The problem to me, is any time you dont have AV, or Dominance, is either one 'acceptable' to you on its own? ... the odds of holding onto both when you need it, seems slim.
This is exactly what the community (and myself) will need to test and nut out. But the potential is there, and the fact that they smooth each others floor when played together gives me hope.
The black sideboard is a lot better than the blue options I am finding, as we are a proactive deck not a reactive or co from deck. We can grind, but we do so proactively with a lot of game actions on our own turn. Discard is the perfect interaction to mix into a Phoenix chain, or to use t1 to clear the path for your TiTi. You can't really do these things with spell pierce, for example.
The one blue sideboard card that has been the nuts has been Firemind's Research. It completely dodges grave and creature hate, only really being weak to Trophy and Decay.
Spell Snare basically as powerful as dispel in a UWx mirror. Dispel hits cryptic, but Snare hits Snapcaster and Azcanta. They both will basically always have a target in a counter war.
Also, a Clique in the main-deck is very, very good if you are tuning for mirrors.
interesting take. what did you think of the mana base?
also why 2x lavamancer? not that the card is bad, but you arent exactly hurting in the removal or sweepers department, and those slots seem better served with basically...anything. abrade, wear/tear, another EE, purge, more countermagic, etc.
I feel like you might be right about the Lavamancers. I didn't get the match-ups I wanted them for, though, so I may persist with them. They were mainly insurance for the lower burn count in the main 60, for Vial decks, Affinity, Vizier Combo, and Infect. Abrade is a very tempting alternative. I also wouldn't mind an extra Ancestral Vision or a Wear // Tear either.
As for the mana base, I would say I could always guarantee myself a t4 shock-free helix, with about 50% of hands being able to cast a shock-free helix on turn 2, and about 80-90% of hands are capable of casting a t2 Helix with a shock. If I were to include lightning bolt then I would have to go back to a traditional mana base with fewer basics. A middle ground I have been considering is simply going back to the full 4 scalding tarn (from my current 3) and back to 3 Islands. Other options include adding a 2nd Steam Vents, or a singleton Sulfur Falls. Having said that, I have enjoyed having a high basic count very much, and it is especially important I feel with Field of Ruin (not to mention Blood Moon).
I was pretty happy with my build for the events that I played. There was a heavy Graveyard and UWx Control presence, and for once I wasn't hoping to dodge Dredge. I would describe the list as UW splashing red for Helix, Lavamancer, Engineered Explosives and Counterflux.
Telling time felt underwhelming whenever I cast it except for my one match against Humans where it set up t3 and t4 Miracles in games 1 and 2. So even though I have reservations about it, we'll see where it goes. Possible replacements are a singleton Serum Visions, Think Twice, Hieroglyphic Illumination, or Electrolyze.
I do need to work on my G1 in a UWx mirror, as well as my play speed, and further testing will reveal if the lack of lightning bolt affects the Humans / Affinity match ups significantly. Any criticisms or questions about choices and match ups welcome.
Edit; Played a few rounds against a friend on Modular Affinity and although i went up 3-2 in games, he rolled me in game 1 and 2. The lavamancers in the board help me come back, as well as stony silence. Game 1, pre-board looks like it relies on a timely miracle or a very good path-snap-path type hand.
I enjoyed watching Hooglanf top 8 @ Indy with U/R Wizards immensely! Seeing it on camera restores my faith in Delver again!
Next up, after various iterations my current Jeskai Naban list looks like this;
Most notably I have upped the cantrip count to 6, changed the configuration to 4 Peek and 2 Opt, to go alongside 3 main deck Meddling Mages. I was missing meaningful game 1 interaction outside burn and Boros Charm, and my testing with main-deck Remand and Spell Pierce was not good. Many draws I am forced to play on curve at sorcery speed in game 1, so the Remands often were dead weight. The Peek and Meddling Mage package is creature and synergy based and has been working great!
Vendilion Clique also makes the MD for extra interaction game 1 and extra looks at their hand for Meddling Mage.
I plan on running something close to this for the first half of the pptq season.
Jeskai Wizards / Naban : Human Wizards - Peek and Meddle
If you haven't tried Baneslayer/Lyra in the side yet you definitely should - they have been completely absurd to me in so many matchups
Whoever came up with that innovation deserves a medal
Truth.
This is the earliest competative finish for a UWx Midrange/Control deck running Baneslayer Angel that I could find on MTGTop8. The deck is labeled 'UW Angels' - and is very similar to Jeskai Midrange / Geists lists that appear in 2013, also with Baneslayer in the side.
'UW Angels - Emanuel Sutor - Grand Prix Lyon 2012, 2nd Place
I should also mention that Boros Charm was easily worth the main-deck slot. The blowouts were so huge. I gave my team and vial Indestructible in response to Oblivion Stone TWICE during the night, as well as hitting for an Alpha strike with Adeliz for exactly 17 damage (his exact life total), when any other burn spell would have meant I was swinging for only 15.
