So, I’ve begun playing standard at a local shop after having taken about two years off (from that format specifically). I really like playing counterspell in all of its myriad of forms, so I wanted to make Esper dragons. I put together a list and did well at the FNM level. However, I was (and still am) completely unwilling to pick up Jace, Vryn's Prodigy. Hence, my list was squarely a budget list, although it really only had one budget restriction (but it was a big one).
Now, with rotation, I’ve been trying to figure out what to do. Overall, moving to the SOI lands, rather than fetches, makes me think I would be better served at least trying a U/W deck for a time, as fixing for three colors seems tricky.
That having been said, I’m not sure about more than a few things.
Things I like: Dragonlord Ojutai : It doesn’t get much better than this guy—he can steal a game all on his own.
The counter suite—I don’t really want more than 8 counters, and I like the ones I have. Unfortunately, I have to skew the mana blue to make sure I can present UU up on turn two frequently.
The spot removal (generally)—I feel like a major reason why swift reckoning, Immolating glare, and stasis snare don’t get a lot of recognition is that most control decks you hear about run Jace, Vryn's Prodigy, who plays very poorly with them. Despite my liking them, the numbers could be off.
Things I’m unsure of:
Manabase—with no manland to help out, I feel like I have a lot of lands that don’t do much of anything for me—hence trying out the three tap for C lands. Overall though, I feel like running the vanilla tapland is a better solution than trying for three colors and leaning on Evolving Wilds. I’m not sure though.
Icefall Regent: Really feels like the only alternative for this list. Sure, he slows down removal, but he is really vulnerable to everything.
Card draw: Dragonlord's Prerogative is Opportunity with a minimal upside, which is an OK card. However, its high cost increased the number of games where I’m going to be stuck with dragons and this thing and not enough early interaction/land to get through it. I’m also considering Comparative Analysis (I often do things on my opponent’s turn, so I might just get the surge cost occasionally) or Epiphany at the Drownyard (however, this seems bad with so few kill conditions). I’m open to any suggestions.
The exact mix of removal—prior to rotation, three colors were easy, allowing me to run a number of Foul-Tongue Invocations—now I can’t. Moreover, I have to lean on Quarantine field (which seems either dicey or awesome, I’m not sure which) and Planar Outburst for sweeper effects. Missing out on Invocation and Languish are the biggest problems in going U/W, so I’m just less sure overall.
The sideboard—No black, no Arashin Cleric; I’m not sure what to do. Surge of Righteousness has always been good, so I’m sticking with it. I often want extra wraths or ways of killing PWs (against certain decks), so that’s why I’m up to the full set of Planar Outburst and more Quarantine fields. Cleric of the forward order seems OK as a cleric replacement—but I’m open to other suggestions. Dispel has been good against removal.dec or other control decks, while Celestial Flare is helpful against a particular ramp deck that exists in my meta. I am open to changing nearly anything in here.
Just not running black in general: I like not having to worry about the third color, but there are some distinct advantages; notably Foul-Tongue Invocation, Languish, Painful Truths, and, possibly Sorin, Grim Nemesis. But I don’t like any of the manabase suggestions I’ve seen yet. I could also run Dragonlord Silumgar, but he has been unimpressive when I ran him recently.
Also, I’m not running Ojutai's Command, as I don’t think it does enough without some 2cc dudes to re-buy.
So, I’m open to any suggestions about this list other than buy Jace, Vryn's Prodigy. Any help is appreciated.
Hmm, yeah, I probably am running too much spot removal, now that you mention it. I think I was just filling in spots from what rotated--probably should be more card draw or selection.
I'm really not sure about the inspector--I get he's not bad, but he is essentially a cantripping 3cc 1/2; it doesn't seem to impressive. Oracle and Augur let you select the card you got, which I think may be important.
Tragic Arrogance seems a bit slip-shod--letting them keep a creature may be worse than killing my own dragon--especially when I am at low life.
I wish there were better clue-generating cards to turn on artificer's epiphany--again I'm not sure about the inspector.
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I am currently making a budget UW Control deck (http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/blue-white-budget-control-3/), and Anticipate is the best cantrip right now, even though is does cost u1. I rely a lot more on counters (like Clash of Wills and Scatter to the Winds) to survive the first few turns until I can board clear with Planar Outburst. I also run 2x Crush of Tentacles as another way to reset the board and the 8/8 is icing on the cake. I still run Ojutai's Command as a 3 of, just because it is a counter that replaces itself or gains you life to survive against something like Mono-Red Burn. In general, the new Awaken mechanic is my main form of damage, as it comes on Outburst and Scatter.
