💀💧☀️ MY FINEST ESPER CONTROL DECK | Standard 2022 Ranked

[@soranfyre9545]

First, I love this list, Esper is my favorite color combo. Don't have anything helpful to say or suggestions, I'm not that good, but I loved the deck lol. Don't know if I can pilot it well, but it's awesome. Second, the amount of patience you have with the people in the comments is amazing, and I wanted to tell you YOU are cool! I'm always happy to watch you play, even decks I personally loathe lol. ThyrixSyx is how I found out about you, and I'm really glad I started watching!

[@darkgloomie]

CGB's cam getting frozen while still hearing him talk and play was freaky tbh

[@juancuelloespinosa]

It proves my hypothesis that the body we see is just a robot

[@mylesrolandson7577]

@@juancuelloespinosa a mere shell for his robust brain

[@hah0x689]

Yep

[@juancuelloespinosa]

@@mylesrolandson7577 how else can he have a steak this long going? 😋

[@RBarchy7]

Cam frozen? He put on his poker face

[@OsvaldoChannel1]

"how does this deck win?" "By draining the hopes of your opponent... If that fails, big doggos"

[@goreobsessed2308]

That's esper baby

[@FreshLeafyVegetables]

Thank you so much for leaning into it. You calling the card "Professor of Symblahblahblah" is iconic.

[@taurelith4867]

i was looking up cards on scryfall for a cube list the other day and when i saw professor i got confused for a second seeing the actual name

[@SirCorn]

I don't think I get the joke. Symbology doesn't seem like a more cumbersome word than "sym-blah-blah-blah" but I know cards get pet names when there is a certain context involved. Maybe it's a reference to the ability?

[@tau.r.u]

@@SirCorn CGB occasionally mispronounces a card for a bit. Iirc, in this instance he said symbiology rather than symbology. Upon some fans calling him out, he started going for the symblahblahblah. The blahs are more of a reference to nitpickers than to symbology being a cumbersome word in any way. (A more recent mix up of his is Deadly Dispute and Deadly Visit. That very much showcases these mistakes are not about difficult words, but about the information overload of how many card names there are in Mtg)

[@cmfrtbly_nmb]

@@SirCorn when the card first came out he kept saying "Professor of Symbiology" instead of Symbology and people made fun of it in the comments, and he kept mispronouncing it so then he just started saying "Symblahblahblah" on purpose and it became an inside joke now.

[@eversioaddicttekken6003]

I have watched the video till the end, as I do with almost all of your videos. I run a similar deck and in the end choose to go for Hunt for Specimens over Professor of Symblablabla. You're trading a 2/1 creature for a 1/1 which gives you a live when it does AND Hunt for Specimens can potentially trigger Liliana's magecraft ability.

[@getlooky736]

You can't divide hunt the way you can professor

[@itsjustbecca]

Hey CGB, for the Skeletal Swarming meta, I've found that including Reduce to Memory in my lesson board (in every deck running white) is a really solid answer. It also deals with planeswalkers, the Redaine artifact and most other unforseen random threats. Yes it leaves the opponent with a 3/2 on the board, but I find that single vanilla threats aren't really where the current meta struggles. Just another possibility. It also exiles the target, which helps against decks running any kind of recursion (like all the Blood in the Snow decks).

[@freyamiles3718]

14:00 I thought it was my video that was being wonky edit:21:40 I feel personally targeted

[@sundaywaflez3109]

me to

[@47grapes16]

Naya/grixis treasure decks are becoming really meta, and this deck looks like it does well against them.

[@MyBesso]

No reason to run snowfield sinkhole over silverquill campus in this list. So many turns where we could've scried but just passed instead

[@seandavis9657]

Have you considered maybe it's cause he likes looking at snowfield sinkhole better?

[@Unbaked89]

Made this change. The scry from campus actually came up alot against other control decks.

[@iAutodidact]

"That's your real voice." That one hurt, CGB.

[@isphus]

One thing i'm mildly infuriated wasnt done in the FR set was cards that synergize with multiple classes. Like a "multiclass optimizer" that gets +1/+1 for each class you control with a different name. Or "experienced adventurer" that gets a +1/+1 counter every time you level a class. There was so much potential there...

[@luriastars]

Im gonna try out this deck with the guy that lets you foretell everything.

[@47grapes16]

Card name is dream devourer for those wondering

[@NStripleseven]

Yeah that could be a nice one to have

[@TURBOCOW9000]

Cosmos Charger would probably be better. It let's you foretell on the Enemy's turn.

[@YourCrazyOverlord]

@@TURBOCOW9000 exactly what i was thinking

[@noahberman7194]

This deck was so much fun, then I played mono red goblins 3 times in a row and got destroyed.