Hi guys, I went undefeated at my last LGS midweek tournament with Jeskai Wizards // Jeskai Naban.
Let's just say Snapcaster, Naban and an Aether Vial lead to some bonkers plays. Vial+Adeliz+Burn produced some huge, satisfying swings too. Champion and Liutenant were consistently huge quickly thanks to all the double triggers.
Match-ups were G-Tron, GB-Tron, Grixis Death's Shadow and Grixis Delver.
1
This is exactly what the community (and myself) will need to test and nut out. But the potential is there, and the fact that they smooth each others floor when played together gives me hope.
1
1
Grixis Arclight Thing (URB):
2 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
4 Thing in the Ice
4 Arclight Phoenix
3 Bedlam Reveler
Spells
4 Faithless Looting
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Thought Scour
3 Chart a Course
3 Collective Brutality
4 Manamorphose
4 Fiery Temper
2 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Blood Crypt
2 Bloodstained Mire
1 Island
1 Mountain
3 Scalding Tarn
4 Spirebluff Canal
2 Steam Vents
1 Swamp
1 Watery Grave
1 Lightning Axe
2 Spell Pierce
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Thoughtseize
2 Abrade
2 Anger of the Gods
2 Alpine Moon
2 Firemind's Research
Shared via TopDecked MTG
https://www.topdecked.me/decks/7d6af2ed-e7b5-486d-afe3-af85a88682fd
The black sideboard is a lot better than the blue options I am finding, as we are a proactive deck not a reactive or co from deck. We can grind, but we do so proactively with a lot of game actions on our own turn. Discard is the perfect interaction to mix into a Phoenix chain, or to use t1 to clear the path for your TiTi. You can't really do these things with spell pierce, for example.
The one blue sideboard card that has been the nuts has been Firemind's Research. It completely dodges grave and creature hate, only really being weak to Trophy and Decay.
1
Also, a Clique in the main-deck is very, very good if you are tuning for mirrors.
1
I feel like you might be right about the Lavamancers. I didn't get the match-ups I wanted them for, though, so I may persist with them. They were mainly insurance for the lower burn count in the main 60, for Vial decks, Affinity, Vizier Combo, and Infect. Abrade is a very tempting alternative. I also wouldn't mind an extra Ancestral Vision or a Wear // Tear either.
As for the mana base, I would say I could always guarantee myself a t4 shock-free helix, with about 50% of hands being able to cast a shock-free helix on turn 2, and about 80-90% of hands are capable of casting a t2 Helix with a shock. If I were to include lightning bolt then I would have to go back to a traditional mana base with fewer basics. A middle ground I have been considering is simply going back to the full 4 scalding tarn (from my current 3) and back to 3 Islands. Other options include adding a 2nd Steam Vents, or a singleton Sulfur Falls. Having said that, I have enjoyed having a high basic count very much, and it is especially important I feel with Field of Ruin (not to mention Blood Moon).
1
Jeskai Control (U/W/R): Jeskai Control - Build (C) - Miracles
3 Snapcaster Mage
1 Vendilion Clique
Planeswalkers (4)
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
Spells (22)
4 Opt
4 Path to Exile
3 Lightning Helix
2 Logic Knot
2 Negate
1 Telling Time
2 Cryptic Command
1 Supreme Verdict
3 Terminus
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Search for Azcanta
2 Detention Sphere
Lands (25)
3 Celestial Colonnade
3 Field of Ruin
4 Flooded Strand
1 Glacial Fortress
2 Hallowed Fountain
4 Island
1 Mountain
2 Plains
1 Sacred Foundry
3 Scalding Tarn
1 Steam Vents
2 Grim Lavamancer
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Ancestral Vision
2 Dispel
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Disdainful Stroke
2 Counterflux
1 Timely Reinforcements
2 Stony Silence
Shared via TopDecked MTG https://www.topdecked.me/decks/0ff923d0-a2c7-43d9-9f61-e719097e41da
4-1-2 finish in Swiss at a 70 player event, not good enough for top 8.
G/W Company: 1-1 - D
R/B BriBridgeVine: 2-0 W
U/W Control: 0-1 L
KCI: 2-0 W
Humans: 2-1 W
Jeskai Control: 1-1 D
Dredge: 2-0 W
4-1-1 finish in Swiss, at a 34 player event. My final round loss ended up being the win and in for top 8.
Traditional Affinity: 2-0 W
R/B BridgeVine: 2-1 W
U/B Infect: 2-1 W
Mono-Green Tron: 2-0 W
U/W Control: 1-1 D
Mardu Pyromancer: 0-2 L
Over my testing period and then the two PPTQs I would put my game 1 match-ups with this build as follows;
Humans: Favored
Hollow One: Heavily Favored
KCI: Favored
Affinity: Slightly Favored
Modular Affinity: Even / Slightly Unfavored
Mardu Pyro: Even
Dredge: Even
Tron: Slightly Favored
Burn: Favored
UW Control: ?
Jeskai Control: ?
