Dies to Removal

Played the deck I posted to 2-1(conceded a draw) at FNM tonight with my controlling tokens build. Won 2 games against UB and Sultai with less then 5 cards left in my library. Was pretty sweet.

I had the second Siege during my IQ win, and it was fine. I think you could still run it, I have just found that in Game 1s I usually dont want to cast it on turn 4. I actually won two game 1s tonight with a 2 drop into ascendancy.

I know I messed up somewhere when I was drawing my bottom 15 cards after 3 digs. It's amazing how rhinos and hornetqueens with whip keeps parity with 3digs and an outpostsiege out all game. I won the game with 6 cards in deck and he had over 20. What a game1.
Kevin Jones's list remains perfect.

Jones hit 14th at the GP. Exactly 2 change.... he swapped the sideboard outpostsiege for a sideboard dig, and the treasurecruise for a 2nd soulfire.

Since g/w dev is gaining traction, a 2nd end hostilties is probably needed. devotion builds up too fast to rely on digs to save you. With all the enchantment hate going around I can see r/w falling off a little, so brimaz becomes worse. I'm gonna test Jones's new list with no brimaz, +1 end +1 abzan advantage.

4 v-stance in the 75 has been a real winner. It hits actually everything that you can't remove with strike/slash (except for the obv stormbreath but thats what makes sbd so strong). It's not awkward at all, mostly because it replaced hordeling outburst when we were already playing 8 other 3drops.

I would like to see watanabe's list from gp miami but i can't find it anywhere.... i only know he played 3 maindeck citadel sieges.

Citadel Siege seems neat. I wouldn't mind testing it, but I'm a fan of more burn plus two Outpost Siege between the main deck and sideboard. Watching LSV tear people up with his configuration has me wanting to test out a similar version.

[deck]
Creatures (7)
3 Soulfire Grand Master
4 Goblin Rabblemaster

Spells (29)
2 Gods Willing
3 Wild Slash
4 Raise the Alarm
2 Lightning Strike
4 Jeskai Ascendancy
4 Hordeling Outburst
1 Jeskai Charm
1 Outpost Siege
4 Stoke the Flames
4 Treasure Cruise

Lands (24)
4 Mystic Monastery
4 Temple of Triumph
2 Temple of Epiphany
3 Battlefield Forge
2 Shivan Reef
3 Flooded Strand
2 Plains
2 Island
2 Mountain

Sideboard (15)
2 Magma Spray
2 Erase
1 Glare of Heresy
3 Negate
3 Disdainful Stroke
2 Anger of the Gods
1 Outpost Siege
1 End Hostilities
[/deck]

For LSV's games:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB6pHCI ... xcJO8bt8ch

He was playing Monastery Mentor instead of Rabblemaster. Each has their draws, but Rabblemaster is just so strong on its own. Monastery Mentor didn't actually impress me as much after watching his games. He did get to buy back a Treasure Cruise with Grand Master which was just beautiful.

Watanabe's list should be this (from a reddit thread) :
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
4 Soulfire Grand Master
3 Citadel Siege
4 Jeskai Ascendancy
4 Wild Slash
4 Treasure Cruise
4 Raise the Alarm
4 Hordeling Outburst
4 Stoke the Flames
1 Valorous Stance

3 Battlefield Forge
3 Shivan Reef
3 Flooded Strand
2 Temple of Epiphany
4 Mystic Monastery
4 Temple of Triumph
1 Island
2 Mountain
2 Plains

1 glare of heresy
2 negate
2 valorous stance
3 disdainful stroke
3 anger of the gods
2 outpost siege
2 sarkhan, the dragonspeaker

it's not official but based on what people heard/saw during feature matches and what he played last time

3-1 tonight beat GR twice, Naya Aggro from GP (i think this matchup is tough for us) and lost to my test partner UB on a risky keep Game 3.

I was on a mull to 6, on the draw... this was my keep : shivan reef, 3 rabble masters, stormbreath, valours stance. I think it was an ok keep, what do you guys think?

[deck]
3 Soulfire Grandmaster
2 Seeker
4 Rabble
4 Mantis
1 Ashcloud
2 Stormbreath

1 Sarkhan
1 Outpost Siege

4 WIld Slash
3 Lightning Strike
4 Stoke
3 Valorous Stance
1 Disdainful Stroke

3 Dig


24 Lands

SB
1 Ashcloud
1 End Hostilites
1 Elspeth
2 Anger
2 Brimaz
2 Disdainful Stroke
2 Negate
2 Erase
1 Glare
1 valorous stance

[/deck]

Deck ran great. I have really been impressed with SGM, I find myself upping the count everytime I play.

