MTG Salvation

The best two main deck reanimation targets are Elesh Norn and Iona; one of the two will lock most decks out of the game if it sticks. Griselbrand is good, you can't go wrong with 7/7 flying lifelink, but this deck doesn't have anything unfair to do with 7-14 extra cards.
I've recently added Empyrial Archangel to the sideboard after losing three rounds in a row to burn/burn/zoo, but I don't have any testing with that yet. Wurmcoil Engine would also be a good option for stabilizing against aggro/burn decks.

Any other fatties are probably just not as good (though not unplayable). You may find faster clocks, but when you have the ability to prevent the opponent from doing anything then the clock is irrelevant.


On another note, I think I might try out See Beyond as a way to get rid of things that I don't want in my hand. Anyone tried it before?

Well it's not really taking up the same slot - this would probably replace a cantrip where Pack Rat would replace a creature. They have the same side effect of getting cards out of our hand, but card draw versus a threat isn't really the same role.

Man, this forum is all kinds of constructive criticism. Thank you so much for giving zero analysis to anyone's (objectively) bad suggestions. I always do better at this game when someone dismisses an idea right away without explaining why Debbie Downer thinks its bad.

Don't waste your time giving a socially inept response because I won't be back to read it.

I really can't tell who that is upset at ...

Game one you might have some outs via the discard/ o-ring/counters...but thats about it. It is a fringe deck, but its important to note that it does well and a lot of frustrated/bored/experimental twin players are making the conversion since they basically own it already, so its definitely worth thinking about what it takes the beat the deck. If not now, then later. I'd also try and put up a more well rounded answer to blood moon than chromatic lantern, like negate/countersquall.

I also don't know if this deck wants to turn three gifts--probably not. One advantage I have in 4c is that I'm abrupt decay proof because my two drop accelerant is a sylvan carytid--against BG decks, its huge and it also contributes a blocker against fast aggro in general which an artifact on its own won't do.

My new tech that I thought about for this deck is oust. its a fifth path, a second path for gifts, and can save your fattie or buy you a little bit of extra life. In tandem with spellskite, no one will ever path your elesh norn again.

ok, so its not saving any fatties--still might be a good thing to untap after a gifts with.

Been playing Modern since the format's inception, took some time off, and was inspired by the opening of a local game store to dust off my decks again. Ah, the beauty of non-rotating formats. This is also my first post on Salvation, so don't troll me too hard.

I'll post my decklist momentarily, but a bit of back-story. I started as a UWR Gifts player back when everyone was on 4C Gifts. I felt that the mana-base for 4C Gifts was clunky and I don't think the situation is any different today. In fact, it's probably worse now that Blood Moon is more played than it was a year ago. After the last Modern Pro Tour (where Nactl was unbanned and Deathrite was banned), we noticed a steep decline in agro. Zoo wasn't good enough, and grindy, controlling strategies became more of the norm.

Also coming off the Pro Tour was Patrick Chapin's article on Esper Gifts. Chapin’s pedigree as a deck builder goes without saying, but I do find it ironic that it was the deck Chapin chose not to play that brought me to Esper Gifts. It also doesn't hurt that the mana base is slightly better In metagame where combo and control are more popular, Esper Gifts is the correct choice. However if agro and certain agro-control strategies become resurgent, expect a pivot to UWR Gifts.

Here’s a decklist, unchanged since April 2014



I think the list is mostly self-explanatory and pretty tight. There are a few flex spots, which I'll comment on.

Griselbrand instead of Iona. This is a meta-dependent choice. Griselbrand excels in two key matchups: Junk/Jund and UWx Midrange. In my meta Jund decks often splash white for Path to Exile, so naming 'Black' with Iona doesn't make it immune to removal. A greater reason is that Iona doesn't always win you the game. Often when you cast Iona you're even or behind on board. Even if your opponent has just a Tarmogoyf you can't afford to swing for fear of the cutback. What if your opponent attacks you with his Tarmogoyf. Do you block? He's representing Lightning Bolt. But you have to block. I've lost games in which I've resolved Iona simply because my opponent buries me with Green creatures and man-lands.

Griselbrand has Lifelink, which is huge. The draw 7 clause is huge. It can't be responded to. They kill Griselbrand, but you've drawn seven cards. For Jund/Junk decks that rely on incremental advantages, this is huge. You're down 7 life, but the Jund matchup is attritional, and you’ll gladly pay that life.

Griselbrand is adequate in situations where Iona is superior. I'm not advocating Griselbrand over Iona in matchups like Burn or Scapeshift, but it's far from a dead card. Burn has no way to answer Griselbrand either. Scapeshift decks are often control decks with a combo finish. Griselbrand draws you into the countermagic and disruption you need. It's the Scapeshift that kills you, so you can use Griselbrand’s Draw 7 liberally.

