I have actually talked to Jeff about the list and my list (via PM on twitch, I don't know him personally). He is a huge fan of Mantis Rider and said he wouldn't play jeskai without him. That's totally reasonable because mantis rider is well positioned right now. If you watch his streams, he is also a huge fan of being as linear as possibly in modern. That explains the reasoning behind the decks construction as is. I just don't know if the all in prowess style build is viable right now without Gitaxian Probe. Chart a Course could possibly fill that hole or a build around Monastery Mentor might work, but I have no idea. I haven't tested anything like that. What do you guys/gals think?
I think Monastary Mentor and Chart a Course has some play together in an aggressive midrange deck that some of you guys play. Decks that run low CC spells tend to run low on gas midgame, which is why they need cards like Serum Visions and Opt to keep it at a healthy size. I think 1 or 2 copies at best to avoid diluting the quanlity of interactive spells.
The problem with chart a course and creatures with prowess is that those creatures want damage to be dealt after resolving spells, and chart wants you to cast it after damage.
The problem with chart a course and creatures with prowess is that those creatures want damage to be dealt after resolving spells, and chart wants you to cast it after damage.
This is the reason I ended up not putting chart a course in my build. To often I wanted to hold up removal or burn during combat and then counter magic post combat. I would have to lose potential damage with swiftspear and tap low for the sorcery in my second main phase. I really only like to tap more than one mana in my main phase for Geist 😁.
With that said, the card advantage works very well with young pyromancer lists with more mana (20-22 lands). I just don’t run young Pyro. Thus gets back to your first point about young p and Geist being to slow. I personally prefer the deck to be more aggressive and do think young pyro is “slow” for the strategy I want to employ. I always consider the deck “a death by a thousand cuts” if that makes sense. On the other hand some want to employ a more overwhelming strategy where each spell cast gives them more advantage. Both methods have shown to be successful, but I prefer the swift spear road.
As for Geist of Saint Traft, I consider him a very fast slow card 😜. He really shines in matchups that can handle a number of small creatures early with spot removal. While he does cause us to tap out at three he is normally worth it and gives the deck added dimension.
The problem with chart a course and creatures with prowess is that those creatures want damage to be dealt after resolving spells, and chart wants you to cast it after damage.
i agree. to an extent, Chart a Course becames a win more card when you have already established a board state and is awkward if you are behind.
The problem with chart a course and creatures with prowess is that those creatures want damage to be dealt after resolving spells, and chart wants you to cast it after damage.
Isn't geist and pyromancer a bit too slow for this deck?
Geist is inherently fast and the average kill turn, even with the fastest decks -and I was playing one of the more aggressive ones-, is turn 4 to turn 5. So pyromancer might be, but geist certainly isn't.
Most lists here are running only Swiftspears as creatures with prowess, so the 2 or 3 Chart a Course you'll be running don't impact them as much. The upside of Chart is getting 2 cards for 2 mana, which helps with racing and keeping up or recovering card advantage. Even without attacking Chart is relevant, it provides much needed velocity/card selection and finding your land drops.
Personally, I'm more than satisfied with Young Pyro in my list, which runs on 18 lands easily. At 19 I felt I was flooding too much even before Opt and Chart.
The problem with chart a course and creatures with prowess is that those creatures want damage to be dealt after resolving spells, and chart wants you to cast it after damage.
Isn't geist and pyromancer a bit too slow for this deck?
Geist is inherently fast and the average kill turn, even with the fastest decks -and I was playing one of the more aggressive ones-, is turn 4 to turn 5. So pyromancer might be, but geist certainly isn't.
Most lists here are running only Swiftspears as creatures with prowess, so the 2 or 3 Chart a Course you'll be running don't impact them as much. The upside of Chart is getting 2 cards for 2 mana, which helps with racing and keeping up or recovering card advantage. Even without attacking Chart is relevant, it provides much needed velocity/card selection and finding your land drops.
Personally, I'm more than satisfied with Young Pyro in my list, which runs on 18 lands easily. At 19 I felt I was flooding too much even before Opt and Chart.
Good point about land count with chart/opt/serum visions. It is often very easy to keep a one land hand and find a second and/or third land rather quickly with that amount of deck velocity. I also agree that a lot of players are playing Young P as a 2 of and treating like a two drop with a permanent "prowess token". It is a bit slow in some matchups, but it interacts so well with the rest of the deck it's a worthy inclusion. It is also very good in several of our worst matchups. After singing its praises, I still don't personally prefer it over swiftspear, but I wouldn't fault anyone for running it.
Another member by the name AshtonKutcher who is a prominent poster and tempo player on MTG Salvation, just posted his jeskai list on the WUR delver forum. He utilizes 4 copies of Disrupting Shoal. It made me wonder if shoal is actually better now with the inclusion of Chart a Course. Chart mitigates the card loss and gives a another 2 drop blue spell you can pitch. I prefer the aggro-control style game plan over a pure tempo gameplan, but I do think shoal gained a lot of power with the advent of chart a course. What do you all think?
The problem with chart a course and creatures with prowess is that those creatures want damage to be dealt after resolving spells, and chart wants you to cast it after damage.
Isn't geist and pyromancer a bit too slow for this deck?
Geist is inherently fast and the average kill turn, even with the fastest decks -and I was playing one of the more aggressive ones-, is turn 4 to turn 5. So pyromancer might be, but geist certainly isn't.
Most lists here are running only Swiftspears as creatures with prowess, so the 2 or 3 Chart a Course you'll be running don't impact them as much. The upside of Chart is getting 2 cards for 2 mana, which helps with racing and keeping up or recovering card advantage. Even without attacking Chart is relevant, it provides much needed velocity/card selection and finding your land drops.
Personally, I'm more than satisfied with Young Pyro in my list, which runs on 18 lands easily. At 19 I felt I was flooding too much even before Opt and Chart.
Good point about land count with chart/opt/serum visions. It is often very easy to keep a one land hand and find a second and/or third land rather quickly with that amount of deck velocity. I also agree that a lot of players are playing Young P as a 2 of and treating like a two drop with a permanent "prowess token". It is a bit slow in some matchups, but it interacts so well with the rest of the deck it's a worthy inclusion. It is also very good in several of our worst matchups. After singing its praises, I still don't personally prefer it over swiftspear, but I wouldn't fault anyone for running it.
Another member by the name AshtonKutcher who is a prominent poster and tempo player on MTG Salvation, just posted his jeskai list on the WUR delver forum. He utilizes 4 copies of Disrupting Shoal. It made me wonder if shoal is actually better now with the inclusion of Chart a Course. Chart mitigates the card loss and gives a another 2 drop blue spell you can pitch. I prefer the aggro-control style game plan over a pure tempo gameplan, but I do think shoal gained a lot of power with the advent of chart a course. What do you all think?
4 Shoal seems to be too much. In a lean blue Delver deck your main choices to counter are probably going to be 1 or 2 CMC with a sprinkle of 3. I think Shoal should be a supplemental counter spell along with a more primary counterspell (Logic Knot, Remand). If you use Chart a Course, you can always discard Shoal if you don't need the card in game 1 of a matchup. Multiple Shoals in hand just seems bad IMO.
As for the list, I think it's a little all over the place, but the power level of the cards is definitely high. 22 spells is on the extreme low end of a delver deck so I would prefer to see a few more spells and maybe put the gideon and a couple quellers/mantis rider in the sideboard. With that said, he obviously played well and the deck performed well.
deck looks good. 20 lands delver with no celestial cannonade is a wise construction choice. 1 gideon of the trials as beat down back up and 2 cyptic command as tech choices.
a turn 1 delver is most likely a removal bait play, which is reasonable.
FNM
went 2-2
u- Delver 2-0
Interesting match up but player was inexperianced and my deck was faster. He flooded first game, and second could not remove my board.
RUG 2-1
Went back and forth a bit but he was playing a through the breach combo that hurt him more than helped. Went wide 3rd game with 3 Y Pyro and 11 elementals held instants in hand to counter.
grix DS 1-2
first game I Mulled to 4 cards and came back to win. 2nd game got stuck with mana and he chewed my hand up. 3rd game he countered killed my early creatures, I was holding up 4 burn spells, I did not want to give him a good DS. I figured Id wait till I could burn him out or capitalize on YP. He discarded my stuff out and then came in with Angler and Taisgar, DS follewed next turn.
