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Thread: Esper Mentor

  1. #401

    Re: Esper Mentor

    Quote Originally Posted by maharis View Post
    Went 3-1 last night, quick report from drive thru line:

    W Aluren 2-0, just faster and has enough disruption
    W D&T 2-1, I like this MU but RIP g2 slowed me down a lot
    W big eldrazi 2-0, variance killed him as he had 1 land g1 and 10 mana sources g2 but I was able to neutralize his threats
    L mono red sneak 0-2, I got T1 sneak-emrakul G1 and T1 seething song->wurmcoil g2, guess always mull to force

    List:

    4 DRS
    3 Mentor
    2 SCM
    1 Tasigur
    1 Strix

    4 Force
    4 BS
    4 Ponder
    4 Probe
    4 Therapy
    4 STP
    2 Lingering Souls
    2 Search for Az
    1 Fatal Push
    1 JTMS
    1 Unearth

    4 delta/strand
    2 sea/tundra
    3 basics
    1 scrubland/trop/flats

    2 surgical
    2 fluster
    2 ZP
    2 collective brutality
    1 disenchant
    1 vindicate
    1 Sorin LOI
    1 needle
    1 nihil spellbomb
    1 canonist
    1 containment priest


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    How are you finding Tasigur in the main? Debating between the 2 strix main, and Tasigur in the side.

  2. #402

    Re: Esper Mentor

    personally I'm back to Hanni's list,
    I like how stoneforge can still carry its weighy, I feel that without them too often I'm just waiting for Mentor to arrive, and not all games are like this (Or they can resolve it)


    @hanni
    Do you have any tips for the sideboard? :)

  3. #403
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    Re: Esper Mentor

    Quote Originally Posted by Guitarnewf View Post
    How are you finding Tasigur in the main? Debating between the 2 strix main, and Tasigur in the side.
    Honestly, I'm not sure. I probed a D&T player who had 2 Karakas in their hand when I had Tasigur so that blew. But at least it has upside over Angler while preserving GY for Search, and it's a vertical threat to complement our horizontal ones. Keeping it in for the time being.

    I've never really loved strix in this deck, but it's sort of a necessary evil thanks to Delver and Angler. I didn't play it in my most recent build. Could go either way.

    Quote Originally Posted by NegatorITA View Post
    personally I'm back to Hanni's list,
    I like how stoneforge can still carry its weighy, I feel that without them too often I'm just waiting for Mentor to arrive, and not all games are like this (Or they can resolve it)


    @hanni
    Do you have any tips for the sideboard? :)
    The thing about SFM is that I don't really think Mentor is the best companion to it. I can see why Hanni and others have done well just because of raw power level, but I feel like you have sort of opposite plans which can shave percentage points in some matchups. Of course, SFM increases percentage points in other matchups, like Burn. Still, why play Mentor over TNN in a DRS/SFM deck?

    The "waiting for Mentor" problem is one of the reasons I like Lingering Souls. Souls can go on offense, or it it can buy you time (blocking Delver and other early threats). It shares a lot of the synergies with Mentor (spell count, resistance to point removal, Cabal Therapy) while not having any weaknesses that Mentor isn't also weak to. I wouldn't say this deck has a "settled" build at all though.

  4. #404

    Re: Esper Mentor

    what is our game plan when we know our opponent is on Jace ? What are the best ways to deal with it, Proactively or actively?

  5. #405
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    Re: Esper Mentor

    Quote Originally Posted by Blink View Post
    what is our game plan when we know our opponent is on Jace ? What are the best ways to deal with it, Proactively or actively?
    I think you have to be the beatdown against any deck playing Jace. Try to build a board that can't be dismantled by Jace -1. You have to watch out for sweepers but the nice thing about our deck is we get a lot of incidental value from our threat suite and so don't have to overextend. Don't play two mentors, for example, one is usually enough and then you can rebuild if you need. Hate to sound like a broken record but Lingering Souls is great against Jace. Also, Cabal Therapy is very strong against durdly decks playing 4 drops. I have had a lot of success against Miracles with this deck, even though I didn't expect to, just because so much of their deck is air that you can discard and counter their major threats very easily while forcing them to answer yours.

  6. #406

    Re: Esper Mentor

    Is there a discord you guys are using for this deck ?

  7. #407

    Re: Esper Mentor

    So i have been pushing this list and have had some promising matches. I practise against a lot of Grixis Delver and Miracles which have not been great but always comes down to the wire and with some tuning i think we can get there. My losses to Grixis D.are almost entirely determined by who keeps there Deathrite alive and miracles depends on how effect Pyroblast is. This is the list i have been playing, looking for advice and tips on how to make those match ups better. The same as before my model moves more to midrange then aggressive which seem to be how most people play this list. Recently i have moved Search for Azcanta in to replace Thughtscour and added Thoughtseize to serve as premeditated form of permanent removal to deal with spells we cant beat i.e Jace,Chandra, Truename.. It's also extra looks at there hand ... This is the list..

    Creatures (13)
    4 Deathrite Shaman
    4 Monastery Mentor
    2 Snapcaster Mage
    1 True-Name Nemesis
    1 Gurmag Angler
    1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

    Spells (29)
    4 Brainstorm
    4 Ponder
    4 Gitaxian Probe
    3 Cabal Therapy
    2 Thoughtseize
    2 Fatal Push
    2 Swords
    1 Path to Exile
    1 Spell Pierce
    4 Force of Will
    2 Search for Azcanta (Filters until we find a threat, once one sticks flip for card advantage)

    2 Island
    1 Swamp
    1 Plains
    2 Underground Sea
    1 Scrubland
    1 Tundra
    1 Tropical Island
    4 Polluted Delta
    4 Flooded Strand
    1 Marsh flats

    SB
    2 Back to Basics (new edition haven't successfully cast it in a game)
    1 Spell Pierce
    1 Flusterstorm
    1 True-Name Nemesis(May swap for Clique)
    1 Containment Priest
    1 Liliana, the Last Hope
    1 Jace the Mind Sculptor
    2 Disenchant
    2 Zealous Persecution
    2 Surgical Etraction
    1 Hydroblast

  8. #408

    Re: Esper Mentor

    Hey all. I recently started playing mtg legacy a ton more and my meta sonsists of the following:

    sneak and show
    Czech pile
    TES
    DnT

    How do I beat the decks listed above?

    I'm using Hanni Almer's list which can be found here:

    http://mtgtop8.com/event?e=17343&d=307280&f=LE

  9. #409

    Re: Esper Mentor

    meddling mage or a split of containement/ethersworn canonist?
    Why do you prefer meddling mage? is it really better?
    Can anyone provide some argument in while playing one vs the others? I think both have merits and Meddling cover more stuffs but it's also harder to play, even if it works better when you land a probe/therapy to gain information or know the opponent' decklist, thoughts?

  10. #410
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    Re: Esper Mentor

    Quote Originally Posted by NegatorITA View Post
    meddling mage or a split of containement/ethersworn canonist?
    Why do you prefer meddling mage? is it really better?
    Can anyone provide some argument in while playing one vs the others? I think both have merits and Meddling cover more stuffs but it's also harder to play, even if it works better when you land a probe/therapy to gain information or know the opponent' decklist, thoughts?
    Meddling Mage is much more versatile. The sideboard is already extremely tight, and Mage is good against matchups where only Canonist is good, as well as matchups where only Containment Priest is good. Either of the more specific options is typically going to be more powerful at the specific intended matchups, but it's not really a big deal. The deck already has countermagic + discard... adding hatebears as a 3rd component is brutal as-is.

    The other factor is that Ethersworn Canonist is anti-synergistic with the plan of chain casting spells with Mentor.

    Not only that, I bring Mage in for some matchups where I wouldn't bring in neither Canonist nor Priest, such as against Lands and Turbo Depths.

    Lastly, there is a lot of synergy with Mage in this deck due to Probe + Therapy providing information about the opponent's hand.
    Sligh
    Echo Stompy
    /r Miracle Intuition
    Yorion's Intuition
    5c Hollow Vine

    Quote Originally Posted by MMogg View Post
    In porn terms, Zoo has a 11" shlong and an impressive money shot, but it's over in 4 minutes, whereas Landstill is a good 8" and can go for 30 minutes.

  11. #411

    Re: Esper Mentor

    Hey I recently donated to a streamer named "Phil Gallagher" of Thraben University to play. He regularly posts on the DnT thread here. Anyway, He played Hanni Alnimer's mentor deathblade list and I thought I'd show you guys the stream.

    https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...%20mentorblade

    I think he has some interesting remarks on the decklist on the second part of the mentorblade stream.

  12. #412
    Etherium is limited. Innovation is not.
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    Re: Esper Mentor

    Thanks for the link to his stream. It's always great to watch games with this deck. I especially liked how he ran over BUG Midrange in games 2 and 3 with Mentor. I feel like his Goblins opponent scooped them up way too early both games, though.

    There were lines that he took that I would have done differently, including sideboarding decisions, but it was still impressive for his first time playing the deck. As he said at the end, there are so many different lines of play each turn; it takes a very long time to master this sort of deck. Hell, I'm an amateur with it myself. So kudos to him.

    The stream ended with him at 2-1. Did he finish the league, and if so, what did he play against and what was his final record?

    Oh, and although I haven't played any magic in a very long time, I'm glad that people have not forgotten about this deck!
    Sligh
    Echo Stompy
    /r Miracle Intuition
    Yorion's Intuition
    5c Hollow Vine

    Quote Originally Posted by MMogg View Post
    In porn terms, Zoo has a 11" shlong and an impressive money shot, but it's over in 4 minutes, whereas Landstill is a good 8" and can go for 30 minutes.

  13. #413

    Re: Esper Mentor

    Quote Originally Posted by Hanni View Post
    Thanks for the link to his stream. It's always great to watch games with this deck. I especially liked how he ran over BUG Midrange in games 2 and 3 with Mentor. I feel like his Goblins opponent scooped them up way too early both games, though.

    There were lines that he took that I would have done differently, including sideboarding decisions, but it was still impressive for his first time playing the deck. As he said at the end, there are so many different lines of play each turn; it takes a very long time to master this sort of deck. Hell, I'm an amateur with it myself. So kudos to him.

    The stream ended with him at 2-1. Did he finish the league, and if so, what did he play against and what was his final record?

    Oh, and although I haven't played any magic in a very long time, I'm glad that people have not forgotten about this deck!
    Hey Hanni, I built this deck myself as my first legacy deck and really my first try at competitive magic. Do you have any pointers for noobs like me? There's another video of him on twitch where he completes the league going 3-2. He lost to ANT and they went off pretty quickly. His twitch username is deathandtaxesftw I think and his profile has the last bit of video for this stream. I'm on a work computer atm but whenever I'm not, i'll try and find the last bit of the league and link it here. I'm not sure what the other deck he played against though.

  14. #414
    Etherium is limited. Innovation is not.
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    Re: Esper Mentor

    Quote Originally Posted by kramer733 View Post
    Hey Hanni, I built this deck myself as my first legacy deck and really my first try at competitive magic. Do you have any pointers for noobs like me? There's another video of him on twitch where he completes the league going 3-2. He lost to ANT and they went off pretty quickly. His twitch username is deathandtaxesftw I think and his profile has the last bit of video for this stream. I'm on a work computer atm but whenever I'm not, i'll try and find the last bit of the league and link it here. I'm not sure what the other deck he played against though.
    The best advice I can give is to play more magic. If you're new, the best thing to do to get better is to play as much as you can. Things like XMage or MTGO are great places to get in extra games if you don't have a regular playgroup.

    Beyond that, read through more deck threads here on The Source. There is a wealth of information here.

    In regards to tips with this deck specifically?

    1) Gitaxian Probe is going to be really good for you, as it will help you know what your opponent's hand and lines of play are, and allow you to respond accordingly.

    2) Don't cast a blind Cabal Therapy if you have no idea what your opponent is playing, even if it is your only turn 1 play.

    3) When playing a blind Cabal Therapy, it is usually best to name the most problematic card. Sometimes, as you get better, you can sort of soul read what they have based on previous lines they have taken during the game, among other factors like known quantity of a card vs how many you've see so far, but those are more advanced plays that take a great deal of format knowledge.

    4) Don't be afraid to slam SFM on turn 2, especially if you have backup threats. Unless you've Probe'd and know that you need to play around Daze or removal or whatever, it's usually correct to just go for it.

