If you’ve noticed, there’s a lot of aggro running rampant in Standard right now. Boros is as fast as Superman on a bad day. I remember getting smacked for 20 in one turn just before I was about to swing for lethal. How’s that for frustrating?
But fear not. Control is viable in Gatecrash. And you can thank this guy is part.
Obzedat, Ghost Council (5)
Legendary Creature — Spirit Advisor (5/5)
When Obzedat, Ghost Council enters the battlefield, target opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
At the beginning of your end step, you may exile Obzedat. If you do, return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control at the beginning of your next upkeep. It gains haste.
Okay, so what’s so great about him? Well, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there is a shortage of good instant speed removal in this Standard. Why does that matter? Well, read good old Obzedat’s ability. You can exile him at the beginning of your end step. That means, on your opponent’s turn, when he could play something like Dreadbore of even Oblivion Ring to get rid of him, he’s no longer on the field.
That’s a real problem. Well, not for you. Certainly for your opponent however.
But where does he fit? Well, he’s black and white so he fits very nicely into an Esper control shell. Just surround him with some board wipe, card draw and counters and you’re good to go.
Need some suggestions?
Card Draw – You probably should include a few Azorious Charms and Sphinx’s Revelations. The charms can also double as creature removal.
Board Wipes – You have good old Terminus and Supreme Verdict here. Neither can deal with an opponent’s Obzedat, ironically, while casting either of these will effectively get rid of your own. So in the mirror, you probably want to forget these options.
Counterspells – We don’t have anything great in Standard right now but Dissipate is still serviceable. You might want to bring in Negate against the mirror out of the board.
Other Stuff – You might want to consider Blind Obedience to slow down aggro just a bit. Plus, you can always use it after casting a spell to drain some life from your opponent. Those little pings might just add up after a while.
The game plan is simple. You want to clear the board (if you’re playing aggro) and set up your Obzedat to take over the game from there. Playing Esper, you can throw in additional removal such as Tragic Slip and Tribute To Hunger if you want. In a heavy aggro environment, it may not be such a bad idea. And Tribute CAN take care of an opposing Obzedat if he’s the only thing in the field. Of course, since he’s a legendary creature, by casting your own, you’ll effectively get rid of his even if exiled as when he returns next turn both will be gone, unless of course you decide to blink yours out end of turn. That could turn this into an Obzedat war until eventually somebody has to give in or die.
Esper Control is actually quite competitive right now. Yes, Boros does give it a hard time because of its speed. If you don’t see that Terminus or Supreme Verdict by turn 3 or 4 you’re pretty much dead. But if you manage to stabilize, you’ve got a good shot at pulling things out.
And you can even mix in a little mill with it if you want with Jace, Memory Adept and/or Nephalia Drownyard.
The options are more than plentiful.
Give this deck a spin one day when you get a chance.
You just might be surprised by the results.
To YOUR Magic The Gathering Enjoyment,
Steven “Land Boy” Wagenheim
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