The deck “Solar Flare” was a popular Magic: the Gathering archetype in the game’s past, particularly during the Innistrad block. It was at first recognized during the first Ravnica Standard days, wherein a new control deck at that time was formulated from the cards of the block set.

The Solar Flare deck was a control-based deck that relied on using powerful creatures and removal spells to control the board and outlast opponents. It typically used a combination of white, black, and blue cards, including hand disruptions, spot and mass removals, card draw effects, and solid counterspells.

The deck focused on playing powerful creatures with enter-the-battlefield abilities, such as Snapcaster Mage and Sun Titan, which could recur important spells from the graveyard. Creatures like Restoration Angel were also in the lineup with the ability to “blink” your own creatures and use their ETB effects again.

The deck also used a variety of removal spells to control the board, including cards like Supreme Verdict and Liliana of the Veil. Planeswalkers Sorin, Lord of Innistrad were also used for the board advantage in the late game against most deck matchups.

When the Shards of Alara set was introduced, the deck’s name then adopted the term “Esper” as it represents the plane where the three colors aligned. Up until today, Esper Control was the deck archetype name to describe similar strategies to that of the Solar Flare deck.

Here below is a sample decklist played in Innistrad Standard.

Esper Control (Solar Flare) – pelli
MTGO Standard Premier 15/09/13

Maindeck
26 LANDS
4 Drowned Catacomb
4 Glacial Fortress
3 Godless Shrine
4 Hallowed Fountain
3 Island
3 Isolated Chapel
1 Plains
4 Watery Grave

10 CREATURES
3 Augur of Bolas
2 Obzedat, Ghost Council
3 Restoration Angel
2 Snapcaster Mage

22 INSTANTS and SORC.
3 Azorius Charm
2 Dissipate
2 Forbidden Alchemy
2 Lingering Souls
2 Sphinx’s Revelation
4 Supreme Verdict
4 Syncopate
3 Think Twice

2 OTHER SPELLS
2 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad

Sideboard
2 Detention Sphere
2 Dispel
1 Doom Blade
3 Duress
2 Evil Twin
2 Rest in Peace
1 Terminus
2 Ultimate Price

Overall, the Solar Flare deck was a strong and versatile deck that could adapt to different matchups and strategies, making it a favorite among competitive players during its time in the game.