How to sideboard vs black devotion with Esper!
Standard forum
Posted on Aug. 2, 2014, 11:07 a.m. by Fizzz
So, after this week's protour, I see mono B devotion raking up power in our local meta, at GPTs and everywhere in general (hoping for red aggro to catch up tho). It represents a rough 20% of the PT's meta.
I have been playing esper hard for over a year, and have found this one to be a tricky matchup just because of Gray Merchant of Asphodel .
With that in mind (and me being an avid fan of Esper), sideboarding vs black can be tricky with all the crap they bring in postboard:
Duress usually 2-3 copies
Lifebane Zombie usually 3 copies so Blood Baron of Vizkopa is very risky.
So vs this matchup, what are our good SB options? We can't use Hushwing Gryff to counter their merchants, since that will not counter the ability on the stack, and using it when we think they will drop the gary, may just earn us a downfall to the FACE
Would I use Blood Baron of Vizkopa ? I am leaning more and more towards no... I am siding out removal, another wincon or wtv, for something that can be killed with a Devour Flesh or exiled with Lifebane Zombie . Scuttling Doom Engine seems to be a good answer, since with hits them harder on the face when they kill it.
Alright, how would I sideboard!
I need to think about the cards that do come in, and what are their purpose. My options lie hard on using Scuttling Doom Engine as another solid win con, Blood Baron of Vizkopa in some measure and just plain negates.
Now for the interesting part.... how would you control players, splashing black or paying down right esper, sideboard?
:D
Nigeltastic says... #3
Hushwing Gryff is a solid option and potentially Stain the Mind to just nip their important cards in the bud.
Dritz says... #2
The thing is that you can just Hushwing Gryff in response to casting. Gray Merchant of Asphodel 's ability does not work until it enters the battlefield. Hence, if you cast the Gryff and it resolves and is not removed first, it will prevent the Merchant's ability from triggering as it has yet to enter the battlefield. Given your point about Lifebane Zombie being something you are concerned about perhaps this isn't the best option on occasion, but, you can still drop it in response to the Lifebane casting and null its ability just like the Merchant's.
If it were my pure choice I would still go for the Blood Baron of Vizkopa route if you didn't think the Gryff was worth the slot for its value. You have a lot of answers to threats thanks to counter-magic and a pro-black threat does blank a lot of their answers while turning the clock in your favor should the lack a Devour Flesh on the turn they need it.
I would personally avoid Scuttling Doom Engine as it seems to much like a one-trick pony here considering it costs six.
Anyway, I'm no control expert but that is just my two cents.
August 2, 2014 1:12 p.m.