Burn 0-2
Mana screwed first game only 2 mana, second game was close.
Played a few more matches for fun after. MU seems close but requires good hands.
Got to live the dream of Delver into opt, into Chart a Course, followed by Mantis rider into another mantis, into another mantis. followed by burn.
Lived another dream of YP into 4 elementals land Sublime Angel to power a Delver 1/1 for +5.
FNM
went 2-2
u- Delver 2-0
Interesting match up but player was inexperianced and my deck was faster. He flooded first game, and second could not remove my board.
RUG 2-1
Went back and forth a bit but he was playing a through the breach combo that hurt him more than helped. Went wide 3rd game with 3 Y Pyro and 11 elementals held instants in hand to counter.
grix DS 1-2
first game I Mulled to 4 cards and came back to win. 2nd game got stuck with mana and he chewed my hand up. 3rd game he countered killed my early creatures, I was holding up 4 burn spells, I did not want to give him a good DS. I figured Id wait till I could burn him out or capitalize on YP. He discarded my stuff out and then came in with Angler and Taisgar, DS follewed next turn.
Burn 0-2
Mana screwed first game only 2 mana, second game was close.
Played a few more matches for fun after. MU seems close but requires good hands.
Got to live the dream of Delver into opt, into Chart a Course, followed by Mantis rider into another mantis, into another mantis. followed by burn.
Lived another dream of YP into 4 elementals land Sublime Angel to power a Delver 1/1 for +5.
I need more counter spells
I don't really have a built sideboard
Thanks for sharing your notes. I love these style of posts. I need to share mine from last Mondern Night as well. You definitely made some personal choices for your build which I love. The creature base seems a little disjointed. I would say you could cut the Mantis Rider to fit more counter magic into the deck. I can see how Hanweir Militia Captain can help make sublime archangel better, but I don't think it's necessary with young pyromancer being your main source of exalted triggers. Is the lack of snapcaster mage a budget choice? If not, I would highly recommend adding them instead of the captain and riders. If it is a budget consideration than I think you have come up with a really cool creature base that is very synergistic. I had not thought of sublime archangel, but she could really create some really fun board states that get out of control with Young P.
As for counter magic, I always like to have between 5-7 counter spells (more counter magic in postboard games typically). I run three Remand and two Spell Pierce main with additional dispels, negate, counterflux in the sideboard. I have not tried Turn aside or Swan Song so I can't really attest to how good they are, however, I can say that remand is great in the aggro-control style deck. If it were up to me, I would say cut the turn aside and the spirit loop (great sideboard option in prowess decks) and add two remand and/or a spell pierce to go along with your mana leak. If you prefer actual counters over remand you could give logic knot a try along with an additional mana leak or spell pierce.
Other than those recommendations, I think the deck looks solid and looks like a blast to play. I love seeing decks with personal touches that make the deck specific to that player. I always make recommendations as to what I feel could be better, but in the end you know your deck best. Keep us posted on how the deck continues to crush!
Thanks for sharing your notes. I love these style of posts. I need to share mine from last Mondern Night as well. You definitely made some personal choices for your build which I love. The creature base seems a little disjointed. I would say you could cut the Mantis Rider to fit more counter magic into the deck. I can see how Hanweir Militia Captain can help make sublime archangel better, but I don't think it's necessary with young pyromancer being your main source of exalted triggers. Is the lack of snapcaster mage a budget choice? If not, I would highly recommend adding them instead of the captain and riders. If it is a budget consideration than I think you have come up with a really cool creature base that is very synergistic. I had not thought of sublime archangel, but she could really create some really fun board states that get out of control with Young P.
As for counter magic, I always like to have between 5-7 counter spells (more counter magic in postboard games typically). I run three Remand and two Spell Pierce main with additional dispels, negate, counterflux in the sideboard. I have not tried Turn aside or Swan Song so I can't really attest to how good they are, however, I can say that remand is great in the aggro-control style deck. If it were up to me, I would say cut the turn aside and the spirit loop (great sideboard option in prowess decks) and add two remand and/or a spell pierce to go along with your mana leak. If you prefer actual counters over remand you could give logic knot a try along with an additional mana leak or spell pierce.
Other than those recommendations, I think the deck looks solid and looks like a blast to play. I love seeing decks with personal touches that make the deck specific to that player. I always make recommendations as to what I feel could be better, but in the end you know your deck best. Keep us posted on how the deck continues to crush!
thank you for the suggestions. i played Jeski during standard Khans. That deck wished for quick finishes and could not go long.
The newer builds are much better.
Not all the card choices were "real choices" but I was short cards I wanted and could not find to sleeve up. Hanweir is meant to be a Monastery Mentor . If Mentor fails to impress I will switch it to thalia, hertic chathar .
Im missing my blue counters, and am short on my lightning bolts ( I gave too many away).
Snapcaster is a budget call, I don't own one (or 2). I don't think I'd switch with mantis rider, I really like this card for its speed.
All the creatures are must answer cards that could run away with the game if not dealt with. It really feels like a burn deck. I don't think its suppose to. Which makes me wonder if this is the best direct? Tempo is meant to be gaining advantage 1 for 2, or optimal play per turn. The tempo appears to be "here is a creature deal with it now or else" which in effect steals turns and card advantage/ board advantage.
Turn aside and swan song. Both are situational cards. They are defiantly sideboard material as is spirit link. Turn aside was good MB, but not always would rather have a draw attached. I feel 6 counter/stall magic would work.
My deck did a lot of casual damage to me while I played it, it there a good life gaining cantrip with draw?
thank you for the suggestions. i played Jeski during standard Khans. That deck wished for quick finishes and could not go long.
The newer builds are much better.
Not all the card choices were "real choices" but I was short cards I wanted and could not find to sleeve up. Hanweir is meant to be a Monastery Mentor . If Mentor fails to impress I will switch it to thalia, hertic chathar .
Im missing my blue counters, and am short on my lightning bolts ( I gave too many away).
Snapcaster is a budget call, I don't own one (or 2). I don't think I'd switch with mantis rider, I really like this card for its speed.
All the creatures are must answer cards that could run away with the game if not dealt with. It really feels like a burn deck. I don't think its suppose to. Which makes me wonder if this is the best direct? Tempo is meant to be gaining advantage 1 for 2, or optimal play per turn. The tempo appears to be "here is a creature deal with it now or else" which in effect steals turns and card advantage/ board advantage.
Turn aside and swan song. Both are situational cards. They are defiantly sideboard material as is spirit link. Turn aside was good MB, but not always would rather have a draw attached. I feel 6 counter/stall magic would work.
My deck did a lot of casual damage to me while I played it, it there a good life gaining cantrip with draw?
Monastary Mentor is able to generate a lot of value over time hence its a card that enables you to go long-er into the mid game. The Monk tokens have prowess. having seen it in action before, when the opponent's defenses are low in the mid game (after spending their precious removal on earlier threats, a protected Monstary Mentor, like a resolved Spell Queller is devastating.
You could exploit all the additional token generation with cards like Smuggler's Copter, another card that generates a lot of value over time as well. Another budget option is Goblin Rabblemaster, its a card that will throw your opponent off guard because the mandatory attacking goblin token every turn forces your opponent to make choices. You can take down a 4 toughness blocker with a Lightning Bolt/ Helix, in fringe cases (i have done it before several times), an unanswered Rabblemaster and the tokens will overrun your opponent.
You can upgrade Spirit Loop, Swan Song and Aqueous Form with cards like Lightning Helix, Remand, Deprive, Logic Knot and Spell Pierce. These cards work with Young Pyromancer better. Additional beatdown finishers like Enigma Drake are also good. Cheap flyers that have synegy with the deck are always good. Turn Aside is actually a decent card but you need a counterspell that hits major spells like Collective Company (or combo card pieces in Storm) and Planeswalker cards.
You are off to a good start! Back then when I was playing my stock Jeskai Delver deck with no Snapcaster Mages and Scalding Tarns, I could 50:50 against a full stock Jund list. I played Abzan and Jeskai during KTK Standard and boy was that Standard super fun...
