[Deck] UWb Esperblade

Don't get me wrong... I hate the way wasteland alone changed the way decks were suppose to be build.

Still... I don't run wastelands in my build. I was so noisy about it cuz it's is realy gold in the way your deck plays. (that's why we are here isn't it? o.o )

If you guys have some time to think about my build I would be glad...

4 Dark Confidant
4 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Geist of Saint Traft

4 Brainstorm
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Inquistion of Kozilek
4 Force of Will
4 Ponder
2 Jace, the Mindsculptor
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Batterskull

4 Flooded Strand
2 Polluted Delta
2 Marsh Flats

3 Tundra
2 Underground Sea
2 Scrubland

2 Mishra's Factory
1 Moorland Haunt

2 Island
1 Plains
1 Swamp

Talking about My build and Hani's.

(About Cantrips: I see that too Hani... sometimes they get me realy angry (ponder: shuffle, draw ponder)... But is realy a strong top deck, and it "allows" to play with fewer lands, making easier to get to 4 lands fast and stay there.)

Also for me is a nice way to run 4 bob and 7 4-5CMC cards, while still having most of it.

Exclusively about Hani's

But for you would be 2 ponders maximum... for a very diferent reason.... for you it could be the aswer for the flood/few lands problem... just like RUG does.

About Tidehollow and SCM : Tidehollow is mana intensive and isn't blue... that counts in a deck that runs only 14 blue cards and runs wastes (now he runs \o/). Maybe a combination of 2 tidehollow and 3 snapcaster? Would complement nicely your disruption package. Lowering your curve also.

And with 3 Daze MD and only 14 blue cards...perhaps move 1 Fow to SB?

A lot of things to playtest and think about it.

Well in a build like yours with 2 Geist and 2 Jace, I can see the merits of running Ponder's, because you'll want to dig for that 3rd and 4th land sometimes. You also don't have Mother of Runes to protect your Dark Confidant, so it's less consistent at drawing cards with him than it is in my build, making the cantrips even better for you. You also run a lighter creature density (the 2 Geists are midgame creatures, and you only run 8 2cc creatures, so you'll be able to cast Ponder early game more often than me).

I'm not really sure I like the Geist's in your build, though. Without Mother of Runes for protection, and only 4 Swords to Plowshares with no Snapcaster Mage, they won't be able to swing very often (any creature with power 2 or greater that blocks it will kill it). You pretty much need a clean board or an equipment to really be able to do much with it. It's lousy on defense, and doesn't bring any card advantage or disruption to the table. I think Geist is a better fit in Esper Tempo, to be honest.

I know you said you didn't like Clique, but the guy flies over blockers and adds some more disruption to your deck. I'd run him over Geist, anyway.

Or maybe you could cut the 2 Geist and 1 Ponder for 3 Spell Snare? You only run 4 Swords, 4 Inquisition, and 4 Brainstorm to flashback with Snapcaster right now (well, there's Ponder too, but that's really not what you want to be flashing back).

Anyway, everything else looks pretty good.

I have 12 2cmc creatures o.o...

well... what you said about geist in true, is lousy on defense... Still I think 4 swords + 4 snapcaster are suficient to make a clean board against most decks. They are a new add to the deck... if 4 swords+4 SCM are not enoght for him to swing, then they will probabily become spell snares (they were a few days ago)

Yes, dark confidant often dies earlier that I would like it...

But, I don't think running mother of runes is the right way in this deck, I rather use him as a auxiliar card adv engine (with jace)... as DC will, most of times be killed, but if not, it can win the game for me.

About snares... I was running 3... but I most times could not afford to "not play" something..

The problem is....with that much cantrip and cards that like to casted early (including jace in 4th turn) , the spell snare is often removed by force or used only in late game. That's why I cutted it.

Still If I miss then very much I will probabily -1 ponder -1 something not geist for 2 Spell snares.

I would rather play dazes if losing one land drop won't hurt so much...

What I meant by 8 2cc creatures was that you only have 8 you want to cast on turn 2 (or with only 2 lands in play). SCM might be a 2cc creature, but he's really a 3cc creature, since the flashback spell is like a comes into play effect with a kicker cost of 1.

