I think the Tasigur way should be the Monastery Mentor way. Most list that has Tasigur has 4 Mentor's and only 2 Tasigur's. Mentor is the card to build around I believe. Also, I think we can agree that at least 1 Tasigur is going to be in each deck (maybe not the Confidant one) and I don't think he's a build around creature as Mentor would be. Just my thoughts...
I'm looking forward to seeing where Esper goes since I have the mana base for it. I've been tinkering with a few esper deck ideas the first being most like deadguy with hand disruption and swords.
Nice I like your lists! This is the list I'm currently playing and it's a blast to play. I've been successful with this list and it's good against Twin. I'll be doing more testing tonight with this list and I'll report how it goes.
I've been playing Ichikawa's list a bit. It's a bit weak to combo decks like Scapeshift/Tron (as you'd typically expect from a midrange deck), perhaps more so than Abzan since your threats don't hit as hard (Goyf/Rhino). However, the deck is amazing against Abzan and Twin, the two best decks in the current format.
I really like Monastery Mentor with the delve package (Gitaxian Probe, Mishra's Bauble, Thought Scour etc.) A replay video here (MTGO) showing the explosiveness of Monastery Mentor in such builds: Video: Esper Delve (with Mentor) VS Merfolk
Decklist:
The deck is pretty sweet (just from online play). The sideboard Flashfreeze and Negate really help shore up the combo matches, but then again you have to be running 4 Scmages to get the full effect. The discard/countermagic suite works quite well in protecting Monastery Mentor. I added a single Spell Pierce to the package which has proven useful. I haven't really messed with the list aside from the Spell Pierce. The list has performed quite well and the versatility and power level of the cards is stellar.
Hey guys!! I crush 4-0 my Local game store today with almost the same list Ichikawa played, i had some different choices but overall the same, i beat Tarmo Twin, UWR control, Death and Taxes and Junk.
Sweet! Mind sharing your list with the changes? Thanks!
Did you feel like the Mentor ran smoothly without Gitaxian Probe or Mishra's Bauble? Those cards a good food for Tasigur and Murderous Cut as well. I'm really digging this Mentor/Tasigur Esper build, I'm just not sure how many "free" spells I need.
@xJosh: would you mind telling me how you sideboarded, especially again the Junk deck, since im thinking of getting into this esper build (my 3 favorite colors), but I am terrible with building/using my sideboard.
Also, as a recommendation, shouldn't this kind of deck maybe play 1-3 leyline of sanctity in the board for the burn match up as well as some other potential matchups?
http://www.happymtg.com/coverage/24695/ In this event there is a monastery mentor list which top8'ed. Can't really translate much but the list is there also in english
How is everyone doing with the Mentor list. Turns 1-3 you feel super far behind, unless you have a discard- remand - mentor start but after landing a mentor or tasiguar, the deck changes gears so fast.
I recently had a game against GW hatebears that opened, on the play, t1 heirarch, t2 smiter, t3 hierarch + voice, t4voice + Ooze. I was slow out of the gate but able to get a turn 4 mentor up and running and able to block/trade my way into a win, even having to work at sorcery speed.
I super underestimated how good Mentor was; 2/2 body for CMC 3 in modern is usually just asking to suck. But man, that thing can take over a game like no other card I have seen, especially at 3 mana.
I am thinking of trying Azorous Charm as a 1 or 2 of. I feel like the deck needs some life gain and the other two modes are not bad 2 mana cantrip/prowress trigger/make a monk or bounce a guy to get in extra damage.
I am thinking of trying Azorous Charm as a 1 or 2 of. I feel like the deck needs some life gain and the other two modes are not bad 2 mana cantrip/prowress trigger/make a monk or bounce a guy to get in extra damage.
I am a really big fan of this deck. It did amazing for me during my Magic online Prelims & Finals. I even ran into bad variance during the second part of the tournament, struggling with several no land hands but due to this decks ability to mull I still ended up with a solid finish. I outright won the prelims going 6-0 and then finished in the top 16 of the finals with a final record of 7-2. The deck was perfect and I plan on playing it a lot more.
Hey guys, I´m also interested in Esper. My favourite build is Chapins Delver in PT Fate Reforged. It was critized for being to threat light and a tad inconsistent, so I am trying to tweak it. My thinking goes that the deck needs at least 10 threats and the 6 cmc guys are better, as the odds of getting them out T2 are so much better than the 7cmc Angler. I believe he might be better as threats 9-10. Further Chapins build was critized for having trouble protecting the critters.
