Right after StarCityGames Open Series: Nashville I played Esper control in an eight-man event against what appeared to Gerry Thompson’s Delver list from that tournament. An interesting situation arose that I wanted to talk about. In this video I go over the game, show that situation, and go through a detailed video analysis of the situation and the resulting game states. I examine major play lines based on what the likely contents of my opponent’s hand were at each juncture.

For reference, here are the decklists:

"Esper Control"

• Creatures (6)
• 3 Sun Titan
• 3 Phantasmal Image

• Spells (28)
• 4 Think Twice
• 3 Forbidden Alchemy
• 2 Dissipate
• 2 Ratchet Bomb
• 2 Dead Weight
• 2 Doom Blade
• 1 Go for the Throat
• 2 Terminus
• 2 Day of Judgment
• 4 Lingering Souls
• 2 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
• 2 Gideon Jura

• Lands (27)
• 4 Seachrome Coast
• 4 Glacial Fortress
• 4 Isolated Chapel
• 3 Drowned Catacomb
• 3 Ghost Quarter
• 2 Evolving Wilds
• 3 Plains
• 3 Island
• 1 Swamp

• Sideboard (15)
• 3 Negate
• 2 Oblivion Ring
• 2 Nihil Spellbomb
• 2 Timely Reinforcements
• 2 Revoke Existence
• 1 Terminus
• 1 Karn Liberated
• 1 Consecrated Sphinx
• 1 Divine Offering

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"U/W Delver"

• Creatures (15)
• 4 Delver of Secrets
• 3 Restoration Angel
• 4 Snapcaster Mage
• 4 Geist of Saint Traft

• Spells (23)
• 2 Dismember
• 1 Divine Offering
• 1 Gut Shot
• 4 Mana Leak
• 2 Thought Scour
• 4 Vapor Snag
• 3 Gitaxian Probe
• 2 Sword of Feast and Famine
• 4 Ponder

• Lands (22)
• 9 Island
• 2 Plains
• 4 Glacial Fortress
• 3 Moorland Haunt
• 4 Seachrome Coast

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Ratchet Bomb
• 1 Phyrexian Metamorph
• 2 Consecrated Sphinx
• 3 Phantasmal Image
• 1 Divine Offering
• 1 Amass the Components
• 3 Timely Reinforcements
• 2 Ghost Quarter

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