Esper Control for Pioneer

I think Esper is probably my favorite control variant. It provides a great diversity of options, from countering threats, tp removing threats, card advantage, and can close the game out quickly if we can get to the endgame. There are many variations on this deck, and I approached this as someone who started in Kaladesh (so I admit some recency bias with my card choice). With that out of the way, let's explain our choices for each card:

This is an incredible piece of removal. While in Standard it was a staple, and in Pioneer I expect that to continue. While we are not as interested in the Revolt trigger, there are still plenty of good targets with this: Llanowar Elves and Elvish Mystic are two cards that seem harmless enough, but they lead to big plays. Being able to remove them for a single mana before our opponent can use them is a good way to slow opponents down. This card is particularly strong against threats from the Hardened Scales deck, taking out: Experiment One, Winding Constrictor, Walking Ballista, Stonecoil Serpent, Pelt Collector, Hangarback Walker, and Voracious Hydra. It picks on early threats in almost any matchup, and is the easiest way to get rid of Smuggler's Copter. 

Full disclosure, this is one of my favorite cards in all the Magic I've played. I've seen a lot of control decks running Opt, and I do love that card, but I think this just has so much more upside. I know Scry 1 Draw 1 for just U is strong, but this card essentially says 'get rid of this card that doesnt work and draw a card'. On top of that, its great on T2 and T3, and even on later turns opponents will tap out and forget this can still catch them. Card draw and card advantage is a huge part of Control style decks, but I think having more options than your opponent is even more important. Even if its a small chance, the fact this can counter a spell OR help draw you into something more useful puts this over the edge and will be a staple for me in almost every blue deck I make. 

Very strong removal, plain and simple. To date, I haven't seen many Legendary creatures this deck cannot otherwise deal with, so the 'drawback' on this feels minimal so far. If the meta moves and a big Legendary threat emerges there are adjustments easy to make. Being able to have this on T2, and be a turn ahead of Swift End or Hero's Downfall is crucial, as this deck wants to be very protective of the board on T1 and T2 so we can get something good down on our T3 and have it stick around.  

This is where my recency bias starts to show. I was not playing during Theros, so I did not get started on Thoughtseize. I fully acknowledge it is an extremely powerful start, but in this case I am sticking with Thouhgt Erasure for a few reasons. First and foremost, price. Thoughtseize is very expensive for me, and I'm secretly hoping for a reprint in the new Theros set. For my wallet, Thought Erasure is just fine for now. Second, I really appreciate the Surveil on this card. Being able to take something good out of an opponent's hand, AND set yourself up to draw something helpful (either leaving a good card on top or binning something that doesn't work) is worth playing this on T2 instead of paying 2 life for Thoughtseize on T1. Third, the loss of life on Thoughtseize isn't a problem until it is. This deck plays a lot of shock lands, and if you want to have all three colors on line by T2 and play Thoughtseize on T1, you are almost certainly going down 4 life (2 for something like Godless Shrine or Watery Grave), then 2 more for Thoughtseize. Losing 20% of your life on T1 is not worth it in every matchup. 

This is better than Negate. Is this better than Negate? I'm not sure, but I lean towards Dovin's Veto as the 'can't be countered is pretty good. Not having the W mana open turns this off, but in a T2 where we don't have W we are hoping to catch them with Censor anyway, and the T2 no W 'wish I had W so I could cast this' hasn't hit me yet. Fingers crossed. If anything, I go back and forth between this and Disallow, but there is more on that down below.  

I openly recognize the drawback on this card is real. Only hitting things 4 and above on the curve is a real requirement, but its not as limiting as you might think and the positives of this card outweigh the drawback. The first major benefit of this card is that it does not discriminate against type of card (creature, plansewalker, etc) so we have an option to remove things like Plansewalkers that may have slipped through. This deck has a lot of creature removal, and both Teferi can help us bounce things, but this exiles them in a much more final way. The other benefit of this card is its cost, a simple WB. This means we can often hold up another spell, whether thats a counter to something they respond with, or a good removal piece, or a big set up turn for us. Despark their big threat so we can Drawn from Dreams is a very strong 6 mana turn. 

I know, I know, Dig Through Time and Treasure Cruise exist. Thing is, I'm not sure they will be safe from banning and I'd rather just be used to playing this card than playing this wishing it was one of those. Maybe in a few months if Dig Through Time is still format legal that will take over this spot, but even then its not a clean swap for me. The Delve angle is great, but since this deck runs so many good instants you may end up delving a spell that would be better cast with Torrential Gearhulk. This was almost Glimmer of Genius, and could also be somehting like Chemister's Insight, but I'd rather pick the 2 best cards from 7 than 2 of the best 4 (with Glimmer), or blind draw 4 (Chemister). Glimmer of Genius and Chemister's Insight both carry the benefit of being targets for Torrential Gearhulk, but I've found I more often want to flash in TGH, suprise block, and use a removal spell on another creature to help level the board. 

Supreme Verdict is expensive. Plus sometimes it feels good to Time Wipe your Torrential Gearhulk to do the thing again.  