I think that Judge´s Familiar might fix part of that issue alongside Soulflayer. Soulflayer is Another 6cmc drop, but suffers from being BB, yet a T1 owl offers the same protection with the added bonus that the same owl offers evasion to Soulflayer. Thus does have two jobs: chump or sac followed by being delving food and give evasion.
Post next release might be exchanged for Myth Realized. Sure it dies to Decay, but grows for free and doesn´t get stuck in hand.
I just 4-0ed the 3 AM EST daily playing Ichikawa's exact 75. Beating ... someone who timed out on the first mull (So more of a 3-0 ), Junk, Burn and Scapeshift. This is easily the most fun deck I've played in modern, super interactive and a reasonable shot to win any matchup.
Hey guys, I´m also interested in Esper. My favourite build is Chapins Delver in PT Fate Reforged. It was critized for being to threat light and a tad inconsistent, so I am trying to tweak it. My thinking goes that the deck needs at least 10 threats and the 6 cmc guys are better, as the odds of getting them out T2 are so much better than the 7cmc Angler. I believe he might be better as threats 9-10. Further Chapins build was critized for having trouble protecting the critters.
I think that Judge´s Familiar might fix part of that issue alongside Soulflayer. Soulflayer is Another 6cmc drop, but suffers from being BB, yet a T1 owl offers the same protection with the added bonus that the same owl offers evasion to Soulflayer. Thus does have two jobs: chump or sac followed by being delving food and give evasion.
Post next release might be exchanged for Myth Realized. Sure it dies to Decay, but grows for free and doesn´t get stuck in hand.
Look forward to seeing the update on Saturday!
3x Darkslick Shores
2x Fetid Heath
2x Flooded Strand
1x Godless Shrine
1x Hallowed Fountain
1x Island
4x Marsh Flats
1x Plains
2x Polluted Delta
3x Seachrome Coast
1x Swamp
1x Watery Grave
3x Geist of Saint Traft
2x Invisible Stalker
3x Seeker of the Way
3x Snapcaster Mage
3x Tidehollow Sculler
Sorcery (11)
2x Distortion Strike
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
3x Lingering Souls
2x Thoughtseize
1x Sword of Feast and Famine
1x Sword of Fire and Ice
1x Sword of Light and Shadow
Instant (8)
4x Path to Exile
2x Smother
2x Zealous Persecution
Planeswalker (2)
1x Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1x Liliana of the Veil
The second being Delver and Tasigur based:
3x Darkslick Shores
2x Flooded Strand
1x Godless Shrine
1x Hallowed Fountain
1x Island
4x Marsh Flats
2x Plains
2x Polluted Delta
3x Seachrome Coast
1x Swamp
1x Watery Grave
2x Esper Charm
2x Murderous Cut
4x Path to Exile
3x Thought Scour
2x Zealous Persecution
Sorcery (13)
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
3x Lingering Souls
4x Serum Visions
2x Thoughtseize
4x Delver of Secrets Flip
3x Geist of Saint Traft
3x Snapcaster Mage
3x Tasigur, the Golden Fang
The last one is more rooted in B/W tokens but adds blue for Snapcaster Mage and Narset Transcendent. Currently it runs 1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant and 3 Geist of saint traft rather than Narset Transcendent and serum visions.
3x Darkslick Shores
3x Fetid Heath
1x Flooded Strand
1x Godless Shrine
1x Hallowed Fountain
1x Island
4x Marsh Flats
2x Plains
2x Polluted Delta
1x Seachrome Coast
1x Swamp
1x Vault of the Archangel
1x Watery Grave
2x Windbrisk Heights
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
4x Lingering Souls
2x Serum Visions
4x Spectral Procession
2x Thoughtseize
Instant (8)
4x Path to Exile
2x Smother
2x Zealous Persecution
Enchantment (5)
2x Honor of the Pure
3x Intangible Virtue
2x Narset Transcendent
2x Sorin, Solemn Visitor
Creature (3)
3x Snapcaster Mage
Of the three flavors I've found Esper Tokens to win most often.
Take it easy
Jay
4 Monastery Mentor
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1 Restoration Angel
Sorceries (10)
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Lingering Souls
2 Thoughtseize
Instants (16)
4 Path to Exile
4 Thought Scour
2 Remand
2 Spell Snare
1 Disfigure
1 Murderous Cut
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Spell Pierce
4 Creeping Tar Pit
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
2 Island
2 Watery Grave
1 Godless Shrine
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Marsh Flats
1 Mutavault
1 Plains
1 Seachrome Coast
1 Swamp
3 Timely Reinforcements
1 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
2 Countersquall
2 Stony Silence
1 Spell Pierce
1 Thoughtseize
1 Celestial Purge
1 Deathmark
1 Disenchant
1 Flashfreeze
1 Zealous Persecution
Take it easy
Jay
Please let me know any error spotted, missing cards, broken spoiler or link, etc.
