"Discipline to preserve, insight to discover."
Mardu and Jeskai are by far my favorite color combinations in standard right now. I just got done playing Mardu these past couple months so here is my take on Jeskai!
This Jeskai deck is a kind of midrange deck. It has the ability to be both aggressive or control depending on the opponents deck. You can be as aggressive as back to back
Mantis Rider
s and burn your opponent out by turn 5 or you can sit back with removal cycling Jace with
Ojutai's Command
allowing our dragons to do the rest.
Creatures
I very much underestimated Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
in this deck but has shown to be quite the MVP, especially in the late game. You play Jace and if he dies you bring him back with
Ojutai's Command
on your opponents end step and then flip him on your first main phase. There are times where I have flipped Jace, played another Jace, flipped him (one Jace goes to the graveyard from legendary rule) and then flashback
Ojutai's Command
to return another Jace to the battlefield, rinse, repeat. You can to do this quite a few times cycling
Ojutai's Command
and burn. He is also good for looting land away for answers or finding land if you have a hand full of gas.
Soulfire Grand Master is also very good in this deck, the lifegain can be a crippling thorn in your opponets side. She has always been good whether she's in Jeskai or Mardu, the potential to buy back spells late game is big. Don't forget
Ojutai's Command
can bring her back too! Just to give you an idea of how good she is; someone played a Gaea's Revenge on turn five and with a single Soulfire I was able to win without going below 20 life while he swung with an 8/5 every turn.
Thunderbreak Regents,
Mantis Rider
s, Dragonlord Dromoka, and Dragonlord Ojutai are pretty self-explanatory. They are hard to get rid of flyers that can easily win games by themselves.
Dragonmaster Outcast
is a new addition to this deck that Im going to try out. I chose him because I can play him early as a distraction or cycle him with Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
and then bring him back with Ojutai's Command for late game value. Its another card to add value to Ojutai's Command in this deck. On top of that, 5/5 dragons are nice too.
Other Spells
Valorous Stance: Protects our guys and takes out their bigger threats. Nothing feels better than having your opponent target Thunderbreak Regent, taking 3, and then making it indestructible.
Draconic Roar
: At its worst it a 3 damage removal. At its best we are removing a creature, hitting them in the face for 3, and gaining 6 with Soulfire Grand Master.
Disdainful Stroke: Solid counter for any big threat from Siege Rhino to Bring to Light to Dig Through Time
Ojutai's Command: should be pretty evident why this card is very good in this deck. It can be a pretty huge tempo swing to counter a big creature and bring back a planeswalker or
Dragonmaster Outcast
just in time to start making 5/5 dragons.
Dig Through Time: Search for answers, restock your hand, whatever your doing with it, its amazing. almost always casting for .
Jeskai Charm
: Its a good tempo card but can also be that little extra burn you need to finish off your opponent.
Sideboard
Most of the sideboard is for either control or for aggro. This is because we are somewhere in the middle and really only need to adjust to the early or late game depending on what deck were going against.
Radiant Flames: is really good with Soulfire Grand Master and can get rid of Eldrazi Scions and almost all Allies which are bound to impact the meta the most with BFZ. It's also basically a board wipe against aggressive decks.
Surge of Righteousness
: Bring in against aggressive strategies like Atarka Red. There are some other cases where
Surge of Righteousness
is also good, like when you're against Abzan or a Jeskai mirror match depending on how many targets you see the first game.
Mastery of the Unseen: Pretty popular side board option against control. They usual dont have very good ways to get rid of it once in resolves and can take the game away.
Rending Volley
: Good against Dragonlord Ojutai for Esper Dragon decks and Anafenza, the Foremost in Abzan decks. Basically if they have a target to hit then bring it in, it's 4 uncounterable damage, good for Soulfire Grand Master, easy to buy back or flash back with Jace.
Dispel, Overwhelming Denial: Bring in against control and against decks that rely on specific cards for win cons like Rally the Ancestors and Sphinx's Tutelage decks.
Roast: Just good removal for Siege Rhinos and Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Dragonlord's Prerogative: Some extra uncounterable card draw against control
I'm always open to suggestions so feel free to comment and if you like the deck +1 support is appreciated
Thanks!