This is the deck that breaks Brain in a Jar. There - I said it!
I am trying to come up with some sort of primer for this deck... But I honestly don't even know where to begin! There is so much going on in this deck - so many different combos - so many outs and different directions you can take with it - there's really only one way to truly explain this deck to someone who hasn't seen me go all Rogue Squadron on everybody's ass at a local tourney - just goldfish like three hands with this thing and you will know how absurd the game of Magic can be.
"Jar-casting" a sorcery can be done at instant speed. It is absolutely, 100%, mind-meltingly bonkers when your deck has an almost equal amount of spells at CMC 1-4 to abuse Brain in a Jar with at all stages of the game - and they only cost one freaking mana!
The most notable combo in the deck is of course Jar-casting Beck / Call on only its second activation, which plays the card to its full effect: PUT FOUR 1/1 FLYERS ONTO THE BATTLEFIELD AND DRAW FOUR CARDS AT INSTANT SPEED IN A CONTROL DECK WHAT THE ACTUAL F@#$ IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW?! They'll be so caught up with all that noise they will never see the real threat coming - Polymorph a bird or a spirit token into your one-of copy of Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. If you ever get the bad luck of drawing her, that's where Thirst for Knowledge comes in handy. Discarding Lingering Souls always feels good, but feels even better at instant speed during your opponent's attack when you Jar-cast it for one mana. Once you've cycled your Jar up to four counters - and let me tell you, a one mana Cryptic Command feels like cheating - that scry from Jar's second ability is a real game changer during your opponent's end step or during your upkeep if you were tapped out.
To delay the early/mid game against more aggressive decks, Path to Exile, Remand, Dismember,
Far / Away
(which can be Jar-cast on 2 OR 3!) and of course Lingering Souls do an exemplary job of disrupting your opponent until you hit Supreme Verdict or start comboing off. Batterskull is also just as immense as it ever was as a closer in this deck.
I think the thing I like most about this deck is that getting a Jar out is great, have multiples can lead to some of the most insane turns ever, but its true strength is that not getting a Jar at all doesn't actually hurt or slow you down much. People will bring in all of the hate to try and stop your Jars, but it's just four cards in your 60. The deck is at worst a pretty decent Esper control package with 1/1 flying tokens for days, the Batterskull finisher, and a sweet Emrakul cheat combo built in as back-up or as a massive turn four power play. The Westvale Abbey
Gotcha! is also on display here as a potential wincon, as well as a couple copies of Creeping Tar Pit for inevitability.
Deck. Just. Works. And also takes a dump into Affinity's mouth...
