Esper control with a planeswalker focus. Control the board while grinding out value with planeswalkers. Win with Elspeth, Gideon, Shambling Vent, or (really grindy) Oath of Kaya replays from Teferi bounces. If your opponent doesn't concede first of course. Take your time, because decisions matter with this deck.

Maybeboard;
Interplanar Beacon seems like a great way to gain life, but whenever I put it in the only thing I can cut is Fabled Passage which is really nice for Fatal push, and I inevitably come up short a colored mana for a game deciding Verdict. If you need more lifegain in your local meta, go for it.

Nezahal and W/U Narset are fantastic sideboard options against control. As my local meta shifts I'm seriously considering replacing authority with these.

*UPDATE 1/31/19* Added Nezahal to the sideboard, removed authority of the consuls and moved Gideon mainboard. Also trimmed out elderspell and added more counterspell. I'm debating moving Kaya to mainboard as well as adding THB Ashiok but I'm not sure what I want to trim for them, but exile is good against almost everything I'm playing locally between soulflayer, phoenix, and dig/cruise in combo and control.

Budget Options-
Thought Erasure is a fine replacement for Thoughtseize, it's a turn slower but doesn't cost life and the surveil can get rid of a dead draw. Agonizing Remorse could also be used especially if your meta has lots of graveyard strats.
Languish is decent to replace Verdict but it does miss against large creatures (green ramp for example). Time Wipe just feels bad with no creatures, Ritual of Soot is probably worse than Languish.
You can skip on Fabled Passage and go with interplanar beacon, it might even be better, it's a choice I'm constantly torn on.
I don't reccomend skimping on any main board planeswalkers or the mana base. There are more traditional control lists that are cheaper, this deck is unique because of the walkers. I tried Gideon Blackblade and it was mediocre since I usually use the first 3 turns to establish proper board control, and I'd rather cast T3feri for tempo and card advantage than a 3 drop that doesn't do anything until my next turn.