However, my comment about Ponder in your build vs my build was pretty stupid, since we run the same 2cc creatures with the only difference being that I run Mom and you run Geist. I guess without a turn 1 Mom, Ponder gives you more turn 1 plays. That comment makes a lot more sense than the way I worded it before.

EDIT: I've made a few more changes to the Wasteland build I'm testing. I cut a Scrubland for the 4th Daze to up my blue spell count and to be more aggressive with the Waste/Daze plan, and I've switched the Snares to Pierces, which makes a lot more sense with that approach. I've also swapped the SB Paths with Ghastly Demise, since Path has bad synergy with my Wastelands.

I like your changes Hanni

I have other problems...

If we look.... what could easily be cuted is : 1 SCM, 1 Ponder, 2 Geist.

But if we cut geists... I would have to add another card with a nice clock, or something that could replace this effect, like, creating a stronger control lock... something that makes easier to end the game.

One thing I did notice is that Spell Snares (while beeing realy powerful) was siting in my hand, removed by force, or used in only in late game.

Considering so, that we have 4 Slots. What to add?

Maybe only 2 snares is the right choise... for mid game. To add value to SCM just as I did before... But if I add 2 snares, doesn't make sense cuting the 4th SCM.

Maybe 2 unearth in that slot could be strong with bobs and SCMs? While solving the problem of board position, replacing geist reason (kill the opponent) (Again, so why cuting 4th SCM?)

The problem is that I always have cards to play (specialy after adding 4 ponders), so I never want to "not tap out for snare". I rather cast bob on 2nd turn.

Playing Daze i'm sure you understand how damn Slow (and damn powerful) can be playing with spell snares.

I'm thinking about

Simply -2 Geist +2 Unearth

Or -1 Ponder -2 Geist -1 "something that I don't know that should not be SCM" +2 Snares +2 unearth.

What you guys think about these?

I thinked better about unearths... and i'm convince it would be useful in much more ocasions than geists... I could revive my bobs and sfm... but the most awsome would be snapcaster mage... meaning that I could revive 2 creatures with one unearth... or, what is even more exciting... turn a unearth into a snapcaster then swords...

While lowering curve and still having more board presence.

Unearth sounds like it would be really good in control matchups that don't use exiling effects. If not a maindeck card, it definitely deserves consideration as a sideboard card.

As far as what to cut in your build... remember that with Geist, your sitting at 20 blue spells, which is right about where you want to be.

I'd probably cut 2 Geist and 1 Ponder for 3 Spell Snare. That way, your blue spell count stays the same, you get some more countermagic, and another juicy flashback target for Snapcaster Mage. I mean, I don't see why you need a finisher when you have Jitte, Batterskull, and Jace TMS as finishers already.

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On an unrelated note, I've done some more playtesting with the Wasteland version and made some more changes. I still prefer the Wasteland-less build for its more stable manabase, but both builds have performed well in testing. Anyway, here's what Wasteland build looks like now:

U/W/b Esperblade
Hannifish 2012

// Lands (20)
4 [ON] Flooded Strand
2 [ON] Polluted Delta
2 [ZEN] Marsh Flats
3 [R] Tundra
2 [R] Underground Sea
1 [R] Scrubland
1 [UNH] Island
1 [UNH] Plains
4 [TE] Wasteland

// Creatures (16)
4 [UL] Mother of Runes
4 [WWK] Stoneforge Mystic
4 [RAV] Dark Confidant
4 [ISD] Snapcaster Mage

// Spells (24)
4 [IA] Brainstorm
3 [ZEN] Spell Pierce
4 [NE] Daze
4 [AL] Force of Will
2 [LRW] Thoughtseize
1 [ROE] Inquisition of Kozilek
4 [IA] Swords to Plowshares
1 [BOK] Umezawa's Jitte
1 [NPH] Batterskull

// Sideboard (15)
SB: 2 [OD] Ghastly Demise
SB: 2 [TE] Perish
SB: 2 [AP] Vindicate
SB: 1 [TE] Disenchant
SB: 2 [SOK] Pithing Needle
SB: 2 [NPH] Surgical Extraction
SB: 1 [PLC] Extirpate
SB: 1 [UL] Unearth
SB: 1 [SOK] Manriki-Gusari
SB: 1 [MBS] Sword of Feast and Famine

The manabase does have somes issues, but that's the cost of adding Wasteland instead of colored sources I guess. I really don't want to go past 20 lands because my curve is so low, and I need to maintain my blue spell count for Force of Will.

