As far as Esper goes in modern, I'm currently on a more midrange/control type list that feels a lot like a rock deck, and it served me well through Eldrazi winter and so far beyond as well. The deck doesn't play any of the gross counterspells in modern outside of 2x Negate in the main to shore up fast combo matchups.
I don't think that anyone can afford to be purely reactive in modern, because the format is too fast and too open and the answers just aren't as fast and versatile. Sitting back on a pile of mediocre counterspells and wraths is a good way to get killed, so I've opted for pressure + disruption. Otherwise it's an all-in tapout control grindhouse. I love this style of deck, and you get to play 4x of the best card in modern, Lingering Souls. Overall I like my current configuration a lot, but I'm not sold on my slots with Sorin, Solemn Visitor and Esper Charm. Looking for suggestions/advice there. I'm considering just maindecking one or both of the Damnations out of the side, but I'm really looking for ideas here. I've opted for Damnation over Supreme Verdict because of the strain that Liliana of the Veil puts on my manabase. I'm pretty heavily base black, so it just made more sense I think. Hit me up with questions, comments, and advice!
I don't think that anyone can afford to be purely reactive in modern, because the format is too fast and too open and the answers just aren't as fast and versatile. Sitting back on a pile of mediocre counterspells and wraths is a good way to get killed, so I've opted for pressure + disruption. Otherwise it's an all-in tapout control grindhouse. I love this style of deck, and you get to play 4x of the best card in modern, Lingering Souls. Overall I like my current configuration a lot, but I'm not sold on my slots with Sorin, Solemn Visitor and Esper Charm. Looking for suggestions/advice there. I'm considering just maindecking one or both of the Damnations out of the side, but I'm really looking for ideas here. I've opted for Damnation over Supreme Verdict because of the strain that Liliana of the Veil puts on my manabase. I'm pretty heavily base black, so it just made more sense I think. Hit me up with questions, comments, and advice!
Note: A version I'm testing now is playing -2 Negate -1 Sorin, Solemn Visitor -1 Esper Charm in favor of +2 Thought Scour +1 Gurmag Angler and +1 Tombstalker.
2x Creeping Tar Pit
2x Darkslick Shores
4x Flooded Strand
2x Godless Shrine
1x Hallowed Fountain
1x Island
1x Marsh Flats
1x Plains
4x Polluted Delta
1x Shizo, Death's Storehouse
2x Swamp
2x Watery Grave
Instant (10)
1x Esper Charm
2x Negate
4x Path to Exile
1x Slaughter Pact
2x Thought Scour
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
4x Lingering Souls
4x Serum Visions
2x Thoughtseize
Planeswalker (4)
3x Liliana of the Veil
1x Sorin, Solemn Visitor
Creature (9)
3x Geist of Saint Traft
3x Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
3x Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1x Celestial Purge
2x Damnation
2x Disfigure
3x Engineered Explosives
3x Leyline of the Void
2x Thoughtseize
2x Timely Reinforcements