Hi, for a while now i've been working on a budget Jeskai Tempo deck. It looks like this. Could've used some help to figure out how to tweak the deck and settle on some optimal slots. I will go over the decklist afterwards, but here it is
First of all you may have noticed that i haven't included a sideboard and for good reason. This deck is extremely dependent on it's sideboard to win games, and giving you the wrong sideboard for the wrong meta would be disastrous. If this evolves into a primer i may add some recommendations, but for now you will have to look up that for yourself. On to the deck:
Core:
11-12 Creatures
4 of these should be Spell Queller. This is by far the best creature for this deck. You could've gotten rid of Lightning bolt, but this deck wouldn't function without Spell Queller. 3-4 Should be Geist of Saint Traft. If there isn't many Liliana decks you should run 3.
4 Flex slots: these can be anything from Restoration Angel to Vendilion Clique to Mantis Rider and Lightning Angel. Testing will see which is best, but without any major testing i'm on side of Resto as it works wonders with Spell Queller and Geist.
4 Serum Visions. You shouldn't play Opt in this deck because that means you can't keep as many one and two land-hands.
8 Counters
4 Remand This is in here over Mana Leak because we have to play a tempo game. You sacrifice some percentage against burn and other blistering fast aggro, but it's worth it in the end. Remanding that Gurmag Angler just feels so juicy.
2 Logic Knot This is the best counter in the deck, but it's unreliable because you need a fetch land or a serum visions on turn 1 to turn it on turn 2. Testing will see how many we can play, but don't leave home without 2 of this.
1 Spell Pierce Wow this card is bonkers. You don't play mana leak so they will never expect this! It's dead against some matchups like zoo (though you will probably still win that matchup), but against the decks you want to beat it's really really good. Try it out
1 Cryptic Command Mainly because of budgetary reasons, we only play one, but we also have 4 Restoration Angel so we don't want too many heavy hands. It's the best card in the long matches and can win some unwindable ones, but it's not always great so playing 1 is fine.
24 Lands. Not much to say here. Don't play more, don't play less. It's perfect. We don't play Celestial Colonnade for a few reasons, but mostly because of the budget.
Overall, what do you think of this deck. Have any card suggestions? Would you like to see this evolve into a budget primer, with different levels of budgets? Tell me what you want to know in the comments below
Hi there! I was playing a Jeskai Tempo/Aggro deck for around a year before I had my Snapcaster Mages. I can share with you my decklists. I had to alter them post Gitaxian Probe ban...
Cards like Snapcaster Mage, Scalding Tarn, Spell Queller, Geist of Saint Traft, Cryptic Command and to an extent, Search for Azcanta are in the "final" versions of Jeskai Tempo/Aggro/Control shells. However, I come to find that Spirebluff Canal is absolutely necessary if you need to make a decision between acquring Scalding Tarn or Snapcaster Mage because Snapcaster Mage is the deciding end game for this deck.
this is not going to be nice to hear but its what I was told when I was starting with a budget grixis delver deck, and I'm going to tell it to you now : "Don't play these (style of) decks without snapcaster. You're dropping the best card in the deck."
Having tried to do it anyway, I cannot help but concede that it was true. Snap does too much work in these low cmc instant/sorcery decks to be dropped.
Since your topic suggests alternative, I guess I should point out that Jace, Vryn's Prodigy is less devastating to one's wallet. So long as he lives through a turn, you can get a lot of value out from him in a similar fashion as snap.
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Interesting, but I still think it is possible to build a tempo deck without snapcaster. It is a value card that allows your deck to get tempo for leaving up mana, but outside of that it doesn't provide any tempo. Maybe a lower to the ground deck like Need-more-DPS posted is the way to go with something like Swiftspear and Young Pyromancer is the way to go, but not complete aggro as big-mana decks are quite popular and counters are so incredibly valuable against those. Jace is also an option, but he doesn't grant any false tempo before he is flipped and that means he is really bad if not played on turn two. Still think a different could use him to great effect though.
adding on, i couldn't find space for Path to Exile which is also a staple in this deck. cutting 1 Young Pyromancer, 1 Opt, 1 Spell Pierce and 1 Lightning Helix will be sufficient for a playset of PoE.
Interesting, but I still think it is possible to build a tempo deck without snapcaster. It is a value card that allows your deck to get tempo for leaving up mana, but outside of that it doesn't provide any tempo. Maybe a lower to the ground deck like Need-more-DPS posted is the way to go with something like Swiftspear and Young Pyromancer is the way to go, but not complete aggro as big-mana decks are quite popular and counters are so incredibly valuable against those. Jace is also an option, but he doesn't grant any false tempo before he is flipped and that means he is really bad if not played on turn two. Still think a different could use him to great effect though.
You need to understand the power level of snap is such that every single spell you've cast is as good as in your hand if you have a snap. That feeling of dread the opponent feels when a blue mage starts glancing through their graveyard "hand", you're losing that and its a big loss. There is a reason this blue two drop is so expensive - every interactive blue deck worth playing runs them, just as every green midrange deck runs Tarmogoyf.
Without snaps, every low cost spell you play will be a one-shot. After the first 3 turns of trading cards your value opponents will start to 2-for-1 you, your big mana opponents will cast things you cannot deal with, or your go-under opponents will overrun you and your empty hand. There is a aggro tempo deck in UR that doesn't really need snapcaster because it intends to end the game fast - UR Kiln Fiend. If your budget is truly restrictive, then you may have to abandon this aggro-control route and be the deck that goes under.
