Between the Hangarbacks and the 9 token producing planeswalkers/spells, it feels very consistent. Burning a Secure the Wastes for 3 to ensure a raid trigger is more than fine; it's really difficult to lose a game when you make a pair of birds on turn 5. That said I go back and forth on Oath of Gideon as a 2 or 3-of partly for this reason. Ran Knight for a while, but I always hated topdecking it late, and now I run Grasp of Darkness so WW on two is harder to ensure.
I really like the one-of Quarantine Field in theory as a late game mana sink, but it's another one I waffle over. It's been a second Utter End, a Planar Outburst, a second Ob Nixilis... at this point it'll probably just stay a Field because that's what I'm used to, and it's won a couple games by exiling Abzan's entire board.
I'm planning to take an Esper tokens list to a PPTQ this Sunday, after moving on from a beloved GW megamorph shell. Having too much fun with the end of turn Secure into planeswalker anthem combo. This is the list I'm on currently...
Boarding into countermagic seems too appealing to drop the free blue splash and go with straight BW control, and I remain convinced that a raided Wingmate Roc on turn 5 is one of the best plays in standard. I like Hangarback Walker a lot, as an early blocker and resilient way to force Raid to happen for Wingmate Roc, and am never too sad to see an opponent waste an early turn Silkwrapping it.
I'll be tweaking the board a bit to respect the red decks more with a third surge of righteousness, and might want Kalitas in there somewhere. The Duress in the main board are mostly to free up sideboard spots, and it's a fine card against most decks right now, I feel. Never sad to strip out a ramp spell, an Abzan Charm or Kolaghan's Command turn one or two.
It's entirely possible I'm overpreparing for the Rally deck, with 5 permission spells, 2 Moonlights and all this hand attack. Not all of it will come in, so maybe I should swap some out for more specialized spot removal like Ultimate Price.
Comments welcome, I'll try to reply again with some results by Monday!
I really like the one-of Quarantine Field in theory as a late game mana sink, but it's another one I waffle over. It's been a second Utter End, a Planar Outburst, a second Ob Nixilis... at this point it'll probably just stay a Field because that's what I'm used to, and it's won a couple games by exiling Abzan's entire board.
Thanks for the well wishes!
4x Shambling Vent
4x Caves of Koilos
4x Flooded Strand
4x Polluted Delta
2x Prairie Stream
1x Sunken Hollow
2x Plains
3x Swamp
1x Blighted Fen
Creatures (7)
4x Hangarback Walker
3x Wingmate Roc
Instants (9)
3x Grasp of Darkness
1x Utter End
3x Secure the Wastes
2x Murderous Cut
2x Duress
3x Painful Truths
1x Ruinous Path
Enchantments (6)
4x Silkwrap
1x Stasis Snare
1x Quarantine Field
Planeswalkers (7)
4x Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1x Ob Nixilis Reignited
2x Sorin, Solemn Visitor
1x Duress
2x Transgress the Mind
3x Disdainful Stroke
2x Negate
3x Self-inflicted Wound
2x Hallowed Moonlight
2x Surge of Righteousness
Boarding into countermagic seems too appealing to drop the free blue splash and go with straight BW control, and I remain convinced that a raided Wingmate Roc on turn 5 is one of the best plays in standard. I like Hangarback Walker a lot, as an early blocker and resilient way to force Raid to happen for Wingmate Roc, and am never too sad to see an opponent waste an early turn Silkwrapping it.
I'll be tweaking the board a bit to respect the red decks more with a third surge of righteousness, and might want Kalitas in there somewhere. The Duress in the main board are mostly to free up sideboard spots, and it's a fine card against most decks right now, I feel. Never sad to strip out a ramp spell, an Abzan Charm or Kolaghan's Command turn one or two.
It's entirely possible I'm overpreparing for the Rally deck, with 5 permission spells, 2 Moonlights and all this hand attack. Not all of it will come in, so maybe I should swap some out for more specialized spot removal like Ultimate Price.
Comments welcome, I'll try to reply again with some results by Monday!