Writing the first point took longer than I expected. There are several more cards I wanted to touch on, particularly the mana base: Creeping Tar Pit, Tectonic Edge, and Dark Slick Shores.

Some questions I have

I'm thinking of cutting 1 Snapcaster Mage . . . clunky hands, too mana hungry. What do you recommend? I've considered Liliana of the Veil, Think Twice, Lingering Souls, and Pack Rat as replacements.

Similarly, I'm thinking of replacing 1 Tectonic Edge with a Ghost Quarter. It makes Gifts piles slightly better and is better against Tron. But is the Tron matchup so far lost that it's not even worth it?

I like the idea of Griselbrand for a lot of reasons you stated. There's a lot of scenarios where Iona is a game winner but she's equally "useless" in many matches, too. I'll give him a shot in my build.

I could see dropping to 2 Snapcaster Mage and running some amount of Esper Charm and Sphinx's Revelation. I also like Consume the Meek as a sweeper here, probably over Day of Judgement. Instant speed, wipes most of the problem children in modern while leaving anything you've reanimated alive.

I would also probably go more heavy on Creeping Tar Pit over Celestial Colonnade. Cheaper to activate, better evasion. One of the issues with a deck like this is that you dont have the bolt-snap-bolt plan that Jeskai control has. Esper needs to start putting some damage in a bit quicker to close games in a reasonable amount of time. Perhaps Griselbrand changes that equation a bit, however.

I try to be pragmatic in evaluating cards. There are matchups Griselbrand shines, and others where Iona is better. You just have to focus on what gets played in your meta and the relative numbers. Look at the popular Tier I decks:

Affinity
Winner: Push
You're digging for Elesh Norn here. Their threats are colorless. They can sacrifice their creatures to Ravager, negating Lifelink on Griselbrand.

Pod
Winner: Push
Elesh Norn wins. You can name Green with Iona, but that doesn't stop an active Birthing Pod. Griselbrand does some work here, since they have few ways to interact with your creatures.

Twin
Winner: Push
Elesh Norn is what stops their combo (notice a trend?) -- if you can get it to stick. However, it's a risk since they can just Remand Unburial Rites and kill you. I'm no expert on this matchup, but I mostly gifts for disruption and hope to bury them in long-term card advantage.

UWR
Winner: Push
It depends on their build. For more aggressive versions, I like Elesh Norn or Iona. Against more controlling versions I like Griselbrand. Iona isn't everything because they have Path (white) and Command (blue). Either way, it's close.

Jund/Junk
Winner: Griselbrand
For reasons I explained before.

Modern is a game of inches. Go with the fattie you like more

I could see dropping to 2 Snapcaster Mage and running some amount of Esper Charm and Sphinx's Revelation.

I wouldn't go down to 2 Snapcaster Mage yet. It's still one of your best cards and was tailor-made for Gifts. I feel the deck runs enough 1cc spells that you're okay with 3 Snapcaster Mage. Esper Charm was a card I ran in Mystical Teachings Control. It's sweet, but does the deck need more card draw when you're already on Gifts? I suppose Esper Charm is really competing against Think Twice. Think Twice fixes your draws; Esper Charm hurts you if you stumble on mana. Being able to Snapcaster back Esper Charm is gravy, though.

Spinx's Revelation is a card I don't have much experience with. At first blush it's overcosted for Modern. Maybe it's a sideboard card in ultra-grindy matchups? How's your experience been with the card?

I would also probably go more heavy on Creeping Tar Pit over Celestial Colonnade.

I agree with you here. The difference between 3 mana and 5 mana is huge. Especially when you want to leave up mana during your opponent's turn. Creeping Tar Pit is better at pressuring your opponent's Planeswalkers - especially Liliana, which your deck has few answers to. The main downside is that Creeping Tar Pit is vulnerable to Lightning Bolt, which the deck is so good at invalidating. I'm thinking of a 2/2 Colonnade, Creeping Tar Pit split. How many man lands does your version run?

I also like Consume the Meek as a sweeper here, probably over Day of Judgement.

I think now is as good as time as any to talk about the mana base. I believe the correct number of lands for Esper Gifts is 26. The deck is very mana hungry. Even at 26 lands the deck is pressured to reach WW for Wrath, UUU for Cryptic, and BB for Consume the Meek -- all by turn 5 potentially.

My breakdown of colored sources is (roughly):

U: 20
B: 14
W: 16

According to Frank Karsten's article on mana bases, I need 14 colored sources to cast a spell requiring that color on turn 1. I need 18(!) colored sources to cast a spell requiring double colored mana by turn 4 and 16 colored sources by turn 5. If I run Consume the Meek, I'm putting myself in a position where I might not be able to cast it by turn 5.

