[DTB] Blade Control

So I've taken up EsperBlade as an alternative to BUG StrixStill in the past month. I've been to three tournaments sofar, putting up nice results with 4-1-1 (3-1-1 to go top 8; top 4 loss), 3-1-1 (I.D. last round, loss in top 8) and yesterday's 5-0-1 (I.D. last round, top4 split).

The list I ran the first two events:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Esper StoneBlade

4 Flooded Strand
3 Polluted Delta
1 Marsh Flats
3 Tundra
3 Underground Sea
1 Scrubland
2 Island
1 Swamp
1 Plains
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Karakas
1 Wasteland
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Brainstorm
1 Counterspell
4 Force of Will
2 Spell Pierce
3 Ponder
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Thoughtseize
1 Vindicate
2 Lingering Souls
1 Supreme Verdict
3 Snapcaster Mage
4 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Vendillion Clique
1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa's Jitte
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

Sideboard
1 Disenchant
3 Rest in Peace
1 Humility
2 Flusterstorm
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Perish
1 Zealous Persecution
3 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Sword of Feast and Famine

---

And yesterday's list:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Esper StrixBlade

3 Flooded Strand
3 Polluted Delta
1 Marsh Flats
3 Tundra
3 Underground Sea
1 Scrubland
2 Island
1 Swamp
1 Plains
2 Creeping Tar pit
1 Karakas
1 Mystic Gate
4 Sword to Plowshares
4 Brainstorm
1 Counterspell
4 Force of Will
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Thoughtseize
1 Vindicate
1 Lingering Souls
1 Supreme Verdict
3 Snapcaster Mage
3 Baleful Strix
4 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Vendillion Clique
2 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa's Jitte
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

SB
1 Disenchant
3 Rest in Peace
1 Humility
2 Flusterstorm
1 Perish
1 Zealous Persecution
1 Dimir Charm
3 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Notion Thief
1 Sword of Feast & Famine

---

My thoughts on Vidi's list initially were that the manabase was way too greedy for my taste. I ended up cutting some of the cards to get the Ponder count up and reduce the colourless sources. This turned out to work perfectly. However, I constantly felt that the Lingering Souls were just too expensive and I never wanted to see more than 1 in a game. That's why I ended up testing the StrixBlade list, which removes the Lingering Souls for Baleful Strix. Strix has proven its worth to me in my BUG StrixStill lists and I just needed to see what it did in StoneBlade. It was awesome all day, trading with Goys and wielding equipments like a champ.
I also tried Sensei's Divining Top over Ponder to see whether the late-game awesomness of Top could top the early game effectiveness of Ponder (using the argument of having enough to do on turn 1 anyway, with discard, brainstorm and plow). I loved them throughout yesterday's tournament. Lastly, I removed all the Spell Pierces with the argument that the discard is as effective in the early game and provides much needed information. Spell Pierce has been dead in hand too often in the previous tournaments. If there was room, I'd still have them in.

Nice list, Congratz on your win.

So is Deathblade going to be considered "Blade Control?" I am guessing yes, but it plays out very different from other blade variants. It's like a blue Jund deck.

@Patrunkenphat7

It's a completly other Deck.
It's more a Midrange Deck then a Controll deck like Esperblade.

Why write all here? I think we had a 4c Shaman/Deathblade Treath.^^

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pdingo

@Patrunkenphat7

It's a completly other Deck.
It's more a Midrange Deck then a Controll deck like Esperblade.

Why write all here? I think we had a 4c Shaman/Deathblade Treath.^^

---

I started this thread over in Established a few months ago: http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/s...athrite-Shaman

At the time the thread was started, the debate was between the tempo version (19 lands, 8 cantrips, no Jace) and the mid-range version (23 lands and planeswalkers).

The mid-range version of the deck as had more success as of late, although I image that the tempo version is underrepresented.

The primer and thread need some updating, but I am happy to insert any information that people are willing to pm me. I know that there have been many recent articles and finishes with this deck. I've been preparing for the bar exam and the thread kind of died, so I haven't been taking the time to keep up with it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lord_Mcdonalds

Something I'm trying, not really anything out of the blue (there is a pun in that somewhere) but baleful strix is something I've wanted to try

I could see myself missing the Ponder, but my thought was with Baleful Strix, it cantrips and functions as pseudo~removal (insofar that anything it blocks will die), it can't find me land or shuffle my deck though, the supreme verdict was cut because the only creature based decks I've been really running into are jund, and perish does exactly what I want verdict to do...but cheaper.

As for bob, the reason I can fathom why it hasn't been played is this, the deck runs a (relatively) high curve, we have jace, batterskull, lingering souls, force of will etc, things that when flipped, are a punch in the face, we're not Jund/Esper Deathblade and can manipulate the top of our deck or mitigate the damage with DRS. In my experience, I've felt that, although the extra cards would be huge, it's not that needed in the deck.

---

I have similar feelings regarding Dark Confident vs Baleful Strix, as far as 2 drops are concerned it's more important to stabilize in turns 1 thru' 3 in order to reach Jace, The Game Ender than it is to gain incremental board position and card advantage if A) Dark Confident avoids removal and B) Dark Confident deters an attack.

The other niggling issue is that Dark Confident is a black card in a deck that needs blue cards, Baleful Strix makes Force of Will significantly more reliable.

