Esper Control PPTQ 2 (Standard)

Testing/Thoughts:

• 2 Blink of an Eye MB

Cards I would like to test:

• 3 Baral, Chief of Compliance SB
• 2 Gonti, Lord of Luxury SB
• 2 The Eldest Reborn
• 2 Karn, Scion of Urza SB

Cards I am not playing anymore:

• 3 Authority of the Consuls SB (Red matchup was decent without them)
• 2 Raff Capashen, Ship's Mage SB (Card was great when it was on the board and lived, but ultimately felt a little slow and too narrow.)
• 2 Cast Out MB (Card felt very weak against out opposing Cast Outs or Thrashing Brontodon.)
• 4 Glimmer of Genius MB (Glimmer is a better card than Illumination, but the deck is clunky until it hits 4 mana and the cycle helps make land drops.)
• 1 Profane Procession SB (With UW control playing next to no creatures in their 75 the card was just way too narrow. It is only good vs RB.)
• 1 Nezahal, Primal Tide SB (I keep going back and forth on this card being in the SB, but for the moment I have cut it to make space to try out other cards. Until Disallow rotates I don't think I will be playing this card.)
• 2 Sorcerous Spyglass (Decks, most importantly RB, are starting to adapt to this card in the SB and I wanted to get ahead and try to be ahead of the curve by playing something harder to remove in Ixalan's Binding. However, this card performed great in the matchups I brought it in and I will definitely revisit the card if Ixalan's Binding proves to be lacklustre.)

WIP SB Guide

Vs. Ux Control

-3 Seal Away
-3 Settle the Wreckage
-3 Fatal Push
-1 Blink of an Eye

+1 Invoke the Divine
+2 Negate
+4 Knight of Malice
+3 Duress
+1 Arguel's Blood Fast

Vs. Mono-Black

• 3 Settle the Wreckage
• 3 Fatal Push

+1 Invoke the Divine
+1 Fumigate
+1 Ixalan's Binding
+1 Negate
+1 Arguel's Blood Fast
+1 The Scarab God

Vs. UB/Grixis Midrange

On the Play:

-1 Seal Away
-1 Fatal Push
-3 Settle the Wreckage

+1 Ixalan's Binding
+2 Negate
+1 Arguel's Blood Fast
+1 The Scarab God

On the Draw:

-1 Blink of an Eye
-1 Seal Away
-3 Settle the Wreckage

+1 Ixalan's Binding
+1 The Scarab God
+2 Duress
+1 Arguel's Blood Fast

Vs. GB Constrictor & Mono-Green/Green-Black Stompy

-1 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
-1 Seal Away (Play)
-1 Syncopate (Draw)

+1 Invoke the Divine
+1 Fumigate
(Possibly +2 Lyra Dawnbringer as well)

Vs. Mono-Red

-3 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
-1 Search for Azcanta
-1 Disallow
-1 Hieroglyphic Illumination
-1 Torrential Gearhulk

+2 Lyra Dawnbringer
+1 Ixalan's Binding
+4 Knight of Malice

Vs. RB Aggro

-2 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
-1 Search for Azcanta
-1 Hieroglyphic Illumination

+1 Invoke the Divine
+2 Lyra Dawnbringer
+1 Ixalan's Binding

Vs. RB Midrange

-1 Hieroglyphic Illumination
-3 Fatal Push

+2 Lyra Dawnbringer
+1 Invoke the Divine
+1 Ixalan's Binding

Vs. WB Aggro

-1 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
-1 Hieroglyphic Illumination
-3 Seal Away

+2 Lyra Dawnbringer
+1 Ixalan's Binding
+1 Invoke the Divine
+1 Negate

Vs. UR God-Pharaoh's Gift

-3 Fatal Push
-1 Vraska's Contempt

+2 Negate
+1 Invoke the Divine
+1 Ixalan's Binding