As a forewarning, this my first time posting on here! 0_0
I've been wanting to make a commander deck for Esper (revival / control focus) for a while now but haven't been sure what cards to get. This is mostly a for fun deck or even useable in 1v1's, so I don't really care about the ban list for this. What are some cards I should add or remove? Thanks in advance! After comparing a few recipes online here is the list I've come up with (also on a side note I'd prefer to keep Chromium and avoid demon cards if possible):
First, you should link the cards in some way. A deck list is generally best when discussing decks. On that note, you should probably put this in the Decklists subforum. You can ask a Mod to move it.
Here is your list in a better format (I didn't bother correcting any spelling mistakes or separating out different cards on the same line):
Not adhering to a banlist changes things in terms of advice you could be given. I won't tell you to remove the two banned cards you have, but I won't suggest adding any either.
On a cursory glance, your deck seems to be focused mostly on reanimation and Zur/Enchantment/Stax synergies. It seems to be kind of mix of both of them though which causes each strategy to be weaker than it would be if you just focused on one of them. Do you have a preference as to which you would prefer or do you want to try for both?
Your mana base is kind of weak as well. You didn't mention a budget but since you are using Recall and Twister I will assume you don't have a budget. So, you should be using the full suite of fetches, shocks, and ABU duals. I only see the shocks in your list. The next lands I would go with are the tango lands (like Prairie Stream) followed by the buddy lands (Glacial Fortress) if you still need mana fixing. Bojuka Bog is a good utility land in any black deck.
You also seem to be trying for some stax type package with Dovescape and Guile. Not a bad thing necessarily, but I don't think this is the right deck for it. I would cut your stax pieces if you want to focus more on reanimation. Or, cut your reanimation and focus more on stax. And, if you want stax, Zur should probably be the general.
I wouldn't bother with the mana dorks. There are better, and less vulnerable, mana rocks to include if you want more mana acceleration.
There is plenty more to discuss here, but I do think the deck lacks focus and is trying to do too many things without being consistent enough with any of them.
Sorry, I just found the rule post for the decklists, how can I move them to the subforum? Is it just a copy and paste thing? Also if anything, I would like to focus down on the enchantments and reanimation. Thanks again!
EDIT: just reread your reply about asking a MOD, I've really gotta look better, sorry!
No worries. Things happen (especially with a first post).
With regards to enchantments and reanimation I think it is important to try to focus on one of them if possible. The main thing I see is that you are running Zur alongside Omniscience and Dovescape which don't work as well together and neither furthers your plan of reanimation. Granted, Academy Rector can help with the higher cost enchantments along with working with whatever enchantments you add for Zur.
So, I would cut the mana dorks and Omniscience to start with. I think the "cool" interaction with Dovescape and Guile is worth keeping for fun but I wouldn't go too deep with these kinds of things.
Crawlspace doesn't seem that great here. Same with Lightmine Field. You might want to add in some actual counterspells as well. Lullmage Mentor can go "infinite" with Dovescape and Guile, but Dovescape already does without the Mentor, so it doesn't seem worth it to have the extra piece.
Show and Tell is a bit too random for my tastes. You never know what your opponents will have and there is no guarantee you have something good enough to offset your opponents all getting something for free. Omniscience would be the best option but I still don't think it is good enough. If you find that your Enlightened Tutor is enough it might be worth keeping. You should then include Vampiric, Demonic, and Mystical Tutors if you want to set that play up.