[@l0lan00b3]

Every time man every time

[@sammysammyson]

Sometimes I can't tell if we (Esper mages) or the enemy (mono red aggro) are the true menaces to the game. In all fairness, it might be both of us.

[@danielgiacomuzzi4646]

@@l0lan00b3 il i io io po la ft F f

[@x_bearforceone_x692]

I love how patience is a win con 🙂🙂 you are cool man!

[@monodescarado]

It really is. I've been telling myself this for the past two days since watching this video and now I'm flying up the ladder. In the past 40 games, there have been so many times where I could have made a more rash decision, but instead I've told myself this, sat back and waited. And 9 times out of 10 it was the right decision to wait.

[@v_o_r_p_a_l]

17:00 CGB has mastered throw voice and puppeteering it seems

[@_Nope___]

Such a sweetheart when he talks about CovertGoGina :D

[@bossox7804]

I think if I were to make 1 change, it would be cutting the four orzhov tapped lands, for the scry land versions

[@danielpress6152]

Loving this deck. The only significant change, in the construct I'm playing, is to run solve the equation so I can fetch a doomskar or vanishing verse or more alrund's just when I need them.

[@juancuelloespinosa]

I think cgb has called it professor of simblah blah blah so much, he's unable to stop

[@NStripleseven]

That’s just the name of the card now

[@lenvel8057]

I read, “Esper”. I hit the thumbs up button. That simple.

[@facebreakr]

Watched this all the way to the end. Love the blue that you do. Keep up the good work. This is my favorite channel for mtga!

[@Journeyman2585]

Love this deck, I just need to add one dracolich

[@CountryFried]

Came back to this deck a few days ago... what a powerhouse!

[@VicenteAlexim]

The mono w game around 40:00 shows how people should use the rummage ability of the learn cards a lot more often against aggro. You get to dig for your outs without spending mana. Also, isn't Silverquill Campus just the better BW land there?

[@martinpalazzo9703]

It has to be a good esper control deck in every format, always a fun archetype to play, lots of decisions to make!

[@andresingles957]

I know it’s been a while since it’s happened but I love CGB’s new customized background. Not sure if he tricked out a room in his apartment or moved to a new place but regardless, it makes him look professional and even cooler 😎

[@vanniscripts7257]

I like the deck with 4 niko defies destiny. You could take out 2 professor, 1 vanishing verse and 1 mordenkainen. And I would get in 1 of that zombie you can cast from the graveyard (narfi bla bla). There are no easy ways to exile that guy in standard 2022

[@kaemonbonet4931]

Black mastery, intro to annihilation, kaya, draconic intervention. I like Niko defies destiny, but probably not in a deck that already uses a learn board... Maybe its more for a deck that uses just white and blue. You can use raven form to fill the gap in some of your removal. You can also use Vega the watcher to get some card draw in the mid. Idk might be cool. Hmm I'm thinking I'd still prefer the learn board.... Idk.

[@isaakward4393]

You only get 7 cards in board for best of one so you have to cut the entire learn package. But the learn package is guaranteed card advantage whereas niko defies only has potential card advantage

[@kaemonbonet4931]

@@isaakward4393 yeah, that's what I mean. Like, you are choosing between hitting land drops on turn 3 and 4 and having a counter spell on turns 5 and 6. And because the learn cards also come attached to things that are good at stalling it's better to have a blocker and a land drop, or a bounce and a land drop than a counter spell that might get stuck in your hand if you are already run over.

[@vanniscripts7257]

@@kaemonbonet4931 you need black, otherwise have nothing for the land creatures

[@vanniscripts7257]

@@isaakward4393 niko gives you also mana advantage and that's so important against aggro decks

[@monodescarado]

Update: Just hit mythic with the suggestions I made below. Only additional change to what I wrote below I made was putting in a second Sea Gate Restoration. Really enjoying playing the deck. More importantly, it's doing very well against the current meta. Current stats on ladder: settled at 63% win rate (101-59). Holds up very well against rakdos treasure (7-0), orzhov aggro and control (16-5), dimir control (8-1), mono green (8-4), golgari midrange (7-4). It's hit and miss against mono white (11-11), goblins (4-4) and izzet dragons (5-6). And I still hate playing simic ramp with this deck. I think I've improved this deck. So, I played this deck for a while and it was doing OK (around 65% win rate). The biggest issue I was seeing is that there wasn't enough card draw and I was top decking too many lands (coz CGB loves lands). Thing is, with so much Learning, you can hit your land drops. So, I made the following tweaks and am now climbing very quickly: I dropped three lands, put in one Sea Gate Restoration and two Graven Lore; to accommodate for GL, I had to change the basic lands to snow and dropped one of each of the pathways. Since then, here are my stats in 2022 Ladder: - 31-11 (73% win rate) Some match-ups - 5-0 vs mono green - 4-1 vs mono white - 4-0 vs dimir snow control - 3-1 vs orzhov control - 2-1 vs izzet dragons Only deck to beat me more than once has been simic control. I'm now in Diamond but I'm flying up quickly.

