Welcome to Esper Super Friends

Introduction

Hi everyone, I have been playing a lot of Esper Control the past few weeks and have been having a good result when the format was more about White Weenie, Mono Red Aggro, Esper Midrange and Simic Nexus. This is the list and sideboard I was playing if anyone is still interested in Esper Control but I would not advise so if able as I believe it is not as good as before.

Esper Control

Kelvin Chew
– Esper Control

1 《Island》
1 《Swamp》
4 《Godless Shrine》
4 《Hallowed Fountain》
4 《Watery Grave》
4 《Drowned Catacomb》
4 《Glacial Fortress》
4 《Isolated Chapel》
-Land (26)- -Creature (0)-

4 《Thought Erasure》
2 《Dovin’s Veto》
2 《Tyrant’s Scorn》
1 《Moment of Craving》
4 《Absorb》
1 《Mortify》
3 《Kaya’s Wrath》
2 《Vraska’s Contempt》
2 《Search for Azcanta》
2 《Oath of Kaya》
4 《Narset, Parter of Veils》
3 《Teferi, Time Raveler》
4 《Teferi, Hero of Dominaria》
-Spell (34)-

3 《Duress》
3 《Cry of the Carnarium》
2 《Moment of Craving》
2 《Oath of Kaya》
2 《The Eldest Reborn》
1 《Dovin’s Veto》
1 《The Elderspell》
1 《Teferi, Time Raveler》
-Sideboard (15)-

Text for MTG Arena（Click to Expand）

Sideboard Guide of the Esper Control（Click to Expand）

The meta is changing every week and with the rise of Planeswalker decks. Esper Control is starting to have trouble answering everything and with so many things that need to be removed, 《Teferi, Hero of Dominaria》 also have to act as an answer to the permanent which make winning with it harder and also the risk of running out of win condition.

However, I am impressed with the Planeswalker package when I was playing Esper Control. The counterspell was much worse in this meta, with 《Teferi, Time Raveler》 blanking all your counterspell when it resolves which can be devastating and sometime on the draw, it is hard to keep up 《Absorb》 while needing to answer threats also.

I just felt that the deck lacks a win condition that allows me to close the game fast when I was ahead or pull back when I was behind. I tried 《Liliana, Dreadhorde General》 and 《Ugin, the Ineffable》 and creating a 2/2 on turn 6 is not what I wanted.

Whenever I was playing against 4C 《Command the Dreadhorde》, I was always impressed when they cast the card against me. I began to explore with it in Esper and the card certainly felt broken to me whenever I cast it. These are few of the scenario that no other card could win me the game. I managed to 5-0 in the first league I played with it.

Esper Super Friends

This is the decklist I have been playing and tuning and seeing Oliver Tomajko placing 2nd in SCG Open with Esper Super Friends make me confirm my deck choices more.

Kelvin Chew
– Esper Super Friends

1 《Island》
1 《Swamp》
4 《Godless Shrine》
4 《Hallowed Fountain》
4 《Watery Grave》
4 《Drowned Catacomb》
4 《Glacial Fortress》
4 《Isolated Chapel》
-Land (26)- -Creature (0)-

4 《Thought Erasure》
2 《Moment of Craving》
2 《Tyrant’s Scorn》
1 《The Elderspell》
1 《Cry of the Carnarium》
3 《Kaya’s Wrath》
2 《Command the Dreadhorde》
2 《Search for Azcanta》
4 《Oath of Kaya》
4 《Narset, Parter of Veils》
4 《Teferi, Time Raveler》
1 《Karn, Scion of Urza》
4 《Teferi, Hero of Dominaria》
-Spell (34)-

3 《Hostage Taker》
3 《Duress》
2 《Cast Down》
2 《Dovin’s Veto》
2 《Cry of the Carnarium》
2 《Enter the God-Eternals》
1 《The Elderspell》
-Sideboard (15)-

Text for MTG Arena（Click to Expand）

The Card Choices

I would like to explain the card choices in the deck.