Cheers my esper mates, I salute you!
Video: Esper Delve (with Mentor) VS Merfolk
Decklist:
4 Monastery Mentor
4 Gurmag Angler
3 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Lands (19)
1 Island
1 Plains
1 Swamp
4 Darkslick Shores
2 Flooded Strand
1 Godless Shrine
1 Hallowed Fountain
2 Marsh Flats
4 Polluted Delta
2 Watery Grave
2 Lingering Souls
4 Mishra's Bauble
4 Thought Scour
4 Gitaxian Probe
3 Serum Visions
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Thoughtseize
4 Path to Exile
2 Zealous Persecution
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Celestial Purge
1 Spellskite
2 Stony Silence
2 Disenchant
1 Lingering Souls
2 Stubborn Denial
3 Timely Reinforcements
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Zealous Persecution
UWRUWR Delver/Lynx TempoUWR-------UWRUWR Midrange GeistUWR-------UWRUWR Nahiri ControlUWR-------UWRUWR SaheeliUWR
BGRJund / Jund ShadowBGR-------BGWAbzan / Abzan ShadowBGW
Commander (Leviathan/MTGO): UWGeist of Saint TraftUW
Myth Realized
Sweet! Mind sharing your list with the changes? Thanks!
PucaTrade Invite. Sign up and enjoy the first 500 points ($5) free!
Also, as a recommendation, shouldn't this kind of deck maybe play 1-3 leyline of sanctity in the board for the burn match up as well as some other potential matchups?
DECKS:
MODERN:
BUILT:
WBGJunkWBG
BURGrixis ControlBUR
BUILDING:
BGEldraziBG
this is at least a really nice sideboard card against control decks i'd guess
UB Faeries (15-6-0)
UWR Control (10-5-1)/Kiki Control/Midrange/Harbinger
UBR Cruel Control (6-4-0)/Grixis Control/Delver/Blue Jund
UWB Control/Mentor
UW Miracles/Control (currently active, 14-2-0)
BW Eldrazi & Taxes
RW Burn (9-1-0)
I do (academic) research on video games and archaeology! You can check out my open access book here: https://www.sidestone.com/books/the-interactive-past
How is everyone doing with the Mentor list. Turns 1-3 you feel super far behind, unless you have a discard- remand - mentor start but after landing a mentor or tasiguar, the deck changes gears so fast.
I recently had a game against GW hatebears that opened, on the play, t1 heirarch, t2 smiter, t3 hierarch + voice, t4voice + Ooze. I was slow out of the gate but able to get a turn 4 mentor up and running and able to block/trade my way into a win, even having to work at sorcery speed.
I super underestimated how good Mentor was; 2/2 body for CMC 3 in modern is usually just asking to suck. But man, that thing can take over a game like no other card I have seen, especially at 3 mana.
I am thinking of trying Azorous Charm as a 1 or 2 of. I feel like the deck needs some life gain and the other two modes are not bad 2 mana cantrip/prowress trigger/make a monk or bounce a guy to get in extra damage.
Vault of the Archangel is another option. Ichikawa played one in his winning list.
UWRUWR Delver/Lynx TempoUWR-------UWRUWR Midrange GeistUWR-------UWRUWR Nahiri ControlUWR-------UWRUWR SaheeliUWR
BGRJund / Jund ShadowBGR-------BGWAbzan / Abzan ShadowBGW
Commander (Leviathan/MTGO): UWGeist of Saint TraftUW
I am a really big fan of this deck. It did amazing for me during my Magic online Prelims & Finals. I even ran into bad variance during the second part of the tournament, struggling with several no land hands but due to this decks ability to mull I still ended up with a solid finish. I outright won the prelims going 6-0 and then finished in the top 16 of the finals with a final record of 7-2. The deck was perfect and I plan on playing it a lot more.
Here is my list:
http://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/modern-esper-mentor#online
Interesting. Did you consider switching out some Lilianas for Geist of Saint Traft for more synergy with Soulflayer?
UWRUWR Delver/Lynx TempoUWR-------UWRUWR Midrange GeistUWR-------UWRUWR Nahiri ControlUWR-------UWRUWR SaheeliUWR
BGRJund / Jund ShadowBGR-------BGWAbzan / Abzan ShadowBGW
Commander (Leviathan/MTGO): UWGeist of Saint TraftUW
I think I should point out that this isn't the Esper Delve thread. The decks do have quite few differences.
The Esper Delve thread is here
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/deck-creation-modern/597838-esper-delve