Hola my jeskai peeps. After literally, over a year I'm finally back to going to TNM. I went last Tuesday
Results: 2-1. I wanted to play my last round but my opp had to leave early so I was nice and we intentionally drew the last one, and I just made him hand over his participation pack lol
2-0 Tron
G1
I feel a lot better about this match up since I'm running logic knot + Geist. First game went smoothly. Great starting hand. Helix t2 into geist t3 im on the play. I'm waiting him to slam something big since he's hit tron on t3, but he doesn't hit anythin, just a bunch of the filter star/sphere's. I leave mana open for my cryptic command, he trys to play ugin I counter and draw. Ride a Celestial colonnade to victory after he wipes my geist with oblivion stone, the look on his face when he reads NONland permanents... fantastic lol
Still not sure how to sideboard since I came back after 13+ months. But
-2 helix
-2 spell snare
-1 spell queller
+2 pia and kira
+2 disdainful stroke
+1 Vendilon clique
G2
Starts out pretty much the same, t3 he plays a Wurmcoil Engine, and I throw out a Snapcaster, just to get my beats started early. I path his wurm, and beat. Hold up some counter magic. I spell queller an ancient stirrings, he isn't drawing anything too powerful. I hold up more counter magic this turn, beats with snap and queller. I draw a pia and kiran nalaar but not enough red mana... awkward... lol he tries to fatal push my spelll queller, i cryptic command. Next turn i beat and hold up another queller and logic knot. HE goes for a stirrings, i queller it. He plays oblivion stone, and i logic knot for 5, if he pays, he is short for mana to crack it, so i get him good
prolly a few turns i forgot but you get the basic gameplay lol
2-0 to start
2-0 Boggles
This is a good friend of mine, so i laughed because i knew the only way i was going to win is if he drew terrible, at least the first game anyways. I have sideboard tech (a little) for it G2/3.
G1
He drew terrible lolol He got stuck on 1 land, and a dryad arbor. I killed the arbor quickly and was able to counter everything relevant which was great. After a spell snare hit a timely Silhana Ledgewalker i drew geist the next turn and was able to ride it to victory, especially after I cryptic command his leyline back to his hand. BURN BABY BURN. WHOOP!
G2
He has a better start. He was slow playing his enchantments due to me leaving mana open for counter spells, I let him play a few minor ones, path a kor spiritdancer and bolt a gaddock teeg and countered the big ones like rancor and I wear / tear his spider umbra so the angel on geist can get through. Then I just played another one after he blocks and kills the first one. Cryptic the team a couple times and I get in with lethal with a celestial colonnade, and a burn spell.
2-0
Blue Moon
1-2, A freaking slug fest. more notes to come later, blue moon is always a difficult match for me personally.
Keranos, god of storms + Blood Moon + Search for Azcanta is a crazy good combo when I can't play spells... lol I squeezed in a geist before he blood moon on the 2nd game and got there. 3rd game i got ooober f'ed on fetches and wasn't able to fetch basics in time before he landed 2 blood moons... echoing truth is a possibility here.
I have been speaking personally to Harlan Firer about his deck and it's been cool to talk about the in's and out's of his deck (which is the one im using currently)
Hola my jeskai peeps. After literally, over a year I'm finally back to going to TNM. I went last Tuesday
Results: 2-1. I wanted to play my last round but my opp had to leave early so I was nice and we intentionally drew the last one, and I just made him hand over his participation pack lol
2-0 Tron
G1
I feel a lot better about this match up since I'm running logic knot + Geist. First game went smoothly. Great starting hand. Helix t2 into geist t3 im on the play. I'm waiting him to slam something big since he's hit tron on t3, but he doesn't hit anythin, just a bunch of the filter star/sphere's. I leave mana open for my cryptic command, he trys to play ugin I counter and draw. Ride a Celestial colonnade to victory after he wipes my geist with oblivion stone, the look on his face when he reads NONland permanents... fantastic lol
Still not sure how to sideboard since I came back after 13+ months. But
-2 helix
-2 spell snare
-1 spell queller
+2 pia and kira
+2 disdainful stroke
+1 Vendilon clique
G2
Starts out pretty much the same, t3 he plays a Wurmcoil Engine, and I throw out a Snapcaster, just to get my beats started early. I path his wurm, and beat. Hold up some counter magic. I spell queller an ancient stirrings, he isn't drawing anything too powerful. I hold up more counter magic this turn, beats with snap and queller. I draw a pia and kiran nalaar but not enough red mana... awkward... lol he tries to fatal push my spelll queller, i cryptic command. Next turn i beat and hold up another queller and logic knot. HE goes for a stirrings, i queller it. He plays oblivion stone, and i logic knot for 5, if he pays, he is short for mana to crack it, so i get him good
prolly a few turns i forgot but you get the basic gameplay lol
2-0 to start
2-0 Boggles
This is a good friend of mine, so i laughed because i knew the only way i was going to win is if he drew terrible, at least the first game anyways. I have sideboard tech (a little) for it G2/3.
G1
He drew terrible lolol He got stuck on 1 land, and a dryad arbor. I killed the arbor quickly and was able to counter everything relevant which was great. After a spell snare hit a timely Silhana Ledgewalker i drew geist the next turn and was able to ride it to victory, especially after I cryptic command his leyline back to his hand. BURN BABY BURN. WHOOP!
G2
He has a better start. He was slow playing his enchantments due to me leaving mana open for counter spells, I let him play a few minor ones, path a kor spiritdancer and bolt a gaddock teeg and countered the big ones like rancor and I wear / tear his spider umbra so the angel on geist can get through. Then I just played another one after he blocks and kills the first one. Cryptic the team a couple times and I get in with lethal with a celestial colonnade, and a burn spell.
2-0
Blue Moon
1-2, A freaking slug fest. more notes to come later, blue moon is always a difficult match for me personally.
Keranos, god of storms + Blood Moon + Search for Azcanta is a crazy good combo when I can't play spells... lol I squeezed in a geist before he blood moon on the 2nd game and got there. 3rd game i got ooober f'ed on fetches and wasn't able to fetch basics in time before he landed 2 blood moons... echoing truth is a possibility here.
I have been speaking personally to Harlan Firer about his deck and it's been cool to talk about the in's and out's of his deck (which is the one im using currently)
Hey RutherJC! Good to hear from you. Thanks for posting the notes. I sad to see you have gone to the dark side :). But seriously, jeskai tempo is a great deck. It has basically 45-50 of the same cards that we play in the delver/prowess decks, but just plays a slightly different slower game plan. Both decks till want to disrupt while having a threat or two and want to burn the opponent out in the end. Neither really want to take the full "control" role. I look at it this way- The jeskai delver deck starts as the aggro-control deck and can side into a more midrange or tempo gameplan, whereas, the jeskai tempo deck starts as a tempo/midrange deck and can side into a more control oriented deck.
The pros of the delver deck are that we have a better scapeshift, storm, and big mana (tron, eldrazi, etc) matchup than the more midrange versions. The con is that we have a worse value (gw value town, death and taxes, etc) matchup. The con of the delver deck is the loss of the late game power level of cards like cryptic command and Celestial Colonnadeas well as the consistency of having a deck full of 4-of copies of cards.
That's very cool of Harlan to work with you on the deck. I have contacted mutliple pro and scg players and most have been very helpful with comments about the deck. Some more helpful and talkative than others, but far more have returned my emails than I expected. Jeskai tempo is the hottest deck in modern right now and I think everyone here knew it was a matter of time before jeskai tempo became a tier 1 deck. Now here is to hoping some of the more visual players try to make the deck even leaner and start adding delvers to their list :).
I am very interested to see what you think about jeskai tempo in comparison to jeskai delver. Like Great Nate said, the main difference will simply be minor edges in some matchups depending on which deck you are playing. Keep us posted on when how the deck goes and let us know what you come to your senses and get back to jeskai delver :).
I haven't missed delver since I dropped it. It makes a game so unreliable when you're relying on a top deck to turn a 1/1 into a 3/2 flyer lol I do miss swiftspear sometimes though, and Masntis Rider will always be close to my heart lol Even on xmage during my testing, for my personal results, my win percecntage went up the moment i wasn't relying on delver lol
you say dark side?
i say... Cookies
cant wait to have more results to share. I'm planning on attending a modern scg event in May in Louisville KY
Monastary Mentor is able to generate a lot of value over time hence its a card that enables you to go long-er into the mid game. The Monk tokens have prowess. having seen it in action before, when the opponent's defenses are low in the mid game (after spending their precious removal on earlier threats, a protected Monstary Mentor, like a resolved Spell Queller is devastating.