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4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
2 Bloodstained Mire
2 Steam vents
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Sacred Foundry
2 Wandering Fumarole
2 Needle Spires
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Glacial Fortress
3 Island
1 Plains
1 Mountain
4 Spell Queller
3 Geist of Saint Traft
4 Restoration Angel
Spells
4 Serum Visions
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile
4 Lightning Helix
2 Electrolyze
2 Logic Knot
4 Remand
1 Spell Pierce
1 Cryptic Command
First of all you may have noticed that i haven't included a sideboard and for good reason. This deck is extremely dependent on it's sideboard to win games, and giving you the wrong sideboard for the wrong meta would be disastrous. If this evolves into a primer i may add some recommendations, but for now you will have to look up that for yourself. On to the deck:
Core:
11-12 Creatures
4 of these should be Spell Queller. This is by far the best creature for this deck. You could've gotten rid of Lightning bolt, but this deck wouldn't function without Spell Queller. 3-4 Should be Geist of Saint Traft. If there isn't many Liliana decks you should run 3.
4 Flex slots: these can be anything from Restoration Angel to Vendilion Clique to Mantis Rider and Lightning Angel. Testing will see which is best, but without any major testing i'm on side of Resto as it works wonders with Spell Queller and Geist.
9-10 Burn Spells
4 Lightning Bolt. Period, not much to say. 4 Lightning Helix. 2 Electrolyze. If Lingering souls is more popular than burn in your meta you can play 3-3.
4 Serum Visions. You shouldn't play Opt in this deck because that means you can't keep as many one and two land-hands.
8 Counters
4 Remand This is in here over Mana Leak because we have to play a tempo game. You sacrifice some percentage against burn and other blistering fast aggro, but it's worth it in the end. Remanding that Gurmag Angler just feels so juicy.
2 Logic Knot This is the best counter in the deck, but it's unreliable because you need a fetch land or a serum visions on turn 1 to turn it on turn 2. Testing will see how many we can play, but don't leave home without 2 of this.
1 Spell Pierce Wow this card is bonkers. You don't play mana leak so they will never expect this! It's dead against some matchups like zoo (though you will probably still win that matchup), but against the decks you want to beat it's really really good. Try it out
1 Cryptic Command Mainly because of budgetary reasons, we only play one, but we also have 4 Restoration Angel so we don't want too many heavy hands. It's the best card in the long matches and can win some unwindable ones, but it's not always great so playing 1 is fine.
24 Lands. Not much to say here. Don't play more, don't play less. It's perfect. We don't play Celestial Colonnade for a few reasons, but mostly because of the budget.
Overall, what do you think of this deck. Have any card suggestions? Would you like to see this evolve into a budget primer, with different levels of budgets? Tell me what you want to know in the comments below
Deck #1
4 Seeker of the Way
2 Mantis Rider
3 Young Pyromancer
1 Grim Lavamancer
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
4 Remand
4 Serum Visions
3 Opt
2 Vapor Snag
3 Spell Pierce
1 Mana Leak
1 Electrolyze
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Sacred Foundry
4 Spirebluff Canal
2 Inspiring Vantage
2 Steam Vents
3 Island
2 Mountain
1 Plains
Deck #2
4 Young Pyromancer
4 Monastary Swiftspear
2 Mantis Rider
1 Enigma Drake
1 Bedlam Reveler
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
4 Remand
4 Serum Visions
4 Opt
2 Vapor Snag
3 Spell Pierce
1 Mana Leak
1 Chart a Course
1 Electrolyze
1 Sacred Foundry
4 Spirebluff Canal
2 Inspiring Vantage
2 Steam Vents
3 Island
1 Mountain
1 Plains
Cards like Snapcaster Mage, Scalding Tarn, Spell Queller, Geist of Saint Traft, Cryptic Command and to an extent, Search for Azcanta are in the "final" versions of Jeskai Tempo/Aggro/Control shells. However, I come to find that Spirebluff Canal is absolutely necessary if you need to make a decision between acquring Scalding Tarn or Snapcaster Mage because Snapcaster Mage is the deciding end game for this deck.
Active thread contributor of Jeskai Prowess Tempo
Having tried to do it anyway, I cannot help but concede that it was true. Snap does too much work in these low cmc instant/sorcery decks to be dropped.
Since your topic suggests alternative, I guess I should point out that Jace, Vryn's Prodigy is less devastating to one's wallet. So long as he lives through a turn, you can get a lot of value out from him in a similar fashion as snap.
BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
Active thread contributor of Jeskai Prowess Tempo
You need to understand the power level of snap is such that every single spell you've cast is as good as in your hand if you have a snap. That feeling of dread the opponent feels when a blue mage starts glancing through their graveyard "hand", you're losing that and its a big loss. There is a reason this blue two drop is so expensive - every interactive blue deck worth playing runs them, just as every green midrange deck runs Tarmogoyf.
Without snaps, every low cost spell you play will be a one-shot. After the first 3 turns of trading cards your value opponents will start to 2-for-1 you, your big mana opponents will cast things you cannot deal with, or your go-under opponents will overrun you and your empty hand. There is a aggro tempo deck in UR that doesn't really need snapcaster because it intends to end the game fast - UR Kiln Fiend. If your budget is truly restrictive, then you may have to abandon this aggro-control route and be the deck that goes under.
BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR