creature to come out onto the field if you can take it out of their hand. Especially if you can do it for one mana instead of two or more. So I would suggest a looking at Thoughtseize which will take care of creatures very efficiently and early but will also give you a look at what they are holding in their hands plus give you a choice between a creature or anything but a land. However I also realize you have a set of Despise so maybe some AEtherspouts or Singing Bell Strike s?

I also have a question about you putting two Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth in your deck is it useful enough to want two? I mean after you draw your first your second will almost always be a dead draw. Do you think you would prefer another land and just a one of? or is there a reason you have two?

really like the deck, pretty solid build and satisfying playout. mind checking out my gimick mill cantrip deck milltrips! and see when i can make some improvements? id love to hear any you would have! XD

@luffy007

Two Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth is definitely not necessary. I've dropped one for a Swamp. Thanks for catching that - I thought I only had one. Must have added another by mistake.

As for Empty the Pits , I have yet to test it out but has seemed good since it was spoiled. I hasn't seen much play in any tournaments though, and I can't help but wonder why not. It seems awfully good. I'll definitely consider it as a SB option.

AEtherspouts was here originally, but took out when I decided to add Perilous Vault . I really don't need that many boardwipes. The synergy with Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver is really good though. I'll think about putting it back in.

I won't add Singing Bell Strike ...I'd rather just have hard kill spells instead.

With a full set of Despise , I'm essentially running 2 full sets of Hero's Downfall . It is amazing, and I personally think it is better than Thoughtseize because over 90% of the time, it will hit the same card.

@darklord241

Thanks! Your deck looks fun :)

How about using 2 Thoughtseize & 2 Despise instead of 4 Despise ?? Looks like mine Esper Control in Khans of Tarkir deck!! Great deck idea, +1 by me!!!

With a full set of Despise , I'm essentially running 2 full sets of Hero's Downfall . It is amazing, and I personally think it is better than Thoughtseize in the current meta, because over 90% of the time, it will hit the same card.

I saw this deck many times but still I forgot to +1 it, Imo it's the best esper deck around ;)+1!

@MarlukTheWise

Thanks a lot! I appreciate hearing that. I'm really stoked its made it to rank 18 on the site this past week. I'd like to make it higher, and need all the +1's I can get :D

Playtesting this against my Grixis, you were always mana flooded.

We went to turn twenty and beyond but you were still pulling out only responses, my burn spells really took the game over.

Run less land and plenty more creatures. I'd even run Empty the Pits just because of the sheer availability of mana sources. ...so you go do that.

@tisueboxcandy

Thanks for the playtest. I played a few games too, and went 2-1 against your deck. Game 1 was close but Elspeth, Sun's Champion closed it in the end for me. Game 2, Keranos, God of Storms kept my life total down and drew you a ton of cards before I managed to Utter End it. It was too late though, and Pearl Lake Ancient finished me off. Game 3 was extremely long and drawn out, but in the end I managed to mill you out with an Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver I cast on T3.

I've been thinking of adding Empty the Pits . It's in the maybeboard for now, because I'm not sure where I could fit it in. Your suggestion is confusing though. You want me to play it because I have a lot of land and can generate a lot of zombies, yet you want me to take out land?

This looks amazing, +1 for sure.

You dirty bastard.

When the entire game hits the fan, both players countering and destroying all possible threats, YOU AND THAT DAMN ASHIOK mill the player out for the win. It's an UN-honorable way to win unless you're playing mill.

And yes, however you can manage it, run 24-25 land and at least one Empty in the mainboard and another in the side because you really were playing too much of one thing and little of the important thing, creatures and/or field presence.

@tisueboxcandy

That doesn't sound very nice.

Winning with Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver is totally legit, and I've done it countless times. If you're a little butthurt, I'll just get him to Thoughtseize you so you forget all about the traumatic experience.

I can't tell if you were being serious there or not (yay internet), but please try not to post comments that are condescending like that in the future.

I'm not taking out land to play Empty the Pits . That is just counter-intuitive. If anything comes out for it, it will be Pearl Lake Ancient , so I don't lose the chance to drop a massive amount of power onto an empty field at instant speed.

i just feel Empty the Pits isnt that strong, because you should be delving for Dig Through Time almost singularly. Also, people may side in bile blight to counteract it, and all of that delve fuel is gone. Pearl Lake Ancient is also a kill spell, because of its ability to be flashed in a blocker.

Another creature I have been testing as a replacement for ashiok, (even though I love the interactions ashiok gives and how good it is right now), is Siren of the Silent Song . The hand disruption cant be beat and it also adds to that control aspect. I felt with my u/b control version of this deck, So many dumb, ways to die (U/B Control), it was sometimes a more effective t3 play to get this guy running than something else. But that may be for a more midrangey, janky build, so disregard this if you dont think it applies.

I remember when this deck was theros block and it was the eidolon of rhetoric comboed with spirit of the labyrinth and thassa for supreme topdecks. =)

Though this is clearly a strong archetype, I cant help feel like anyone trying esper now missed the boat in terms of the amazing WU control from RTR. Still, its good to see some are trying to keep the dream alive

Yep...Death&Taxes in Standard! :D I want to build that again lol.

I agree on Empty the Pits there. I've put it in for now for testing purposes, but overall I like Pearl Lake Ancient much more so far.

@hesuskrist

Without the Holy Trinity that was Supreme Verdict , Detention Sphere , and Sphinx's Revelation , Esper control is simply way less powerful. End Hostilities , Banishing Light , and Dig Through Time are the best substitutions that can be made. Elixir of Immortality is also a big loss.

So we have to change how Esper control plays. Focusing now more on spot removal than total wipes, the deck is powerful in different ways. Pearl Lake Ancient , while no AEtherling , is certainly quite a beastly figure.

Only more testing will really show whether or not this is really competitively viable but so far my results on Cockatrice have been quite good. Aggro is obviously the toughest match, and I'd love to be able to play Anger of the Gods here, but Drown in Sorrow is adequate, and hits basically all but Mantis Rider .