You could exploit all the additional token generation with cards like Smuggler's Copter, another card that generates a lot of value over time as well. Another budget option is Goblin Rabblemaster, its a card that will throw your opponent off guard because the mandatory attacking goblin token every turn forces your opponent to make choices. You can take down a 4 toughness blocker with a Lightning Bolt/ Helix, in fringe cases (i have done it before several times), an unanswered Rabblemaster and the tokens will overrun your opponent.
You can upgrade Spirit Loop, Swan Song and Aqueous Form with cards like Lightning Helix, Remand, Deprive, Logic Knot and Spell Pierce. These cards work with Young Pyromancer better. Additional beatdown finishers like Enigma Drake are also good. Cheap flyers that have synegy with the deck are always good. Turn Aside is actually a decent card but you need a counterspell that hits major spells like Collective Company (or combo card pieces in Storm) and Planeswalker cards.
You are off to a good start! Back then when I was playing my stock Jeskai Delver deck with no Snapcaster Mages and Scalding Tarns, I could 50:50 against a full stock Jund list. I played Abzan and Jeskai during KTK Standard and boy was that Standard super fun...
Thanks for the advice. I forgot about Rabblemaster. I ordered some Remands & spell pierce. I don't like Enigma Drake, I tried a card similar and it never felt good, the haste vigelance are just sweet.
I have been playing a Soul Sisters Deck, when I play against this deck Soul Sisters wins very easy for me. Spell Queller in those match ups has been bad, just a bump in the road. I don't know how good it is versus other match ups. My meta has a few burn players and there has been a growing 8 Rack group (seen 3 different players using a version). This has factored into my build a bit.
Anyone try Blessed Alliance it is good in Soul Sisters. Very versatile.
Thanks for the advice. I forgot about Rabblemaster. I ordered some Remands & spell pierce. I don't like Enigma Drake, I tried a card similar and it never felt good, the haste vigelance are just sweet.
I have been playing a Soul Sisters Deck, when I play against this deck Soul Sisters wins very easy for me. Spell Queller in those match ups has been bad, just a bump in the road. I don't know how good it is versus other match ups. My meta has a few burn players and there has been a growing 8 Rack group (seen 3 different players using a version). This has factored into my build a bit.
Anyone try Blessed Alliance it is good in Soul Sisters. Very versatile.
Cheers!
I had a Soul Sisters deck at one point too. Over time I found it too linear and the deck itself has extremely limited ways to expand or improve itself apart from branching into the Enduring Renewal archetype. I have the LotV-less 8 Rack in my collection. Even in its uncompleted state (no mutavaults / LotV) it gives other decks a hard time in Modern Night events. It is also one of my hardest match-ups with Jeskai X.
Blessed Alliance is a good card. Some of our guys (Curdbros I think) ran 1 in the main and 1 in the side at one point. With it, it makes our Burn and hyper aggro match ups better.
Against creature decks like Soul Sisters, Engineered Explosives and Vapor Snags are important cards (Snag the Serra Ascendent / Ajani Pridemate). Soul Sisters do not play the mid game well once you deplete their board. Running Wrath of God or Supreme Verdict is kind of awkward unless you are running Jeskai Tempo.
I haven't missed delver since I dropped it. It makes a game so unreliable when you're relying on a top deck to turn a 1/1 into a 3/2 flyer lol I do miss swiftspear sometimes though, and Masntis Rider will always be close to my heart lol Even on xmage during my testing, for my personal results, my win percecntage went up the moment i wasn't relying on delver lol
you say dark side?
i say... Cookies
cant wait to have more results to share. I'm planning on attending a modern scg event in May in Louisville KY
Welcome back!
If SCG Louisville has live coverage, i will be watching it and hoping you appear on a feature match. =)
I haven't missed delver since I dropped it. It makes a game so unreliable when you're relying on a top deck to turn a 1/1 into a 3/2 flyer lol I do miss swiftspear sometimes though, and Masntis Rider will always be close to my heart lol Even on xmage during my testing, for my personal results, my win percecntage went up the moment i wasn't relying on delver lol
you say dark side?
i say... Cookies
cant wait to have more results to share. I'm planning on attending a modern scg event in May in Louisville KY
Blasphemy! Delver can do no wrong :). But seriously delver is simply the single best aggro-control and tempo one drop ever printed. I personally think if people want to play tempo the deck should start with 4x delver. I'm what some may call a "biased" source though :).
I'm glad to hear the jeskai tempo deck has performed well for you. It's well positioned right now and I have seen the "net deck" version of the deck doing well everywhere lately. It's hard to argue with the results so if you like playing jeskai cards than the jeskai queller/snap/geist deck is definitely worth a look. It's just not my bag.
Also it's awesome that you are attending the SCG event in Louisville. I will definitely be rooting for you and will be looking for you on the leaderboard! It's always great to have a rooting interest in the events. I'm a little disappointed that you will be brining jeskai midrange instead of jeskai delver/prowess, but you have to play what suits you and what you have been winning with. On that note, do the players who play the jeskai midrange deck call it jeskai midrange? I have seen it called jeskai tempo which it is not and I have also seen it being called jeskai control which it also is not. I consider it a midrange deck. Is that what it's considered by those who play it?
Monastary Mentor is able to generate a lot of value over time hence its a card that enables you to go long-er into the mid game. The Monk tokens have prowess. having seen it in action before, when the opponent's defenses are low in the mid game (after spending their precious removal on earlier threats, a protected Monstary Mentor, like a resolved Spell Queller is devastating.
You could exploit all the additional token generation with cards like Smuggler's Copter, another card that generates a lot of value over time as well. Another budget option is Goblin Rabblemaster, its a card that will throw your opponent off guard because the mandatory attacking goblin token every turn forces your opponent to make choices. You can take down a 4 toughness blocker with a Lightning Bolt/ Helix, in fringe cases (i have done it before several times), an unanswered Rabblemaster and the tokens will overrun your opponent.
You can upgrade Spirit Loop, Swan Song and Aqueous Form with cards like Lightning Helix, Remand, Deprive, Logic Knot and Spell Pierce. These cards work with Young Pyromancer better. Additional beatdown finishers like Enigma Drake are also good. Cheap flyers that have synegy with the deck are always good. Turn Aside is actually a decent card but you need a counterspell that hits major spells like Collective Company (or combo card pieces in Storm) and Planeswalker cards.
You are off to a good start! Back then when I was playing my stock Jeskai Delver deck with no Snapcaster Mages and Scalding Tarns, I could 50:50 against a full stock Jund list. I played Abzan and Jeskai during KTK Standard and boy was that Standard super fun...
Thanks for the advice. I forgot about Rabblemaster. I ordered some Remands & spell pierce. I don't like Enigma Drake, I tried a card similar and it never felt good, the haste vigelance are just sweet.
I have been playing a Soul Sisters Deck, when I play against this deck Soul Sisters wins very easy for me. Spell Queller in those match ups has been bad, just a bump in the road. I don't know how good it is versus other match ups. My meta has a few burn players and there has been a growing 8 Rack group (seen 3 different players using a version). This has factored into my build a bit.
Anyone try Blessed Alliance it is good in Soul Sisters. Very versatile.
I have not actually ever played against soul sisters with my current build, but I assume it's a nightmare. It could be the actual worst matchup for my deck. In your meta with a lot of burn, Blessed Alliance is a great sideboard card. I too run a Blessed Alliance in my sideboard for burn. The 8 rack deck is becoming very popular. There is a sweet card that I bought awhile back when I thought discard would be good. It's called Guerrilla Tactics. It's somewhat linear, but if your meta is full of discard decks, it would be a great sideboard card.
I'm glad to hear you were able to get copies of remand and spell pierce. I think you will be pleasantly surprised how well they work with your build.
On another note I have been thinking about adding a possible Molten Rain or two in the sideboard. Has anyone tried Molten Rain?
Edit- Cryptic Command's mana cost just doesn't fit my maindeck and I am currently playing 18 lands. So no cryptic for me
Overall- Overall I went 3-1 which is totally fine for me. I don't know about your area, but UW control is all the rage right now. I played against it twice winning once and losing once. I also got to play against Abzan which was nice since it hasn't been popular for awhile now. Finally, I won a close one against UG Merfolk. The deck ran well and I didn't have too many games that were one sided.
