Jace, Temporal Master
This Jace, Vryn's Prodigy deck is a cEDH build which aims to control the board until it is able to assemble certain combos or strings of turns necessary to win the game with. Unlike more traditional builds of this deck revolving around the card
High Tide
, I feel like this deck is both more resilient to interaction and has more relevant cards outside of a combo turn.
Navigating the Deck
Jace, Telepath Unbound
is an interesting 2-mana planeswalker that we have access to on turns 1 and 2. His -3 ability being able to turn an extra turn spell like
Time Warp
into
Time Stretch
is the interaction we are trying to break. While in most situations extra turn effects in EDH are sub-par, what it does excellently is giving multiple activations to Planeswalkers you have in play. Again, most Planeswalkers in cEDH aren't all that good unless they're broken, but the ones I've chosen to play are exceptional in combination with successive activations that you should be able to win the game.
Combos, Interactions, and Win Conditions
Narset, Parter of Veils
+ any draw 7 - This is big money. Leovold's ability was oppressive for a reason, and Narset provides two Azcanta activations on top of it. While it does not win us the game outright, it provides an outlet for us to be able to execute our gameplan without interference from the other players.
Isochron Scepter
+
Dramatic Reversal
- Like many cEDh decks, this 2-card interaction gives us infinite mana, which we can use to win in whatever fashion best fits the situation.
Additionally: +
Sensei's Divining Top
draws the rest of your deck.
Isochron Scepter
+
Narset's Reversal
+
Time Warp
ability - This gives us infinite turns. With just our commander it gives infinite Jace emblem triggers that should be enough to win the game with.
Twister Loop in mono blue with War of the Spark - With infinite mana,
Timetwister
and
Narset's Reversal
creates a state where the real Timetwister card gets shuffled into your deck instead of going to the graveyard. Normally this is ruined by the Narset's Reversal being unable to return itself from the graveyard. To solve this problem we either need to imprint it under an
Isochron Scepter
and need an extra turn effect or a
Tezzeret the Seeker
to untap it, or alternatively use
Time Spiral
:
- Make infinite mana and be able to draw your deck
- Cast Timetwister
- Cast Time Spiral, holding priority and casting Narset's Reversal on the Time Spiral. This protects the Time Spiral from exiling itself while also shuffling the Narset's Reversal back into the deck.
- Repeat as necessary.
Tezzeret the Seeker
+
The Chain Veil
+ Mana Rock that taps for - While not having
Teferi, Temporal Archmage
in your command zone makes
The Chain Veil
less deterministic as a combo piece, it still proves useful. With either a
Grim Monolith
or
Mana Vault
, you are able to activate the abilities of your Planeswalkers once for each you spend, which in many cases should be enough to ult them or otherwise win the game. Having actual
Teferi, Temporal Archmage
in play in addition to the others removes all the other limitations and you just draw your deck and win.
While abundant resources and time are nice, the ways we are actually able to win the game are your commander,
Jace, the Mind Sculptor
,
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
, and
Karn Liberated
, with respect given to
Swan Song
tokens if you assemble the Twister Loop.
Card Choices
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy Show
A 2-mana commander that comes down on turns 1-2. His loot ability lets us navigate the early game well by sculpting a good hand while also fueling our delve spells until he flips.
Gilded Lotus Show
A cheap piece of creature interaction that leaves you with a threat usually. Downsideof the card as opposed to in other decks is that a 3/3 flyer threatens your win conditions.
Snapcaster Mage Show
Gives us second uses of spells in a pinch. Having access to this ability in our commander makes Snapcaster less useful than usual and is possibly cuttable in the future.
Trinket Mage Show
This deck is mana hungry, and most of our end game plays revolve around needing quite a few mana rocks. This is an effective way of finding
Sol Ring
,
Mana Vault
, and
Mox Opal
.
Extra Turn Cards Show
The bread and butter of the deck. Used as a "free"
Explore
and reuse of our planeswalker abilities. Time Warp having a target doesn't matter; no one plays Misdirection.
Temporal Tresspass Show
The much worse 4th extra turn effect is still good enough because it can be cheapened through delve. Probably replaceable with Nexus of Fate.
Ponder, Preordain, Serum Visions, and Sleight of Hand Show
The four best 1 mana cantrip sorceries we have available. While they all say different things, they are essentially the same card.
Gitaxian Probe Show
Costs and lets you look at an unsuspecting opponent's hand. Useful for checking for interaction and filling the 5 card minimum for Jace flips.
Careful Study Show
Blue Faithless Looting sets up near guarenteed Jace flips on turn 3 and digs deep for interaction and gas. I wouldn't recommend this card for most edh decks but I believe this one uses the card well.
Treasure Cruise Show
We fill our yards very quickly, and draw 3 cards even faster. Wonderful draw spell that often costs 1-2 mana.
Merchant Scroll Show
Elegant tutor for our combo pieces and free counterspells alike.
Timetwister, Time Spiral, and Windfall Show
The best card advantage spells blue has access to. Timetwister and Time Spiral are win conditions in their own right, and Windfall helps us have cards in our yard for delving and flashbacks with Jace.
Counterspell Show
Nothing interesting, just a super solid answer to whatever you care about for 2 mana.
Same as Counterspell except that it replaces a with in its casting cost, which is sometimes relevant. The card coming back in 4 of their turns is rarely an issue.
