Dimir Excruciator leans on discard (Duress), targeted removal (Bitter Triumph, Requiting Hex), and sweepers (Deadly Cover-Up) to control the board. Surrak, Elusive Hunter can't be countered, dodging Spell Snare and counterspells, and punishes their removal spells by drawing you cards whenever they target your creatures. Esper Origins is comparatively slow and gets outpaced by their card advantage engines like Superior Spider-Man and Seasoned Cryomancer, so it comes out for a more resilient, removal-proof threat.