A deck that needs no introduction in modern. Currently one of the top meta decks in the format if not at the top.
Through much play testing I’ve deviated from some staple cards and added my own unique spin. Lately these changes have netted me more wins.
I’m open to any suggestions or cool tricks fellow jeskai control players have come up with.
So without further Adeu, general strategy and use as follows:
Snapcaster Mage
Lets us double up our spell usages, can be played at instant speed.
(Let’s be honest, if you have to ask why this card is good, I’m going to question your ability as a magic player.)
Lightning Bolt, Lightning Helix,Path to Exile and Electrolyze
Spot removal is the name of the game in Jeskai control for most of the match. Conventional strategy is to constantly remove threats as they appear. Between the amount of spot removal and snapcasters; you have the ammunition to do it.
Bolt serves as a hasty removal, Helix will add resilience in the mix (especially good against burn decks) and path is our heavy lifter that’s going to take care of things bolt and Helix just can’t. Path will also cancel out any death triggers an opponent creature may have. Electrolyze while not as powerful is a very versatile tool that lets us also feed card advantage. It’s also great for knocking out 2 mana dorks, or killing a creature, damage your opponent and drawing a card.
Bolts, Helixes and electrolyze also have the capacity to finish off an opponent obviously.
Opt
Now in Jeskai control most folks go with Serum Visions Opt is normally played in Jeskai Tempo. This is where my deck deviates a bit from common practice and I’ll explain why I’ve chosen Opt.
It comes down to what is more important to you, digging or instant speed? I’ve decided that for me, instant speed was remarkably better for a few reasons.
First off I can’t tell you how horrible it feels when an opponent makes a devastating play and you have no answers in hand. Opt Atleast gives you a chance to attempt to grab an answer on their turn before the spell resolves.
Secondly, I can’t count the number of times having one open mana on my turn was the difference between me being able to cast a crucial spell that turn. Being at 4 mana and having a Cryptic and Serum feels pretty bad. Most wont consider it a big deal, but we’ve all been in situations where winning and losing was a card draw away. Therefore even if we’re not digging as deep as serum, to me it’s much better to be able to control the draw at the end of an opponent’s turn.
Lastly, this deck runs 8 fetches and 2 fields (10 shuffle triggers) too many times have I had to activate a shuffle trigger before I could get to the third card if I decided to keep both on top. In other words digging 3 cards deep was sometimes unnecessary since I was forcing a shuffle anyway.
Anyway at the end of the day it’s personal preference , both cards are even in my opinion. Moving on...
Cryptic Command,Logic Knot, Spell Snare and Remand
Control magic in this deck is almost as versatile as our spot removal.
Cryptic is so insanely versatile it’s insane. It can counter, remove, stall and produce card advantage.
Logic Knot is a solid hard counter that lets us delve for cost, delve can also be paid if the card is given flashback by snapcaster. Making it the counter of choice since generally if used correctly we can usually hard counter a spell for less then 3 mana. It’s only cons is that it can potentially give your snapcaster less options and slow down the Azcanta transformation since you’re exiling cards. Because we have refined control over this process by what cards we’re exiling and when; the pros of Knot easily outweigh the cons.
Spell snare is especially useful if we have it in opening hand and we’re not on the play. More then likely your opponent will have a turn 2 play and you’ll only have 1 mana. This lets you even the score and catch up battlefield wise. I remember when I first saw this card I didn’t think it could ever be good. But then after being in the modern format for awhile you realize how much BS your opponent can play for 2 mana. It’s a card that always seems relevant no matter how deep in the game you are. It can also be snap casted. Even being a 1 off this card has saved me plenty of times.
Now again this is another slight deviation from most Jeskai control decks. Remand is more of a tempo card but lately I’ve been finding it as a mainstay for the following reasons.
Now Jeskai needs card advantage to ultimately win games, remand not only delays your opponent but serves to also help with card advantage. Jeskai is a deck that just needs to stall (long game) to win, so hard countering is nice but not always necessary, especially if we can fuel card advantage while doing it. Remand still totally screws those who delve or cast hefty spells like tron decks. It’s a huge setback for them.
