This matchup is a durdly grind where our interaction needs to answer big threats like Emrakul and the Eldrazi Spawn-fueled Urza's Saga/Eldrazi Temple engine rather than cheap spells. Meltdown at X=1-2 cleans up Urza's Saga Constructs, Springleaf Drum, and Vexing Bauble, and X=2 also catches Talisman of Resilience. It only destroys artifacts, so it does nothing to their Eldrazi creatures or lands. Surgical Extraction can strip a second copy of Ancient Stirrings or Malevolent Rumble to disrupt their card selection engine, or exile a key Emrakul after we counter one copy. Spell Snare and Spell Pierce are weaker here because the threats that matter most, Emrakul (mana value 13) and Devourer of Destiny (mana value 7), are creature spells that neither can handle. Spell Snare only catches Kozilek's Command when X=0, and Spell Pierce can target it but their mana development makes the tax easy to pay. They come out in favor of more impactful disruption.

Rakdos Delirium is a graveyard-fueled aggressive deck full of cheap threats and card types to enable Nethergoyf and delirium payoffs, and they bring in graveyard hate and Obsidian Charmaw against us, so we need to race rather than durdle. Meltdown at X=0 destroys their Mishra's Bauble (mana value 0), and at X=1 it also catches Nihil Spellbomb (mana value 1), which would otherwise exile our graveyard and hurt Murktide Regent. Surgical Extraction can strip a key card like Stitcher's Supplier or Street Wraith out of their graveyard engine entirely. Flow State replaces some card selection since our graveyard will naturally fill with instants and sorceries for its upgrade mode; Counterspell gets trimmed since tempo matters more than hard countering midrange threats, and Spell Snare is narrow here, only hitting their two-drops like Fear of Missing Out and Orcish Bowmasters.

Esper Control has almost no creatures worth killing, so our removal spells are largely dead weight while their planeswalkers (Teferi, Narset, Jace) and colorless/artifact permanents matter more. Consign to Memory, Replicate for extra copies, is excellent here since it counters colorless spells like Isochron Scepter and any triggered abilities, while being cheap and efficient mana-wise against a control deck. Meltdown can wipe their few artifacts and is otherwise a late addition for grindy games. Lightning Bolt and Unholy Heat come out almost entirely since Solitude is their only real removal-worthy creature and we already have enough ways to pressure through Counterspell and Murktide.