Ascendancy Storm *PRIMER*

Commander / EDH Combo Competitive Infinite Combo Primer RGWU Storm

bohljunior

Land (28)

• 1x Arid Mesa
• 1x Bloodstained Mire
• 1x Breeding Pool
• 1x City of Brass
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Exotic Orchard
• 1x Flooded Strand
• 1x Forest
• 1x Gaea's Cradle
• 1x Gemstone Caverns
• 1x Hallowed Fountain
• 1x Island
• 1x Mana Confluence
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Misty Rainforest
• 1x Plateau
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Savannah
• 1x Scalding Tarn
• 1x Steam Vents
• 1x Taiga
• 1x Training Center
• 1x Tropical Island
• 1x Tundra
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Volcanic Island
• 1x Windswept Heath
• 1x Wooded Foothills

Sorcery (10)

• 1x Finale of Devastation
• 1x Gamble
• 1x Gitaxian Probe
• 1x Ponder
• 1x Preordain
• 1x Sevinne's Reclamation
• 1x Shatterskull Smashing  ^Flip
• 1x Timetwister
• 1x Wheel of Fortune
• 1x Windfall

Instant (27)

• 1x Angel's Grace
• 1x Brain Freeze
• 1x Brainstorm
• 1x Chain of Vapor
• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Deflecting Swat
• 1x Dig Through Time
• 1x Dispel
• 1x Dovin's Veto
• 1x Dramatic Reversal
• 1x Enlightened Tutor
• 1x Fierce Guardianship
• 1x Flusterstorm
• 1x Force of Will
• 1x Intuition
• 1x Mental Misstep
• 1x Muddle the Mixture
• 1x Mystical Tutor
• 1x Natural Affinity
• 1x Nature's Claim
• 1x Noxious Revival
• 1x Pact of Negation
• 1x Pyroblast
• 1x Silence
• 1x Swan Song
• 1x Veil of Summer
• 1x Winds of Rebuke

Enchantment (9)

• 1x Carpet of Flowers
• 1x Jeskai Ascendancy
• 1x Mystic Remora
• 1x Rhystic Study
• 1x Smothering Tithe
• 1x Song of Creation
• 1x Sylvan Library
• 1x Training Grounds
• 1x Underworld Breach

Artifact (9)

• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Chrome Mox
• 1x Isochron Scepter
• 1x Jeweled Lotus
• 1x Lion's Eye Diamond
• 1x Lotus Petal
• 1x Mana Crypt
• 1x Mox Diamond
• 1x Sol Ring

Commanders (2)

Creature (15)

• 1x Arbor Elf
• 1x Avacyn's Pilgrim
• 1x Aven Mindcensor
• 1x Birds of Paradise
• 1x Bloom Tender
• 1x Dockside Extortionist
• 1x Faeburrow Elder
• 1x Fyndhorn Elves
• 1x Gilded Drake
• 1x Hullbreacher
• 1x Llanowar Elves
• 1x Noble Hierarch
• 1x Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
• 1x Thassa's Oracle
• 1x Vexing Shusher

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Maybeboard

Instant (7)

• 1x Brain Freeze
• 1x Dispel
• 1x Force of Negation
• 1x Pyroblast
• 1x Swords to Plowshares
• 1x Unsubstantiate
• 1x Worldly Tutor

Artifact (1)

• 1x Arcane Signet

Creature (7)

• 1x Collector Ouphe
• 1x Elvish Mystic
• 1x Oakhame Adversary
• 1x Paradise Druid
• 1x Rielle, the Everwise
• 1x Spellseeker
• 1x Thassa's Oracle

Sorcery (3)

• 1x Rude Awakening
• 1x Sylvan Awakening
• 1x Treasure Cruise

Enchantment (3)

• 1x Concordant Crossroads
• 1x Intruder Alarm
• 1x Teferi's Ageless Insight

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ASCENDANCY STORM

Introduction

Welcome to my Ascendancy Storm Primer.

