Esper Control Counters
Standard forum
Posted on Dec. 3, 2013, 11:59 p.m. by lawguy
I'm running 2 Dissolve s and a Render Silent in Esper Control. I want to know what you all think about the Esper counterspell possibilities. I know you get to sry with Dissolve , but then on the other hand you get that sweet spell-wall abillity from Render Silent . What do you think? Pros? Cons? Discuss.
Right now Esper has a wide selection of viable counter spells. Dissolve is by far the best hard counter in standard at the moment. The question really comes down to which cheaper counters you want to use. Negate , Essence Scatter , and Syncopate are all seeing a lot of play; it really comes down to tuning it for the particular metagame you expect.
December 4, 2013 12:40 a.m.
Render Silent could be a good counterspell to fight an esper mirror as it's usually a huge battle over who resolves AEtherling first and using a Thoughtseize into it is a common tactic.
December 4, 2013 2:42 a.m.
Great answers. My meta seems to be a lot of B/W mid-range and Mono Blue Devotion with a splash of some G/W aggro. I like Syncopate very much and I sideboard a Negate .
December 4, 2013 5:04 a.m.
if your meta is mostly B/W midrange and splashes heavy turn 2 creature based Mono U dev and G/W aggro. The discussion should be why arent you main boarding Essence Scatter
December 4, 2013 9:44 a.m.
harrydemon117 says... #7
Dissolve seems to be the best "overall" counter right now as it has the scry benefit tacked on. However Essence Scatter has been great vs aggro decks as you can leave mana open for a removal spell also.
Negate and Dispel have been the "go to" sideboard cards against the mirror or other control matchups
December 4, 2013 10:02 a.m.
I love Render Silent but scry is more important, the 1U cost for Negate and Essence Scatter is more important and the exile of Syncopate is also. the U for Swan Song and Dispel despite their limited targets is also more important (and the targets they hit also). It's just the Silence part of the spell isn't important for the WUU cost of it. If I had more slots to dedicate to it, I would add it, but those slots are better for the kill spells.
Sure it shuts them down for a turn, but doesn't stop them from attacking, doesn't stop them from activating abilities, etc.. It's probably best used when Burning-Tree Emissary is played. maybe. It usually doesn't play out as great as it sounds IMO.
December 4, 2013 10:10 a.m.
harrydemon117 says... #9
I COULD see Render Silent as a way to thwart a Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx . Since you can't stop the land from activating, you just counter their first spell and make them waste all of the mana that they just produced.
(For example...R/G devotion uses it to make 8 Green mana and plans on using Garruk, Caller of Beasts and a 2 drop. This basically stops them cold.
December 4, 2013 10:42 a.m.
harrydemon117 for that turn, they do it again next turn. You might catch them once with countering Garruk, Caller of Beasts
that first time, if they play him right away instead of baiting the inevitable counter.
December 4, 2013 10:53 a.m.
harrydemon117 says... #11
If you only have 3 mana up it stops them (turn 3) and next turn you Supreme Verdict their devotion away ;)
Jay says... #2
The free Silence is usually redundant. The cases where they're 'baiting' you are the minority, and generally not worth hurting color and losing a scry. Just how I see it.
December 4, 2013 12:15 a.m.