This is, pure and simple, a fun win con. You don't want to see this early in the game, but late it can be absolutely amazing to rip off the top or pull up with some of the draw/card advantage pieces we have. This deck originally included Finale of Glory and one Torment, but I ended up with double Torment for the simple fact it can win the turn you cast it (as opposed to Finale, where you cant swing with all those creatures right away). Even against a large board, a full hand, or some mix, this card can really set your opponent back. One of the best things about this card is the look your opponent has when they have no board, no hand, and they do the match for X=7...

Another personal favorite, this card provides so many advantages and can just turn games around. If you've played it, or played against it, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't had the chance to try this card yet, just look up the instants available in this format, and dream over the prospect of casting any of them off the ETB of this majestic Construct.  

 I love this card and played it the entire time it was in Stanard. I picked up a few copies before the big price jump, and every game I got it onto the board I was so happy to see it. With control decks you want to increase your odds of getting what you need as often as possible. Sometimes, you will see a land you need to cast a spell in hand; sometimes the last thing you want to see is a land, and you move that out of the way and end up drawing a card that can answer your problem. Because there are other cards in this deck that draw for us, I don't always flip this when there are 7 cards in the yard. I've honestly had games where it stays around until there are 15+ cards, flipping it only because I draw the second copy. Having that filter at the beginning of the upkeep, and not having to pay any resource for that filter is great. 

This is a very powerful plansewaker. Turning off card draw for opponents is great, particularly against contril decks. More importantly, digging 4 cards on 3 mana the first time is good, but if we get to do it a second time and pay no mana its even better. This card usually draws a lot of attention, so even if we play it on T3 and only get one activation, then draw creature attention in combat, thats one less turn we are taking damage. Sometimes this is all we need to establish control,  

One of the strongest card in its set and a dominant force in current standard, the combination of the static ability and the -3 here are both perfect for a control deck. Turning off opposing instant speed play can be back breaking for opposing control decks, and bouncing a threat and drawing a card is a big tempo swing that can take you from staring down the barrel of a rough attack to reseting things a bit and drawing a bigger answer like a sweeper or hard removal.  

If you sat down and said, 'How do I build the quintessential control plansewalker?', you would end up with this card. The +1 draws a card and in a way protects Teferi; opening up the mana on end step can turn on many cards for us, whether its a Dovin's Veto, Cast Down, Despark, and even a sneaky Thought Erasure if we have Teferi, Time Raveler out. The -3 ability is very very strong. Bouncing something to the opponent's hand is one thing, but when you can tuck it back in their library you really set them back. If you get the emblem at -8 that's great, but getting this to 7 usually ends the game anyway, as opponents dont want to play out the rest of the game when you are going to start exiling lands every time you draw.  

Another example of receny bias, but I love this card at the top end. Again, we see a card doing all the things we want a strong planeswalker to do with protection, card advantage, and overall presenting a threat that draws attention away from our life total. In this case the static ability is not our focus, but the +1 is very strong as it protects Ugin (or another plansewalker, or us) AND gives card advantage by allowing us to block with the spirit and put the card in our hand afterwards. By the time you get two or more tokens out and can decide on more favorable blocks (ie which card would you like in your hand) we are usually in a very strong position. The -3 is great removal, as similar to Despark it doesnt care about type of permanent the same way most of our spells do. 6 mana destruction is an expensive spell, but if we remove their only threat (or even just the best threat) it can be worth it. 

The Sideboard (Under Maintenance) 

Bring this in against token strategies. It also pulls double duty as removal on a variety of targets like an early Smuggler's Copter that isnt a creature yet, early Oko, Thief of Crowns and more. Still not sure if this is the right call or if this should be Detention Sphere. This can block other creatures which can be very valuable early on, but it turns on opponent's removal spells. Detention Spehere turns off (most) removal, but you give up the blocking ability and leave yourself open on the next turn. 

Bring this in against the Izzet Phoenix decks, as it basically turns Arclight Phoenix off and forces hard casts. On its own and hard casted, Phoenix isnt too scary, as its really when two or three jump out of the graveyard that we have a  problem. It can also slow down burn decks and get us later into games because they can't burn us out right away. 

We need another counterspell in the deck, and for now this is what I think is the best option (given how easily it can pick off early spells against opposing control decks). 

Teferi, Time Raveler, Teferi, Hero of Dominaria, Oko, Thief of Crowns, Nissa, Who Shakes the World, Nissa, Voice of Zendikar, Elspeth, Sun's Champion, Gideon, Ally of Zendikar, Vivien, Arkbow Ranger, the list goes on. That was just plansewalkers, and there is a trove of green and white creatures as well. 

Bring this in against the Hardened Scales decks. That deck seems very popular at the moment, and this makes it so much less explosive. 

This card shreds combo decks and is, in my opinion, the best way to stop Nexus of Fate. Just name whatever you dont want to deal with and its gone (assuming they didn't board that card out). 

Again, can really turn the game agaisnt Izzet Phoenix, and turns off most graveyard strategies. The static is no joke, as turning off library searching can range from powerful to hilarious (don't try to sac Fabled Passage when Ashiok is out).