The 4/4/3 Wasteland/Daze/Pierce combo is really aggressive early game, which is nice. I also get to keep my 4/3 Mom/Discard package, which has been really good at protecting a turn 2 SFM/Confidant.

I cut the Moorland Haunt because I felt that 4 Wasteland was better than a 3/1 split, and I don't want 5 colorless lands. Haunt was awesome in early game testings, specifically against control decks with sweepers like Deed. However, with the tempo package + discard, I'm hoping that I can keep an opponent from resolving them. As long as I don't overcommit, this should be a solid matchup. Postboard Needle and Unearth can come in as additional support.

I Swapped the sideboard Path's for Ghastly Demise because Path has bad synergy with my Wasteland plan. It also gives me an out to Iona on white, however relevant that is these days. I cut the SoFI, since there really is no matchup I'd need to bring them in against, and put a singleton Unearth in its place.

Hanni I thought about nearly the same:

3 Thoughtseize instead of 2/1.
Spell Snare over Spell Pierce - Makes you more aggresive in the early game with Confi and SFM. SCM and Mother will give you more range later anyway.
Maybe Delver instead of Mothers.

Delver makes the deck more aggroish and will eat burn/removal early just like Mother. Mother can protect your Confi and SFM, but Mother will be taken out anyway as soon as possible. Delver just gives you more pressure, which is great, I think. In a combo-heavy meta I would prefer Mother, because of the possibility to play Hatebears sideboard.

Lingering Souls is really good for this deck..

I don't understand why Lingering Souls would be good for this deck. Paying 2W for two 1/1 fliers isn't bad, but they offer absolutely no utility. For 3 mana, I could get a 3/1 flier with a disruptive ability. The flashback for 1B is cool, but I do have SCM for flashing back stuff already.

Souls is an awesome card in a deck like B/w Deaguy, in a list with Bitterblossom, Sorin, and Elspeth. The only synergy it has in this deck is equipment carrying, which the deck already has those. Unearth seems more useful to me than Souls.

@ Windux

I like the 2/1 split for now. The lifeloss on Thoughtseize can be relevant, especially if I'm flashing it back for a second use. It's also not as good as Inquisition against aggressive red decks like Burn, U/R Delver, Sligh, and Zoo.

I spent hours debating with myself about Snare vs Pierce, trying to evaluate the two for my build. Ultimately, I found Spell Pierce to be better overall. I want to protect my guys, and Pierce does that, and Snare doesn't. Pierce still hits 2cc noncreature spells, too. People expect Snare these days, and often build around it. Snare doesn't counter a Qasali cast off of a GSZ, but Pierce does. The only 2cc creatures I'd want to counter are the same exact ones that I'm running myself, where Pierce is still a great card for the mirror... although the 1cc discard and free countermagic is even better. I'm running 4 Waste and 4 Daze already, and Spell Pierce has great synergy with that plan.

Even with the tempo package I'm running, I'm not a tempo deck. Traditional tempo wants to disrupt and then beat and kill the oppononet before they stabilize. This deck is different. I want to use my tempo elements to dominate the early game so that I can resolve my card advantage fishy creatures, and get so far ahead of my opponent in resources that they can never get back into the game. Its a very different style, and it values being more defensive early vs being more aggressive, as far as aggro beats are concerned (being aggressive with disruption is a different story). Mother of Runes fits this plan like a glove, while Delver is out of place. However, I will test with Delver in place of Mom's sometime later, just to be thorough in testing out everything.