The motviation behind this deck is simple: I love Jeskai Ascendancy and I always wanted a cEDH-viable deck with it. In the past, many attempts were made to build a competitive deck (e.g. by Cameron from the LabManiacs), but never could the deck really keep up. But I think that the new enchantments Whirlwind of Thought and Song of Creation (and Underworld Breach ) help us to brew a fairly strong deck that might be able to compete with the Oracle-Consultation-Decks.

Why? Because one crucial problem with Jeskai Ascendancy was that we do not gain card advantage. We simply just loot, because we draw 1 card and discard 1, which bears the potential to whiff and stop the storm. This is why, normally, we had to cast many cantrips that let you draw a card (e. g. Ponder ). But the new enchantments let us a draw a card for each (noncreature) spell. This means that both ecnhantments make Jeskai Ascendancy more consistent.

Why Jeskai Ascendancy?

In cEDH this is probably always the most important question. Aren't there other decks that are simply better and therefore I should not play Jeskai Ascendancy? If I want to stick with Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder , shouldn't I play BluePod, Evolution or preferably play Tymna directly instead of Bruse to have access to Demonic Consultation and the powerful tutors?

I believe that Ascendancy Storm is a niche deck (just like Curios Control) and that's why it can be successful. This deck is obviously slower than Consultation-Decks, but that's why it benefits. In multiplayer, the opponents will pay attention to the fast combo decks, while we can build our engines and participate in the control-game at the same time.

Also, we play many strong enchantments. Of course these can be countered (still not the biggest threats to others and therefore not primary targets), but removal against enchantments is still very limited and rare. We benefit from this.

In summary, Ascendancy Storm is a "discreet" and midrange deck that benefits from not being in the spotlight during the game. But because of the storm focus and the other combos, it is also incredibly explosive and can win very effectively and consistently.

Strengths

Value - This deck runs many value-engines. Even if we can not win with Jeskai Ascendancy , having it on the board is just an advantage. In general, each combo-piece is good on its own and therefore not a dead card outside the combo. And this is also true for all cards that support JAC. If you play Whirlwind of Thought or Rielle, the Everwise it is simply a very strong card that gives you a boost in the game. Playing JAC is no loss in value, synergy or coherence.

Seeing your Deck - Are you also frustrated when you don't draw the cards you want to draw? Or if you don't get the powerful cards you want to play right now? Well, then play this deck. This deck runs so many card-draw-engines making it more likely to draw your combo-pieces or just answers for your opponents. That's why it's also bearable to play less tutors (we don't have access to black and don't play Merchant Scroll or even Worldly Tutor , for example), because the constant drawing allows us to get these cards quickly. In my opinion, this is even the advantage over tutors (it doesn't mean that tutors are worse) because we can find multiple answers faster: we can find a combo-piece or a counterspell faster. The disadvantage is obviously that we do not draw or get specific cards.

Weaknesses

Setup - The general Jeskai Ascendancy problem remains (but attenuated). To go off with Jeskai Ascendancy needs setup. You need creatures to untap and therefore you are vulnerable to cards like Pyroclasm or Fire Covenant . Then you need the right spells to draw cards continuously and your dorks must be able to produce the mana in the right colors. Jeskai Ascendancy also contains the probability to whiff even if the setup is nearly perfect. That's why JAC its own is on not strong enough and has to be supported by other cards and combos.

Pace - Jeskai Ascendancy is a -colored enchantment and needs some setup. It is in no way as fast as Oracle-Consultation. Sure, you might be able to win on turn 2 or 3 with it, but that's not likely. So you have to be prepared to build your setup at the beginning and control your opponents at the same time. Your early-game is therefore your largest hurdle. Even the cards that support JAC are usually not in the simplest color combinations (e.g. Whirlwind of Thought or Song of Creation ), so preparing the whole batch will not be that easy. Playing this deck is more or less like running a half marathon, no sprint.