Round 1- UW Control
Game 1- Loss- I had a slow opener that is fine against unknown opponenet, but isn't good against control. I didn't draw a geist early enough and by the time I had a geist it was impossible to land him. I was able to do a little damage to him by top decking a bunch of burn, but he was able to take control of the late game after sweeping my board of snapcasters and a swiftspear.
Game 2- Win- This time I had a very aggressive start with two swiftspears and 2 opts. I actually took a Distortion Strike off of one of the opts and wasn't sure if that was right, but wanted to keep the aggression going. The swiftspears in combination with burn and remands were enough to slowly widdle away his life.
Game 3- Loss- I started with a no land hand and mulled into a 4 land hand with Geist and Opt. I decided to keep since Geist is our best card in the matchup and opt can help us filter our first draw. Unfortunately the first card I drew was another land. It would have been nice to find search for azcanta early to filter away additional land drops, but that was not the case. With a lot of lands I wanted to make sure I found counter magic to hold up while attempting to cast giest. I found a remand and went for Geist. He had the cryptic into negate and all was lost. He landed a Geist out of his sideboard which did most of the work against me.
Review- I think this matchup is really dependent on the specific build of UW control. I have had sucess against them in the past, but just didn't draw well enough against them.
Game 1- Great, after a loss I get Abzan. The first game was a bit of a wierd one. I flipped a delver on turn two and started beating down. We went back and forth with removal and creatures until the board was a tarmogoyf against a swiftspear with him a 8 life and me at 14. He played a Dark Confidant which I decided not to bolt to see what happens. He flipped a liliana off of him and went to 5. After I remanded the liliana, he had to hold gofy back or would likely die to swiftspear. Flipping an Aburpt Decay off of confidant gave him an answer to swiftspear, but also made my lightning bolt lethal. Sometimes bob sabotages a game.
Game 2- This was a fun one. It was a long drawn out game. I think I had 20 or so cards left in my deck when all was said and done. I landed Search for Azcanta on turn two and it was an absolute house. There were several times I wanted a threat, but felt like I had to activate the land to get a free spell. This did draw the end of the game out a little bit because I kept shipping my threats to the bottom and getting spells to keep him from doing anything. The game started with a inquisition taking snapcaster mage. I drew a delver which was instantly fatal pushed. He played a goyf which I pathed and the game when on like this for a few turns. I was able to land Chandra, Pyromaster who did some work against a few lingering souls tokens, but she was evendually downed by a goyf when my board got a little slim. Echoing Truth cleaned up the souls and we were basically top decking, but I had Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin active. He did have the WB manland, but I helixed it. The additional cards I was drawing each turn slowly took over the game until I found a Bedlam Reveler which actually ended the game. The sideboard was super impactful in this matchup so it was nice to see the cards that don't often come in - revler, chandra, search do some real work.
Review- Hooray we beat Abzan again. I have actually been beating them with some regularity lately so I'm wondering if the matchup is add bad as I once thought it was. Search for Azcanta can be a little slow against some opponents, but it was super helpful against Abzan. I highly recommend giving it a slot in your board.
1-1
Round 3- UG Merfolk
Overview- This is a weird matchup or at least it has been for me. I sometimes just wallop them and other times they just run over me. Our early removal is key and their new access to the new green cards that can be a bit grindier makes the matchup tougher.
Game 1- This was a typical game one against merfolk. I was on the draw and kept 7. I had heavy removal which worked out well. I was able to kill most of his threats and he was left with one merolk and two Aether Vial on the board after turn 4 or 5. I landed a Geist who basically ran away with the game. He had a dismember but couldn't use it. I had to utilize boros charm to keep Geist alive for an attack, but all in all it was a pretty text book game.
Game 2- Engineered Explosives is a good card :). The opponent was able to get a decent board together rather quickly with a couple of lords. A timely EE on 2 on turn 3 made things a lot easier for me. I mulled to 6 and had utilized some removal to stay alive so I was low on resources, but had a Bedlam Reveler to refill a bit. I drew a lightning helix off of him that gave me a little breathing room. He drew a couple of lands and merfolk, but the reveler put me enough ahead on resources that I won a couple of turns later.
Review- This was a fairly typical merfolk series. This matchup can easily be lost, but I do feel we are favored with a lot of creature removal.
2-1
Round 4- UW Control
Overall- I have said this before, but this matchup really depends on the specific build of control. If they have Geist of Saint Traft we have a much harder time. If they don't I tend to beat them. This person did not have Geist.
Game 2- This was more like a grindy control matchup. I landed an early delver which he pathed when it flipped. He was able to counter most of my meaningful spells, but I did land Search for Azcanta. However, when I flipped it into a land he took it out with Field of Runes which hurt because I thought it was my avenue to victory. He took a turn to land Jace, Architect of Thought so I decided to go for my Geist. He cryptic commanded the geist, but I had negate back up and landed the geist which is huge in this matchup. He put a wall of omens in front of Geist which is fine and had Celestial Colonnade almost ready to animate regularly. I attacked in with Geist and he let Jace die. I had vapor snag for the colonnade and we were both rather low on cards. He top decked Supreme Verdict so I decided to vapor snag my own Geist. It ended up working and the Geist landed again. He did a great job of keeping me off of red mana for most of the game and actually destroyed a lot of my lands with Crucible of Worlds, but he drew lands and I drew gas. At the end of the game I had 6 lands and he had 13. That was the difference. I just cast more spells.
Review- I don't think I would win that second game if he drew better at the end, but keeping Geist in play made all of the difference. They really have very few ways to deal with a resolved Geist and he does major work. We can definitely steal games quickly from them as well. I didn't steal any quick ones, but we can throw a lot at them. Pierces and Dispel are awesome in this matchup and did some work. In the end Geist carried the matchup though.
3-1
I'm always happy with a 3-1 and had some fun games.
I think Monastary Mentor and Chart a Course has some play together in an aggressive midrange deck that some of you guys play. Decks that run low CC spells tend to run low on gas midgame, which is why they need cards like Serum Visions and Opt to keep it at a healthy size. I think 1 or 2 copies at best to avoid diluting the quanlity of interactive spells.
Core blue spells at a glance:
4 Serum Visions + 2 Opt or 4 Opt + 2 Serum Visions
1 - 2 Chart a Course
1 - 2 Cryptic Command (imho only if you do not play Delver of Secrets)
2 - 3 Spell Pierce
You would need to have some flyers to finish the game if the ground gets cluttered up because this deck cannot really run Wrath of God or Supreme Verdict. A mix of Vendilion Clique and Spell Queller will do the job.
Active thread contributor of Jeskai Prowess Tempo
This is the reason I ended up not putting chart a course in my build. To often I wanted to hold up removal or burn during combat and then counter magic post combat. I would have to lose potential damage with swiftspear and tap low for the sorcery in my second main phase. I really only like to tap more than one mana in my main phase for Geist 😁.
With that said, the card advantage works very well with young pyromancer lists with more mana (20-22 lands). I just don’t run young Pyro. Thus gets back to your first point about young p and Geist being to slow. I personally prefer the deck to be more aggressive and do think young pyro is “slow” for the strategy I want to employ. I always consider the deck “a death by a thousand cuts” if that makes sense. On the other hand some want to employ a more overwhelming strategy where each spell cast gives them more advantage. Both methods have shown to be successful, but I prefer the swift spear road.
As for Geist of Saint Traft, I consider him a very fast slow card 😜. He really shines in matchups that can handle a number of small creatures early with spot removal. While he does cause us to tap out at three he is normally worth it and gives the deck added dimension.
i agree. to an extent, Chart a Course becames a win more card when you have already established a board state and is awkward if you are behind.
Active thread contributor of Jeskai Prowess Tempo
Geist is inherently fast and the average kill turn, even with the fastest decks -and I was playing one of the more aggressive ones-, is turn 4 to turn 5. So pyromancer might be, but geist certainly isn't.
Most lists here are running only Swiftspears as creatures with prowess, so the 2 or 3 Chart a Course you'll be running don't impact them as much. The upside of Chart is getting 2 cards for 2 mana, which helps with racing and keeping up or recovering card advantage. Even without attacking Chart is relevant, it provides much needed velocity/card selection and finding your land drops.