In order to run Consume the Meek, I actually need to take out Day of Judgment and Wrath of God as well. I can bring in Damnation, but black is missing a third Wrath.

Some other observations:

-- Mirrodin lands (Darkslick Shoes) are better than check lands (Drowned Catacomb). You need untapped mana to cast Thoughtseize or Inquisition on turn 1 and the check lands don't help with that. I'm already cheating the math somewhat by including Creeping Tar Pit as a black colored source.

-- I would actually like more white colored sources to cast Wrath of God on time. Hence why I have 1 copy of Mystic Gate. I would like 2 copies, but I would have to cut a Tectonic Edge to do so.

-- Does anyone have any experience with the Time Spiral storage lands: Calciform Pools or Dreadship Reef? At first blush they seem clunky. But the ability to bank mana for counter wars or hard casting Griselbrand is worth noting.

Thoughts on Snapcaster Mage in this build:

• You're more limited in things to snap back than Jeskai (uwr) builds are. With no burn-snap-burn option, you require targets (spell on stack, creature on board, card in hand) for most of the cheaper options. Burn can always go to the face.
• Snapping back a wrath effect - while viable - very mana intensive, against an already strained manabase (as you outlined).
• You're already utilizing some cards with Flashback - its not a ton but its still "dead" targets for Snapcaster Mage

For those reasons and probably more that I'm not thinking of I would want to limit the number to two. You want to have them available for Gifts packages and general use but being flooded with them doesn't work in Esper (imo) as well as Jeskai.

I like the various 2 and 3 cmc charms a lot for the versatility. Esper Charm is never dead, and instant speed discard is many times backbreaking to an opponent. Eidolon of the Great Revel is being seen more and more and since he's an enchantment you can blow him up with it. Theres also some random other enchantments out there that are worth maindecking some removal for, even as a 1-of.

If you're going to go the all-black sweeper package I think some combination of Damnation, Drown in Sorrow, Black Sun's Zenith, Consume the Meek could work well. Zenith either kills the board (including the persist things) or makes the incoming force much less damaging and goes back in to be gifted once more. Seems pretty strong to me.

3 or 2 Snapcasters?

Reasons for playing Snapcaster:

Discard (5x) - Inquisition/Thoughtseize
Countermagic (6x) - Mana Leak/Remand/Spell Snare
Removal (4x) - Path to Exile/Smother
Grindy Good Stuff (9x) - Wraths/Cryptic/Gifts/etc.


Excluding grindy good stuff, which is late game, I still have 15 targets to Snap back – 10 of which are 1cc. This spell density makes Snapcaster extremely versatile.

I've noticed several Esper Gifts lists that don't run main deck discard. I feel this decision is a mistake as it undermines one of the strengths of playing Esper. Not only does early discard fuel Snapcaster Magic later on, it allows you to be proactive turn 1. Furthermore, it gives you an edge against other combo and control decks. Then there’s the information factor. Knowing how to gifts based on perfect information of your opponent's hand is huge.

Esper Charm

I overlooked the Enchantment aspect of Esper Charm in the current meta. It deals with other problematic enchantments like Splinter Twin, Courser of Kruphix, Leylines, and Rest in Peace. I've narrowed down my options to Think Twice, Esper Charm, Pack Rat, and Lingering Souls. I wouldn't mind testing Esper Charm as a 1-of.

Black Sweepers

Black Sun's Zenith is an option. I'll keep that package in my back pocket inf I want to commit more heavily to Black with Lilianas and whatnot.

Timespiral Storage Lands (Calciform Pools and Dreadship Reef)

I'll give these a try. Dreadship Reef may even allow me to hard cast Griselbrand. I think 2x Dreadship Reef in place of Tectonic Edge should do the trick. I am reluctant to play more since you really don't want these in your opener.

I figured the white wraths were more dispensable than Cryptic or Lili and so went with 1 Damnation, 1 Consume the Meek, 2 Cryptic Command, 2 Liliana. I have Engineered Explosives (1 copy) maindeck as well as 3 Snapcaster, so those usually make up the rest of the "need to wrath" Gifts piles. It's been fine. If Modern switches back towards more of a Zoo-based meta I could see reverting back to a base-white configuration, but currently it's not in a place where you need consistent early Wraths at all often. Merfolk isn't a big enough deal for you to miss Supreme Verdict much either. I actually think Hallowed Burial is much better positioned in the meta than Verdict right now, but you can live without that as well.