[@kyzer42]

Awesome, I always love to see a fresh Esper deck! Keep up the great work, CGB!

[@ArranVidalhallArran247]

Love the background you have done such a good job....

[@mrshadelock]

Stayed until end. This is my jam right here and I think that as we get deeper into this meta a one of Kaya will be good in BO1 and I think this is a very solid control deck until Midnight Hunt.

[@K00leD]

Loved this deck! I love control and this meta has been trying. The only change I made was adding confront the past

[@fallguybuddy2654]

So after watching the video. I think "Into the roil" fits in this deck. It answers Koma, Skeletal Swarming, anything really and goes in the main deck with the potential to draw you a card. Cuts would be a negate and/or verse for 2x copies or a saw it coming. I'm also not sure about LOLth but I don't think she fits in this deck without blood in the snow bringing her back.

[@Sylva1983]

He doesn't play Lolth (It's Onyx), but I would just cut all the black cards, maybe go for a 2nd Mordenkainen or put in 1-2 Iymrith as with all the foretelling there are many options to draw (multiple) cards. Cutting that 3rd color might also allow you to be very greedy depending on the metagame and play 1 copy of Graven lore and assuming you play the snowlands you can run some Havens yourself.

[@bumpy1031]

Yes!!! I love it when you play esper!! I’d love to see your take on bant. I’ve been shredding the 22 ladder with bant control.

[@Somane27]

What Green cards are you playing?

[@ziegfeld4131]

@@Somane27 prob innkeeper the 1 mana ramp dork and the 3 mana ramp spell and koma

[@ziegfeld4131]

@@Somane27 theres also the 4 mana dude that fetches a forest or island but the main draw is prob koma

[@gee3161]

Cheers CGB! I dunno about reduce to memory in the sideboard, but you could always throw in deck of many things as the 61st card....

[@andrzejponiatowski1677]

Ran into a lot of mirrors of this today, and wow those make for some big brain counter fests

[@raccoonious4038]

21:20 It's like he's read my mind. I guess that's what people generally feel when playing a match against him.

[@jcwijma1486]

I honestly had not even noticed that the cam froze, CGB. Was watching the game play, after all.

[@prinsepe87]

I could watch this build every day. It's really sweet

[@ziegfeld4131]

Esper is gonna be insane with the next set new 2 mana removal spell plus 2 new good dual lands

[@quintenhaire1037]

Still dies to creature lands. I keep trying control in this meta, and keep dying to creature lands. Help me out CGB! Make a control deck that can wipe out those pesky non creature creatures.

[@DanyF02]

If wizards really want to have extra turn cards, they could consider printing something that gives you an extra turn but your mana doesn't untap, just so it's not such an easy "i win" button.

[@joefat420]

I played a similar list with a few starnheim unleashed's and a Legion Angel. Good wincon/matchup against goldspan.

[@toyaoren772]

Cool list but you are running any payoff for snow, or payoff for basic land types then why not orzhov snarls instead of the orzhov snow lands?

[@isaakward4393]

Great point!

[@RafaelAAMerlo]

That much of Foretell makes me wonder if Vega has space in Standard 2022. Same for Paladin Class against Control even in what would be another Control deck.

[@BoundlessxArts]

I didn't even realize your cam froze until you mentioned it 😂

[@RandomHammy]

Do you think there would be any space for 1 or 2 copies of ? It would hurt the mana-base a bit, but there were a couple of games where you almost ran out of things to do against slower decks due to land floods and a draw 4/5 would be powerful "land" at that point. I think the card may have a place in the durdle match ups :)

[@coolaechardonnae7830]

Pulled a kayak out a pack today so I built a decent Esper Angel deck but recently got back into the game so don't got much cards right now, you know if daily decks eventually give 3 colors?

[@taylorfiksdal2895]

I would buy a patience is a wincon shirt

[@Eye_Strain]

CGB a real one for shouting out his lady

[@joshuahafer]

that many hellos is a automatic mute

[@BosesHannes]

Is there a reason to use the Sinkhole over the White/Black Snarl? I mean the Snarl has potential to come into play untapped.

[@freyamiles3718]

@Paijo Joestar true though if you're not use Ng the snow it's a straight upside

[@MyBesso]

Use neither, the silverquill campus is just better.

[@azullove979]

I like how you mentioned some historic upgrades for the deck, great for those boomer mages

[@bryno2932]

Your ventriloquism skills are impressive.

[@SpiderMitchX]

i think your camera fro---- oh you got me

[@RazielXSR]

Emiki might have just been fangirling.