Personally, I'm more than satisfied with Young Pyro in my list, which runs on 18 lands easily. At 19 I felt I was flooding too much even before Opt and Chart.
Good point about land count with chart/opt/serum visions. It is often very easy to keep a one land hand and find a second and/or third land rather quickly with that amount of deck velocity. I also agree that a lot of players are playing Young P as a 2 of and treating like a two drop with a permanent "prowess token". It is a bit slow in some matchups, but it interacts so well with the rest of the deck it's a worthy inclusion. It is also very good in several of our worst matchups. After singing its praises, I still don't personally prefer it over swiftspear, but I wouldn't fault anyone for running it.
Another member by the name AshtonKutcher who is a prominent poster and tempo player on MTG Salvation, just posted his jeskai list on the WUR delver forum. He utilizes 4 copies of Disrupting Shoal. It made me wonder if shoal is actually better now with the inclusion of Chart a Course. Chart mitigates the card loss and gives a another 2 drop blue spell you can pitch. I prefer the aggro-control style game plan over a pure tempo gameplan, but I do think shoal gained a lot of power with the advent of chart a course. What do you all think?
4 Shoal seems to be too much. In a lean blue Delver deck your main choices to counter are probably going to be 1 or 2 CMC with a sprinkle of 3. I think Shoal should be a supplemental counter spell along with a more primary counterspell (Logic Knot, Remand). If you use Chart a Course, you can always discard Shoal if you don't need the card in game 1 of a matchup. Multiple Shoals in hand just seems bad IMO.
Active thread contributor of Jeskai Prowess Tempo
Jeskai Geist. Builder: Adrian Straub. — MTG
Top8 in Magic Event Ravensburg 2017 #1 modern [22 Players] — 04-Nov-2017 SUGGEST ARCHETYPE
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Mantis Rider
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Spell Queller
2 Cryptic Command
1 Electrolyze
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Lightning Helix
1 Logic Knot
3 Path to Exile
2 Remand
2 Spell Snare
4 Serum Visions
1 Gideon of the Trials
1 Arid Mesa
4 Flooded Strand
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Inspiring Vantage
2 Island
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Scalding Tarn
3 Seachrome Coast
3 Spirebluff Canal
2 Steam Vents
2 Dispel
1 Dusk/Dawn
1 Flashfreeze
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1 Grim Lavamancer
3 Meddling Mage
1 Negate
2 Smash to Smithereens
1 Vendilion Clique
As for the list, I think it's a little all over the place, but the power level of the cards is definitely high. 22 spells is on the extreme low end of a delver deck so I would prefer to see a few more spells and maybe put the gideon and a couple quellers/mantis rider in the sideboard. With that said, he obviously played well and the deck performed well.
a turn 1 delver is most likely a removal bait play, which is reasonable.
good all around deck.
Active thread contributor of Jeskai Prowess Tempo
went 2-2
u- Delver 2-0
Interesting match up but player was inexperianced and my deck was faster. He flooded first game, and second could not remove my board.
RUG 2-1
Went back and forth a bit but he was playing a through the breach combo that hurt him more than helped. Went wide 3rd game with 3 Y Pyro and 11 elementals held instants in hand to counter.
grix DS 1-2
first game I Mulled to 4 cards and came back to win. 2nd game got stuck with mana and he chewed my hand up. 3rd game he countered killed my early creatures, I was holding up 4 burn spells, I did not want to give him a good DS. I figured Id wait till I could burn him out or capitalize on YP. He discarded my stuff out and then came in with Angler and Taisgar, DS follewed next turn.
Burn 0-2
Mana screwed first game only 2 mana, second game was close.
Played a few more matches for fun after. MU seems close but requires good hands.
Got to live the dream of Delver into opt, into Chart a Course, followed by Mantis rider into another mantis, into another mantis. followed by burn.
Lived another dream of YP into 4 elementals land Sublime Angel to power a Delver 1/1 for +5.
My list, not optimal yet still building.
4 young pyromancer
2 giest of saint traft
3 mantis rider
1 sublime angel
1 grim lavamancer
1 Hanweir militia captain
1 chart a course
4 serum visions
1 manmorphose
1 vaporsnag
4 path to exile
3 lightning bolt
2 Lightning helix
1 mana leak
2 boros charm
1 valorous stance
1 swan song
1 turn aside
1 aqueous form
Shinka the blood soaked
Slayers stronghold
glacial fortress
clifftop retreat
seacrome coast
Inspiring vantage
Spirebluff canal
Mountain
2 Island
4 flooded strand
1 poluted delta
1 steamvents
2 hallowed fountain
I need more counter spells
I don't really have a built sideboard
Thanks for sharing your notes. I love these style of posts. I need to share mine from last Mondern Night as well. You definitely made some personal choices for your build which I love. The creature base seems a little disjointed. I would say you could cut the Mantis Rider to fit more counter magic into the deck. I can see how Hanweir Militia Captain can help make sublime archangel better, but I don't think it's necessary with young pyromancer being your main source of exalted triggers. Is the lack of snapcaster mage a budget choice? If not, I would highly recommend adding them instead of the captain and riders. If it is a budget consideration than I think you have come up with a really cool creature base that is very synergistic. I had not thought of sublime archangel, but she could really create some really fun board states that get out of control with Young P.
As for counter magic, I always like to have between 5-7 counter spells (more counter magic in postboard games typically). I run three Remand and two Spell Pierce main with additional dispels, negate, counterflux in the sideboard. I have not tried Turn aside or Swan Song so I can't really attest to how good they are, however, I can say that remand is great in the aggro-control style deck. If it were up to me, I would say cut the turn aside and the spirit loop (great sideboard option in prowess decks) and add two remand and/or a spell pierce to go along with your mana leak. If you prefer actual counters over remand you could give logic knot a try along with an additional mana leak or spell pierce.
Other than those recommendations, I think the deck looks solid and looks like a blast to play. I love seeing decks with personal touches that make the deck specific to that player. I always make recommendations as to what I feel could be better, but in the end you know your deck best. Keep us posted on how the deck continues to crush!
thank you for the suggestions. i played Jeski during standard Khans. That deck wished for quick finishes and could not go long.
The newer builds are much better.
Not all the card choices were "real choices" but I was short cards I wanted and could not find to sleeve up. Hanweir is meant to be a Monastery Mentor . If Mentor fails to impress I will switch it to thalia, hertic chathar .
Im missing my blue counters, and am short on my lightning bolts ( I gave too many away).
Snapcaster is a budget call, I don't own one (or 2). I don't think I'd switch with mantis rider, I really like this card for its speed.
All the creatures are must answer cards that could run away with the game if not dealt with. It really feels like a burn deck. I don't think its suppose to. Which makes me wonder if this is the best direct? Tempo is meant to be gaining advantage 1 for 2, or optimal play per turn. The tempo appears to be "here is a creature deal with it now or else" which in effect steals turns and card advantage/ board advantage.
Turn aside and swan song. Both are situational cards. They are defiantly sideboard material as is spirit link. Turn aside was good MB, but not always would rather have a draw attached. I feel 6 counter/stall magic would work.
My deck did a lot of casual damage to me while I played it, it there a good life gaining cantrip with draw?
what is the Opinion of these other cards MB?
Thalia's lieutenant I got a lot of humans
thunderbreak regent
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy he was good during standard
Dangerous wager
day's undoing
narset transcendent
noxious revival
Thank you again for the input.
Monastary Mentor is able to generate a lot of value over time hence its a card that enables you to go long-er into the mid game. The Monk tokens have prowess. having seen it in action before, when the opponent's defenses are low in the mid game (after spending their precious removal on earlier threats, a protected Monstary Mentor, like a resolved Spell Queller is devastating.
You could exploit all the additional token generation with cards like Smuggler's Copter, another card that generates a lot of value over time as well. Another budget option is Goblin Rabblemaster, its a card that will throw your opponent off guard because the mandatory attacking goblin token every turn forces your opponent to make choices. You can take down a 4 toughness blocker with a Lightning Bolt/ Helix, in fringe cases (i have done it before several times), an unanswered Rabblemaster and the tokens will overrun your opponent.
