Esper Tempo

[RandomTask]

So this list still needs some testing, and I'm not sure that it's all of the way there, but what do you guys think?

2 Jace, The Mind Sculptor
3 Sensei’s Divining Top
4 Stifle
2 Spell Snare
1 Spell Pierce
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Vindicate
4 Force of Will
3 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Dark Confidant
4 Brainstorm
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Umezawa’s Jite
3 Vendillion Clique

4 Wasteland
3 Tundra
3 Underground Sea
1 Scrubland
1 Island
1 Plains
4 Marsh Flats
4 Flooded Strand

2 Spell Pierce
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Pithing Needle
3 Enlightened Tutor
2 Engineered Plague
1 Wheel of Sun and Moon
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Thorn of Amythest
1 Ethersworn Cannonist
2 Diabolic Edict

[mossivo1986]

What separates this from UWb fish?

[RandomTask]

What separates this from UWb fish?

Stifle/Wasteland

[warallthetimne]

The deck feels like its missing a win condition...clique, bob, and stoneforge just dont feel like they would get there by themselves. Also feels like the deck is removal light. Maybe EE and some acdemy ruins and to help win thopter foundry and sword of the meek as a win condition?
Maybe tombstalker as a bomb?

[Tourach]

There was once a deck (maybe three years ago) called Hannifish. It did not run Jace obviously nor Stifle\Wasteland. Instead it packed ~16 creatures like Mother of Runes, Jötun Grunt and Serra Avenger .
To me it seems as if your deck tried to do too much. Jace, Tempo-plan, equipment package... Plus, I think Top isn't the best of tempo cards. Maybe you come to like it if you cut Jace, Top and maybe a Clique and add some of the aforemetioned creatures instead. They all run very well with equipment and thus Stoneforge Mystic.

[mossivo1986]

you got me on stifle, but the deck already runs wasteland.

As for Hanni, he's got literally his version of everything like most of us, the difference is most of us try to post our good ideas :P

[RandomTask]

you got me on stifle, but the deck already runs wasteland.

As for Hanni, he's got literally his version of everything like most of us, the difference is most of us try to post our good ideas :P

Sorry, are you saying the deck isn't a good idea? It's fine if that's the case, just wasn't sure if you were taking a shot at it or not.

So, I double-checked the ubw fish decks posted on the source, and I found that they actually run Stifle, but not Wasteland, save for Billy Moreno's all-in LD plan. I must confess that I didn't look at every page, but that seemed to be the general consensus: 3 Stilfe, no Wasteland.

I'm surprised by the lack of removal comment, mainly because of Vindicate. I modeled this list off of the Next Level Thresh deck that's been doing so well lately. I just have an affinity for Esper colors. I love the Thopter/Sword combo, but that seems to function best in a dedicated control deck, and I think that EE largely does as well, although I may be relying to heavily on Vindicate to answer problem permanents, and it is true that if this deck let's the game get out of control, it has no way to get back in it, but I think that this strategy in general wants to dominate the early game, deploy a legitimate threat (which in this deck's case is probably a creature strapped with equipment), and then ride it to victory, which is probably why the comparison to UBW fish is so close to accurate (as well as the largely-shared creature base).

I agree that Top seems like it would require spending more mana than what the deck probably wants to do, but I'm not sure I have the balls to consistenly not flip Force off of Bob without it, which could be an inherent flaw in the deck, or could just be a risk you'd have to take. I do know that decks like Junk can fit it just fine, but they aren't as reliant on disruption as this deck is because their creatures are all serious threats.

As to the potential of the deck being threat-light, I am largely in agreement that this could be a problem. Finding the right balance is definitely a challenge. I played uw Tempo for some time, and although that deck has Serra Avenger, the build-a-beater Stoneforge plan is still the deck's best threat, although Serra is the best creature to strap once you engage in that plan. I do like Mom, especially because the goal is to strap and attack with a creature, which her protection assists with, but considering the already-low threat density, I don't know if I can find room for her, other than cutting a Top and something else. I put her more in the disruption category than threat category because her primary function is turning off their removal spells.

Anyways, I actually have to test the deck more to know if it'll be good or not, but these comments are helpful, so thanks for the input.

[Hanni]

My UWb Fish deck was a deck built in a different era for a different meta. I designed that deck back in 2006. We're in 2011. That deck was a beast back in its heyday, but that strategy is pretty awful by todays standards. No need to namedrop me in a Mossive thread.

[nedleeds]

Where is Karakas? With 3 Cliques surely it's worth the Wasteland risk ... besides you are running 4 stifles as WL protection. Seems like have a discard package could be valuable in certain matchups. Also the artifact package transform sideboard is going to waterdown an already threat-lite deck, I'd just run Meddling Mages (who also pair well with discard).

[chinEsE girl]

What concerns me about your current list is that it seems really weak to any kind of tribal deck. Just looking at it I feel that both merfolk and goblins would stomp all over this list. All of your creatures have such low toughness without any equipment, and blocking seems like it would be nonexistent right now for your creatures. The reason why green based tempo deck can succeed right now is that goyf gives you the cheap, efficient creature you need to apply pressure in matchups versus control, and act as a road block/the abyss against tribal strategies. Also, it seems that without vindicate coming down turn three, I don't how this deck can beat an active vial, aside from having confidant draw you the nuts several turns running. Bottom line, you need a better early game plan to deal with creatures attacking you. I'd for sure try and fit in something that can block well early into the deck, though I don't know what the best solution would be. I'd usually suggest tombstalker, but you're also running confidant so that seems kind of bad. Maybe you need something like jotun grunt or mother of runes to get in the deck, I'm not really sure.