Dudecore's Deck Vault: "Esper Midrange" Standard Edition

[Dudecore]

Thank you for taking some time to read my newest article. I decided to do a deck tech on my personal deck, as I can go much more in depth with it. I don't like Aggro, never have. From my early days of playing Magic I was handed an Aggro deck because it was "Simple." I watched my friends pulling off huge combos with blue and saying to myself "I want to do that." Ever since then I've been the blue mage, never going through a Standard cycle without at least having some blue. Blue and I were made for each other. When {Mana Leak} was going to inevitably rotate without being replaced, and {Cavern of Souls} was just finding it's footing, I had a crisis: "Wizard's doesn't want me to play blue." "How could they do this to me?" I wondered, "How could Aggro be fun when it can come on the battlefield without the threat of counter spells?" I frantically looked through Return to Ravnica spoilers "come on, gimme something! I don't want to use {Dissipate}." I stopped at {Syncopate}. "Hmm, somewhere between {Dissipate} and {Mana Leak}". I dusted off my Odyssey copies of {Syncopate} and got to testing. The first edition was exactly like Delver, including Delver. {Mana Leak} became {Syncopate}, {Vapor Snag} became {Unsummon}, {Gitaxian Probe} turned into {Thought Scour}. "Eureka!" I run to playgroup with my newest creation, Post-Rotation Delver! My happiness was quickly quelled...{Cavern of Souls} had indeed taken over. Not only that but {Thragtusk} hits the field uncounterable, a 5/3 attached to {Whitesun's Passage} and if uncounterable wasn't insulting enough, it resists my bounce attempts. In an effort to find its place among Zombies, Werewolves, Vampires, Wurms, Beasts and Humans this deck tech is geared toward my sensibilities.

👻 Ghosts 'n' Stuff 👻 Esper Midrange/Esper Flash Designed by Dudecore 75 cards, 15 sideboard 4 {Augur of Bolas} 4 {Snapcaster Mage} 4 {Restoration Angel} Creatures [12] 3 {Unsummon} 4 {Azorius Charm} 2 {Syncopate} 2 {Essence Scatter} 2 {Dissipate} 1 {Feeling of Dread} 3 {Ultimate Price} 3 {Thought Scour} 2 {Forbidden Alchemy} 1 {Sphinx's Revelation} 2 {Runechanter's Pike} Spells [25] 5 {Island} 2 {Plains} 4 {Hallowed Fountain} 4 {Glacial Fortress} 4 {Drowned Catacomb} 3 {Isolated Chapel} 1 {Moorland Haunt} 23 lands Sideboard 2 {Nevermore} 4 {Geist of Saint Traft} 2 {Dungeon Geists} 3 {Detention Sphere} 2 {Supreme Verdict} 1 {Curse of Echoes} 1 {Witchbane Orb} 15 sideboard cards

4 Augur of Bolas
Love, love, love this card in the current meta. A splashible 1/3 body attached to a 3 card deck reach. Can block and kill {Gravecrawler}, stop nearly every single fast aggro card in Standard and he can dodge a {Pillar of Flame}. You might get angry when you have to pass on a {Restoration Angel} and {Runechanter's Pike}, but you'll be thanking him next time you put 3 lands on the bottom. Quickly becoming my go-to {Restoration Angel} flicker target because it can just get so deep into the deck to find answers.

4 Snapcaster Mage
Yep. Moving on. -1 is a Sideboard option.

4 Restoration Angel
According to Mark Rosewater: "The Card that killed Flash for white" (markrosewater.tumblr.com). Absolute monster that is so versatile that it makes me play standard. From enabling your entire graveyard by reusing {Snapcaster Mage}, to the infamous Snappy ⏩ [insert card here] ⏩ Angel ⏩ Flicker Snapcaster ⏩ [insert another card] ⏩ block with both. Looking for that {Unsummon}? Flicker your {Augur of Bolas}. Need a creature with evasion to hold that {Runechanter's Pike}? Need to devise insane swingy combos to win the game? This is the linchpin of any deck, and splashible. The synergy with both creatures is off the charts that I have to move on.

3 Unsummon
Nice cheap removal, contributes to {Runechanter's Pike} total. It is a good card to use in a mana crunch, opens the game early. It might not always be helpful, but look at it this way. Are 4 Resto Angels, Snappy or Augur's not good enough for you? How about 12? Just put it back into your hand and let em fly again, find that {Azorius Charm}! Protect your beater from {Bonfire of the Damned}. Sideboard option.

