Here is my list variant for Esper Control. I am about 95% decided on the majority of cards. I may try to find something to cut for 2nd Teferi in the main. I have one in the side just because the LGS majority of players are on fast decks like Jund/Affinity. Anyways let me know what you think.
If you wanna go this route with Dragonlord Ojutai, I highly recommend running a Minamo, School at Water's Edge. It's really nice with being able to untapping Ojutai at instant speed to protect him. Also, if you are dead set on running JTMS should try to fit in Lingering Souls because as of right now it looks like you have no other way to really protect him. Deck looks sweet though.
And yeah I actually agree with a lot of your points. It has been hard to find a right shell for Esper for me since there hasn't really been any well placed lists to get a basis of. Especially for a tempo style player like myself. Because of that I have had to build a lot of different shells that I've wanted to test to try and find something that is fun and not so linear as some of the metagame is now.
This list looks a lot like my Delve shell with some few changes I have made to make it play faster/more protective.
Its hard trying to pinpoint which kind of shell/list would be better positioned since I don't have the funds right now to test every one
Elspeth is a pet card of mine for these Esper Lists because it gives cards like Geist and Gurmag evasiveness to go unblocked and swing freely. As well as make smaller creatures like tokens/Snapcaster/Spell Queller extreme threats. As she comes down she immediately effects the board even if its empty by spawn 1/1s
I've been desperately wanting to try and play Mishra's Bauble to help dig through the deck. It being a free spell as well to throw into the bin to speed up Gurmag is great as well. It also has some interesting lines/choices of when/who to bauble before your thought scour or fetch so you're not losing anything too impactful.
Normally i would advise against running sculler in a deck so light on creatures, as he tends to lightning-rod removal without other beaters pressuring the opp (see D&T), but pairing him with queller is very intriguing. I may have to test that one out. I will maintain, however, that Lingering Souls is strong enough in any meta to warrent finding 3-4 slots for them. There are so many decks that struggle with them game 1. Also, Collective Brutality is incredibly versatile and a HOUSE against burn, finding homes for a couple of those would be worthwhile as well. Not to mention the synergy between Brutality and Souls. Happy brewing bud, please post results.
Yeah I also have a midrange shell I have been wanting to test with Lingering Souls and the disruption packed of CB/Iok/Thoughtseize. Just with this list I want to be applying pressure, and not tapping out, unless its absolutely safe/or it provides immediate pressure(win condition to the board) so I can hold up counterspell/flash creature on opponnents end step or disrupt anything they want to do. Yeah I really like sculler in creature heavy lists for the reason you say, though this list may be light compared to things like Taxes. I don't believe Sculler is the real threat here. If an opponent wants to waste a removal spell on him to free up something to their hand thats fine. Its less they have to remove Queller. And more often than not, will have a counterspell to protect the Sculler.
I wanted to try and fit in Restoration Angels somewhere in here as an ambush for the rise of BBE, but also the fun little extra value plays of flickering Snaps on the board, or even Scullers on cast.
I'm new here. Stumbled upon this thread while tweaking/tinkering with my Esper tempo list. It is something I have been working on for months now because I can never decide on a finally list to settle with.
*I opted for [[Tidehollow Sculler]] over [[Lingering Souls]] for three main reasons: 1. I wanted the deck to be lower to the ground, since if I tap out on turn 3 its for Geist. 2. I wanted another early threat to absorb removal, making my Spell Quellers better (deck currently had no turn 2 play other than hold up for counterspells) 3. I like the disruption the cards brings as well as being on a 2/2 body seems like what tempo wants to be doing.*
I can't think of any other comments/concerns right now. So I am excited to hear ya'lls feedback, so I can discuss the deck further and hopefully decide on a final list.
3 Snapcaster Mage
1 Vendilion Clique
2 Restoration Angel
Enchantment
2 Search for Azcanta
Land
2 Plains
2 Celestial Colonnade
1 Creeping Tar Pit
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Godless Shrine
1 Watery Grave
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
1 Swamp
3 Island
1 Marsh Flats
2 Field of Ruin
4 Path to Exile
1 Negate
2 Logic Knot
1 Secure the Wastes
3 Cryptic Command
3 Fatal Push
Sorcery
4 Serum Visions
2 Thoughtseize
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Lingering Souls
2 Supreme Verdict
Planeswalker
1 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
1 Lyra Dawnbringer
2 Stony Silence
2 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Damping Sphere
1 Negate
1 Dispel
1 Disenchant
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Blessed Alliance
1 Settle the Wreckage
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
And yeah I actually agree with a lot of your points. It has been hard to find a right shell for Esper for me since there hasn't really been any well placed lists to get a basis of. Especially for a tempo style player like myself. Because of that I have had to build a lot of different shells that I've wanted to test to try and find something that is fun and not so linear as some of the metagame is now.
