In the last couple of weeks, there has been quite a bit of speculation as to how the new planeswalker rules will change the game. It’s definitely interesting to think about how the game changes now that you can have multiple unique copies of Jace, Chandra, or any other planeswalker in play. Despite all the possibilities, most of the discussion has revolved around Gideon of the Trials. It turns out that Gideons are generally good at protecting themselves, and that only compounds when you have the ability to have multiple Gideons in play at once.

Esper Planeswalkers - Modern | Gul_Dukat, 5-0 Modern League

• Creatures (3)
• 3 Snapcaster Mage

• Planeswalkers (9)
• 1 Gideon Jura
• 2 Gideon of the Trials
• 2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
• 2 Liliana of the Veil
• 2 Narset Transcendent

• Instants (6)
• 3 Fatal Push
• 3 Path to Exile

• Sorceries (18)
• 2 Collective Brutality
• 2 Supreme Verdict
• 3 Inquisition of Kozilek
• 3 Thoughtseize
• 4 Lingering Souls
• 4 Serum Visions

• Lands (24)
• 1 Island
• 2 Plains
• 2 Swamp
• 1 Godless Shrine
• 1 Marsh Flats
• 1 Tectonic Edge
• 1 Watery Grave
• 2 Concealed Courtyard
• 2 Creeping Tar Pit
• 2 Hallowed Fountain
• 2 Shambling Vent
• 3 Flooded Strand
• 4 Polluted Delta

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Collective Brutality
• 2 Countersquall
• 2 Disdainful Stroke
• 1 Flashfreeze
• 2 Rest in Peace
• 3 Spell Queller
• 2 Stony Silence
• 2 Supreme Verdict

Buy This Deck

This deck follows a similar principle, but adds Black into the mix. Black gives you a couple of exciting tools. Early discard spells give you a better matchup against combo decks, and more opportunities to disrupt the early starts of synergy-based decks. Lingering Souls is still a monstrously powerful card in the format, particularly against creature-lands like Blinkmoth Nexus and Inkmoth Nexus. Finally, Fatal Push is a great alternative to Path to Exile against a wide range of decks in the format. Reality Smasher and Primeval Titan are some of the only commonly-played threats that Fatal Push doesn’t hit.

In addition to all of these powerful spells, you get access to Liliana of the Veil as a tool in midrange and control matchups, as well as Creeping Tar Pit to pressure opposing planeswalkers and Shambling Vent to pad your life total against aggressive decks.

All in all, this seems like an interesting take on the format, particularly once the planeswalker rule changes. Narset does a great job of ensuring that you can double up on removal spells to protect multiple planeswalkers, while Gideon Jura and Gideon, Ally of Zendikar are incredible at ensuring that your planeswalkers hang around for multiple turns. The best part is that Gideon of the Trials is incredible against most combo decks, since you can’t lose while you have him in play. Typically, that’s not a problem, since many combo decks will have access to an Echoing Truth or Wipe Away somewhere in their deck. However, once you can have multiple Gideons, things get much more difficult. If you’re looking to play a planeswalker-based control deck in Modern, this seems like a pretty reasonable place to start.