[@Xgya2000]

My brain is almost allergic to patterns necessary to run green decks, so I naturally gravitate towards Esper (with a teeny tiny room in my deep dark heart for Izzet)

[@carloe1962]

Love to watch and play your Control decks...hate to play against them. 🤣

[@daemeonp]

I fell asleep watching a cgb video and had a dream I was playing cooperative magic with him. It was while he was recording and he would get super pissed if I made any sounds. I ended up leaving and all his neighbors were telling me about how cracked out he is. I don't think any of this is true about cgb but dreams are funny lol

[@KMan77]

Would cosmos charger be good in this deck?

[@martinksk88]

CGB the amount of content you are puting is crazy.

[@TheAngelo027]

Why do all the decks feel and look the same just now?

[@suckerphree]

this is an awesome deck. I also admittedly like roman reigns haha. We always appreciate the cross fandom!

[@imvarda]

Didnt' even need to craft anything for this, woot!

[@jesterstinger]

Dragon turtle with Kaya seems pretty good.

[@edocor8081]

Love your content man! Just letting you know that you deserve so many more subs than you have

[@dodobirdhistorian5115]

I swear, I’m not hiding anything Sensei! Don’t beat me in front of the dojo!

[@waytoomuchtimeonmyhands]

I thought, "Shuffler is fine." would go on the shirt.

[@jlovejo1]

Ayyyy

[@larenius1]

Eyyyy

[@malthelauritsen7621]

Ayyyy

[@NStripleseven]

Eyyyy

[@sublenwublen5061]

Yyyyy

[@skydickey5518]

did any one catch the small tenacious D quote? better closer warmer

[@AnuAlsere]

Poor Emiki never got sempai to acknowledge them. Probably was a fan.

[@EdLee1234]

Love. This. Deck.

[@christianolsson2898]

The goddamn creature lands are so upsetting; don't have instant removal? GGs BRO

[@weujen]

Frozen CGB best CGB.

[@giannismakrigiannis2807]

Man i dont know how you manage to always make the decks work, i tried this deck and it sucks, i keep drawing removals vs control and counters vs aggro

[@billboyd5310]

Just expand to seventy or eighty cards. Eighty cards work.

[@r.mar.673]

Better. Closer. Warmer... That's it!

[@roffe8751]

I didnt even notice the camera froze. Had to rewind a bit and see for myself.

[@nerussol3664]

Is that right if I once pay for the Patreon (for 1 month) I can get a token card?

[@AnuAlsere]

“Is this deck going to work? Let’s find out.” Or spoil it in the title. That works too.

[@DavidSpira]

I'm betting on a Cool Stuff Inc CGB Bird Token post rotation.

[@Sylva1983]

With just 8 black cards, wouldn't it be better to just go WU control? Especially the Onyx in this list feels underwhelming and could easily be a 2nd Mordenkainen or an Iymrith.

[@jahbariw5534]

Are the dual tapped gain 1 lands legal in standard 2022?

[@kresimirsusac2075]

Nope

[@samuelbrechbiehl1200]

This Is what i need !!

[@NotYourAveragePeter]

Esper lacks land removal spells, ever since Spark's Nissa, Who Shakes the World at Simic Flash meta It's bad. Maybe with Innistrad it will get back on It's feet(?) I know Vanishing Verse is a card, but feels like it lacks Fields of Ruin

[@TheNinominator]

poison the cup hits every land

[@rotten2209]

There's lots of Bounce in blue. Maybe not alot of Land "removal" but since they do have summoning sickness, Bounce is just as viable unless you're playing a completely passive aggressive pile of cards as this cancerous deck.

[@AyameSama]

@@TheNinominator i've been running that in esper too, dying to haven hurts

[@ChrisOsberg]

I did have to check how far into the video you were frozen, just for my sanity.

[@asaanderson1078]

ESPERRRRR!

[@Niryth]

Was it just me or was your face camera frozen for the first game?

[@qdog9521]

CGB, why did it take you so long to give us this beautiful control deck? Hmm? So in love with it. So far 5-2 with it! Love in a non-sexual way bro!

[@seandavis9657]

I skipped ahead to see if you did fix it, so ha cgb, I don't gotta delete nothin

[@jimmycarlson4871]

Manlands too good

[@ethanfoery9399]

If you played the professor you would have got three cards from that teachings

[@Eclipto14]

Did his webcam freeze or is it KZbin lol

[@DogukanSeptem]

I'm honestly curious: is "symbology" really a hard word to pronounce?

[@tom4465]

The "Kristy :)" was cute, the control deck was... well.. control xD

[@VodShod]

ugh I sat back in my chair and the back of it collapsed. I need to buy a chair worth more than $25

[@davidbusch7644]

RIP cam

[@zachtaylor2560]

Good thing i have 48 cgb shark tokens...

[@MadDunhill]

why does he never say hello back?

[@SuperRoxasXIII13]

CGB ur cam froze. ur welcome