You can upgrade Spirit Loop, Swan Song and Aqueous Form with cards like Lightning Helix, Remand, Deprive, Logic Knot and Spell Pierce. These cards work with Young Pyromancer better. Additional beatdown finishers like Enigma Drake are also good. Cheap flyers that have synegy with the deck are always good. Turn Aside is actually a decent card but you need a counterspell that hits major spells like Collective Company (or combo card pieces in Storm) and Planeswalker cards.
You are off to a good start! Back then when I was playing my stock Jeskai Delver deck with no Snapcaster Mages and Scalding Tarns, I could 50:50 against a full stock Jund list. I played Abzan and Jeskai during KTK Standard and boy was that Standard super fun...
Active thread contributor of Jeskai Prowess Tempo
4 Snapcaster Mage
3 Spell Queller
4 Geist of Saint Traft
Spells (25)
3 Cryptic Command
2 Electrolyze
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Lightning Helix
3 Logic Knot
4 Path to Exile
2 Spell Snare
4 Serum Visions
3 Island
2 Plains
4 Celestial Colonnade
4 Flooded Strand
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Mystic Gate
1 Sacred Foundry
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
2 Sulfur Falls
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Celestial Purge
2 Disdainful Stroke
2 Dispel
1 Negate
1 Wear
2 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Supreme Verdict
Hola my jeskai peeps. After literally, over a year I'm finally back to going to TNM. I went last Tuesday
Results: 2-1. I wanted to play my last round but my opp had to leave early so I was nice and we intentionally drew the last one, and I just made him hand over his participation pack lol
2-0 Tron
G1
I feel a lot better about this match up since I'm running logic knot + Geist. First game went smoothly. Great starting hand. Helix t2 into geist t3 im on the play. I'm waiting him to slam something big since he's hit tron on t3, but he doesn't hit anythin, just a bunch of the filter star/sphere's. I leave mana open for my cryptic command, he trys to play ugin I counter and draw. Ride a Celestial colonnade to victory after he wipes my geist with oblivion stone, the look on his face when he reads NONland permanents... fantastic lol
Still not sure how to sideboard since I came back after 13+ months. But
-2 helix
-2 spell snare
-1 spell queller
+2 pia and kira
+2 disdainful stroke
+1 Vendilon clique
G2
Starts out pretty much the same, t3 he plays a Wurmcoil Engine, and I throw out a Snapcaster, just to get my beats started early. I path his wurm, and beat. Hold up some counter magic. I spell queller an ancient stirrings, he isn't drawing anything too powerful. I hold up more counter magic this turn, beats with snap and queller. I draw a pia and kiran nalaar but not enough red mana... awkward... lol he tries to fatal push my spelll queller, i cryptic command. Next turn i beat and hold up another queller and logic knot. HE goes for a stirrings, i queller it. He plays oblivion stone, and i logic knot for 5, if he pays, he is short for mana to crack it, so i get him good
prolly a few turns i forgot but you get the basic gameplay lol
2-0 to start
2-0 Boggles
This is a good friend of mine, so i laughed because i knew the only way i was going to win is if he drew terrible, at least the first game anyways. I have sideboard tech (a little) for it G2/3.
G1
He drew terrible lolol He got stuck on 1 land, and a dryad arbor. I killed the arbor quickly and was able to counter everything relevant which was great. After a spell snare hit a timely Silhana Ledgewalker i drew geist the next turn and was able to ride it to victory, especially after I cryptic command his leyline back to his hand. BURN BABY BURN. WHOOP!
-2 lightning Helix
-2 Path to Exile (prolly should have been all 4)
-1 geist i think...
+1 Engineered Explosives
+1 Negate
+2 Pia and Kiran nalaar
+1 Wear / Tear
G2
He has a better start. He was slow playing his enchantments due to me leaving mana open for counter spells, I let him play a few minor ones, path a kor spiritdancer and bolt a gaddock teeg and countered the big ones like rancor and I wear / tear his spider umbra so the angel on geist can get through. Then I just played another one after he blocks and kills the first one. Cryptic the team a couple times and I get in with lethal with a celestial colonnade, and a burn spell.
2-0
Blue Moon
1-2, A freaking slug fest. more notes to come later, blue moon is always a difficult match for me personally.
Keranos, god of storms + Blood Moon + Search for Azcanta is a crazy good combo when I can't play spells... lol I squeezed in a geist before he blood moon on the 2nd game and got there. 3rd game i got ooober f'ed on fetches and wasn't able to fetch basics in time before he landed 2 blood moons... echoing truth is a possibility here.
I have been speaking personally to Harlan Firer about his deck and it's been cool to talk about the in's and out's of his deck (which is the one im using currently)
Thanks you very much DarkNightCavalier for the Sig.
Hey RutherJC! Good to hear from you. Thanks for posting the notes. I sad to see you have gone to the dark side :). But seriously, jeskai tempo is a great deck. It has basically 45-50 of the same cards that we play in the delver/prowess decks, but just plays a slightly different slower game plan. Both decks till want to disrupt while having a threat or two and want to burn the opponent out in the end. Neither really want to take the full "control" role. I look at it this way- The jeskai delver deck starts as the aggro-control deck and can side into a more midrange or tempo gameplan, whereas, the jeskai tempo deck starts as a tempo/midrange deck and can side into a more control oriented deck.
The pros of the delver deck are that we have a better scapeshift, storm, and big mana (tron, eldrazi, etc) matchup than the more midrange versions. The con is that we have a worse value (gw value town, death and taxes, etc) matchup. The con of the delver deck is the loss of the late game power level of cards like cryptic command and Celestial Colonnadeas well as the consistency of having a deck full of 4-of copies of cards.
That's very cool of Harlan to work with you on the deck. I have contacted mutliple pro and scg players and most have been very helpful with comments about the deck. Some more helpful and talkative than others, but far more have returned my emails than I expected. Jeskai tempo is the hottest deck in modern right now and I think everyone here knew it was a matter of time before jeskai tempo became a tier 1 deck. Now here is to hoping some of the more visual players try to make the deck even leaner and start adding delvers to their list :).
I am very interested to see what you think about jeskai tempo in comparison to jeskai delver. Like Great Nate said, the main difference will simply be minor edges in some matchups depending on which deck you are playing. Keep us posted on when how the deck goes and let us know what you come to your senses and get back to jeskai delver :).
you say dark side?
i say... Cookies
cant wait to have more results to share. I'm planning on attending a modern scg event in May in Louisville KY
Thanks you very much DarkNightCavalier for the Sig.
Thanks for the advice. I forgot about Rabblemaster. I ordered some Remands & spell pierce. I don't like Enigma Drake, I tried a card similar and it never felt good, the haste vigelance are just sweet.
I have been playing a Soul Sisters Deck, when I play against this deck Soul Sisters wins very easy for me. Spell Queller in those match ups has been bad, just a bump in the road. I don't know how good it is versus other match ups. My meta has a few burn players and there has been a growing 8 Rack group (seen 3 different players using a version). This has factored into my build a bit.
Anyone try Blessed Alliance it is good in Soul Sisters. Very versatile.
Cheers!
I had a Soul Sisters deck at one point too. Over time I found it too linear and the deck itself has extremely limited ways to expand or improve itself apart from branching into the Enduring Renewal archetype. I have the LotV-less 8 Rack in my collection. Even in its uncompleted state (no mutavaults / LotV) it gives other decks a hard time in Modern Night events. It is also one of my hardest match-ups with Jeskai X.
Blessed Alliance is a good card. Some of our guys (Curdbros I think) ran 1 in the main and 1 in the side at one point. With it, it makes our Burn and hyper aggro match ups better.
Against creature decks like Soul Sisters, Engineered Explosives and Vapor Snags are important cards (Snag the Serra Ascendent / Ajani Pridemate). Soul Sisters do not play the mid game well once you deplete their board. Running Wrath of God or Supreme Verdict is kind of awkward unless you are running Jeskai Tempo.
Active thread contributor of Jeskai Prowess Tempo
Welcome back!
If SCG Louisville has live coverage, i will be watching it and hoping you appear on a feature match. =)
Active thread contributor of Jeskai Prowess Tempo
Blasphemy! Delver can do no wrong :). But seriously delver is simply the single best aggro-control and tempo one drop ever printed. I personally think if people want to play tempo the deck should start with 4x delver. I'm what some may call a "biased" source though :).
