Last 11th of November, we saw some bans/nerfs/buffs concerning the Alchemy format whose aim was definitely to nerf decks like Mono Red Aggro, Boros Aggro, and Grixis Heist. While these tweaks have had the desired effect, as in the case of the two Aggro decks just mentioned, in the case of Grixis Heist, things did not go quite like this. In fact, some of the buffs have had a much greater relevance than the single nerf of Grenzo, Crooked Jailer.
Alchemy has therefore undergone a major change that has given the opportunity for new archetypes to emerge. In the last period, there were no control decks and the meta was dominated by Aggro or Midrange decks. Now the aggro decks are struggling more than before and from here I had the idea to build a control list that had the goal of surviving against any other types of aggro.
The archetype we will talk about today is, in fact, Esper Control.
The list I present today is definitely a good alternative against aggro and many midrange decks, but it struggles a lot against ramp archetypes or in general against decks that tend to create much value using very few creatures. As you will notice, the deck is full of removal spells and does not have too many winning conditions.
What’s the deck plan?
As you have already seen, the deck aims to survive and gain card advantage in order to later end the matches either thanks to the cards gained from the opponent's deck or thanks to those few creatures available. Porcine Portent is very relevant in this perspective, as it should be used with great caution. Fountainport is another, albeit very residual, winning condition of the deck even if the cost to play it is to have a fairly fragile manabase.
Card Choice
Removal Spells
Get Lost has the advantage of removing almost everything with the only exclusion of artifacts that at the moment do not seem to be too played in the Alchemy metagame. In order to play these three colors, the card is definitely an essential removal.
Bitter Triumph is not played in 4 copies unlike Get Lost just because it is less versatile and more expensive in terms of resources. It completes a good removal spell package at 2 mana anyway.
Day of Judgment is the best 4 mana mass removal in the format and probably the best overall mass removal in Standard regardless of the mana cost. The double white cost is not super prohibitive considering the deck mana base, but it's still something to pay attention to in the first few rounds of a game.
Lend a Ham has long been the best single removal of the format due to the possibility of casting Porcine Portent in late stages of the game. It also exiles enemy creatures and this is a big advantage against different matchups (one being all reanimator). Porcine Portent is the perfect upside for this card as it can act as a second removal against spells or artifacts at later stages of the game.
Finally, we have a removal that also allows us to earn some life: Locthwain Scorn. It is an indispensable removal against all aggressive strategies. Virtue of Persistence can also win some matches on its own due to the huge impact it can have if left on the battlefield uncontested for just a few turns.
Draw Spells
Deduce is a very flexible spell as in advanced stages of the game it allows us to make a second draw thanks to the token created. The cost is definitely not cheap: Opt could be a valid (and cheaper) alternative to explore.
Hymn to the Ages would certainly make much more impact if accompanied by other Chorus spells. The biggest problem is that the black Chorus is too expensive while the white Chorus is completely useless for a deck like this one. Despite everything, we will be happy to draw 2,3 or 4 cards spending only 2 mana. It remains the best draw spell of the format without any doubts despite the absence of the other Chorus. (A little tip: the red Chorus is very strong and is definitely the ideal to combine with this blue one.)
Radiant Smite could be included among the removal spells but the truth is that most of the time it will end up being cycled because at the moment there are few valid targets in the format. Drawing a card and earning 2 life (if on the draw) is still a good trade for only one white mana.
The Creatures
As announced, the deck has only a few creatures and both have a specific role.
Beza, the Bounding Spring is crucial in order to counter aggro decks as it can make us earn life, put blockers, draw and even ramp. We will almost never get all 4 of these effects but against aggro, life points and tokens are more than enough. Honestly, it's one of the first cuts post sideboard against control/ramp decks as there are better tools to deal with these matchups.
Lurker in the Deep creates 2 bodies and creates card advantage. It's definitely not an extremely strong card but I wanted to include it to add a winning condition that could close the matches quickly. This is not a fundamental card but I would suggest you try it (at least for a few games) anyway.
Conclusions
The deck is fun to play if you like control archetypes but I must admit that there are definitely stronger and faster decks in the format (if your intention was to farm resources). With this list, I wanted to provide a control deck alternative in the format but, unfortunately, the deck is definitely not a tier 1 (and probably not even a tier 2) of the format. You can still have a lot of fun removing every threat from your opponent and then playing yours.