What's wrong with Esper Sage?
Pauper forum
Posted on Feb. 5, 2015, 8:01 a.m. by SageKey
Okay, I've heard many a degenerate thing directed towards a combo deck called Esper Sage or Familier Storm. Things about how it should be banned. And yes although the combo stopping cards are printed at uncommon or rare. A format needs diversity. I mean the meta without it would be Aggro and Control. Someone tell me if theirs even midrange decks out there. Plus on MTGO their probably going to time out anyway. And if they have the combo and you can't do anything, be nice and just concede. Your gonna lose if they have the combo anyway. Also the combo is incredibly weak if you look at it. 3-5 creatures to combo off? Using the graveyard. I mean jeez Relic of Progenitus and Bojuka Bog just destroy this deck. If people don't like it sideboard against it. It's quite silly how people won't change their sideboard for a deck that appears to be on the rise if you look at MTG Goldfish's stats.
Servo_Token says... #3
People don't like the deck because it takes decades to finish comboing out, and can pick up right where it left off if it needs to take a break. Most combo decks aren't like this.
People play the deck because it's the only combo deck in the format. If wizards hadn't banned empty the warrens, then there'd be a chance that this deck had never existed.
February 5, 2015 10:16 a.m.
It was a deck long before the storm bans, but it was actually better with Temporal Fissure instead of the blue denizen. Now, it is mediocre at best and for me, it is one of the worst options for a tournament.
Especially online - the amount of triggers involved in comboing is asstronomical. But control part is still solid and I like what it is achieving - keeping up a fairly healthy meta.
February 5, 2015 11:31 a.m.
jandrobard says... #5
Pauper players are magic players, and magic players need something to complain about. Esper sages just happens to be in the way.
Boza says... #2
Combo that requires 5 cards and is vulnerable to almost any card capable of interacting with the opponent? Please, by all means, ban that, it be broken as hell.
February 5, 2015 8:07 a.m.