For those who are still on Nahiri, anyone have any lists? (and I know that the geist build/traditional is performing better right now but I want to play nahiri)
Yeap, same for me, but I can't seem to end up with a list I feel confident with.
I just started playing Jeskai Nahiri and I really like how the deck plays.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
On mtgsalvation people don't want to discuss ideas, so I give people something else to discuss: my controversial opinions.
For those interested in some Nahiri lists to start with check out Peter Ingram's 3 Nahiri lists spanning from his win at SCG Indi 2016, through to his most recent top-8 at SCG Charlotte last month, 3 lists with different set-ups. Also I would search Bearscape and TappingStones lists on this thread for some good ideas.
I just picked up my final copies of Nahiri and will be running the following list. It's probably too heavy on 4-drops, and since I've no experience with Nahiri this list is something to critique rather than copy.... here it is!
I see some potential issues - I'm running 3 rather than 4 Nahiri, and the curve is heavy on 4-drops, but we'll see how we go. Search for Azcanta seems good for digging for Nahiri, we'll see how we go with that. To me, search suits a Nahiri or draw-go list so much better than a geist or tempo list.
Hey all. I recently went to regionals and lost horribly. I was woundering if you could provide feedback on two key games? I am not sure if I made the right line and would like a second opinion.
Scenario one: Game 3 be merfolk (mono blue)
This was an extremely grindy game. He had a turn 3 Kira off of cavern. Took 5 cards to kill it, but I eventually did.
The board state at this point was 7 lands both players. He had a reejery and an adept in play as well as two mutavaults. I had three snapcasters and a spell queller.
He had three cards in hand. At this point I had a cryptic command (that I had just drawn) and a pia and nalaar. I was at 6 life he was at 18. No vials in play.
I can cast the pia or cryptic, but not both. What do I do?
I opted to play the pia knowing the only way I loose is if he has two island walk lords in hand (and I will win if I untapped). But he had both lords in hand. What is the correct play in that situation?
Scenario Two: Infect game 3.
I keep a bolt, x2 spell snare, spell queller, 3 land.
My opponent is on the play and turn 1 glistener elf. What is my play? Do I keep up spell snare for blighted agent (which my hand can’t beat) or bolt it?
I opted to wait a turn so I could bolt it And counter s blighted agent. Unfortunately he had the turn 3 kill with pertection. Never got a third turn.
Scenario One- What you did was correct, he just got lucky. Variance is a *****.
Scenario Two- Play an untapped UR land, and leave up Bolt and Snare. Depending on scenario, Bolt Elf/Snare Agent. I would have also snared a pump spell and then mainphased a Bolt the next turn.
I think you made the right play against Merfolk. The likelihood that he was sandbagging a lord would seem highly unlikely...you probably win the game with the line you took more times than not. I do, however, disagree with your line against infect. You always want to remove their threat early and when the have no mana up. This is especially true against this new iteration that runs blossoming defense, apostles blessing and vines. Infect only has 12 creatures you have to care about and the odds are in your favor that he doesn't have another threat.
For scenario 1, I would've kept Cryptic Command up for a possible tap down on opponent's creatures and bouncing a Snapcaster Mage to replay Cryptic Command, but I'm not sure that situation is necessarily winnable.
For scenario 2, I'm a little confused. If you have an untapped source, I'm going to bolt the Elf during the end of turn.
Scenario 1: You didn't take an incorrect line per se, variance and luck got you. If you had brought in at least 2 supreme verdicts for game 3 I would have been tempted to tap down for a couple of turns (bouncing snappy) to dig for a verdict. To be honest though this is a tough position for you and to present lethal is usually the best form of defense in an unknown vacuum, and verdict wouldn't have hit the vaults and would have killed your queller. So not sure.
Scenario 2: I am also wondering why you didn't attempt to bolt the elf EOT turn 1 or Main-phase turn 2? Or maybe you did and there were more interactions missing from the account.
Scenario 1: You didn't take an incorrect line per se, variance and luck got you. If you had brought in at least 2 supreme verdicts for game 3 I would have been tempted to tap down for a couple of turns (bouncing snappy) to dig for a verdict. To be honest though this is a tough position for you and to present lethal is usually the best form of defense in an unknown vacuum, and verdict wouldn't have hit the vaults and would have killed your queller. So not sure.