The only way I keep that hand on the draw is if my only land is a scryland.

Definitely would have thrown that hand back

Solid points. Was nervous about going to 5 against a deck with thoughseize, but it makes sense... I was hoping to live the dream.

idk purp I really value the 1elspeth in the main.

Solid points. Was nervous about going to 5 against a deck with thoughseize, but it makes sense... I was hoping to live the dream.

To quote PSully, with that logic, you'll never mulligan hands. "my opponent has thoughtseize, can't mull." "Have satyr wayfinder, 10 card hand" etc.

Having said, that, I keep a LOT of loose hands, but they need a combination of a solid plan, and I guess you'd call it catchup potential vs. whiffs. Like, 1 scryland, wild slash+stuff on the draw is fine because you get to see an extra card, you have a piece of interaction and presumably the stuff you're keeping includes 2 mana cards that also interact to buy you time.

Another example was a 1-lander I kept with UB control weeks ago. It was scry, jeskai sage, and maybe a bile blight and a thoughtseize. Normally you can't keep 1 landers with control, but in this case it was fine because he was a temur controlish deck with caryatids and maindeck angers. The chance of him having a slowish start means I don't get punished, jeskai sage buys turns and gets me deeper in my deck, and it's not like I can beat knucklebade if he has it so that's irrelevant to any of my keeps.

Now that the full set is spoiled I can say that I am less than impressed as to what this will do for our deck. This is my starting point for next seasion:

[deck=Jeskai (DRK)]
Creatures
3 Goblin Rabblemaster
4 Mantis Rider
3 Seeker of the Way
2 Thunderbreak Regent

Spells
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
2 Jeskai Charm
4 Lightning Strike
2 Narset Transcendent
2 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
4 Stoke the Flames
3 Treasure Cruise
3 Valorous Stance
3 Wild Slash

Lands
2 Battlefield Forge
4 Flooded Strand
1 Island
2 Mountain
4 Mystic Monastery
3 Plains
2 Shivan Reef
2 Temple of Epiphany
4 Temple of Triumph

Sideboard
3 Anger of the Gods
2 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
2 Disdainful Stroke
2 Erase
3 Glare of Heresy
1 Keranos, God of Storms
2 Negate
[/deck]

LSV's list seems pretty cool. 7-0 in videos.

Now that the full set is spoiled I can say that I am less than impressed as to what this will do for our deck. This is my starting point for next seasion:

[deck=Jeskai (DRK)]
Creatures
3 Goblin Rabblemaster
4 Mantis Rider
3 Seeker of the Way
2 Thunderbreak Regent

Spells
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
2 Jeskai Charm
4 Lightning Strike
2 Narset Transcendent
2 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
4 Stoke the Flames
3 Treasure Cruise
3 Valorous Stance
3 Wild Slash

Lands
2 Battlefield Forge
4 Flooded Strand
1 Island
2 Mountain
4 Mystic Monastery
3 Plains
2 Shivan Reef
2 Temple of Epiphany
4 Temple of Triumph

Sideboard
3 Anger of the Gods
2 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
2 Disdainful Stroke
2 Erase
3 Glare of Heresy
1 Keranos, God of Storms
2 Negate
[/deck]

Thunderbreak regent seems much worse then Ojutai's exemplars. Regent is more aggressive and linear which has merits in certain builds, but when you're playing sarkhan over stormbreath, your conceding that you want versatility of spells and Exemplars does all of the things.

I also wanted a flyer that punishes people for trying to remove it.

LSV's list seems pretty cool. 7-0 in videos.

I'm playing it at an IQ this weekend within about five cards. It's very good.

Monastery Mentor has been a pleasant surprise.

Secure the Wastes.

Jeskai Ascendancy.

????

Profit.

Is it really that good... Pay 2 mana for one token, 3 for 2, etc

It's very good. Being able to scale up as the game progresses is valuable.

3 mana is overcosted raise the alarm. 4 mana is instant speed horedling outburst which is probably great. 5+ and you're generating virtual CA and will likely win the game if you untap with an ascendancy in play.

How many token generators should we play then? Between Outburst, Krenkos Command, Raise, Secure the wastes ... I still think we have to play rabblemaster and probably seeker/soulfire?