Specific Weaknesses - Stax - Because JAC is a storm-combo and both Diamond-Breach and Thrasios-Scepter are using multiple casts to win, cards like Deafening Silence , Rule of Law or Arcane Laboratory will shut us down. - Thalia, Guardian of Thraben , Thorn of Amethyst , Trinisphere will increase the probability to whiff. Storm will become nearly impossible.

• Against JAC:
• Pyroclasm , Toxic Deluge , Flame Sweep or Fire Covenant will effectively kill our dorks, so we do not have the setup for JAC.
• Narset, Parter of Veils , Alms Collector or Notion Thief will stop the carddraw by Jeskai Ascendancy and therefore stop the storm.
• Against Diamond-Breach:
• Rest in Peace or Grafdigger's Cage will prevent us casting cards from our graveyard for the Escape-costs.
• Null Rod or Collector Ouphe will prevent us activating Lion's Eye Diamond .
• Narset, Parter of Veils , Alms Collector or Notion Thief will stop the carddraw by Wheel of Fortune and therefore we can not continue the loop.
• Against Thrasios-Scepter:
• Null Rod or Collector Ouphe will prevent us activating Isochron Scepter .
• Pyroclasm , Toxic Deluge , Flame Sweep or Fire Covenant will effectively kill our dorks, so we can not generate infinite mana with Isochron Scepter .
• Cursed Totem , Linvala, Keeper of Silence will stop activating Thrasios, Triton Hero .

The Commanders

Why Thrasios, Triton Hero and Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder ?

I choose Thrasios over Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix , because on the one hand he gives us another combo and on the other hand Kydele only generates colorless mana which is why we need new pieces to convert it into colored mana - and that makes the setup even more fragile.

For the Thrasios-Combo we need Isochron Scepter + Dramatic Reversal and this synergizes incredible well with Jeskai Ascendancy . Therefore, we include cards that can be used for two different lines.

Furthermore, if we have mana, but no cantrips to trigger Ascendancy, we can activate Thrasios, Triton Hero to look for new spells and continue the storm.

Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder is preferred to Akiri, Line-Slinger . With the continual buff of Jeskai Ascendancy, Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder can actually be useful, giving one huge creature double strike. Furthermore, he himself can be quite an aggressive problem for our opponents. Attacking with a 3/3 double strike and lifelink is in cEDH a good threat.

Another possibility is to play either Golos, Tireless Pilgrim or Najeela, the Blade-Blossom as the commander instead of the partners.

This would not only give us access to black, but each commander synergizes with JAC. Golos, Tireless Pilgrim is, if you have enough mana, with his ability even very helpful in storming, because the casts will trigger Jeskai Ascendancy . Najeela, the Blade-Blossom could also work with her tokens in combination with Cryptolith Rite making them to mana-dorks. Additionally, we can play Life / Death turning our lands to JAC-enablers.

But I decided against this because I believe that Thrasios as part of a combo is more effective than commanders who support JAC more directly (and Najeela, the Blade-Blossom , who needs more pieces to be build around her as a combo).

Lines

The deck contains 3 combo's. The first one is the typical Jeskai-Ascendancy-Combo (even though it is by defintion no combo, it is here labelled as one).

The second is the Diamond-Breach-Combo. Because we already run Underworld Breach and Wheel of Fortune (as a value card and storm driver) I include Lion's Eye Diamond to get a another winning option.

The third combo is enabled by Thrasios, Triton Hero and Iscochron Scepter.