I've been wanting to make a commander deck for Esper (revival / control focus) for a while now but haven't been sure what cards to get. This is mostly a for fun deck or even useable in 1v1's, so I don't really care about the ban list for this. What are some cards I should add or remove? Thanks in advance! After comparing a few recipes online here is the list I've come up with (also on a side note I'd prefer to keep Chromium and avoid demon cards if possible):
1 Brilliant Ultimatum
1 Sen triplets
1 Dromar the banisher
1 Esper charm
1 Zur the enchanter
1 Animate dead
1 Athreos
1 Blind obedience
1 Deafening silence
1 Eidolon of rhetoric
1 Jin gitaxias
1 Sheoldred
1 Elesh norn
1 Gift of immortal
1 Aetherworks marvel
1 Talisman of progress
1 Talisman of hierarchy
1 Talisman of dominance
1 Thran dynamo
1 Sol ring
1 Guile
1 Lullmage mentor
1 Breath of life
1 Debtors knell
1 Extract from darkness
1 Dovescape
1 Hells caretaker
1 Recurring nightmare
1 Reanimate
1 Wall of reverence
1 Exhume
1 Omniscience
1 Lightmine field
1 Brain storm
1 Time twister
1 Ancestral recall
1 Phenax
1 Alloy myr
1 Leaden myr
1 Myriad landscape
1 Palladium myr
1 Silver myr
1 Show and tell
1 Academy rector
1 Crawlspace
1 Enlightened tutor
1 Raving dead
1 Dromars cavern
1 Arcane sanctum
1 Esper panorama
1 Watery grave
1 Hallowed fountain
1 B/w shrine
1 Azorius/Dimir/orzhov guild gates
1 Azorius chancery
1 Dimir aqueduct
1 Orzhov basilica
1 Burnished hart
Here is your list in a better format (I didn't bother correcting any spelling mistakes or separating out different cards on the same line):
1 Brilliant Ultimatum
1 Sen triplets
1 Dromar the banisher
1 Esper charm
1 Zur the enchanter
1 Animate dead
1 Athreos
1 Blind obedience
1 Deafening silence
1 Eidolon of rhetoric
1 Jin gitaxias
1 Sheoldred
1 Elesh norn
1 Gift of immortal
1 Aetherworks marvel
1 Talisman of progress
1 Talisman of hierarchy
1 Talisman of dominance
1 Thran dynamo
1 Sol ring
1 Guile
1 Lullmage mentor
1 Breath of life
1 Debtors knell
1 Extract from darkness
1 Dovescape
1 Hells caretaker
1 Recurring nightmare
1 Reanimate
1 Wall of reverence
1 Exhume
1 Omniscience
1 Lightmine field
1 Brain storm
1 Time twister
1 Ancestral recall
1 Phenax
1 Alloy myr
1 Leaden myr
1 Myriad landscape
1 Palladium myr
1 Silver myr
1 Show and tell
1 Academy rector
1 Crawlspace
1 Enlightened tutor
1 Raving dead
1 Dromars cavern
1 Arcane sanctum
1 Esper panorama
1 Watery grave
1 Hallowed fountain
1 B/w shrine
1 Azorius/Dimir/orzhov guild gates
1 Azorius chancery
1 Dimir aqueduct
1 Orzhov basilica
1 Burnished hart
Not adhering to a banlist changes things in terms of advice you could be given. I won't tell you to remove the two banned cards you have, but I won't suggest adding any either.
On a cursory glance, your deck seems to be focused mostly on reanimation and Zur/Enchantment/Stax synergies. It seems to be kind of mix of both of them though which causes each strategy to be weaker than it would be if you just focused on one of them. Do you have a preference as to which you would prefer or do you want to try for both?
Your mana base is kind of weak as well. You didn't mention a budget but since you are using Recall and Twister I will assume you don't have a budget. So, you should be using the full suite of fetches, shocks, and ABU duals. I only see the shocks in your list. The next lands I would go with are the tango lands (like Prairie Stream) followed by the buddy lands (Glacial Fortress) if you still need mana fixing. Bojuka Bog is a good utility land in any black deck.
You also seem to be trying for some stax type package with Dovescape and Guile. Not a bad thing necessarily, but I don't think this is the right deck for it. I would cut your stax pieces if you want to focus more on reanimation. Or, cut your reanimation and focus more on stax. And, if you want stax, Zur should probably be the general.
I wouldn't bother with the mana dorks. There are better, and less vulnerable, mana rocks to include if you want more mana acceleration.
There is plenty more to discuss here, but I do think the deck lacks focus and is trying to do too many things without being consistent enough with any of them.
EDIT: just reread your reply about asking a MOD, I've really gotta look better, sorry!
With regards to enchantments and reanimation I think it is important to try to focus on one of them if possible. The main thing I see is that you are running Zur alongside Omniscience and Dovescape which don't work as well together and neither furthers your plan of reanimation. Granted, Academy Rector can help with the higher cost enchantments along with working with whatever enchantments you add for Zur.
So, I would cut the mana dorks and Omniscience to start with. I think the "cool" interaction with Dovescape and Guile is worth keeping for fun but I wouldn't go too deep with these kinds of things.
Crawlspace doesn't seem that great here. Same with Lightmine Field. You might want to add in some actual counterspells as well. Lullmage Mentor can go "infinite" with Dovescape and Guile, but Dovescape already does without the Mentor, so it doesn't seem worth it to have the extra piece.
Show and Tell is a bit too random for my tastes. You never know what your opponents will have and there is no guarantee you have something good enough to offset your opponents all getting something for free. Omniscience would be the best option but I still don't think it is good enough. If you find that your Enlightened Tutor is enough it might be worth keeping. You should then include Vampiric, Demonic, and Mystical Tutors if you want to set that play up.