Scenario 2: I am also wondering why you didn't attempt to bolt the elf EOT turn 1 or Main-phase turn 2? Or maybe you did and there were more interactions missing from the account.
I didn't bolt turn 1 because I was on the draw. (I wanted to keep mana up for spell-snare). That is the part I wasn't sure about.
On his turn two he played a second land and noble. He swung for two infect. EOT I tried bolting and he had a hexproof spell.
I didn't bolt main phase game 2 because I figured he had the protection spell. And wanted to force him to waste a pump spell so I could potentially live to cast spell queller.
On his next turn three, he had three additional pump spells for the win.
For scenario 1, I would've kept Cryptic Command up for a possible tap down on opponent's creatures and bouncing a Snapcaster Mage to replay Cryptic Command, but I'm not sure that situation is necessarily winnable.
For scenario 2, I'm a little confused. If you have an untapped source, I'm going to bolt the Elf during the end of turn.
I did. But since he was on the play he had enough mana to protect it when I had one mana on the field.
The question becomes should I have main phased bolt. Because otherwise he had mana to protect it. But If I main phased bolt, then I would have no way to deal with a blighted agent next turn.
EDIT: In hindsight... I probably should have mulled that hand against infect. Terrible on the draw in retrospec.
This was an extremely grindy game. He had a turn 3 Kira off of cavern. Took 5 cards to kill it, but I eventually did.
Sounds like this is where you already lost the match, lol. How did this happen?
The board state at this point was 7 lands both players. He had a reejery and an adept in play as well as two mutavaults. I had three snapcasters and a spell queller.
He had three cards in hand. At this point I had a cryptic command (that I had just drawn) and a pia and nalaar. I was at 6 life he was at 18. No vials in play.
I can cast the pia or cryptic, but not both. What do I do?
I opted to play the pia knowing the only way I loose is if he has two island walk lords in hand (and I will win if I untapped). But he had both lords in hand. What is the correct play in that situation?
I might be missing something, but aren't you dead to a single islandwalking lord in this boardstate? Reej will pump the lord out of range to be shot down with PnK, and if you shoot down Reej the Mutavaults and Silvergill will get you. In that case holding up Cryptic was definitely the best choice, and if I'm missing something and he did need two lords, I think it would still probably be the best line; good merfolk players should sandbag their lords for a long time against control decks, and they have more islandwalk lords than countermagic. Another big factor would be what you had in your graveyard, as counterbounce snap, snap bolt would have been devastating
In general, i don't even think I'd bring in PnK vs merfolk, as the blocking is hardly relevant and a 4 mana sorcery is really sketch versus them.
Scenario Two: Infect game 3.
I keep a bolt, x2 spell snare, spell queller, 3 land.
My opponent is on the play and turn 1 glistener elf. What is my play? Do I keep up spell snare for blighted agent (which my hand can’t beat) or bolt it?
I opted to wait a turn so I could bolt it And counter s blighted agent. Unfortunately he had the turn 3 kill with pertection. Never got a third turn.
What was the correct play?
Thanks!
As you said later, you should've mulliganned that hand. If you do keep it, definitely bolt the elf in main phase; they only have 4 blighted agents but like 20 cards that protect from bolt
This was an extremely grindy game. He had a turn 3 Kira off of cavern. Took 5 cards to kill it, but I eventually did.
Sounds like this is where you already lost the match, lol. How did this happen?
The board state at this point was 7 lands both players. He had a reejery and an adept in play as well as two mutavaults. I had three snapcasters and a spell queller.
He had three cards in hand. At this point I had a cryptic command (that I had just drawn) and a pia and nalaar. I was at 6 life he was at 18. No vials in play.
I can cast the pia or cryptic, but not both. What do I do?
I opted to play the pia knowing the only way I loose is if he has two island walk lords in hand (and I will win if I untapped). But he had both lords in hand. What is the correct play in that situation?
I might be missing something, but aren't you dead to a single islandwalking lord in this boardstate? Reej will pump the lord out of range to be shot down with PnK, and if you shoot down Reej the Mutavaults and Silvergill will get you. In that case holding up Cryptic was definitely the best choice, and if I'm missing something and he did need two lords, I think it would still probably be the best line; good merfolk players should sandbag their lords for a long time against control decks, and they have more islandwalk lords than countermagic. Another big factor would be what you had in your graveyard, as counterbounce snap, snap bolt would have been devastating
In general, i don't even think I'd bring in PnK vs merfolk, as the blocking is hardly relevant and a 4 mana sorcery is really sketch versus them.