4 Azorius Charm
I'm seeing this card become more and more a "Draw a card" for 2 mana to find {Syncopate}. But I like it's versatility also, with {Snapcaster Mage} a potential flashback threat for swinging the game in your favor with a well timed "Creatures you control gain lifelink until end of turn", or much needed "put target attacking or blocking creature on top of its owner's library." I can't neglect the impact of these effects, and it's power to regain resources.

2 Syncopate
{Mana Leak} this is not. Versatile, but it is difficult to play profitably. For example: you have 4 mana and your opponent has 3 mana. Your opponent, on his turn, casts a spell that costs 1 mana. Let us say that it is a {Gravecrawler} that you can't afford to let resolve. So, in order to use this card, you need to "counter this unless you pay 3." The X cost is 3. That is 4 mana to get rid of a threat that cost 1. You exiled it, however, you spent 4 mana, lost a card. They can now cast 2 more 1 drops if they choose. If you'd used {Essence Scatter} (effective) you run the risk of the Crawler coming back. {Cavern of Souls} is an issue that runs through this article, with no effective counterspells and uncounterable creatures the blue mages job just got harder. You really want to use this card to stop early {Farseek} and gain tempo in the battle vs. {Thragtusk}.

2 Essence Scatter
Yeah, the meta right now is very, very creature heavy, so this isn't an altogether bad choice for a {Mana Leak} replacement. Cheaper then {Dissipate} thus easier to cast in a pinch if you need to use a Snapcaster. Still serves a function, absolute waste vs. a tribal deck running Cavern. Sideboard option in favor of a {Detention Sphere}.

2 Dissipate
In terms of Counterspells, there have been worse, there have been better, and then there was {Dissipate}. Like the spell, versatile and much appreciated rock in a lineup of cards.

1 Feeling of Dread
This card is great. Remember those wild and crazy things you can do with Resto, Snapcaster and Augur? Well this is that card for a swingy turn. 2 creatures tapped is invaluable, 4 for 4 mana. This can be one of those answers you find with Augur, you can use it to buff your Pike too. I feel bad only having 1, this card can swing an entire game. {Ultimate Price} can't kill that pesky {Falkenrath Arisocrat}? Tap him, {Azorius Charm}, gain life and get back into the mix.

3 Ultimate Price
The sole reason I put black into this deck. As of the release of Return to Ravnica, there is a total of 61 multicolored creatures against 530 monocolored creatures. Artifacts aren't relevant currently. It's splashible, cheap removal with a minimal downside as an alternative to {Doom Blade}. If you're gonna 2 for 1 with {Thragtusk} you might as well destroy it and then {Unsummon} the token, or deal with it in a race.

3 Thought Scour
This card is in here for a couple of obvious reasons. 1) Draw a card. 2) Combo with {Azorius Charm}. 3) Did I mention draw a card? Cheap cantrips will always find their way into decks. Good card, replaces itself, can cause some turn 1 problems.

2 Forbidden Alchemy
Where do I begin? If my {Restoration Angel} description got out of hand. this is bound to be worse. Instant speed "find an answer". You get to reach 4 cards into your deck! 4 turns ahead!! You can dump all types of less useful cards in search for an answer, and it's not like they're truly gone because you've got Snappy still. Do this on your opponent's end step, clean up a land patch, find the answers! The basic idea is here is that you pretty much don't know what your next card is going to be (with few exceptions), that is why card advantage wins games. This card generates card advantage (explained in Death Gaara's articles) and card selection (like {Jace, Architect of Thought}). With how important it is to be able to look through your deck to find answers, this card is irreplaceable. You put yourself nearly 4 turns ahead in what you "would have" drawn, and got to pick the best card of those turns. Do you get burned? Everything has a draw back. Is it the most likely outcome of playing this card? I'd say it happens rarely. The flashback is nearly irrelevant, if you're absolutely desperate enough to use it then go right ahead, it's a good indicator if you're winning or losing the game.

1 Sphinx's Revelation
Inferior to {Inspiration} or {Think Twice} on turn 4-7. Undeniable on turn 8+. It's instant speed makes this a Mythic rare, it's another card in a long list of swingy cards in this deck. I only have a 1-of copy because I don't want to draw it too often, this sets up a later game big time and every bit helps. {Blue Sun's Zenith} that reloads your hand after a board wipe against control. It's not the unstoppable card people would have you believe, but it's a nice way to generate card advantage. Sideboard option.

2 Runechanter's Pike
Every deck needs a hero, and a deck full of 23 instants/sorceries needs this card. The few creatures in this deck become lethal damage dealers. Plenty of ways to buff this thing up with cheap instants, more then enough ways to search for it. This is the win condition. No substitutes.

