E.S.P. a.k.a. HULK Flash

Oki doki, this is a deck that has been running around in the legacy forum for a while now.


There are two version from the original poster (Complete_Jank from mtg sally)

19 Setup/Protection
4 Flash
4 Summoner's Pact
4 Pact of Negation
4 Brainstorm
3 Mystical Tutor

11 Ammo Creatures
4 Phyrexian Walker
4 Ornithopter
3 Shield Sphere

12 Key Creatures
4 Protean Hulk
2 Academy Rector
2 Carrion Feeder
3 Disciple of the Vault
1 Arcbound Ravager

2 Enchantments
2 Goblin Bombardment

17 Mana
4 Elvish Spirit Guide
4 Lotus Petal
5 Island
4 Chrome Mox


15 Side Board
1 Accursed Centaur
3 Chain of Vapor
3 Show and Tell
3 Cabal Therapy
1 Lich
2 Children of Korlis
2 Tendrils of Agony

The second version is actually the one that I am trying out cos I am a sick sick combo man.

19 Mana
4 Gemstone Cavern
3 SSG
4 ESG
4 Islands
4 Lotus Petal

20 Support
4 Summoner's pact
4 Flash
4 Mystical Tutors
4 Pact of negation
4 Force of Will

21 Creatures
1 Clone
4 Disciple of the Vault
4 Protean Hulk
4 Phryxian Marauders
4 Shifting Walls.
4 Street Wraith




But seriously, both decks kill on turn 0.


No. Seriously.




I have only tried the second, but feel free to test the first, the concept is similar.


Essentially the combo is

Flash + Protean Hulk

The key point is at as of the time of writing, Flash works as originally worded (yay I can use the real card as a reference weee!!!)


So having said that if you flash out a Protean Hulk, it will cost 2 less that it's CC, but if you do not pay it goes to the grave.

The key point is that the Hulk actually is in play. Since it is in play, it going to the grave will cause it's effect to trigger. When it triggers, you get to fetch all the 0/0 critters into play together with the diciples of the vault. (yeah the evil dudes who brought you Ravager).

The 0/0 critters come into play and the dudes die from state based effects.
(I wish they would reerrata Phyrexian Dreadnought so that it would still work with Pandemonium).


So how does a turn 0 kill go?


Step 1: have a flash + Hulk + gemstone cavern + one random card + SSG (Simian SG) or ESG (Elvish Spirit guide) in hand.
Step 2: When game begins you begin with gemstone card and remove one card.
Step 3: During your opponent's upkeep, you play flash with a spirit guide giving you the second mana. and flash out the hulk.

Now for a turn 0 kill you need 5 cards of a particular kind.

Post FS basically give you 8 Hulks via summoner's pact
or 8 of the spirit guides (effectively 12)

Mystical tutor gives you effectively, 12 Hulk and 8 flash 16 SG. Those are very pretty numbers.

Which are very much aided by the fact that summopner's pact is an instant and 0cc

Pre FS does not have this luxury.


A sample pre FS build is below



Mana (22)
4x Lotus Petal
4x Elvish Spirit Guide
2x Simian Spirit Guide
2x Polluted Delta
2x Flooded Strand
1x Tropical Island
1x Underground Sea
2x Island
4x Gemstone Caverns

Combo (8)
4x Protean Hulk
4x Flash

Manipulation (10)
4x Mystical Tutor
2x Worldly Tutor
4x Brainstorm Combo Creatures (10)
4x Disciple of the Vault
3x Phyrexian Marauder
3x Shifting Wall

Protection (10)
4x Force of Will
3x Daze
2x Misdirection
1x Chain of Vapor Sideboard (15)
2x Stifle (in place of 2 Shifting Wall in the mirror)
4x Leyline of the Void (in place of 3 Phyrexian Marauder and 1 Shifting Wall in the mirror)
4x Phyrexian Negator (in place of 4 Disciples in the mirror)
2x Chain of Vapor (for Leyline and Meddling Mage)
2x Echoing Truth (for Leyline, Meddling Mage and Chalice)
1x Merchant Scroll (for Meddling Mage and Chalice)

This can be found in page 11 of the link posted by Puzzle.


You have almost the same deck.


But Worldly tutor is a turn slower.
Cost a mana.
And only puts it on the top of your library.


Big Difference.


This really slows the deck ALOT.


Not in terms of whether it can do turn 0,1,2 kills.


But whether it can do so CONSISTENTLY.


With the Worldly tutor, you will average 0 turn kills alot less. But you will get a nice numbers of first second turn kills.

But being "slower", you also open yourself to disruption in the form of duress and counters.

So it is alot slower and less consistent than one might think.

And goldfishing for pre FS really counts for less because of this point.

Goldfishing results for post FS is truly scary as there is NO WAY an opponent can react except via FOW or Pact of Negation. And really if you use PON you have won already =) So the only counter to be afraid of is FOW.

Pre FS, the opponent has much much more options.

Also pre FS is alot less stable. Why?


Pact of Negation thats why.


FS not only gives this deck an accelerant in the form of Summoner's Pact (and the 0cc has alot more impact than people give it credit for).

It also give the deck PROTECTION.

So not only 0 turn consistency but also counter coverage!


Hence in my view, the pre FS version is still manageable, I would give the control and discard decks out there more credit =)


The post FS deck is another story.


I do not mind if they nerf it in legacy. But I do hope they keep it for Vintage. Heh I like to be able to beat power without power =) And I am not sure if that was'nt what this deck was meant to do. FS seems custom made for this deck to go CRAZY!

If it stays in legacy, I think it provides the format with alot of randomness. The thing about this deck is that, if it does not win in the first 2 turn (the post FS version) it just dies.

Hence it may not have any impact overall due to consistency. Is making players lose randomly good? I dunno, WOTC came up with mana screw. =) Hence there is a slight chance that they might let it live in legacy. I do not really mind if they do. We'll just adapt I guess.