Infect: Slightly Favored
Company Decks: Favored
Storm; Un-favored
BridgeVine: Even/Slightly Favored
Jund: Heavily Favored
I was pretty happy with my build for the events that I played. There was a heavy Graveyard and UWx Control presence, and for once I wasn't hoping to dodge Dredge. I would describe the list as UW splashing red for Helix, Lavamancer, Engineered Explosives and Counterflux.
Telling time felt underwhelming whenever I cast it except for my one match against Humans where it set up t3 and t4 Miracles in games 1 and 2. So even though I have reservations about it, we'll see where it goes. Possible replacements are a singleton Serum Visions, Think Twice, Hieroglyphic Illumination, or Electrolyze.
I do need to work on my G1 in a UWx mirror, as well as my play speed, and further testing will reveal if the lack of lightning bolt affects the Humans / Affinity match ups significantly. Any criticisms or questions about choices and match ups welcome.
Edit; Played a few rounds against a friend on Modular Affinity and although i went up 3-2 in games, he rolled me in game 1 and 2. The lavamancers in the board help me come back, as well as stony silence. Game 1, pre-board looks like it relies on a timely miracle or a very good path-snap-path type hand.
1
Next up, after various iterations my current Jeskai Naban list looks like this;
Most notably I have upped the cantrip count to 6, changed the configuration to 4 Peek and 2 Opt, to go alongside 3 main deck Meddling Mages. I was missing meaningful game 1 interaction outside burn and Boros Charm, and my testing with main-deck Remand and Spell Pierce was not good. Many draws I am forced to play on curve at sorcery speed in game 1, so the Remands often were dead weight. The Peek and Meddling Mage package is creature and synergy based and has been working great!
Vendilion Clique also makes the MD for extra interaction game 1 and extra looks at their hand for Meddling Mage.
I plan on running something close to this for the first half of the pptq season.
Jeskai Wizards / Naban : Human Wizards - Peek and Meddle
Maindeck (60)
4 Champion of the Parish
2 Grim Lavamancer
3 Meddling Mage
3 Naban, Dean of Iteration
3 Snapcaster Mage
4 Thalia's Lieutenant
1 Adeliz, the Cinder Wind
2 Reflector Mage
2 Sea Gate Oracle
1 Vendilion Clique
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Opt
4 Peek
1 Boros Charm
2 Wizard's Lightning
4 Aether Vial
3 Flooded Strand
1 Hallowed Fountain
2 Inspiring Vantage
1 Plains
1 Sacred Foundry
3 Scalding Tarn
2 Seachrome Coast
3 Spirebluff Canal
2 Steam Vents
Sideboard (15)
2 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Vendilion Clique
2 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Dispel
3 Path to Exile
2 Spell Pierce
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Wear // Tear
Shared via TopDecked MTG https://www.topdecked.me/decks/894c8c29-a550-44ab-a458-41d0f6267041
1
Truth.
This is the earliest competative finish for a UWx Midrange/Control deck running Baneslayer Angel that I could find on MTGTop8. The deck is labeled 'UW Angels' - and is very similar to Jeskai Midrange / Geists lists that appear in 2013, also with Baneslayer in the side.
'UW Angels - Emanuel Sutor - Grand Prix Lyon 2012, 2nd Place
https://mtgtop8.com/event?e=4233&d=224725&f=MO
'Jeskai Midrange' - Mitchell Manders- Grand Prix Bilbao 2013, 1st Place
https://mtgtop8.com/event?e=4233&d=224725&f=MO
And then this is the first occasion I could find Baneslayer in a UW(x) Control list in the Eldrazi era.
https://mtgtop8.com/event?e=15029&d=290968&f=MO
1
1
Let's just say Snapcaster, Naban and an Aether Vial lead to some bonkers plays. Vial+Adeliz+Burn produced some huge, satisfying swings too. Champion and Liutenant were consistently huge quickly thanks to all the double triggers.
Match-ups were G-Tron, GB-Tron, Grixis Death's Shadow and Grixis Delver.
Human Wizards tribal.
Jeskai Wizards : Build A - Human Wizards
Maindeck (60)
4 Champion of the Parish
2 Grim Lavamancer
2 Soul-Scar Mage
4 Naban, Dean of Iteration
3 Snapcaster Mage
4 Thalia's Lieutenant
2 Adeliz, the Cinder Wind
3 Reflector Mage
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Opt
1 Boros Charm
4 Wizard's Lightning
4 Arid Mesa
1 Hallowed Fountain
2 Inspiring Vantage
1 Plains
1 Sacred Foundry
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Seachrome Coast
2 Spirebluff Canal
2 Steam Vents
2 Deputy of Acquittals
2 Dire Fleet Daredevil
2 Meddling Mage
1 Izzet Staticaster
2 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Dispel
2 Path to Exile
1 Wear // Tear
1 Wizard's Retort
Shared via TopDecked MTG https://www.topdecked.me/decks/dd15123a-a0e4-4d2b-97dc-3e3231c0554d