The fact that it dodges spell snare and REB is alrdy pretty huge and its one card for FOUR tokens with flying. Its best fit in a intuition shell though, I see u have not tested that card yet.

Ok, that's the list I did come up with:

Metagame: 10% Dredge, 8,5% CanThresh, 7% Reanimator/Maverick (with P Fire)/UR Delver/UB Stoneblade (75ppl)

4 Flooded Strand
2 Polluted Delta
1 Marsh Flats
3 Tundra
2 Underground Sea
1 Scrubland
1 Island
1 Plains
4 Wasteland
4 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Dark Confidant
3 Snapcaster Mage
4 Brainstorm
3 Spell Pierce
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
1 Thoughtseize
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Batterskull
3 Jotun Grunt
3 Mother of Runes
SB: 1 Ghastly Demise
SB: 2 Perish
SB: 2 Vindicate
SB: 1 Retrubition of the Meek
SB: 3 Grafdigger's Cage
SB: 3 Surgical Extraction
SB: 1 Unearth
SB: 1 Manriki-Gusari
SB: 1 Sword of Feast and Famine


Spell Pierce over Spell Snare proved to be ok.

I tested Delvers and found out, they were great! But I wanted a big body in this meta, where x/2 can be burned out easily. So I cutted them for Jotun Grunts, which are out of Bolt-range and can weaken Mongoose and Tarmogoyf. Also, it's quite useful against Reanimator and Dredge (only preboard out!). It takes care of P-Fire.
So it's over Delver ;)
And then I just thought, if I cut Delvers because of their power, I have to put in Mother.

Ah, Jotun Grunt. That brings back memories. :)

I suppose if your meta is heavy with decks using the graveyard, he'd a be a perfect fit. Decent p/t for the cost, and can totally hose some graveyard strategies.

Also, I'm not saying Delver couldn't be good in the Wasteland builds, but the way Esperblade is designed, I prefer Mother of Runes. Mother of Runes protects Dark Confidant, who goes on to draw me alot of cards. Mother of Runes protects SFM, who then cheats a Batterskull into play. Mother of Runes herself provides virtual card advantage, which is exactly what I want.

I've won a little local tournament with this new list I've been testing lately:

4 flooded strand
4 polluted delta
3 tundra
3 underground sea
3 wasteland
1 scrubland
1 island
1 swamp

4 snapcaster mage
4 spellstutter sprite
3 stoneforge mystic

4 bitterblossom
1 umezawa's jitte
1 sword of fire and ice

4 brainstorm
4 force of will
4 swords to plowshares
3 spell snare
4 inquisition of kozilek
2 ponder
2 diabolic edict

SB:
4 duress
2 darkblast
2 perish
1 diabolic edict
3 enlightened tutor
1 energy flux
1 aura flux
1 grafdigger's cage

Having mixed results with my previous mother of runes+bob+clique list I put the above list together and so far it was great! The idea with this list is to completely ignore my opppnent's removal by having creatures that do their job when they etb(which was the reason to cutu batterskull). Not having to ptotect my creatures from removal lets me focus on ruining my opponent's gameplan. Since the deck's clock is patheticly slow i decided to drop all conditional counters, that I traditionally used to run to minimize the risk of drawing dead lategame. Anyway back to the tournament, this is my brief report (not exactly detailed since I didn't take any notes).

round 1 vs LED faithless looting dredge

G1: My opp wins the roll and decides to play, but surprisingly does nothing on his t1 and passes. I go t1 Inquisition taking a LED and gaining a virtual timewalk. FoW takes care of his topdecked discard outlet and he is stuck for 2 or 3 turns while I manage to assemble bitterblossom + jitte. He misplays badly not sacking his narcomoeba to therapy with 3 brigdes in yard and letting me untap and stp it. I kill my faerie with Jitte to remove brigdes and keep swinging ftw not seeing a single zombie token.
SB: -3 spell snare -2 edict +3 e. tutor +1 cage +1 [can't remember]
G2: I mull to 6 and see a cage(lucky bastard!). He sees no answers...
2-0

