Legacy: Esper Dragon Tempo - Deck Tech and Sideboard Guide

Greetings, Legacy community! While everyone is having fun at the Final Fantasy prerelease events, we Legacy players will have to wait a bit more before we see how the new cards, and, mostly, the new Saga rule will change the format.

As we still don't have a consistent example of what the new meta will look like, let's take a look at a deck that is in parts similar and in parts different from what we're used to seeing!

This deck managed to get to the top 4 of the June 8th Legacy Showcase in the hands of Fishduggery. It is based on a list that also got to the top 4 of the June 1st MTGO Challenge 32: Esper Dragon, piloted by pokemoki.

Dimir Tempo is a very successful deck that we discussed recently in another article. Its overall base is very flexible - by the way, the list we covered in that article splashes red.

One of the most popular versions is the Esper list. It plays relevant cards like Swords to Plowshares, Prismatic Ending, Clarion Conqueror, and March of Otherworldly Light (like in the list below), and some sideboard cards like Deafening Silence and Containment Priest.

What sets this list apart from the more regular versions is some new cards from Tarkir: Dragonstorm. Besides the aforementioned Clarion Conqueror, it also plays Roiling Dragonstorm and Marang River Regent.

These two blue cards are ways to create card advantage that these Tempo decks can rarely play. Because this list also plays some Dragons, Roiling Dragonstorm can return a few times to your hand, where it can then pay for your Forces' alternative costs, and renew your hand or fill your graveyard when it enters again.

As for Regent, its Adventure side gives you real card advantage, and can, eventually, be a real threat when resources are the most important thing on the board. As for Clarion Conqueror, it may seem a bit weird, considering in this deck it disables the Planeswalker side of your Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student. However, it is a main deck answer that can put Nadu Breakfast and Forge Combo in their places. And you can simply discard it with Roiling Dragonstorm or Marang River Regent if it's not relevant.

Besides the new cards above, this list plays the blue Tempo base (Brainstorm, Ponder, Force of Will, Daze, and Wasteland, but only 3 copies of the two last cards), and the usual Dimir suspects (Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student, Orcish Bowmasters, and Murktide Regent). Furthermore, it plays the best cards in the format in these colors: Thoughtseize in black, and Swords to Plowshares in white (which is clearly an upgrade compared to Fatal Push).

Finally, this list plays 1 Force of Negation as the fifth Force of Will for an online meta full of combo decks.

What stands out in this list compared to traditional Tempo lists is the 3 Reanimates. They do a few things in this case, though. For instance, you can use them to bring back threats that were discarded/countered/destroyed, like a Clarion Conqueror against Nadu or a River Regent against aggressive decks. You can also use them to bring back enemy creatures, which is particularly relevant in a meta full of Reanimator lists and Sneak & Show. Or, you can use them as a tempo play and bring back a Tamiyo or a Bowmasters to put pressure on your opponent.

Blue tempo decks have always been a part of this format, and have always performed really well. However, this list plays a few elements that aren't common in standard lists because it plays white. It's also the perfect excuse if you want to play a few cards from a relatively new set (and Dragons!).

The golden rule for Tempo decks is still valid in this case: you don't need to look for a particular set of cards in your opening hand, but rather an honest combination of mana, action, and card draw. Keep in mind, this list is not as aggressive as the lists with Delver of Secrets and Dragon's Rage Channeler, but it is better in longer matches.

Let's see an example:

Reanimate and Marang River Regent aren't useful early on, but the rest of this hand is quite interesting. You can play Thoughtseize on turn 1, and potentially reanimate a discarded creature on turn 2. You can also play Tamiyo on turn 1, then Seize and Ponder on turn 2. Verdict: you should keep it.

This hand is quite straightforward. It has action and protection. Verdict: you should keep it.

This hand is also promising. It has options for turn 1 and protection - Force of Negation. Verdict: you should keep it.

You can justify keeping this hand, but I consider it a bit weird. You won't have easy targets for the 2 Reanimates because you can't discard or counter anything, so this hand is virtually a mulligan to 5. It also doesn't have protection for non-creature attacks. I'd send it back. Verdict: Mulligan.

This is the standard multipurpose sideboard blue decks use. It is a real toolbox full of varied answers and the hope that Cantrips/Surveil Lands can help you find them.

It has Dauthi Voidwalker and Nihil Spellbomb for graveyards, with Dress Down as backup for entry/exit triggers. Then, it plays Swords to Plowshares, Prismatic Ending, Brazen Borrower, March of Otherworldly Light, and Engineered Explosives as extra removals against certain decks. Barrowgoyf, in turn, will be a valuable threat against these same decks. Consign to Memory, Clarion Conqueror, and Disruptor Flute are helpful against Forge Combo lists, and the last two cards also deal with Nadu decks.

Hydroblast is still an efficient answer against Pyroblast, Dragon's Rage Channeler, Cori-Steel Cutter, and Blood Moon.

Finally, the basic Plains is great when you need to play around decks that attack your mana base with cards like Blood Moon and similar.

Dimir Aggro

As we know, whoever wins the resource war wins this matchup, and this version has tools to tilt the scales in your favor in that sense, like Roiling Dragonstorm and Marang River Regent, besides effective removals for Murktide Regent. Be careful with Orcish Bowmasters on your Dragonstorms.

In:

Out:

Show and Tell

In this matchup, your Thoughtseize + Reanimate might be deadly to your opponent. You already have the tools to deal with them in game 1, and it only gets better post-side.

Your Tarkir cards aren't that useful against this opponent. Even Clarion Conqueror (from your sideboard) and your other value-based cards are better when card advantage is your priority, and this might not be the case for this matchup.

In:

Out:

Red Stompy

Blood Moon can easily ruin your day, so you must keep an answer for it in your opening hand, and the five Forces will be really helpful as well.

Chalice of the Void is also quite annoying, but at least Roiling Dragonstorm will let you get rid of dead cards.

Murktide Regent usually ends the game, and Clarion Conqueror can break their mana base. The Plains in your sideboard makes Moon less problematic, and Barrowgoyf is also a bit difficult for them to answer.

In:

Out:

Dimir Reanimator

Just like Sneak and Show, in this matchup, you also want to turn the tables and reanimate their own creatures.

In:

Out:

Nadu Breakfast

This is the main reason why we play Clarion Conqueror in the main deck. You'll be backed up against the wall because, if you give them any window, they'll try to push their combo through. Voice of Victory can't stay on the board, or you'll just lose.

Post-side, remember that March of Otherworldly Light removes Urza's Saga for just 1 mana. You'll add more removals because their combo is centered around creatures.

In:

Out:

This deck has been performing well for two weeks in a row, which proves that there's space for innovation even in well-established archetypes.

I confess that I didn't expect to see Roiling Dragonstorm and Marang River Regent in Legacy, but we've been caught off-guard again! Now, we'll have to wait and see if Final Fantasy can bring us another surprise in the upcoming weeks.

What do you think of this deck? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!