Adam Haggerty's Esper Control
 
Type: Deck Idea
Format (legal 👍) modModern
Approx. Value:
$127.60

0 Likes 0 Comments
Avg. CMC 3.43
Card Color Breakdown
Card Type Breakdown

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Main Deck - 60 cards, 24 distinct
Columns
Name  Edition $ Type Cost
Rarity Color
Instant (17)
3 Blink of an Eye
$0.09 Instant
2 Cast Down
$0.21 Instant
2 Hieroglyphic Illumination
$0.08 Instant
3 Pull from Tomorrow
$1.46 Instant
3 Settle the Wreckage
$4.32 Instant
3 Syncopate
$0.04 Instant
1 Vraska's Contempt
$0.44 Instant
Sorcery (7)
4 Approach of the Second Sun
$2.76 Sorcery
3 Fumigate
$0.32 Sorcery
Artifact (2)
2 Thaumatic Compass // Spires of Orazca
$2.33 Artifact // Land
Enchantment (5)
1 Profane Procession // Tomb of the Dusk Rose
$0.51 Legendary Enchantment // Legendary Land
2 Search for Azcanta // Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin
$2.87 Legendary Enchantment // Legendary Land
2 The Eldest Reborn
$0.36 Enchantment - Saga
Planeswalker (3)
3 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
$19.11 Legendary Planeswalker - Teferi
Land (26)
1 Arch of Orazca
$0.36 Land
1 Drowned Catacomb
$2.86 Land
2 Fetid Pools
$0.80 Land - Island Swamp
2 Field of Ruin
$0.18 Land
2 Glacial Fortress
$1.57 Land
4 Irrigated Farmland
$0.18 Land - Plains Island
4 Island
$0.09 Basic Land - Island
4 Isolated Chapel
$1.86 Land
5 Plains
$0.09 Basic Land - Plains
1 Swamp
$1.22 Basic Land - Swamp
Sideboard - 26 cards, 11 distinct
Name  Edition $ Type Cost
Rarity Color
Creature (10)
1 Gonti, Lord of Luxury
$0.22 Legendary Creature - Aetherborn Rogue
3 Kambal, Consul of Allocation
$2.14 Legendary Creature - Human Advisor
3 Knight of Grace
$0.11 Creature - Human Knight
3 Knight of Malice
$0.10 Creature - Human Knight
Instant (6)
2 Invoke the Divine
$0.05 Instant
4 Negate
$0.15 Instant
Sorcery (6)
2 Doomfall
$0.08 Sorcery
4 Duress
$0.05 Sorcery
Artifact (1)
1 Sorcerous Spyglass
$0.16 Artifact
Enchantment (3)
2 Arguel's Blood Fast // Temple of Aclazotz
$0.34 Legendary Enchantment // Legendary Land
1 Gideon's Intervention
$0.21 Enchantment

Notes
 
It get's easier if I abandon Approach all together, but I'm not fully convinced that having access to some kind of clock isn't worth it. Decking your opponent by normal draws is quite the game plan, and Approach let's you win games you shouldn't. I've been running the Bant version for grow from the ashes, which is very powerful and can help close games fairly quickly with approach. Black offers a lot of tools.

Black has access to 4 duress, which is particularly good in the diverse threat meta, and is the ultimate pace maker in counter wars. Duress with counterspell back up is a savage beating to straight U/W control. Duress is also a proactive tool, so pairs well with trying to land an approach, teferi, or strip opposing planeswalkers at key times. The eldest reborn is some sweet tech that has surfaced, and is pretty much great against everything. The fact that it can get planeswalkers to is just so much gas, effectively acting as another Teferi. Going into black also let's us get away from the enchantment removal. It's not the biggest liability and they are certainly efficient, but people are preying on these from side somewhat, and cast out wars are annoying and fragile. It can create a tempo window if they remove or bounce it, and the black removal just happens. We also can play a miser's profane proccession, which I have a feeling is going to overperform. Playing a decent number of these flip cards also still give us access to mana acceleration, which helps still get an approach ahead of schedule and win control mirrors. We also can play Kambal and Blood Fast. Kambal is a ridiculous win con against control, and having access to blood fast in a control mirror is Sweet. We can run Gonti, which also generally good against everything, and super good against control. History of Banalia is still a concern, but not untenable. Overall, I think if we hone it right, it should be the apex control deck, and also have the same if not a little more robust plan against the rest of the field. I'll need to compare lists with esper midrange and B/W vehicles.

As an aside, the mana right now is GREAT for control decks. Anyone who thinks the mana is bad just hasn't figured it out yet. Check lands, cycling lands, and utility lands across color favor control decks for sure. Running three colors is relatively easy, as long as the third is a light splash. I might be pushing it with vraska's contempt, but it also might work out just fine! Dual color decks don't have 12 awesome dual options, but they have 8 and a bunch of functional options, so top complaining? I think three color manabases are actually easier than two for this reason.
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