You could also run some expose evils with a lot of board clear to delay and draw another answer. And sorry about the lack of links, these are my first posts on this site.
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Now, with rotation, I’ve been trying to figure out what to do. Overall, moving to the SOI lands, rather than fetches, makes me think I would be better served at least trying a U/W deck for a time, as fixing for three colors seems tricky.
Here’s my current idea for a list (post-rotation)
3 Icefall Regent
4 Silumgar's Scorn
4 Scatter to the Winds
2 Anticipate
2 Dragonlord's Prerogative
4 Immolating Glare
4 Swift Reckoning
4 Stasis Snare
2 Planar Outburst
1 Quarantine Field
4 Prairie Stream
4 Port Town
4 Meandering River
1 Blighted Cataract
1 Westvale Abbey
1 Haven of the Spirit Dragon
7 Island
4 Plains
4 Cleric of the Forward Order
2 Planar Outburst
2 Quarantine Field
2 Dispel
2 Celestial Flare
That having been said, I’m not sure about more than a few things.
Things I like:
Dragonlord Ojutai : It doesn’t get much better than this guy—he can steal a game all on his own.
The counter suite—I don’t really want more than 8 counters, and I like the ones I have. Unfortunately, I have to skew the mana blue to make sure I can present UU up on turn two frequently.
The spot removal (generally)—I feel like a major reason why swift reckoning, Immolating glare, and stasis snare don’t get a lot of recognition is that most control decks you hear about run Jace, Vryn's Prodigy, who plays very poorly with them. Despite my liking them, the numbers could be off.
Things I’m unsure of:
Manabase—with no manland to help out, I feel like I have a lot of lands that don’t do much of anything for me—hence trying out the three tap for C lands. Overall though, I feel like running the vanilla tapland is a better solution than trying for three colors and leaning on Evolving Wilds. I’m not sure though.
Icefall Regent: Really feels like the only alternative for this list. Sure, he slows down removal, but he is really vulnerable to everything.
Card draw: Dragonlord's Prerogative is Opportunity with a minimal upside, which is an OK card. However, its high cost increased the number of games where I’m going to be stuck with dragons and this thing and not enough early interaction/land to get through it. I’m also considering Comparative Analysis (I often do things on my opponent’s turn, so I might just get the surge cost occasionally) or Epiphany at the Drownyard (however, this seems bad with so few kill conditions). I’m open to any suggestions.
The exact mix of removal—prior to rotation, three colors were easy, allowing me to run a number of Foul-Tongue Invocations—now I can’t. Moreover, I have to lean on Quarantine field (which seems either dicey or awesome, I’m not sure which) and Planar Outburst for sweeper effects. Missing out on Invocation and Languish are the biggest problems in going U/W, so I’m just less sure overall.
The sideboard—No black, no Arashin Cleric; I’m not sure what to do. Surge of Righteousness has always been good, so I’m sticking with it. I often want extra wraths or ways of killing PWs (against certain decks), so that’s why I’m up to the full set of Planar Outburst and more Quarantine fields. Cleric of the forward order seems OK as a cleric replacement—but I’m open to other suggestions. Dispel has been good against removal.dec or other control decks, while Celestial Flare is helpful against a particular ramp deck that exists in my meta. I am open to changing nearly anything in here.
Just not running black in general: I like not having to worry about the third color, but there are some distinct advantages; notably Foul-Tongue Invocation, Languish, Painful Truths, and, possibly Sorin, Grim Nemesis. But I don’t like any of the manabase suggestions I’ve seen yet. I could also run Dragonlord Silumgar, but he has been unimpressive when I ran him recently.
Also, I’m not running Ojutai's Command, as I don’t think it does enough without some 2cc dudes to re-buy.
So, I’m open to any suggestions about this list other than buy Jace, Vryn's Prodigy. Any help is appreciated.
I'm really not sure about the inspector--I get he's not bad, but he is essentially a cantripping 3cc 1/2; it doesn't seem to impressive. Oracle and Augur let you select the card you got, which I think may be important.
Tragic Arrogance seems a bit slip-shod--letting them keep a creature may be worse than killing my own dragon--especially when I am at low life.
I wish there were better clue-generating cards to turn on artificer's epiphany--again I'm not sure about the inspector.