Welcome to the land of Jeskai Spirits for modern! This deck has been an absolute blast to ply for the last few weeks and I figured I would finally write up my primer for the deck. For starters, this deck has consistently faired quite well against Jund and Burn, going 4-2 overall in matches against Jund (9-5 in games) and 3-1 against Burn (7-5). In most other matchups, the deck is purely a 50/50 matchup in game one, and generally the deck sees advantage in games 2 and 3. Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the deck, I’m aware my land base probably is not ideal. I am looking to add caverns and potentially fetches in the future. For now, the land base with aether Vial has been quite consistent. Anyways, onto the deck tech!
Creatures
The creatures are the reason this deck runs. Unlike bant spirits, which plays Collected Company and Noble Hierarch, this deck plays a few key red cards that make the deck tick.
Mausoleum Wanderer: The key one drop in any spirit deck. This card is absolutely bonkers. On its own, it’s a Judge’s Faniliar with upside. It gets even better with every spirit that enters the battlefield. It counters removal and key instant/sorcery spells in combo decks. Multiple copies of this guy in the early game turns this deck into an aggro deck, and it can overwhelm the opponent as early as turn 3. Overall, a superstar in the deck and we will play the play set.
Rattlechains: On to the 2 drop slot, and we are full of potential value cards here. We will start with the ultimate counterspell in the deck, Rattlechains. The amount of text on this card is insane. It is a 2/1 Flying body that can be an ambush viper in dire situations minimally. It also basically counters any targeted removal spell with its third ability. It’s last ability is the best piece, allow us to play almost our whole deck at instant speed. This guy may seem underwhelming at first glance, but it turns into a huge benefit when you two-for-one the opponent on control across the table from you. Overall, the play set is necessary.
Selfless Spirit: This is a sideboard stable in most any deck that plays a lot of creature and is in white. We have the added benefit of it being a spirit. Unfortunately, with it’s lackluster body, it is not the most ideal 2 drop we could be playing, and in some matchups, it is downright awful to topdeck one of these. It’s ability to counter a boardwipe or spot removal spell warrants it 2 copies in the main and another in the side for the control/Jund matchup where this card can shine.
Phantasmal Image: This card is busted. That’s the end of this story. It can copy literally anything on the battlefield, and it copies 5-8 of most any creature in our deck. The most efficient way of using this guy is to copy our lord, which makes all of our creatures hexproof, including the Image himself. This can lead to you having a ton of flying damage in the air as early as turn 3. Overall, the playset of this card is automatically included.
Eidolon of the Great Revel: Yes, he is a spirit. Yes, he is the reason we are willing to play red. Yes, he is amazing in most every matchup we play him in. This card makes decks like Affinity and storm and even elves slow their playing speed or take a ton of incidental damage. Not to mention the crazy interaction with Spell Queller where you can steal a spell from your opponent while costing them 2 life and force them to take more damage if they want to get it back. Overall, this card is great in many matchups and can be easily boarded out in matchups against burn or other decks that this card is not the most ideal 2 drop. I’m going to play the whole playset.
Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit: This seems to be the newest spicy include in this deck. Anafenza can be used to make this deck faster than it already can be. This allows the creatures in the deck to get larger when we start playing more spirits. This can make the deck a turn or two faster in games where we need to get under some other tempo decks. Two of these seem just good enough to try.
Spell Queller: This card is unfair and broken. Read the card. You see why there is a playset. Moving on.
Drogskol Captain: This is the Lord if the deck. He is another “counterspell” and is generally just amazing. Flying, hexproof for the team, anthem. Count me in on this playset.
Geist of Saint Traft: He is the overall best finisher we could be playing. Attacking on an empty board with this guy can spell disaster for the opponent. It also reaps the benefits of the lord as well. Playing two because lengendary is a thing and seeing multiples of these in a bad matchup for them is very bad.
Nebalgast Herald: This dude is the secret weapon against creature decks that no one expects and can absolutely be a tempo swing and disaster for an aggro deck. It taps down Death's Shadow and Tarmogoyf and can stop a lethal attack. The fact that it is when any spirit enters makes it very versiatile and can allow for multiple creatures to be tappped down and useless for multiple turns. He can be a game changer, but I think 1 copy is all the deck needs, as it is only good in certain matchups and dies very easily, especially to Lilliana the last hope.
Other Spells
Aether Vial: This is the cornerstone of this deck, and allows the deck to function at optimum capacity. Because our curve maxes out at 3 and a majority of our deck is creatures, Vial is an auto-include. It may not be better than Collected Company, but it is absolutely amazing in this build. It also makes the deck run even better at instant speed, and allows a wonky mana base a pass. Playset is an autoinclude.
Path to Exile: Great removal spell for most anything in the format. Only running 2 in the main because creatures are a priority.
Lightning Bolt: Most versatile non-creature in the deck, can hit Liliana, Jace, Bob, Thalia, or opponents face. Playset for sure.
Sideboard
Eidolon of Rhetoric: Great in burn matchups, as well as stingy combo decks like 8-whack, Goblins, storm and Ad Nauseam. Also a spirit. 2 in the board.
Kataki, War's Wage: Destroy’s Affinity and Lantern control. Also a spirit. 2 in the board.
Selfless Spirit: The extra copy that allows me outs to boardwipe heavy decks.
Relic of Progenitus: Graveyard interaction spell one. One in the sideboard.
Grafdigger's Cage: Graveyard Interaction spell two. One in the board.
Wear / Tear: Artifact/Enchantment interaction. Great versitility. One in the board.
Path to Exile: Death’s Shadow is a deck, and having another copy for this match as well as other decks like humans seems good enough. One more.
Izzet Staticaster: Great against decks that run Lingering Souls as well as Goblin Rabblemaster. It also has flash and haste so it works quite well at clearing small creature and tokens away. 2 in the board.
Blessed Alliance: Great against burn and Bogles. Can be a real game changer against deaths shadow as well.
Ceremonious Rejection: Early game answer to tron, lantern, affinity, KCI, and basically any artifact deck. Seems like this could be a 1-2 of in the board, but I am going to try 2 for now.
Settle the Wreckage: Absolutely destroys an all out attack by a creature deck that doesn’t expect it like Humans, Mardu Pyro and Jund. Gotta have at least one of these.
Other potential sideboard cards:
Pithing Needle: Needle helps us to get around some pesky planeswalkers that may hurt our tempo a lot, such as Liliana of the Veil and Ugin, the Spirit Dragon. Can also turn off other creatures and artifacts with activated abilities that could be detrimental to us later in the game. Might be a card I test over Rejection in the future.
Kira, Great Glass-Spinner: Seems like Kira can be great in the Jeskai control matches as well as against any deck that looks to stabilize by targeting your board. Worth testing in the future.
Overall, I’ve come to love the deck and think there is potential to take this to a competitive level with the right help. I’m open to suggestions about how I could edit this to make it even more competitive. Thank you!