Zoo is non-existent in my meta, but I like having access to 4-mana wraths for the likes of Affinity, BW Tokens, GW Hatebears, Pod, and Fish-style decks. Hallowed Burial is a strong card and deals with Voice of Resurgence. The difference between 4cc and 5cc is substantial though.

I like that Esper Gifts gives you the option to tune your deck to favor White or Black. It rewards players who understand their metagame.

Here's my current decklist

Allied Fetchlands

The introduction of allied fetchlands is an upgrade, but I wouldn't call it a major upgrade. There's nothing new that the allied fetchlands could get you that the enemy colored fetchlands weren't able to before. You becoming slightly more resilient to Blood Moon and it's easier to fetch Godless Shrine (not that you really need it). I actually predict a rise in the number of basics people play -- meaning cards like Cryptic Command improve in value. Overall, I'm happy with the change, even if it doesn't improve Gift's bad matchups.

Thoughtseize

Yeah, that 3rd Thoughtseize is a flex spot. And I've considered running the 3rd Lingering Souls over it. It's about what you want the deck to do. If you want to win the game by comboing out, Thoughseize is so much better at protecting your win con. However, if you want to grind your opponent out, Lingering Souls is the way to go.

Hey Everyone.

I have a really weird take on solar flare. I had originally been running a more traditional version of solar flare, but in building mono u tron, I needed some trade-in bait. Solar Flare was the logical choice, since it's my most expensive deck and is more of a pet deck than a top performer. I decided to go full on tap out control, and it's actually performing better. The manabase is an issue. I would need to add fetches to get the deck more consistent. I enjoy playing this, because I just stopped caring if my spells get countered, and it's doing well. I should probably go back to some hand hate (likely inquisition of kosilek) and paths, but I'm still having fun with this.

Hi all, I was hoping for SB suggestions for this list I've been testing:




I've been having so much fun playing it

Anyone else still playing Esper Gifts?

I still fiddle with it from time to time. Looking at your list, I feel like you have too many high drops, I'd start by cutting a cryptic, mystical teachings, and add in low a remand, a path, and maybe cut an esper charm for another lingering souls. Its crazy to me that the esper lists don't run 4 dig through time, seems like the best reason to not be playing green (for abrupt decay).

Treasure Cruise and Dig Through Time have made Gifts Ungiven a strictly inferior card. You're better off utilizing those cards than firing a Gifts for value. Other popular decks like Delver run too much disruption. Until the next ban announcement, I doubt this deck will see much tournament play.

Yup. Interested in the deck. Started to look for a new deck with the ban announcement; first look-up I done was U-Tron, then I found it may get boring. Then, 4-C gifts; but a guy I know who has played the deck a while told me the Esper version is more reliable, its mana is smoother. So here I am.

I find it weird that there are no results whatsoever associated with this deck. What's happening? Or why is it not happening?

What do people think of dropping the 3x wrath effects? I was playing UW control before the fetches were reprinted and I had gotten to the point where I had cut all my sweepers.
They are not good against control, tron, or combo. I'd rather have other cards in those slots.
Maybe wall of omens or max out on lingering souls, since those are good vs a wider variety of decks.

Interested to here what people think of dropping wraths and what they would use the slots for.

Prior to KTK I was playing 4 color control gifts, but now with burn being so big I've found esper to be better due to the less painful manabase, here's my current list if anyone has any thoughts.
http://www.mtgvault.com/shaboogamoo/decks/940764/

What do people think about Anticipate from Dragons of Tarkir for control?

This is my deck Gifts Flare. Based - practically in the old Solar Flare idea. Follow the link.

http://www.ligamagic.com.br/?view=decks/view&id=132506

Bumping this thread back up with a decklist I've been working on. I ran this at the last Modern FNM and went 3-1.
I beat the a legendary reanimator combo deck, Robots, and Grixis control. I lost in the last round to WUR control - burned out by damage spells.

My list:


The premise of the build was that I wanted to be consistent - reliable discard and removal, leading into strong threats that were hard to remove. I wanted to sit on 4 open mana and have both Cryptic Command and Gifts Ungiven. It worked very well in that respect, and most games ended with the opponent's threats neutralized by control cards while my Wurmcoil or Manlands beat them down. In some matchups, going for the reanimation is a game-ender. But in many of the matchups, you'd rather just get 3 removal spells and Snapcaster Mage, or something like that. Remand totally screws you up if you go for the reanimate plan.

The one-of Lingering Souls was great for me. The Liliana of the Veil was bad as I had almost no way to get value off discarding. I was only using it as Cruel Edict most of the time. I am thinking about running Far/Away instead (the fuse card for edict and Unsummon).

The sideboard Geist of Saint Traft killed lots of people. I am thinking about possibly changing to Celestial Colonnade. Tar Pit is nice because it gives me blue and black for my early spells.