I'm glad to hear the jeskai tempo deck has performed well for you. It's well positioned right now and I have seen the "net deck" version of the deck doing well everywhere lately. It's hard to argue with the results so if you like playing jeskai cards than the jeskai queller/snap/geist deck is definitely worth a look. It's just not my bag.
Also it's awesome that you are attending the SCG event in Louisville. I will definitely be rooting for you and will be looking for you on the leaderboard! It's always great to have a rooting interest in the events. I'm a little disappointed that you will be brining jeskai midrange instead of jeskai delver/prowess, but you have to play what suits you and what you have been winning with. On that note, do the players who play the jeskai midrange deck call it jeskai midrange? I have seen it called jeskai tempo which it is not and I have also seen it being called jeskai control which it also is not. I consider it a midrange deck. Is that what it's considered by those who play it?
I have not actually ever played against soul sisters with my current build, but I assume it's a nightmare. It could be the actual worst matchup for my deck. In your meta with a lot of burn, Blessed Alliance is a great sideboard card. I too run a Blessed Alliance in my sideboard for burn. The 8 rack deck is becoming very popular. There is a sweet card that I bought awhile back when I thought discard would be good. It's called Guerrilla Tactics. It's somewhat linear, but if your meta is full of discard decks, it would be a great sideboard card.
I'm glad to hear you were able to get copies of remand and spell pierce. I think you will be pleasantly surprised how well they work with your build.
On another note I have been thinking about adding a possible Molten Rain or two in the sideboard. Has anyone tried Molten Rain?
Edit- Cryptic Command's mana cost just doesn't fit my maindeck and I am currently playing 18 lands. So no cryptic for me
Overall- Overall I went 3-1 which is totally fine for me. I don't know about your area, but UW control is all the rage right now. I played against it twice winning once and losing once. I also got to play against Abzan which was nice since it hasn't been popular for awhile now. Finally, I won a close one against UG Merfolk. The deck ran well and I didn't have too many games that were one sided.
Round 1- UW Control
Game 1- Loss- I had a slow opener that is fine against unknown opponenet, but isn't good against control. I didn't draw a geist early enough and by the time I had a geist it was impossible to land him. I was able to do a little damage to him by top decking a bunch of burn, but he was able to take control of the late game after sweeping my board of snapcasters and a swiftspear.
Game 2- Win- This time I had a very aggressive start with two swiftspears and 2 opts. I actually took a Distortion Strike off of one of the opts and wasn't sure if that was right, but wanted to keep the aggression going. The swiftspears in combination with burn and remands were enough to slowly widdle away his life.
Game 3- Loss- I started with a no land hand and mulled into a 4 land hand with Geist and Opt. I decided to keep since Geist is our best card in the matchup and opt can help us filter our first draw. Unfortunately the first card I drew was another land. It would have been nice to find search for azcanta early to filter away additional land drops, but that was not the case. With a lot of lands I wanted to make sure I found counter magic to hold up while attempting to cast giest. I found a remand and went for Geist. He had the cryptic into negate and all was lost. He landed a Geist out of his sideboard which did most of the work against me.
Review- I think this matchup is really dependent on the specific build of UW control. I have had sucess against them in the past, but just didn't draw well enough against them.
0-1
Overall- We all know by now this is a tough matchup and a grindy one. I have several sideboard cards like Chandra, Pyromaster, Search for Azcanta, and Bedlam Reveler that are imporant.
Round 2- Abzan
Game 1- Great, after a loss I get Abzan. The first game was a bit of a wierd one. I flipped a delver on turn two and started beating down. We went back and forth with removal and creatures until the board was a tarmogoyf against a swiftspear with him a 8 life and me at 14. He played a Dark Confidant which I decided not to bolt to see what happens. He flipped a liliana off of him and went to 5. After I remanded the liliana, he had to hold gofy back or would likely die to swiftspear. Flipping an Aburpt Decay off of confidant gave him an answer to swiftspear, but also made my lightning bolt lethal. Sometimes bob sabotages a game.
Game 2- This was a fun one. It was a long drawn out game. I think I had 20 or so cards left in my deck when all was said and done. I landed Search for Azcanta on turn two and it was an absolute house. There were several times I wanted a threat, but felt like I had to activate the land to get a free spell. This did draw the end of the game out a little bit because I kept shipping my threats to the bottom and getting spells to keep him from doing anything. The game started with a inquisition taking snapcaster mage. I drew a delver which was instantly fatal pushed. He played a goyf which I pathed and the game when on like this for a few turns. I was able to land Chandra, Pyromaster who did some work against a few lingering souls tokens, but she was evendually downed by a goyf when my board got a little slim. Echoing Truth cleaned up the souls and we were basically top decking, but I had Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin active. He did have the WB manland, but I helixed it. The additional cards I was drawing each turn slowly took over the game until I found a Bedlam Reveler which actually ended the game. The sideboard was super impactful in this matchup so it was nice to see the cards that don't often come in - revler, chandra, search do some real work.
Review- Hooray we beat Abzan again. I have actually been beating them with some regularity lately so I'm wondering if the matchup is add bad as I once thought it was. Search for Azcanta can be a little slow against some opponents, but it was super helpful against Abzan. I highly recommend giving it a slot in your board.
1-1
Round 3- UG Merfolk
Overview- This is a weird matchup or at least it has been for me. I sometimes just wallop them and other times they just run over me. Our early removal is key and their new access to the new green cards that can be a bit grindier makes the matchup tougher.
Game 1- This was a typical game one against merfolk. I was on the draw and kept 7. I had heavy removal which worked out well. I was able to kill most of his threats and he was left with one merolk and two Aether Vial on the board after turn 4 or 5. I landed a Geist who basically ran away with the game. He had a dismember but couldn't use it. I had to utilize boros charm to keep Geist alive for an attack, but all in all it was a pretty text book game.
Game 2- Engineered Explosives is a good card :). The opponent was able to get a decent board together rather quickly with a couple of lords. A timely EE on 2 on turn 3 made things a lot easier for me. I mulled to 6 and had utilized some removal to stay alive so I was low on resources, but had a Bedlam Reveler to refill a bit. I drew a lightning helix off of him that gave me a little breathing room. He drew a couple of lands and merfolk, but the reveler put me enough ahead on resources that I won a couple of turns later.
Review- This was a fairly typical merfolk series. This matchup can easily be lost, but I do feel we are favored with a lot of creature removal.
2-1
Round 4- UW Control
Overall- I have said this before, but this matchup really depends on the specific build of control. If they have Geist of Saint Traft we have a much harder time. If they don't I tend to beat them. This person did not have Geist.
Game 1- On the play and mulled to 6. I had a very good 6 card hand (2 lands, a swiftspear, opt, visions, and something else that I forgot). He made a "mistake" on turn two when he Spreading Seaed my steam vents to take me off of red mana. I was able to land a turn 3 Geist of Saint Traft[/c ] and that pretty much took over the game. He tried to flash a snapcaster in to block him, but it was bolted. In addition, he got stuck on four lands. Cryptic Command slowed Geist down, but he didn't find the sweeper for him.
Game 2- This was more like a grindy control matchup. I landed an early delver which he pathed when it flipped. He was able to counter most of my meaningful spells, but I did land Search for Azcanta. However, when I flipped it into a land he took it out with Field of Runes which hurt because I thought it was my avenue to victory. He took a turn to land Jace, Architect of Thought so I decided to go for my Geist. He cryptic commanded the geist, but I had negate back up and landed the geist which is huge in this matchup. He put a wall of omens in front of Geist which is fine and had Celestial Colonnade almost ready to animate regularly. I attacked in with Geist and he let Jace die. I had vapor snag for the colonnade and we were both rather low on cards. He top decked Supreme Verdict so I decided to vapor snag my own Geist. It ended up working and the Geist landed again. He did a great job of keeping me off of red mana for most of the game and actually destroyed a lot of my lands with Crucible of Worlds, but he drew lands and I drew gas. At the end of the game I had 6 lands and he had 13. That was the difference. I just cast more spells.
Review- I don't think I would win that second game if he drew better at the end, but keeping Geist in play made all of the difference. They really have very few ways to deal with a resolved Geist and he does major work. We can definitely steal games quickly from them as well. I didn't steal any quick ones, but we can throw a lot at them. Pierces and Dispel are awesome in this matchup and did some work. In the end Geist carried the matchup though.
3-1
I'm always happy with a 3-1 and had some fun games.