Why is it so good?
Answers. I've said it about 20 times, looking in your deck to find what you need sets the bar high. It stops combo heavy Reanimator decks, can make Aggro decks exhaust their resources and topdeck, and it can hit its stride near other midrange decks. It is difficult to pilot, but once you get it going you'll be satisfied. You'll never be top decking, you'll always be improving the longer the game goes.

What are its weaknesses?
Speed. Aggro decks with quick hands will make fast work out of this deck. Drawing cards gets expensive, so you've gotta be efficient and hope to find enough ways to win. Also, the way it deals damage is hinged a lot on {Runechanter's Pike}. Its also not recommended for everyone, the big swingy turns become a bit to much.

What about the sideboard?
With this Deck Tech and ones in the future i'll refer the most I can to the "Standard Sideboard". It's updated monthly, metas change too quickly, and some are so vastly different that it is hard to even suggest what one should do: http://imtgapp.com/forum/index.php?topic=15648.0. Since the standard sideboard doesn't have a sideboard for Esper decks ill quickly run through my choices.

2 {Nevermore}
The utilitarian "Stop that". Good card, doesn't fully stop reanimator decks because of {Abrupt Decay}, but can set up some decent tempo until they can find it.

4 {Geist of Saint Traft}
Not fast enough to main deck, a turn 3 2/2 that swings for 6 is worth another look if you're playing a mirror or need something to beat aggro with. Suiciding the Geist in order to put through 4 is an option too.

2 {Dungeon Geists}
Anti-{Thragtusk} tech. Costs a bunch, but he's the answer.

3 {Detention Sphere}
Amazing spell to lock away all those Zombies,

2 {Supreme Verdict}
Another fast aggro killer. Ruins your gameplan substantially, but is another answer to throw in.

1 {Curse of Echoes}
Used for the mirror, vs. Izzet, vs. anything you can imagine. 5 mana enchantments aren't my forte to be exact, but I like this one.

1 {Witchbane Orb}
On the fence. Good vs. RDW, worse then Curse (because red can't interact with enchantments). Might be removed for {Curse of Death's Hold}

Matchups
The matchup list designed to show the most favorable/unfavorable matchups this particular deck has. It no way suggests that it will always win/lose those matchups. The list is also designed how I SEE IT, and in no way suggests that I'm 100% right.
4C Rites
Bant Midrange
Junk Rites
Naya Midrange
Selesnya Midrange
American Control
American Midrange
Azorius Control
Azorius Midrange
Bant Control
Esper Control
Azorius Aggro
BG Zombies
BR Zombies
Jund Midrange
Jund Zombies
Junk Tokens
Rakdos Aggro
Red Deck Wins
Selesnya Aggro

That does it for another Deck Tech. If you've got any questions or comments, feel free to post them here. If you like the Article and want more, hit the "Like" button under my MLP avatar.

[Livingroomoflife]

Really fond of this one - always nice to meet people who are fans of blue too

Is the deck title a play off the Deadmau5 album?

[Dudecore]

It is. Next deck will be "Moar Ghosts 'N' Stuff". Thank you for reading it.

[Maximo]

It's a harsh world for an Izzet player right now..

[Dudecore]

It's a harsh world for an Izzet player right now..

The USA version of this deck does quite well. With {Izzet Charm} and {Pillar of Flame}. I just don't have the cards for mana fixing, or else I might have done that.

[Crapshooter]

Not to contradict, I enjoy reading these articles and appreciate the insight, I just wanted to add my experience and say I run Jund midrange. While I have answers to a lot of cards, control seems to beat me every time.  {Sphinx's Revelation} is just so hard to get past and unless I get of a great  {Rakdos's Return} I'm usually at a disadvantage. Even with that, once again revelation puts players right back on top if not at least equal. And one other thing to add, I have seen  {Psychic Spiral} work wonders as a side board card, reinervates your deck while hurting them greatly.

[Dudecore]

Not to contradict, I enjoy reading these articles and appreciate the insight, I just wanted to add my experience and say I run Jund midrange. While I have answers to a lot of cards, control seems to beat me every time.  {Sphinx's Revelation} is just so hard to get past and unless I get of a great  {Rakdos's Return} I'm usually at a disadvantage. Even with that, once again revelation puts players right back on top if not at least equal. And one other thing to add, I have seen  {Psychic Spiral} work wonders as a side board card, reinervates your deck while hurting them greatly.

Well thank you for reading. I thought about {Psychic Spiral}. Might throw that in instead of {Witchbane Orb}, thanks!