I am glad that people are thinking that DeathBlade is a different deck, and I agree. But then that raises the question: is EsperBlade dead? If the mods don't count DeathBlade as "UWx Blade Control," then it seems highly unlikely that this thread will remain in decks to beat next month. I know that I have personally been having more success with DeathBlade since March, and I am never looking back.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Patrunkenphat7

I am glad that people are thinking that DeathBlade is a different deck, and I agree. But then that raises the question: is EsperBlade dead? If the mods don't count DeathBlade as "UWx Blade Control," then it seems highly unlikely that this thread will remain in decks to beat next month. I know that I have personally been having more success with DeathBlade since March, and I am never looking back.

---

I don't really count EsperBlade as a different deck altogether, given U/W stoneblade was more aggro-control, and Esper was more dedicated control, Deathblade is simply bladecontrol going in a different direction.

Which I am personally fine with.

Why should Esper be dead? No it isn't at all.^^ In Europe is still popular and i think in the USA too. A lot People Try only Deathblade now.
Deathblade is more a Midrange deck then a Controll deck with the Shaman's.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pdingo

Why should Esper be dead? No it isn't at all.^^ In Europe is still popular and i think in the USA too. A lot People Try only Deathblade now.
Deathblade is more a Midrange deck then a Controll deck with the Shaman's.

---

I actually have the impression that stoneblade altogether isn't popular at all in Europe. I rarely see it in European tops and BoM had none in the top (except a deathblade list). That's my impression at least.

I'm a bit at a loss with the deck ATM. I can't seem to find a list that i like and haven't been scoring too well with it lately. I'd test deathblade if it weren't for the 100+ euro's i have to drop for confidants.

So is there a consensus moving forward on whether Deathblade belongs on this thread or another?

If you put Deathrite Shaman and Tropical Island in the deck, I would say that it's another thread. On a side note I went 4-1-1 in the Legacy tournament Sunday at GP Gothenburg without any deathbladingbusiness and the deck works just fine.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by useL

If you put Deathrite Shaman and Tropical Island in the deck, I would say that it's another thread. On a side note I went 4-1-1 in the Legacy tournament Sunday at GP Gothenburg without any deathbladingbusiness and the deck works just fine.

---

Yeah the deck obviously isn't bad. It's better than 95% of the decks on this forum. It's just that when you compare it side by side with Deathblade, a similar deck, Deathblade seems to get the edge in most matchups. Deathblade is also better in the Esper vs Deathblade matchup, and that's a pretty big deal considering the popularity of the archetype.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AEnesidem

I actually have the impression that stoneblade altogether isn't popular at all in Europe. I rarely see it in European tops and BoM had none in the top (except a deathblade list). That's my impression at least.

I'm a bit at a loss with the deck ATM. I can't seem to find a list that i like and haven't been scoring too well with it lately. I'd test deathblade if it weren't for the 100+ euro's i have to drop for confidants.

---

Come back to bant :tongue:

gonna be taking the list to a tournament. Will be grinding it for the next 3 weeks.

any suggestions?

[DECK]lands
2 Tundra
1 Island
1 Plains
1 Karakas
1 Scrubland
1 Swamp
2 Marsh Flats
3 Polluted Delta
3 Underground Sea
4 Flooded Strand
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Tropical Island
2 Wasteland

creatures
2 Vendilion Clique
4 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Snapcaster Mage
4 Dark Confidant
4 Deathrite Shaman

Swords
1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa's Jitte

Business
4 Brainstorm
3 Force of Will
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Thoughtseize



Sideboard
1 Disenchant
1 Force of Will
2 Surgical Extraction
1 sword of feast and famine
1 Counterspell
2 Supreme Verdict
2 Vindicate
1 Thoughtseize
1 Path to Exile
2 Meddling Mage
[/DECK]

How do you expect to hold the line vs Goblins?

Is Goblins big enough to worry about that? It's the usual removal and disruption package for most Stoneblade decks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HSCK

Is Goblins big enough to worry about that? It's the usual removal and disruption package for most Stoneblade decks.

---

Goblins not really. What is the best tool to fight goblins? engineered explosiveS?

I already have supreme verdicts and jittes.

I've been playing esperblade for awhile now, but the one card I don't play is karakas. Maze of ith has been great 4 me in my games but I don't really have any experience with it. I know about the tricks you can do with the clique and such, its a maindeck answer for reanimator, but in my experience the maze has helped me long enuf to get an answer or a threat. Why is karakas so much better than maze?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kontrol Issues

I've been playing esperblade for awhile now, but the one card I don't play is karakas. Maze of ith has been great 4 me in my games but I don't really have any experience with it. I know about the tricks you can do with the clique and such, its a maindeck answer for reanimator, but in my experience the maze has helped me long enuf to get an answer or a threat. Why is karakas so much better than maze?

---

One important (and quite common) interaction is with Emrakul, the Aeon's Torn. Karakas deals with Emrakul quite well (Sneak Attack aside) whereas Maze of Ith neither removes Emrakul from the table nor protects you from Annihilator 6. Having that misers Karakas to randomly deal with Emrakul can be quite useful.

Karakas also produces white mana. Maze of Ith doesn't produce any mana.