round 2 vs UB tempo with delver, tombstalker, dreadnought and torpor orb

G1: Game goes long since none of us manages to resolve/stick a threat. I kill a total of 2 delvers and 2 tombstalkers, drop to about 4 life before bitterblossom joins jitte on my side of the table. 3rd stalker resolves but cannot handle my faeries.
SB: -1 spell snare +1 edict
G2: Is the exact copy of G1 exept torpor orb shows itself finally(and gets spell snared). I kill another 3 tombstalkers before faeries with SoFaI and jitte seal the deal. Dreadnought doesn't show up even once.
2-0

round 3 vs RUG delver

I cannot remember much of it exept:
G1: Waste, stifle, daze, spell snare delver, double 6/7 goyf, bolt, I die before even trying to resist. Goyf laughs at my tribal enchantment in yard.
SB: -3 spell snare +1 edict +2 duress
G2: Was a pretty close game. At some point i manage to find an edict for his goose, duress his counter before resolving a blossom and some equipment. I feel like multiple discard won me this game(it took krosan grip out).
G3: My friend gets extremly unlucky, mulls to 4 and gets easily overwhelmed. In a way i feel sorry for him, yet I'm relieved since it was a matchup i feared most.
2-1

round 4 vs UR burn

G1: I go: t1 inquisition, t2 bitterblossom, t3 jitte with force backup. There's nothing he can do from this point.
SB: -4 FoW +4 duress
G2: I see no fetches or basics and keep playing duals. I get 6 dmg from price of progress, but my discard gets smash to smithereens. I take the risk and play the 4th dual to cast a jitte and have mana open for sprite. Another price hits me for 8. I get 4 counters on jitte before a snap- backed smash to smithereens kills it and drops me to 6. I drop SoFaI and kill in 2 swings before my opponent manages to find those last 6 points of damage.
2-0

Summing up, I'm really satisfied with the list, especially being removal-proof and having a srtong lategame. Bitterblossom was mvp all day, tho I guess without equipment isn't that impressive on its own. Downside i guess, is i wasn't able to put my opponents under a serious clock, which makes me worry a bit about my combo matchup. Having 6 removal mb was pretty awsome. I,m not yet sold on diabolic edict but I'm pretty sure I want a non-targeting effect, innocent blood and engeneered explosives come to mind. Enlightened tutor sideboard was an experiment and I didn't really have a chance to test it( i expected enchantress and mud in my meta). I'm still trying to think of good targets. Engeneered explosives, vedalken shackles, circle of protection: red? Any ideas? Any thoughts on the list will be appreciated.

Quote:

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I don't understand why Lingering Souls would be good for this deck. Paying 2W for two 1/1 fliers isn't bad, but they offer absolutely no utility. For 3 mana, I could get a 3/1 flier with a disruptive ability. The flashback for 1B is cool, but I do have SCM for flashing back stuff already.

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Exactly my thoughts, but then I watched EsperBlade with Lingering Souls at GP:Indy and it was just crushing, especially in the Mirror and vs Delver.

It just gives you 4 tokens over 1-2 turns, whereas BB takes 4 turns for the same amount of tokens and is a much worse topdeck, not even considering the lifeloss. Not getting countered by Snare or destroyed by Nature's Claim/Disenchant is also pretty big.
And of course it's also pretty much immune to all the spot removal running around.

This is definitely battling for slots with Geist/Mirran Crusader/Clique and it's not to be underestimated.

Lingering Souls is being discussed by sheldon and rich on ggslive. I'd tune in right now to see it in action.

Martell got a single intuition in his deck with 4 lingering souls.

Combining those two with 1 or 2 Cabal Therapy would be nutty. Intuition for Lingering Souls, Therapy, Therapy is GG in quite some matchups.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rizso

Martell got a single intuition in his deck with 4 lingering souls.

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I like the construction of his list. The proactive discard to gain information on the opponent's game plan and the use of extra cantrips in Ponder seems really good. Lingering Souls is such a great value card and seems beastly in the mirror. Would like to see this list take the GP down.

Intuition seems interesting in general, in a deck with Snapcaster Mage.