    5) Don't be upset when your DRS eats removal. It's the weakest threat in the deck, and you'd much rather lose a DRS than a Mentor.

    6) In most matchups, you need to be patient with Force of Will. You shouldn't just Force the first relevant thing the opponent does, at least most of the time. This deck isn't a tempo deck like Delver; you should be saving Force of Will to deal with a critical card that can swing the matchup, like an opposing Jace. This isn't a hard fast rule, of course, and it can take a while to learn how and when to pull the trigger.

    7 ) Don't just randomly waste cantrips. If there isn't anything specific you are looking for, you probably shouldn't be casting them. This is especially true for this deck because of how powerful they are once you have a Mentor on board.

    8) Be patient with Brainstorm. It is almost always wrong to cast Brainstorm on turn 1. You really want a shuffle effect to maximize Brainstorm; don't forget that SFM is also a shuffle effect. Also be aware that Brainstorm gets better with more cards in hand.

    There's likely a million more things that could be said, but the best experience is to simply play more with the deck.
    Sligh
    Echo Stompy
    /r Miracle Intuition
    Yorion's Intuition
    5c Hollow Vine

    Quote Originally Posted by MMogg View Post
    In porn terms, Zoo has a 11" shlong and an impressive money shot, but it's over in 4 minutes, whereas Landstill is a good 8" and can go for 30 minutes.

  15. #415

    Re: Esper Mentor

    Hey Hanni, here's the link to the rest of the matchups in the league.

    https://www.twitch.tv/videos/268254336

  16. #416

    Re: Esper Mentor

    This deck is super dead now, isn't it?

  17. #417
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    Re: Esper Mentor

    Quote Originally Posted by kramer733 View Post
    This deck is super dead now, isn't it?
    Would require fundamental rework but yes it's in a lot of trouble.

  18. #418
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    Re: Esper Mentor

    Deck would have been just fine if it was just a DRS ban, but losing Probe pretty much kills this deck for me, unfortunately.
    Sligh
    Echo Stompy
    /r Miracle Intuition
    Yorion's Intuition
    5c Hollow Vine

    Quote Originally Posted by MMogg View Post
    In porn terms, Zoo has a 11" shlong and an impressive money shot, but it's over in 4 minutes, whereas Landstill is a good 8" and can go for 30 minutes.

  19. #419

    Re: Esper Mentor

    I think this deck has some legs in a post ban world. The reason why is that Deathrite Shaman has effectively unbanned two good blue cards:
    Cryptic Serpent and Intuition

    Intuition has the same powerful synergies it used to have with Lingering Souls and Cabal Therapy, but there's also Monastery Mentor to take advantage.

    Also, by throwing cards into the GY we can accelerate the Serpent which at maximum discount is basically a blue Gurmag Angler.

    It's a wide open meta now, so lists are hard, but this is where I'm starting... thoughts?

    4 Cryptic Serpent
    4 Monastery Mentor
    4 Lingering Souls
    4 Cabal Therapy
    3 Intuition
    4 Path to Exile
    1 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
    4 Brainstorm
    4 Force of Will
    4 Daze
    3 Ponder
    1 Teferi
    1 JTMS
    2 Search for Azcanta
    4 Flooded Strand
    4 Polluted Delta
    2 Underground Sea
    2 Tundra
    1 Scrubland
    2 Island
    1 Plains
    1 Swamp

  20. #420
    Etherium is limited. Innovation is not.
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    Re: Esper Mentor

    I agree that Intuition becomes a fantastic card again with DRS gone, but using it to grab Lingering Souls is silly. Intuition can grab Loam/Stage/Depths and just win the game, instead of making a couple of 1/1 flying tokens.

    The fact is, this deck was built around Probe and Therapy. Without Probe, there is little reason to play this deck over Miracles or a Stoneblade deck with TNN... and if I'm running Intuition, I'm playing The Mind Harvester instead.
    Sligh
    Echo Stompy
    /r Miracle Intuition
    Yorion's Intuition
    5c Hollow Vine

    Quote Originally Posted by MMogg View Post
    In porn terms, Zoo has a 11" shlong and an impressive money shot, but it's over in 4 minutes, whereas Landstill is a good 8" and can go for 30 minutes.

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