1) JAC

• get your mana dorks
• cast Sylvan Awakening / Natural Affinity if you do not have dorks (or to support JAC).
• cast Jeskai Ascendancy
• cast noncreature spells to loot and generate mana
• several win-option arise:
• cast Isochron Scepter imprinting Dramatic Reversal (easiest line)
• activating Isochron Scepter will allow you to cast the spell. This will trigger Jeskai Ascendancy . If your dorks can produce 3 mana you will generate infinite mana and infinite Jeskai Ascendancy -trigger. You will loot through your deck. Win by finding other pieces (e.g. Finale of Devastation or the wheels) or by combat.
• find your combo-pieces in no. 2 or 3 (easyer)
• cast Finale of Devastation for X=10++ mana and win by combat (easyer)

2) Diamond-Breach

• cast Underworld Breach
• cast Lion's Eye Diamond
• crack LED for .
• cast Wheel of Fortune from your graveyard
• repeatedly cast and crack Lion's Eye Diamond and Wheel of Fortune
• you win by
• casting Angel's Grace and milling everyone with Wheel of Fortune

3) Thrasios-Scepter

• cast Thrasios, Triton Hero
• cast Isochron Scepter and imprint Dramatic Reversal
• generate infinite mana by casting the imprinted spell repeatedly
• draw your deck with Thrasios' ability.
• cast Copy Artifact and copy Isochron Scepter
• imprint Winds of Rebuke with the Copy
• mill your opponents libraries and win.
• cast Finale of Devestation for X=1000000 and win.
• find your Wheel-Pieces in (2) and win.

Single Card Discussion

• Whirlwind of Thought
  strengthens the value of Jeskai Ascendancy (and the deck as a whole), because each noncreature spell additionally says "draw 2, discard 1".
• Song of Creation
  is obviously risky, but is (mostly for one turn) stronger than Whrilwind of Thought, because each noncreature spell additionally says "draw 3, discard 1".
• Underworld Breach
  a combo-piece and helps us to maintain the storm. Each card we discard is a potential new spell for the Ascendancy-trigger or a card we need to exile for the escape-costs.
• Wheel-Effects
  Wheel of Fortune , Windfall and Timetwister are useful, because we refill our hand and get new spells for the JAC. This is why I also include Narset, Parter of Veils .
• Selvala, Explorer Returned
  3 in 1: card draw+ramp+JAC-enabler. Downside is obviously that the opponents will draw a card too and we only generate green mana, but I think it's worth it.
• Natural Affinity / Sylvan Awakening
  both are enabler for JAC and probably the best ones. You do not need dorks if you can successfully cast this spell. Your lands will become creatures and untap with Jeskai Ascendancy .
• Noxious Revival / Sevinne's Reclamation
  With Underworld Breach the only cards interacting with the graveyard to get your pieces back.
• Idyllic Tutor
  Tutor for combo-pieces: Underworld Breach , Jeskai Ascendancy , Copy Artifact - or just for value engines.
• Deflecting Swat
  Not only a good card for protection it is also a free spell (if you control your commander) triggering Jeskai Ascendancy .
• Faeburrow Elder
  even though he costs 3 mana he is relevant in this deck. With Jeskai Ascendancy on the board he taps for . With Bloom Tender he is the best mana producer and JAC-enabler.
• Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
  Might be the most controversial one. I do not play Basalt Monolith to combo-off with Kinnan, but I think he is worth the sport, because he can be crucial for JAC + he is basically ramp. His ability, furtermore, might help during JAC if we have mana, but no spells to play.
• Rielle, the Everwise (considering)
  We have many Wheel-Effects that are insanely good with Rielle. In addition, if we discard with Song of Creation at the end of turn we draw the same amount of cards due to Rielle negating the negative-sideeffect of the enchantment. Activating Lion's Eye Diamond will transform it (more or less) into a Black Lotus with Wheel-effect. And - as a little bonus - the first trigger from Jeskai Ascendancy is "draw two 2, discard 1".

Matchups

still testing...

current meta: CST, Kess Reanimator, Razacats, Opus Thief, Urza Stax, Kess Consultation

Thanks for reading this primer. I am pleased about any criticism and comment.

Date added	3 years
Last updated	3 years
Legality	This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	11 - 0 Mythic Rares 59 - 0 Rares 11 - 0 Uncommons 17 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	1.82
Tokens	Bird 2/2 U, Treasure
Folders	Good EDH, Commander, Decks that impressed me