Esper Brew Help
Modern Deck Help forum
Posted on Aug. 21, 2021, 10:52 a.m. by Unlife
I'm considering building a new modern deck around an idea I've seen previously. Basically, you force your opponent to put things into their graveyard, then you use cards like Surgical Extraction to remove them from the game. I'm not sure how high level I can get the deck, but I would like to try. Any advice is appreciated, and I'm willing to consider a lot of different strategies, but I would like to try and keep at least 3 playsets of card removal in the mainboard. (at the moment that's Surgical Extraction, Extirpate and Shred Memory, but I'm also considering Unmoored Ego in place of Shred Memory. Decklist is below, thanks in advance
Esper Hole Punch
Modern
SCORE: 3 | 7 COMMENTS | 34 VIEWS | IN 1 FOLDER
GrammarYahtzee says... #3
so a mill deck? and 3 playsets of grave disruption is too many. you only need 2 at most, the Surgical Extraction then maybe Extirpate.
August 21, 2021 3:42 p.m.
Daveslab2022 says... #4
I think the idea of this deck seems good. Discard spell on turn 1 and then exile that card from their deck with a Surgical Extraction? Seems sweet. The problem I expect you to have is dealing with whatever they cast that you can’t get rid of. You have a decent amount of removal but definitely need Prismatic Ending for opposing planeswalkers and artifacts. This card is actually better than Path in the meta rn.
I also think Shred Memory is just okay. It’s good if your opponent is playing with graveyard shenanigans, but other than that it’s just a bit awkward and doesn’t really do anything. Surgical and Extirpate at least rip the other copies from the hand or deck.
I don’t think you should replace shred with Unmoored Ego, as that card is just too slow. I think the playeset of the other effects paired with your discard spells should do the trick. Just focus on finding your bad matchups and what permanents you have problems dealing with.
The deck has serious potential as a tier 2 control deck. I think your board wipes should be replaced with Damn. It’s an incredible spot removal spell that doubles as a board wipe. Incredibly good card.
Edit: haunting echoes is really slow too. I don’t think you should focus on getting rid of all their cards, just the most potent threats against you while controlling whatever else they play, then finishing them off with your creatures.
August 21, 2021 4:02 p.m. Edited.
GrammarYahtzee says... #5
do not use Prismatic Ending, it is absolutely not better than Path to Exile. 3 mana to get rid of something with cmc 3 or less? too expensive and situational. it won't be hitting a Primeval Titan or Murktide Regent like a path can. and those are important targets to be hitting.
August 21, 2021 4:08 p.m.
Daveslab2022 says... #6
Lmao I love when people argue but don’t have the facts to back it up..
http://mtgtop8.com/event?e=32036&d=447170&f=MO
Here is a modern U/W deck that took first place playing exactly 0 path and 4 Prismatic Ending.
Here is another that took second
http://mtgtop8.com/event?e=32031&d=447128&f=MO
August 21, 2021 4:14 p.m. Edited.
GrammarYahtzee says... #7
Daveslab2022: you're the one with no facts to back it up. just cuz a deck wins with a bad card doesn't make it a good card. it means the rest of the deck made up for the bad card. and magic is a game of variance. i backed up my argument with actual logic, not just "oh heres a link to some dude who got lucky".
August 21, 2021 5 p.m.
wallisface says... #8
GrammarYahtzee The reason that Prismatic Ending is a generally stronger card than Path to Exile (and seeing a much higher % of play in modern at the moment) comes down to a few reasons:
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it can remove non-creature threats, like lil-Tef (among other things), that control decks can often struggle with.
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it can be cast to get around Chalice of the Void, which is being played in a lot of sideboards at the moment.
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it doesn’t accelerate the opponents manabase
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while it doesn’t hit Murktide or Titan, the decks that play this will almost always be packing other answers for those cards anyway, like counter-magic and board-wipe effects.
Looking at the two cards in isolation, they do appear to be fairly similar in power, but you’ve got to consider the archtypes they fit into. Control has been wanting permanent removal for a while, and its no surprise they’re getting more use out of Ending than Path
August 21, 2021 5:13 p.m.
wallisface says... #9
Just to back up my “seeing much higher % of play” comment - check this link. It’s currently the second-most-played in modern, just behind bolt:
August 21, 2021 5:15 p.m.
Before I respond to everyone, I've been out of modern for a few months due to work, so you are all reminding me of cards I should have remembered to begin with.
GrammarYahtzee Some of the original iterations have been heavier on the mill, but my own playstyle prefers to lean towards the discard, then disruption. Not that I don't mind having a few mills effects, like Thought Scour to help support the primary strategy. The reasoning behind having so many grave disruption effects is that I always want access to at least 2 in my opening hand.
Daveslab2022 Tier 2 control sounds like a prefect fit, especially with my meta. I completely forgot about Damn, so that fills my removal and boardwipe slots, love having the versatility option. Prismatic Ending, I like the idea but I feel I may end up sideboarding them more then mainboard. With esper, I may look at Anguished Unmaking (I'm not sure how much I mind the life loss) but I'm also thinking about a couple more pieces of straight removal, so I can target them in the grave with surgical/extirpate. I would like another option for shred, just so I have more graveyard disruption. Haunting Echoes is probably too cute, but i may leave 1 or 2 off for early testing at the very least.
August 21, 2021 7:05 p.m.
Daveslab2022 says... #11
GrammarYahtzee I apologize, I probably came off a little arrogant and it was definitely rude of me. I keep up on the meta games of nearly every format that isn’t EDH. I consume way more magic content than I should.
But as far as facts, the other users nailed it quite nicely.
Again I apologize for my rudeness.
Caerwyn says... #2
This thread was moved to a more appropriate forum (auto-generated comment)
August 21, 2021 11:02 a.m.