Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge commands this interactive grixis deck which utilises her ability to cast big spells from both our library, and our opponents.
I want to prefice this deck description by acknowledging that this decklist does run extra turn spells, and that not everyone is OK with that.
I ADVISE THAT YOU TELL/WARN PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE EXTRA TURN SPELLS BEFORE THE GAME STARTS SO THEY ARE AWARE, THUS AVOIDING RAGE QUITS OR GENERAL GAME DISRUPTION.
So without further ado, let's take a look at some of the interaction this deck can have.
RAMP:
As per most EDH decks, the ramp is pretty straight forward. Grixis colours don't aid themselves all too well in the form of spell ramp (other than things like Seething Song and other black and red rituals), so we try to hit 2 mana artifact's like signets to help get to that 4cmc ASAP. Burnt Offering can provide us with some great (Rakdos coloured) ramp - as well as a sac outlet for Jeleva, allowing us to cast her again for optimised effect.
INTERACTION:
Hall of the Bandit Lord is a silent MVP of this deck, allowing us to cast Jeleva on curve with haste, hopefully hitting big spells.
Low curve 1 drops like Brainstorm, Preordain, Ponder and even Halimar Depths, help us not only get early draw but timed right, can set up the top cards of our library for maximum Jeleva effect. Vandalblast does great things either early game - stinting someone's T1 Sol Ring (seriously, it happens every other game), or blows up everything in the mid game. String of Disappearances is great to either bounce an opponents creature that poses a threat, or Jeleva at an opponents end step, allowing us to cast her again on our turn. Scheming Symmetry is great to get any card on top - early game search for ramp, mid-late we want to tee something up to exile under Jeleva. Mystical Teachings is a (seemingly) sub-average tutor, but when it's under exile with Jeleva, we can cast it on attack and tutor for ANY instant card - or Naru Meha, Master Wizard, to hand. Grim Tutor get's us anything we want. Double casting that feels great.
Reverberate, Narset's Reversal, Twincast, Dualcaster Mage and other 'Copy' type effects have a dual purpose; Copy OUR spells, or PROTECT our spells, copying our opponents counterspells or removal. There's nothing like flipping Time Stretch (or any extra turn spell,) from Jeleva - preferably with haste, casting it on attack, then copying it with any of the above interaction... Ohh boy.
We are running multi-purpose interactive spells like Pyroblast, Red Elemental Blast, Silumgar's Command and Mystic Confluence because they have CHOICES. We can cast them from exile under Jeleva, OR from our hand to help control the board.
I want to acknowledge that these COULD be replaced for any other spells - depending on what you want the deck to do - but in my opinion (and experience piloting this deck), it is best to keep some interaction up so you can stop people who try to stop you.
WIN-CONS AND OTHER RIDICULOUSNESS:
As you would have noticed, we run extra turn spells. We want to be casting them for free from exile under Jeleva, then copying them with our interactive spells from our hand for maximum effect.
NOTE: EXTRA TURN SPELLS ARE A NON-DETERMINANT WIN-CON. So to stop the durdling, we want to set up our hand/top of library to make the game end quickly.
I will outline the optimal plays, running on the assumption that we have the correct mana to cast everything
Insidious Dreams cast on T3, 4 or 5 (at opponents end step), will search for a minimum of 3 cards. These are:
Time Stretch, Spelltwine and surprisingly - unless we have another haste enabler in the form of Break Through the Line or Hall of the Bandit Lord - Fever Charm. Stacked with the Fever Charm on top. If we discard 4 from Insidious Dreams, we search for Army of the Damned as well.
We draw the Fever Charm, cast Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge, on ETB exile the top 4 cards of everybody's library. Cast Fever Charm giving Jeleva haste, then when we attack we cast Time Stretch and take 2 extra turns.
Next (extra) turn, cast whatever goodies in hand, and when we attack cast Spelltwine and target Time Stretch in the graveyard - if you have a copy spell in hand, Time Stretch is the target - so after this turn we have an additional 3 turns (1 from the first cast). Repeated Reverberation is very effective with Time Stretch.
Cast Army of the Damned (if you searched for it with Insidious Dreams) next turn, make your zombie's, then hopefully swing for lethal across the board with them over the next 2 turns. Cast for Flashback if needed.
Hatred + Seize the Day = kill 2 opponents. If you can COPY Seize the Day, you can kill all 3 (assuming, of course they have no blockers/interaction).
If Mystical Teachings get's exiled under Jeleva, we can tutor for Hatred and cast before damage, taking someone out.
Sorin's Vengeance is in here for straight drain (the life gain is a bonus, especially after paying life for Hatred). Copying this with Repeated Reverberation, Narset's Revearsal or a flashbacked Increasing Vengeance can kill someone.
Shoutout to Guttersnipe who has potential for big damage.
I also want to give a special mention to a mid/late game Oblivion Sower. Jeleva EXILES cards form libraries, so if we target an opponent that shares at least two colours with us, we could be getting anywhere from 2-10 lands from them. Very useful to help cast our big mana spells.
The land base is relatively cheap - to upgrade, add fetches and shocks!
