Help With Jeskai Control

Modern Deck Help forum

Posted on March 26, 2018, 11:56 p.m. by RoLoTech

Hi guys, I started playing modern a few months ago and with the passing of time I realised my dream deck would be Jeskai Control. However, right now I don't have the budget to afford the tier 1 version or something above 500 bucks. I was wondering if you could help me by showing me decks that are a budget version of it, in order to be substituting the cards as I get the money for them. Thanks from now on, any comments are welcome.

ArchonBlue says... #2

Unfortunately Jeskai Control is really hard to play without full playsets of both Scalding Tarn and Snapcaster Mage so you can't build one on a budget in my opinion. With three colors you have to run fetch lands and with almost half the deck composed of instants and sorceries you can't afford not to play Snapcaster. If you want a similiar deck I'd go with U/W Control. I built mine for just under 500 and it works pretty well. But the way Jeskai works its really difficult to build on a budget and you're going to end up with a deck that's pretty clunky and inconsistent.

March 27, 2018 12:54 a.m.

xyr0s says... #3

Ehhh.... no. Nothing good comes from a downgraded deck, just the frustration of losing, and knowing that you often lose to your own cards not being the cards they should be. "bolt-snapcast-bolt" is a very different tune than "bolt-Archaeomancer-bolt".

This is the first hit on google for a temur control deck: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/872077#paper. It costs 3 times what you have to pour into it, and none of the cards are easy to replace - there's no budget-goyf, cheap-vial, or almost-scalding tarn.

So... I'd suggest going for a deck that plays well at the price you can pay, rather than a deck, that looks a little bit like the deck you can't afford (and this is my modern deck kuldotha 8whack - very budget, so cheap, much savings, wow). Practically, it gets a lot easier to keep the budget with a 1 or 2 colored deck - at 3 colors, you need some pricey lands, no matter which 3 colors it is.

March 27, 2018 3:13 a.m.

xaerusblade says... #4

or you can get around it with budget version.

jeskai nahiri control is relatively cheaper.

instead of scalding tarn you can get

Flooded Strand and Arid Mesa.

ive been working on this. you can replace the man land for a cheaper fumarole.

My deck:

deck chart

Jeskai Nahiri

Modern* xaerusblade

SCORE: 2 | 123 VIEWS

March 27, 2018 5:47 a.m.

ToolmasterOfBrainerd says... #5

Scalding Tarn you can go without. Just play Polluted Delta and Flooded Strand. Frankly, fetching mountains isn't very important. Colonnade is harder to go without, but Wandering Fumarole is fine for LGS play. Snap is a little more critical, along with the rest of the deck. I don't know of any budget decklists, but the hardest part will be your mana. For 23 lands, I don't think you can safely trim to cheaper than the following:

And that alone will cost you around $200, or a little less if you're a savvy trader/purchaser. You really should have 2 copies of each blue shock, but it shouldn't come up often enough to matter.

For the 37 spells, it's a little trickier. Snaps will be $300 alone, so probably can't play those. Same for Jace. Maybe try a spell suite like this:

Admittedly, I have not played Jeskai in paper ever and my only playing experience is playtesting it against my own modern deck. Because of that, this list will be bad. I do not know how to build Jeskai, so there's probably some serious problems. With the disclaimer out of the way, it's probably still a decent starting point. With the 2x Snapcaster Mage, it's a little under $350, which would give a total deck price of $550. The sideboard shouldn't cost too much. There are enough options that you can likely get away without Engineered Explosives or Runed Halo.

March 27, 2018 7:59 p.m.

Squirrelbacon says... #6

Jeskai is a weird deck to build on a budget. I've played a lot of jeskai and other / decks so I'm going to simply throw out some cards that I've used in the past or that, in theory, should work. I'll also add a little bit of analysis or information behind the logic of the cards.

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Creatures!!

Dragonlord Ojutai--> in a world where people are playing less spot removal and more BBE, having a flying card drawing hard to kill beater seems good. If you can protect him, he will run away with games and card advantage. Worst case, he is a pretty strong chump blocker to deal with creatures due to hexproof and decent stat lines.

Jace, Vryn's Prodigy  Flip--> He's no Snapcaster Mage since he's awful with counterspells, but, he does fill at least some of the shoes that snappy wears... sometimes you just need that extra lightning bolt but you can't draw it, so loot. Sometimes he flips, and you then play that lightning bolt that you drew at a later time also! He does his job and I quite enjoy him.

Geist of Saint Traft--> Punches things. Hard.

Enigma Drake--> With so many spells in the deck, playing 2 drakes seems amazing. Will almost never be less than a 3-4 with flying for 3, which is already a decent body. Then add that you can grow little dragon buddy at instant speed because you Lightning Bolted you opponent again? I'm in!

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Spells!!

Ojutai's Command--> I've heard it been referred to as the "poor man's cryptic and it isn't that far off.... It is NOT a replacement, however, it will serve as a place holder if you wanted a few.

Condemn--> A cheaper removal spell. It's odd in a jeskai list, where plan B (or A) is to burn your opponent out, but if path is too expensive or you need extra removal Condemn does work.

Dovin Baan--> Best planeswalker ever printed. Not really, but he does need more love than he gets. Turn off creatures //Gain life, draw cards// Winter Orb? Yes please.

Mindswipe--> Bad Logic Knot with a fun upside haha!

Supreme Verdict--> minimum of 2. An eh replacement is Wrath of God. It'll do it's job.

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Other than that, what ToolmasterOfBrainerd said looks good. I'm more or less giving you alternatives. Hopefully plenty of them.

For the sideboard, you'll want Rest in Peace, Stony Silence and the 4th Lightning Helix for sure. Best of luck, if you have questions on choices or want help with a list you throw together ask away!

March 28, 2018 12:26 p.m.

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