Scenario Two: Infect game 3.
I keep a bolt, x2 spell snare, spell queller, 3 land.
My opponent is on the play and turn 1 glistener elf. What is my play? Do I keep up spell snare for blighted agent (which my hand can’t beat) or bolt it?
I opted to wait a turn so I could bolt it And counter s blighted agent. Unfortunately he had the turn 3 kill with pertection. Never got a third turn.
What was the correct play?
Thanks!
As you said later, you should've mulliganned that hand. If you do keep it, definitely bolt the elf in main phase; they only have 4 blighted agents but like 20 cards that protect from bolt
No. The only thing you are missing is I am bad at math...
You are correct. A single lord would have killed me. Should have waited for cryptic.
I just started my weekly competitive league, this time playing my long term love affair, Jeskai Geist.
I have a few new ideas I discuss in Round 1, Dragons, Shadow, EE etc...
For those interested in following along, here is the play list. I release one video per day, so you can use this link to check back in as the week moves along.
If you like my content, consider subbing, it lets me know you like what I'm doing and want me to continue. Cheers.
How does everyone feel about the Counters Company matchup? I went up against it recently with a stock Jeskai Geist shell and lost 2-1. I was originally thinking that it was going to be a much easier matchup then it ended up being. However, in game three I could just not grind through their value engines in EWit and Company. I opened up with three pieces of spot removal and a sweeper and just got overwhelmed anyways.
Also, is it wrong to side out Geist against them? I was unsure of this plan yesterday, but I figured that Geist is very unlikely to get through on the ground against them and sided out the 3 for an Anger, a Verdict and a Staticaster.
How does everyone feel about the Counters Company matchup? I went up against it recently with a stock Jeskai Geist shell and lost 2-1. I was originally thinking that it was going to be a much easier matchup then it ended up being. However, in game three I could just not grind through their value engines in EWit and Company. I opened up with three pieces of spot removal and a sweeper and just got overwhelmed anyways.
Also, is it wrong to side out Geist against them? I was unsure of this plan yesterday, but I figured that Giest is very unlikely to get through on the ground against them and sided out the 3 for an Anger, a Verdict and a Staticaster.
I think it's correct to side out some number of Geist here. The matchup is really all about Collected Company. I always bring in Dispels for this matchup, and do my best to prioritize any Logic Knots for that spell. It's kind of like keeping mana up to counter Etched Champion vs Affinity in that you might need to take a few hits so that you can keep UU up to counter a company.
I think ajani is pretty sweet. Armageddoning people is a very real threat with him (baby gideon has no ult to threaten).
The lifegain/reach on ajani is also nice, as you mentioned, though on an open board, gideon clocks quicker.
I think most people playing that deck have played ajani for a while (before little gideon was printed) and probably haven't tested him in that shell all that much. I'm guessing ajani is still better (and most of the pilots probably are too) but play some games with gideon, and decide for yourself.
You're pretty much right, in more open metas, I prefer running gideon, but there is a large burn presence in my area so my maindeck is tailored for that
Question, why isn't Stony Silence being ran in the sideboard? Do we just not need it for affinity?
We usually run 12-14 removal main board (4x Bolt, 4x Path, 2-4x Helix, 2 Electrolyze) and then even more removal sideboard (Anger of the Gods, Supreme Verdict, Wear//Tear, Engineered Explosives) and in some cases even Ceremonious Rejection. Our Affinity MU is already pretty good I think.
Stony isn't necessary as we absolutely crush affinity, but I do like to run a singleton as it's a good one-of versus vial decks and does a lot of splash damage versus smaller archetypes
@MrEyeHoles, you have too few wincons. Next to that, it's always difficult for an outsider to adapt a deck when you know the meta and I don't, but I think Flashfreeze is too weak of a card, and 4 Cryptics is too many.
Question, why isn't Stony Silence being ran in the sideboard? Do we just not need it for affinity?
Although you still have to be very careful with what you keep and how you deploy your spells, the Affinity match is basically a bye for us. You would have to draw exceptionally poorly while the Affinity opponent draws extremely well. I've rarely ever seen both of those things happen.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I just started playing Jeskai Nahiri and I really like how the deck plays.
