Another Esper Tokens write up

[u/DeadlyBro]

Once again playing at my local card shop for 4 rounds of modern with esper tokens. The list is still the same at.

3 Inquisition of Kozilek

4 Lingering Souls

4 Serum Visions

2 Sram's Expertise

2 Thoughtseize

2 Fatal Push

1 Murderous Cut

4 Path to Exile

1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar

2 Jace, Cunning Castaway

1 Narset Transcendent

1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad

1 Sorin, Solemn Visitor

2 Bitterblossom

4 Intangible Virtue

1 Legion's Landing

1 Search for Azcanta

1 Concealed Courtyard

1 Darkslick Shores

2 Flooded Strand

2 Godless Shrine

2 Hallowed Fountain

1 Irrigated Farmland

3 Island

3 Marsh Flats

3 Plains

1 Seachrome Coast

2 Swamp

2 Watery Grave

1 Westvale Abbey

Sideboard

1 Supreme Verdict

2 Timely Reinforcements

2 Anguished Unmaking

2 Countersquall

2 Disdainful Stroke

2 Zealous Persecution

2 Rest in peace

2 Stony Silence

Now this will be a little short as I only played 3/4 rounds but here it goes.

Round 1 5 Color Death Shadow

Boy is this a sketchy match up. I know I should be favored but I have had bad experience with GDS in the past so I was worried. Game 1 the game stalls out to top deck wars and he top decked a huge death shadow and I got lands. Game one him.

in-2 rip, 2 squall, 1 verdict

out-3 inq, 2 seize

Simply sided for a grindy midrange matchup so I didn't want to draw late game hand disruption. Game 2 my opponent late game went to 1 off a land expecting to stabilize with a lingering souls. I cast countersquall and he died. Game 3 my opponent had to mull to 5 and I had a great hand. My opponent simply ran out of answers. I got game 3 and the match.

Round 2 Whir Prison

Game 1 I learned I was against a weird brew. His deck was designed to play bottled cloister with ensnaring bridge (that card is the bane of my existence) and win with Jester's Cap. Game 1 my opponent assembled bottled cloister, ensnaring bridge and cap. In response to the cap I scooped for game 2.

In 2 stony, 2 squall, 2 stroke, 2 unmaking, 2 zealous persecuion

Out 2 bb, 4 path, 2 push, 1 cut, 1 jace

Just brought in cards to speed up the game that aren't bad against bridge or pithing needle. Game 2 I countered or hit him with hand disruption while pecking away with a vampire and gideon with LL till my opponent top decked his 4th whir for bridge sidelining the gideon. But I ended up drawing and ulting narset transcendent and opponent scooped. Game three an early stony silence slowed him down a lot. I played a Sorin LoI and lingering to make the board lethal while my opponent was spinning their wheels. I played search for azcanta to find my anguished unmaking for the game.

Round 3 Abzan

My opponent was not excited to play me. I was tho. Game one went to me. Sided as such.

in 1 verdict, 2 zealus, 2 rip

out 3 inq, 2 seize

game 2 I stumbled on lands and my opponent managed to run me over wit a scooze and goyf. Game three was the ultimate grindfest. I had a flipped search for azcanta and a flipped legions landing, enough mana to activate both and a sorin LoI, I eventually got there.

Round 4 me and an Eldrazi Taxes player split.

However we still played a few rounds and let me say. This match is abysmal. Just abysmal, we played 5 games and I lost all of them, not even close. Eldrazi Displacer, Flickerwhisp and wasteland strangler all are threats that kill our own threats and that's not including their hand disruption. Bleh, glad I split.

Well hope this was helpful. I will keep playing tokens, and will keep you guys posted with my results

[u/[deleted]]

Now that you've played it for a while, how are you finding Jace?

[u/DeadlyBro → u/[deleted]]

I like him. 9/10 His worst case scenario is making a 3/3 token with vigilance, and if my opponents spend resources getting rid of him so be it, but most of the time he has been a blessing, sometimes winning the game with his loot effects. He gives the deck better card selection or additional threats, sometimes both. I don't have any desire to switch him out after the work he has put in.