This list looks a lot like my Delve shell with some few changes I have made to make it play faster/more protective.
2 Geist of Saint Traft
3 Snapcaster Mage
2 Spell Queller
1 Vendilion Clique
3 Gurmag Angler
Land
2 Island
1 Swamp
2 Drowned Catacomb
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Godless Shrine
1 Watery Grave
3 Flooded Strand
2 Marsh Flats
4 Polluted Delta
2 Plains
4 Path to Exile
3 Thought Scour
3 Fatal Push
2 Spell Pierce
Sorcery
4 Serum Visions
2 Thoughtseize
3 Lingering Souls
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
Planeswalker
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Artifact
3 Mishra's Bauble
1 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Collective Brutality
1 Countersquall
1 Disdainful Stroke
2 Disenchant
1 Dispel
2 Flaying Tendrils
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Stony Silence
2 Surgical Extraction
Its hard trying to pinpoint which kind of shell/list would be better positioned since I don't have the funds right now to test every one
Elspeth is a pet card of mine for these Esper Lists because it gives cards like Geist and Gurmag evasiveness to go unblocked and swing freely. As well as make smaller creatures like tokens/Snapcaster/Spell Queller extreme threats. As she comes down she immediately effects the board even if its empty by spawn 1/1s
I've been desperately wanting to try and play Mishra's Bauble to help dig through the deck. It being a free spell as well to throw into the bin to speed up Gurmag is great as well. It also has some interesting lines/choices of when/who to bauble before your thought scour or fetch so you're not losing anything too impactful.
Trying to decide between split of Push/Path
Here is the more midrange list, its what I originally started with, but, at least to me, feels no where fine tuned.
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/esper-trix-13/?cb=1521504197
Yeah I also have a midrange shell I have been wanting to test with Lingering Souls and the disruption packed of CB/Iok/Thoughtseize. Just with this list I want to be applying pressure, and not tapping out, unless its absolutely safe/or it provides immediate pressure(win condition to the board) so I can hold up counterspell/flash creature on opponnents end step or disrupt anything they want to do. Yeah I really like sculler in creature heavy lists for the reason you say, though this list may be light compared to things like Taxes. I don't believe Sculler is the real threat here. If an opponent wants to waste a removal spell on him to free up something to their hand thats fine. Its less they have to remove Queller. And more often than not, will have a counterspell to protect the Sculler.
I wanted to try and fit in Restoration Angels somewhere in here as an ambush for the rise of BBE, but also the fun little extra value plays of flickering Snaps on the board, or even Scullers on cast.
I'm new here. Stumbled upon this thread while tweaking/tinkering with my Esper tempo list. It is something I have been working on for months now because I can never decide on a finally list to settle with.
So here is my list:
3 Geist of Saint Traft
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Restoration Angel
4 Spell Queller
1 Vendilion Clique
4 Tidehollow Sculler
Land
3 Island
1 Swamp
2 Creeping Tar Pit
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Godless Shrine
1 Watery Grave
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
2 Plains
1 Glacial Fortress
2 Moorland Haunt
2 Spell Snare
3 Cryptic Command
3 Mana Leak
3 Path to Exile
3 Fatal Push
1 Peek
1 Logic Knot
4 Serum Visions
Planeswalker
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
2 Mirran Crusader
2 Stony Silence
2 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Countersquall
1 Dispel
2 Disdainful Stroke
1 Disenchant
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Settle the Wreckage
2 Thoughtseize
Looking for any advice as well.
*I opted for [[Tidehollow Sculler]] over [[Lingering Souls]] for three main reasons: 1. I wanted the deck to be lower to the ground, since if I tap out on turn 3 its for Geist. 2. I wanted another early threat to absorb removal, making my Spell Quellers better (deck currently had no turn 2 play other than hold up for counterspells) 3. I like the disruption the cards brings as well as being on a 2/2 body seems like what tempo wants to be doing.*
I can't think of any other comments/concerns right now. So I am excited to hear ya'lls feedback, so I can discuss the deck further and hopefully decide on a final list.