Decks I'm playing in Modern right now:
URB Grixis Reveler (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-grixis-reveler/)
UB Faeries (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/ub-fae-2/)
UW Azorious Control (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-ojutai-control-2/)
http://mtgtop8.com/search?player=Peter Ingram
I just picked up my final copies of Nahiri and will be running the following list. It's probably too heavy on 4-drops, and since I've no experience with Nahiri this list is something to critique rather than copy.... here it is!
1x Desolate Lighthouse
1x Mystic Gate
3x Celestial Colonnade
4x Flooded Strand
4x Scalding Tarn
2x Hallowed Fountain
2x Steam Vents
1x Sacred Foundry
1x Sulfur Falls
3x Island
1x Plains
1x Mountain
Creatures and Planeswalkers (10)
4x Snapcaster Mage
2x Gideon of the Trials
3x Nahiri, the Harbinger
1x Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
2x Search for Azcanta
Instants and Sorceries (24)
4x Serum Visions
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Path to Exile
2x Spell Snare
2x Mana Leak
1x Logic Knot
2x Lightning Helix
1x Electrolyze
2x Cryptic Command
2x Supreme Verdict
2x Dispel
2x Counterflux
2x Ceremonious Rejection
1x Wear // Tear
2x Relic of Progenitus
2x Shadow of Doubt
1x Vendilion Clique
2x Geist of Saint Traft
1x Engineered Explosives
I see some potential issues - I'm running 3 rather than 4 Nahiri, and the curve is heavy on 4-drops, but we'll see how we go. Search for Azcanta seems good for digging for Nahiri, we'll see how we go with that. To me, search suits a Nahiri or draw-go list so much better than a geist or tempo list.
------------
URW Jeskai Control
GUWRB Amulet Titan
GR Ponza
Scenario one: Game 3 be merfolk (mono blue)
This was an extremely grindy game. He had a turn 3 Kira off of cavern. Took 5 cards to kill it, but I eventually did.
The board state at this point was 7 lands both players. He had a reejery and an adept in play as well as two mutavaults. I had three snapcasters and a spell queller.
He had three cards in hand. At this point I had a cryptic command (that I had just drawn) and a pia and nalaar. I was at 6 life he was at 18. No vials in play.
I can cast the pia or cryptic, but not both. What do I do?
I opted to play the pia knowing the only way I loose is if he has two island walk lords in hand (and I will win if I untapped). But he had both lords in hand. What is the correct play in that situation?
Scenario Two: Infect game 3.
I keep a bolt, x2 spell snare, spell queller, 3 land.
My opponent is on the play and turn 1 glistener elf. What is my play? Do I keep up spell snare for blighted agent (which my hand can’t beat) or bolt it?
I opted to wait a turn so I could bolt it And counter s blighted agent. Unfortunately he had the turn 3 kill with pertection. Never got a third turn.
What was the correct play?
Thanks!
Twitter: twitter.com/axmanonline
Stream: twitch.tv/axman
Current Decks
Modern: Affinity
Standard: BW Control
Legacy: Death and Taxes :symw::symr:
Vintage: NA
Scenario Two- Play an untapped UR land, and leave up Bolt and Snare. Depending on scenario, Bolt Elf/Snare Agent. I would have also snared a pump spell and then mainphased a Bolt the next turn.
FWIW I also got ****ed at Regionals. Go figure.
UWR Control
BR Hollow One
For scenario 2, I'm a little confused. If you have an untapped source, I'm going to bolt the Elf during the end of turn.
Scenario 1: You didn't take an incorrect line per se, variance and luck got you. If you had brought in at least 2 supreme verdicts for game 3 I would have been tempted to tap down for a couple of turns (bouncing snappy) to dig for a verdict. To be honest though this is a tough position for you and to present lethal is usually the best form of defense in an unknown vacuum, and verdict wouldn't have hit the vaults and would have killed your queller. So not sure.
Scenario 2: I am also wondering why you didn't attempt to bolt the elf EOT turn 1 or Main-phase turn 2? Or maybe you did and there were more interactions missing from the account.
------------
URW Jeskai Control
GUWRB Amulet Titan
GR Ponza
I didn't bolt turn 1 because I was on the draw. (I wanted to keep mana up for spell-snare). That is the part I wasn't sure about.