Settle the Wreckage and Supreme Verdict
General jeskai control deck construction generally calls for 2 Verdicts because when we sweep the board we don’t want that Shit getting countered since it usually means our life depends on sweeping the board. Lately however, inddestructsble and re-occurring creatures are becoming a thing in the meta. Wreckage obviously deals with that. It also does so at instant speed, which means you’ll have access to all of your mana on your turn. As usual exlile turns off all creature death triggers as well. Now unless your opponent is playing a mono colored deck, (which is rare at the competitive level) your opponent won’t be getting too many lands in theory, making the board wipe well worth it.
I feel like we have enough draw power in this deck to justify being versatile with our sweepers to confront things verdict lacks on.
Teferi, Hero of Dominaria and Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin
This is the value train that going to create an environment for you to win. Teferi’s +1 is going to get you card advantage as well as free up some mana to load up a counter spell or removal spell should your opponent try to do anything to Teferi when you pass turn. If you’re able to -8 Teferi, they’re pretty much done. Although if you can reasonably risk it; get Teferi to 9 so you can keep him or if you have another Teferi in hand, ult him straight away. Only use his -3 if you absolutely have to.
Azcanta is going to let you filter for answers quicker and can be done at the end of an opponent’s turn. If you have tons of mana, it’s absolutely wrecks opponent’s if you use Teferri’s +1 to untap Azcanta after using its ability so you can do it a second time letting you filter through 8 cards! The card advantage becomes so insane, your opponent is practically locked out of the game at that point.
It is imperative you get Azcanta to flip ASAP, but hold off if you see your opponent has a Field of Ruin or Ghost Quarter. No point in flipping into a land only to have it destroyed.
Secure the Wastes and Celestial Colonnade
One of your win cons that puts your opponent on a clock. Be mindful of the deck you’re playing against and your life total. Only tap out at end of their turn if it’s safe to do so.
Colonnade is another good way to beat in your opponent’s face for the win. Just be sure you keep some open mana incase they try to kill colonnade if you can help it.
Field of Ruin
Great shuffle and deck thinning mechanism. Good at slowing down decks like tron or any other specialty lands your opponent has.
Side Note: I keep 1 basic mountain in the landbase since people use ghost Quarter and Field. It’s really bad when your only red source gets popped and you have a hand full of bolts, Helix’s And electrolyze. You also don’t want to be fetch/shocking in a burn matchup just so you can cast your red spells quicker. Having 1 mountain is good insurance.
Sideboard:
Spell Queller
Since Jeskai control is popular and control in general for that matter. Queller absolutely puts mirror matches and control matchups in your favor by letting you beat face quicker while countering simultaneously. It’s also not bad against burn since a burn player will mathematically end up wasting a burn spell on a Queller to get back their countered spell.
Geist of Saint Traft
Just like queller, in mirror matches and other control match ups, Geist is a tempo card that's hard to deal with.
I choose to put 4 of them since it will solve most of the control vs control matchups on its own. Most control doesn’t use creature aggro so you could probably afford to take out some removal for these . You’ll also be increasing your counter magic as well.
Engineered Explosives
There are tons of artifacts and enchantments too dangerous for us not to have this card as a backup answer. It can also double as a board wipe against tribal and token decks. Solid card.
Alpine Moon
While it’s true that Damp sphere hurts tron a ton, tron can still get here with E. Temples, this solves that problem if you already have a damp sphere out. In addition this card will also eliminate other dangerous lands like Valakut.
Wear // Tear
Cards like the dreaded Blood Moon wreck this deck. This lets you potentially solve that issue.
Damping Sphere
Severely hinders Storm and Tron decks.
Runed Halo
Is essentially a get out of jail free card to any card your opponent is wrecking you with. The possibilities for this card are too numerous .
Jace, the Mind Sculptor
If your opponent isn’t creature aggro he’s a solid choice for extra control. Especially if you get him and Teferi out at the same tine they absolutely wreck shop. Gaining card advantage while fate sealing your opponent makes it a huge uphill battle for them. It’s also funny when you can -8 Teferi and trigger the emblem 3 times with Jace’s 0 Brainstorm ability.
Supreme Verdict
Sometimes 2 sweepers isn’t enough or you’re going against an aggro blue deck like merfolk and you can’t afford to have your sweepers getting countered.
The sideboard in this build is a complete mind fu*k for most, it lets you change from control to tempo on a whim by siding in queller and geist. What's even funnier is that most players will side out creature removal thinking you are strictly a control deck.
My only warning is that matchups with this deck are super grindy and can go to time. So be mindful, execute swiftly and intelligently.
