Champion’s Deck – Esper Stoneblade Control Charles Gordon (1st Place at SCG Oakland Legacy Open)

• 2 Island
• 1 Plains
• 1 Swamp
• 4 Flooded Strand
• 3 Marsh Flats
• 4 Polluted Delta
• 1 Scrubland
• 3 Tundra
• 3 Underground Sea
• 1 Karakas

Creatures (10)

• 2 Snapcaster Mage
• 4 Stoneforge Mystic
• 3 True-Name Nemesis
• 1 Vendilion Clique

• 2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

• 1 Batterskull
• 1 Engineered Explosives
• 1 Sword of Fire and Ice
• 4 Brainstorm
• 2 Counterspell
• 4 Force of Will
• 4 Swords to Plowshares
• 1 Umezawa’s Jitte
• 1 Inquisition of Kozilek
• 1 Ponder
• 2 Supreme Verdict
• 2 Thoughtseize
• 1 Vindicate

Sideboard

• 1 Grafdigger’s Cage
• 1 Manriki-Gusari
• 4 Meddling Mage
• 1 Humility
• 2 Rest in Peace
• 1 Flusterstorm
• 1 Path to Exile
• 2 Zealous Persecution
• 1 Supreme Verdict
• 1 Thoughtseize

You really have to admire the sheer versatility of this deck. Packed with threats and answers I personally find it to be one of the true top tier lists in legacy right now. This is one of the decks that can actually capitalize on the full potential of True-Name Nemesis by providing an armory of weapons for it to wield. Stoneforge Mystic is working overtime in this build with three targets to snag in Batterskull, Umezawa’s Jitte and Sword of Fire and Ice. The sword is particularly useful in sneaking Batterskull or Snapcaster through opponents defensive True-Names.  To round out the creature base there is a Vendilion Clique which just offers so much value in conjunction with Karakas and a pair of Snapcaster Mage to grind extra use out of the decks varied spells.  With the Planeswalker rules how they are there’s just a pair of Jace, the Mind Sculptor which is more than adequate given he is much less vulnerable now.  As with almost every blue deck in legacy there is the set of Brainstorm and a singleton Ponder to sift through the deck to find your answers.  The deck is backed up with permission by a set of Force of Will and a pair of Counterspells which give some hard counters to deal with big threats.  A great removal package is headlined by a full four Swords to Plowshares for creature threats and a one of Vindicate as a catchall answer with sweepers from two Supreme Verdict and an Engineered Explosives.  One thought I had with having the Explosives and the equipment that there might be a one of Academy Ruins in the mana base replacing one of the Underground Sea, but it may be too much.  Finally the deck is rounded out with some small disruption with two Thoughtseize and one Inquisition of Kozilek to assure some answer to random threats.