4 《Oath of Kaya》

This is the bread and butter for the deck. It has the ability to kill creatures or Planeswalker while gaining you enough life to cast 《Command the Dreadhorde》. It also combo well with 《Teferi, Time Raveler》, allowing you to bounce 《Oath of Kaya》 for another reuse while drawing a card.

Since we are also playing so many Planeswalker, the passive ability is also quite useful if a opponent is trying to attack your Planeswalker which buys you enough time to stabilize the game.

2 《Search for Azcanta》

I like 《Search for Azcanta》 a lot. It helps to fuel your graveyard while also smooth out your draw. With so many high impact cards to find with 《Search for Azcanta》, not playing it is a mistake. Against Midrange and Control deck, 《Search for Azcanta》 allow you to outgrind them by digging for the specific cards you need for the matchup.

1 《The Elderspell》

With 4 《Narset, Parter of Veils》 and also 2 《Search for Azcanta》, digging for the 1-of is actually quite easy. 《The Elderspell》 have a lot of use since most of the Planeswalker like 《Narset, Parter of Veils》, 《Teferi, Time Raveler》 will be left with 1 loyalty when use and it can be used to destroy to ultimate 《Teferi, Hero of Dominaria》 immediately which act as a mini combo. It can also save you in some unwinnable situation by killing all their Planeswalker.

1 《Cry of the Carnarium》

With the increase of 《Arclight Phoenix》, having an out to remove them is very useful.

4 《Teferi, Time Raveler》

Normally, the deck just needs to buy time and don’t really care about your own Planeswalker dying as most of the Planeswalker just replace itself when we use its ability. 《Teferi, Time Raveler》 also allow us to tempo our opponent while leaving a Planeswalker behind that might generate card advantage if it survives.

Spells that Interfere with your Opponent

I like having 8 ways to interfere with an opponent on turn 2 so that I am able to land a turn 3 Planeswalker uncontested.

2 《Command the Dreadhorde》

This is the card that holds the deck together. Since we are a control deck, we can discard or kill opponent creatures or Planeswalker to reanimate it with 《Command the Dreadhorde》. The format is full of stuff that can punish you for not having a way to close up the game when you are ahead.

Sideboard: 3 《Hostage Taker》

I like 《Hostage Taker》 to combat 《Legion Warboss》 from Jeskai Planeswalker as they only can bounce it with 《Teferi, Time Raveler》. It is also best against any creature matchup, as they usually do not keep removal for it.

Sideboard Guide

Mono Red Aggro

This is a good matchup. With 2 《Moment of Craving》 and 4 《Oath of Kaya》, we have enough life gain to blank most of their burn spell. 《Teferi, Time Raveler》 can bounce 《Oath of Kaya》 for us to reuse it and gain more life against them.

After sideboard, they sideboard out most of their burn spell and bring in 《Tibalt, Rakish Instigator》, 《Risk Factor》, and more 《Chandra, Fire Artisan》 or 《Experimental Frenzy》 against us. Our plan is still the same. To stabilize against their early creatures and win with 《Teferi, Hero of Dominaria》 or 《Enter the God-Eternals》. Their only way to steal the game is by 《Experimental Frenzy》 so try to save your 《Teferi, Hero of Dominaria》 for it.

vs. Mono Red Aggro

Out

Esper Midrange

Game 1 is favorable for us as they have more dead cards like 《Hostage Taker》 and removal against us, but they can still steal the game with 《Thief of Sanity》 if we do not have an answer for it. After sideboard, they board in more Planeswalker as well as discard and counterspell.

The matchup is usually very swingy and must see who are able to draw the better cards. This is also the matchup where 《Command the Dreadhorde》 shines because it allows you to just steal the game if you are very far behind by just reanimating all the Planeswalker.

vs. Esper Midrange

Out

White Weenie

Same as Mono Red Aggro but much easier game 1 as we have all the removal and 《Kaya’s Wrath》 to reset the board if needed. After sideboard, they board in counterspells as well as 《Ajani, Adversary of Tyrants》 and 《Gideon Blackblade》.

Try to prevent 《Legion’s Landing》 from flipping in this matchup as we do not have a good way to remove it and producing a 1/1 every turn is quite troublesome for us.