On his turn two he played a second land and noble. He swung for two infect. EOT I tried bolting and he had a hexproof spell.
I didn't bolt main phase game 2 because I figured he had the protection spell. And wanted to force him to waste a pump spell so I could potentially live to cast spell queller.
On his next turn three, he had three additional pump spells for the win.
Twitter: twitter.com/axmanonline
Stream: twitch.tv/axman
Current Decks
Modern: Affinity
Standard: BW Control
Legacy: Death and Taxes :symw::symr:
Vintage: NA
I did. But since he was on the play he had enough mana to protect it when I had one mana on the field.
The question becomes should I have main phased bolt. Because otherwise he had mana to protect it. But If I main phased bolt, then I would have no way to deal with a blighted agent next turn.
EDIT: In hindsight... I probably should have mulled that hand against infect. Terrible on the draw in retrospec.
Twitter: twitter.com/axmanonline
Stream: twitch.tv/axman
Current Decks
Modern: Affinity
Standard: BW Control
Legacy: Death and Taxes :symw::symr:
Vintage: NA
Sounds like this is where you already lost the match, lol. How did this happen?
I might be missing something, but aren't you dead to a single islandwalking lord in this boardstate? Reej will pump the lord out of range to be shot down with PnK, and if you shoot down Reej the Mutavaults and Silvergill will get you. In that case holding up Cryptic was definitely the best choice, and if I'm missing something and he did need two lords, I think it would still probably be the best line; good merfolk players should sandbag their lords for a long time against control decks, and they have more islandwalk lords than countermagic. Another big factor would be what you had in your graveyard, as counterbounce snap, snap bolt would have been devastating
In general, i don't even think I'd bring in PnK vs merfolk, as the blocking is hardly relevant and a 4 mana sorcery is really sketch versus them.
As you said later, you should've mulliganned that hand. If you do keep it, definitely bolt the elf in main phase; they only have 4 blighted agents but like 20 cards that protect from bolt
No. The only thing you are missing is I am bad at math...
You are correct. A single lord would have killed me. Should have waited for cryptic.
I though Pia was 3 damage for some reason.
Twitter: twitter.com/axmanonline
Stream: twitch.tv/axman
Current Decks
Modern: Affinity
Standard: BW Control
Legacy: Death and Taxes :symw::symr:
Vintage: NA
I just started my weekly competitive league, this time playing my long term love affair, Jeskai Geist.
I have a few new ideas I discuss in Round 1, Dragons, Shadow, EE etc...
For those interested in following along, here is the play list. I release one video per day, so you can use this link to check back in as the week moves along.
If you like my content, consider subbing, it lets me know you like what I'm doing and want me to continue. Cheers.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaUnM24uNg0C-tQaf-q4EJ***ri_UkB25
Also, is it wrong to side out Geist against them? I was unsure of this plan yesterday, but I figured that Geist is very unlikely to get through on the ground against them and sided out the 3 for an Anger, a Verdict and a Staticaster.
URW Control
WBG Abzan
GRW Burn
EDH
GR Rosheen Meanderer
The lifegain/reach on ajani is also nice, as you mentioned, though on an open board, gideon clocks quicker.
I think most people playing that deck have played ajani for a while (before little gideon was printed) and probably haven't tested him in that shell all that much. I'm guessing ajani is still better (and most of the pilots probably are too) but play some games with gideon, and decide for yourself.
URStormRU
GRTitanshift[mana]RG/mana]
UB Faeries (15-6-0)
UWR Control (10-5-1)/Kiki Control/Midrange/Harbinger
UBR Cruel Control (6-4-0)/Grixis Control/Delver/Blue Jund
UWB Control/Mentor
UW Miracles/Control (currently active, 14-2-0)
BW Eldrazi & Taxes
RW Burn (9-1-0)
I do (academic) research on video games and archaeology! You can check out my open access book here: https://www.sidestone.com/books/the-interactive-past
@MrEyeHoles, you have too few wincons. Next to that, it's always difficult for an outsider to adapt a deck when you know the meta and I don't, but I think Flashfreeze is too weak of a card, and 4 Cryptics is too many.
Although you still have to be very careful with what you keep and how you deploy your spells, the Affinity match is basically a bye for us. You would have to draw exceptionally poorly while the Affinity opponent draws extremely well. I've rarely ever seen both of those things happen.