or guardians of meletis

How many games have you played with this deck?

I played 5 games last night with it and had mana-color trouble in 2 of them. I find it hard to believe that you don't have color screw from time to time.

Well, sure you get mana screwed from time to time, but that also happens with a two-color deck. I use around 12 mana sources for each color, giving the deck around 90% chance of getting a mana source of each color in the opening rounds. This means that there's around 80% chance of getting a least two of the three colors, and around 70% of getting all three colors early. Two colors are enough to get the deck started. Sometimes one color can get you started, too. I find that the deck fails from mana issues in less than 10% of the games, which is probably based on around 30 games with it. But one can always improve mana consistency at the price of the performance of some of the other aspects of the deck. Deck design is one of the most fun aspects of magic, but also one of the trickiest parts.

The deck already isn't very competitive due to a lack of damage-making sources. Adding in factors that make it lose to itself.. it's hard to feel positive about it.. but if you're happy with it, that's what matters.

I've been working on an Esper deck since release, for no other reason than it's my favorite color combo. It's been pretty much garbage because the blue counterspell package is crappy, it's hard to make the case that white needs to be jammed into a Dimir deck, but here's what I've put together, and it's been really fun so far. I'm still tweaking it, and I have a few questions/comments below - I'd welcome feedback...

It's obviously not a perfect deck, since Esper is quite weak with the current card pool.

The main concept of the deck is to take the zombie/removal + re-animate package from black, the board control from white, and the mill / card draw and the best creature in the game from blue. I think it works, but it still feels a bit clunky, especially the early rounds. I'm trying to find space for a couple Reave Soul cards for the early targeted removal. If the deck gets the chance to get rolling, it's pretty hard to deal with, which is how I believe Esper is meant to be played. My favorite combo so far is mill or kill a giant creature, necro summons, then swing in with a lifelink thanks to Jorubai.

Please don't tell me Talent of the Telepath is junk. It's in the deck to feed Disciple as well as mill 7 cards. That's the worst case. For 4 mana, I'm happy with that result. If I can manage to snatch and use a spell or two from the opponent's deck, that's just a bonus.

From memory since I'm @ work...

1 x Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
3 x Alchemist's Vial
2 x Celestial Flare
2 x Reprisal

3 x Fleshbag Marauder
1 x Liliana
3 x Jorubai Murklurker
3 x Sphinx's Tutelage
4 x Read the Bones

2 x Languish
2 x Talent of the Telepath

2 x Angelic Edict
2 x Cruel Revival
3 x Necromantic Summons
1 x Tragic Arrogance
1 x Hixus, Prison Warden
1 x Disciple of the Ring

3 x Plains
3 x Island
5 x Swamp
2 x Drowned Catacomb
2 x Isolated Chapel
2 x Glacial Fortress
1 x Dimir Guildgate
1 x Orzhov Guildgate
1 x Azorius Guildgate
4 x Evolving Wilds

Have you had many mana troubles Ballz? Going in without Telling Time is kinda scary.. but the blue splash isn't too big.

I like the list and what it's trying to do.

Thanks!

Honestly haven't played that many matches with it yet. Telling time might be a better choice than read the bones, but the extra mill is worth the slowdown. It's not exactly where I want it to be yet, but it's sort of close. Needs to be able to answer early threats. Mid-late game it's a beast.

First time posting here. Here is a list ive been doing well with. went on 20 game win streak then loss to a gaea's revenge.

The insperation came from Ballz decklist.
1 x Priest of the Blood Rite
1 x Disciple of the Ring
3 x Fleshbag Marauder
1 x Gilt-Leaf Winnower
1 x Hixus, Prison Warden
1 x Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
3 x Jorubai Murk Lurker
1 x Kothophed, Soul Hoarder
1 x Liliana, Heretical Healer

//Instant (14)
4 x Bone to Ash
3 x Calculated Dismissal
2 x Celestial Flare
1 x Cruel Revival
2 x Telling Time
1 x Unholy Hunger

//Sorcery (9)
1 x Anchor to the Æther
2 x Languish
2 x Necromantic Summons
4 x Read the Bones
1 x Tragic Arrogance

//Land (24)
1 x Azorius Guildgate
1 x Dimir Guildgate
2 x Drowned Catacomb
4 x Evolving Wilds
2 x Glacial Fortress
4 x Island
2 x Isolated Chapel
1 x Orzhov Guildgate
2 x Plains
5 x Swamp




http://www.mtgvault.com/toreshii/decks/esper-control/

Cool deck! Don't get discouraged about the GR loss. You're packing fleshbags, archangel, hixus, flare, arrogance, you could even throw koth or disciple in front of it. You got lots of Solutions.

I don't know how you're casting archangel with this deck but results don't lie. I should take this for a spin

Ahhh about that angel she can be switched for something else, not to sure but she has done well for me. There is also times where she sat in hand for like 6 turns but she can come down and win games also discard fodder for jace and lili flip +1. can also be resummoned with necromantic summons.

Overall changes can be made to make it better.

Yeah doesn't seem wise for a tricolor deck would probably prefer a second giltleaf winnower

Ah nuts I'm missing three cards in the last two boosters to try this out

After some more testing made some changes to deck took out angel and added priest of blood rite also removed countermand and added anchor to either.

I'm so disheartened by this meta. Every match is either thopters, RDW, or golgari. Still. Months after release. It's so tiring playing the same matchups, and unfortunately, this esper deck doesn't have enough answers to early threats. Lost a few in a row thanks to a nut draw goblin + call of the full moon, thopters going wide when I couldn't dig up a Languish to save my life, and golgari just wrecking my enchants and hitting me with GR.

I think the deck is too slow and in addition to losing several in a row, I sometimes lose to mana screw as well...rough to play tri-color without gatecreepers.

Still trying to make it work, but I'm not sure exactly how. I think I'll try:

-2 Reprisal,
-2 Talent of the Telepath
-3 Alchemist's Vial

+1 Korthophed
+2 Reave Soul
+4 Anchor to the Aether

Adds a card draw engine, we don't really need Reprisal, but we do really need Reave Soul, and Alchemist's Vial helps with mill, but I'd prefer to slow the opponent down with Anchor. Talent of the Telepath has a good mill effect, but it doesn't really fit. Will report back. Welcome to feedback as well...there's gotta be a strong esper deck hidden in these cards somewhere.

Toreshii, yep it loses to mill. Gotta deal with those enchantments

This deck is terrible, I've had it getting huge mana problems. Delete. Glad you had a good run

Maybe try fixing the mana base or changing cards instead of going "TO THE TRASH WITH YOU"

Nah, too many decks to play.

I've come to understand Barney. He said to me, "I'm not an engineer, I'm a pilot." and his ways made sense to me then. It's kind of a blessing really.. we have someone who will test our decks for us. That said.. I wouldn't expect the pilot to repair the plane.

Exactly. I flew the deck, noticed that there was an issue with the fuel lines and told the owner of the issue. I could spend time in the hangar trying to figure it out but I don’t belong there, so I jumped into the cockpit of elk and beasts planes after that and had a blast. Ran into trouble eventually using elks thopters but beasts deck flew all night long with no hiccups