I'm not sure we need any creatures. But i feel like a couple SGM is worth running, simply for helping gain some life when a game is going a bit longer.

I wish I could figure out a way to fit anticipate into tempo or tokens, but I cant find anything to cut.

Also dragon fodder!

Hey Cedric Phillips! You know that "kinda control, kinda aggro" that Jim Davis couldn't explain in his decktech? That's what happens when you forbid commentary from calling it TEMPO

also cool list i guess.
[deck]Jim Davis, dallas march 14[/deck]

Got 3rd place at the IQ today with 73/75 cards of LSV's Jeskai tokens deck. I highly recommend it.

[deck]4 Mantis Rider
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
2 Soulfire Grand Master
4 Seeker of the Way
4 Ojutai Exemplars

3 Valorous Stance
3 Wild Slash
1 Jeskai Charm
1 Ojutai's Command
4 Lightning Strike
4 Stoke the Flames
2 Dig Through Time

4 Mystic Monastery
2 Plains
2 Island
4 Flooded Strand
3 Battlefield Forge
3 Shivan Reef
2 Temple of Epiphany
4 Temple of Triumph

SB:
3 Disdainful Stroke
1 Glare of Heresy
2 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
1 Valorous Stance
1 Erase
2 Outpost Siege
2 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
1 Surge of Righteousness
1 Abzan Advantage[/deck]
1 Magma Spray

I don't think I'll ever be sold on more than zero jeskai charms.
What if you cut the seekers and went to 25 lands, another dig, 4 soulfire?

Jeskai Charm is one of those cards where you think it has a low impact but it's actually the best one-of. I won a race against Abzan Aggro in one game thanks to the lifelink clause, and I topped a Whisperwood Elemental for tempo against Abzan Midrange while ahead on board to win another.

I don't think I'll ever be sold on more than zero jeskai charms.
What if you cut the seekers and went to 25 lands, another dig, 4 soulfire?

...Hmmm...

24 lands seems right as does 2 dig. With exemplars, you want to keep the curve low. Exemplars is btw the NUT.

1 jeskai charm is the perfect number because it adds a unique effect that can win you otherwise unwinnable games and at it's worst, there are still plenty of spots where you can get good value out of it. Just always board it out vs. abzan.

I DO like the idea of 4 grandmasters.

Anticipate is something I thought about, but I think often times, it's just a waste of mana in this deck. I could be very wrong on that as it's a cheap enabler for examplars and you don't have to just burn a card for it.

Exemplars pretty terrible vs Abzan. and any green deck for that matter.

How so?

How is it good? How is it better than a stormbreath or sarkhan

[deck]
3 Soulfire Grand Master

3 Dragon Fodder
4 Raise the Alarm
4 Hordeling Outburst
4 Treasure Cruise
4 Jeskai Ascendancy
3 Wild Slash
2 Lightning Strike
4 Stoke the Flames
2 Valorous Stance
3 Secure the Wastes

4 Mystic Monastery
2 Plains
1 Island
4 Flooded Strand
2 Mountain
4 Temple of Triumph
1 Temple of Epiphany
3 Shivan Reef
3 Battlefield Forge



SB: 2 Valorous Stance
SB: 2 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
SB: 2 Negate
SB: 3 Disdainful Stroke
SB: 1 Glare of Heresy
SB: 2 Outpost Siege
SB: 1 End Hostilities
SB: 1 Wild Slash
SB: 1 Myth Realized

[/deck]

How is it good? How is it better than a stormbreath or sarkhan

I didn't say it was good, I was just curious why you thought it was bad against Abzan and green decks. I'm not a fan of the card personally, but being able to tap down fatties or having first strike seems decent against both Abzan and green decks, and blanking removal is going to be huge with Ultimate Price around. My concern with the card is the mana cost. It's a challenge to get value out of Monestary Mentor and it's only 3 cmc, it's going to be even worse for Exemplars. I'd sooner just fly over them with Ashcloud if I'm hellbent on playing a 4 drop.

I'm willing to be wrong though.

From my testing, in order to reliably tap down their creatures, you have to keep in weaker spells postboard that would otherwise be sided out.

Guys, aren't you worried about the new black enchantment that gives all tokens -2 -2 ? I would stay away from a token strategy, because if it does well people will just start sideboarding that thing and it will be a nightmare.