I'm looking for help with a budget Esper Control deck

This deck NEEDS four mana wrath effects. Eviction and consume will not be enough in time. The format is very fast and doesn't have a ton of other blue decks, so not having the "uncounterable" clause is not super important, so Day of Judgement is a fine budget replacement. Also consider adding more spot removal like doom blade, disfigure, go for the throat, smother, etc. This format is really fast, so those effects are very important. You can't rune snag a turn one play, but you can condemn or disfigure it. Definitely replace some of the counters with removal.

You also have too many high cost finishers. Add the souls to the main deck and cut down on the rise from the tides.

Also the mystical teaching are very slow. I would replace them. Probably with just more removal. Probably add the fourth think twice.

Overall, control is very difficult to get into on a budget. Man lands and snapcasters are expensive and these decks do not do very well without them. I think my proposed changes are the best you can do. Good luck.

/r/ModernMagic Thread