1-mana counter that rarely disappointing as many tutors, flash, and permanent interaction pieces are instants
Flusterstorm Show
A little more limited in scope than some counters but it being 1-mana and incredibly difficult to deal with makes it worth the slot.
Force of Will Show
The gold standard of counterspells. As all of our nonland nonartifact cards are blue, this is much easier to cast than in other decks and lets us tap out in early turns to progress our gameplan without giving up interaction.
Mana Drain Show
Counterspell except much M U C H better.
Mental Misstep Show
Contextual free counterspell that is best against early mana rocks, certain tutors, and opposing counterspells
Noncreature spells are better than creatures in this format, so the limitation is only marginal. Negate is an all around great counterspell.
Pact of Negation Show
Free counterspell that doesn't matter if you're trying to win that turn. It's both better in this deck because we can usually pay for it, but worse because we usually have to pay for it.
Spell Pierce Show
Not great, but decent in the early/mid game. Other cEDH decks have slim manabases and operate on tiny openings so this usually helps punish them.
Swan Song Show
Exceptional hard counter. The 2/2 usually doesn't matter, though having flying sometimes messes up our Planeswalker plans. Is a win condition.
Chain of Vapor Show
Probably the best piece of interaction we have. It does everything.
Cyclonic Rift Show
A slower Chain of Vapor that doesn't get punished by your opponent wanting to sacrifice a land. This deck gets enough mana to overload it quite consistently.
Pongify & Rapid Hybridization Show
Blue doesn't get Premium hard creature removal, so we settle for giving the opponent a 3/3.
Rebatable bounce spell that has good interactions with High Tide.
Brainstorm Show
Premium card draw for 1 mana. Puts cards we don't want away for shuffle effects.
Worse Brainstorm but still insanely good instant speel draw spell.
Frantic Search Show
Easily fills up graveyard for Jace flips and delve. Nets mana with High Tide.
Mystical Tutor Show
One of the best tutors in the game. I don't know how much is needed to be said about the card. There is a combo I'm not currently including in the deck with Nexus of Fate and this under a Scepter but I don't know how viable that would be.
Intuition Show
Reasonable tutor that can find an extra turn card in a pinch while putting the other two in the yard to flashback.
Dramatic Reversal Show
Important combo piece that isn't really cast much otherwise though it is basically a ritual if you have to use it that way.
Narset's Reversal Show
The new hotness that does it all, including a combo that can be done in the deck.
High Tide Show
Incredible mana production spell that it usually Dark Ritual at the very least in blue.
Most Mana Rocks Show
Really good cards. The only ones worth mentioning are Mox Amber, which is good with a cheap commander, and Sapphire Medallion, which is good in a mono blue deck. Everything else is insane.
Grim Monolith & Mana Vault Show
These ones don't untap but are crutial for Tezzeret Chain Veil plays.
Sensei's Divining Top Show
Decent card selection and card draw engine with Scepter Reversal.
The Chain Veil Show
Expensive but great with multiple Planeswalkers, especially Tezzeret and Teferi which break it in half.
Isochron Scepter Show
Probably the best card in the deck. It just enables so many degenerate interactions.
Back to Basics Show
Incredible stax piece that almost entirely doesn't affect me.
Copy Artifact Show
Basically a Mana Rock, but occasionally is an Isochron Scepter
Mystic Remora Show
My favorite card and also the best card engine in cEDH.
Search for Azcanta Show
Midrange repeatable card engine slot that turns into a land to boot.
Jace, Telepath Unbound Show
Our commander. His +1 ability protects him somewhat, but usually he's just there to cast spells from the bin. Micro interaction is to let him die instead of returning to the Command Zone so you can delve for less. His ult is a win con if you go off.
Jace, the Mind Sculptor Show
All around good Planeswalker. All abilities are useful and is a win condition.
Karn Liberated Show
Probably the worst of the Planeswalkers in the deck, but is able to ult rather easily if any of the engine pieces get exiled for whatever reason.
Narset, Parter of Veils Show
New card. 3-mana for a Leovold passive + 2 Azcanta activations is an insane rate. Good combo with draw 7s.
Teferi, Temporal Archmage Show
Used almost Exclusively as a combo piece as he is unable to protect himself. That being said, he heavily discounts his mana cost with his -1.
Tezzeret the Seeker Show
Combo piece with The Chain Veil. Tutors for mana rocks and Isochron if you have the other piece. Ult is irrelevant.
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon Show
Great board clear for control decks. Being able to ult with a single
Time Warp
(read: 2 extra turns) is a huge plus.
Will Kenrith Show
This is definitely the weirdest inclusion. The +2 is 10x better than our commander's +1. The -2 is very good with helping us find tools and play them in one turn. Cuttable if another mono blue Planeswalker gets released.
Academy Ruins Show
We need Isochron Scepter. This gets it back.
Cavern of Souls Show
Jace plus most of our creatures are Wizards. While most lands should just be replaced by Islands, I think uncounterability for my commander is decent.
Ancient Tomb Show
Should be an auto include in most 1-2 color decks, it's just so good.
Fetch Lands Show
The use of fetchlands in this deck are to make turn 3 Jace flips reliable and to shuffle Brainstorm and Top. Thery are incredibly important.
