Welcome to the land of Azorious Spirits for modern! This deck has been an absolute blast to play for the last few months and I figured I would finally write up my primer for the deck. Onto the deck tech!
Creatures
The creatures are the reason this deck runs. Unlike bant spirits, which plays
Collected Company
and
Noble Hierarch
, this deck plays strictly a blue white shell for maximum consistency.
Mausoleum Wanderer
: The key one drop in any spirit deck. This card is absolutely bonkers. On its own, it’s a
Judge's Familiar
with upside. It gets even better with every spirit that enters the battlefield. It counters removal and key instant/sorcery spells in combo decks. Multiple copies of this guy in the early game turns this deck into an aggro deck, and it can overwhelm the opponent as early as turn 3. Overall, a superstar in the deck and we will play the play set.
Rattlechains
: On to the 2 drop slot, and we are full of potential value cards here. We will start with the ultimate counterspell in the deck,
Rattlechains
. The amount of text on this card is insane. It is a 2/1 Flying body that can be an ambush viper in dire situations minimally. It also basically counters any targeted removal spell with its third ability. It’s last ability is the best piece, allow us to play almost our whole deck at instant speed. This guy may seem underwhelming at first glance, but it turns into a huge benefit when you two-for-one the opponent on control across the table from you. Overall, the play set is necessary.
Selfless Spirit
: This is a sideboard stable in most any deck that plays a lot of creature and is in white. We have the added benefit of it being a spirit. Unfortunately, with it’s lackluster body, it is not the most ideal 2 drop we could be playing, and in some matchups, it is downright awful to topdeck one of these. It’s ability to counter a boardwipe or spot removal spell warrants it 3 copies in the main.
Spell Queller
: This card is amazing in most matchups. Easy playset. Moving on.
Drogskol Captain
: This is the Lord of the deck. He is another “counterspell” and is generally just amazing. Flying, hexproof for the team, anthem. Multiples of these guys turn the corner out of no where. Count me in on this playset.
Supreme Phantom
: The new lord from Core Set 19. An amazing addition which makes the deck so much faster.
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
: Thalia is perfect for the current, spell heavy Arclight and Shadow meta. Having a taxing effect allows the deck time to find ways to protect the board. 3 of.
Deputy of Detention
: Having a main deck answer to any non-land permanent, especially
Ensnaring Bridge
is quite useful. This card allows for huge tempo swings and is very useful at allowing the deck to keep going into the mid-game. Downside is that this is a three drop in a heavy curve. Only 2 in the main.
Other Spells
Aether Vial
: This is the cornerstone of this deck, and allows the deck to function at optimum capacity. Because our curve maxes out at 3 and a majority of our deck is creatures, Vial is an auto-include. It may not be better than
Collected Company
, but it is absolutely amazing in this build. It also makes the deck run even better at instant speed, and allows a wonky mana base a pass. Playset is an autoinclude.
Path to Exile
: Great removal spell for most anything in the format. Having this is useful, but having multiples isn't always amazing. 3 of.
Sideboard
Fragmentize
: Artifact/Enchantment interaction. Great versitility. One in the board.
Settle the Wreckage
: Great against any creature deck that goes taller than spirits, i.e. Humans, Bogles, and Shadow. Two of in the board.
Echoing Truth
: Great for clearing threats off board, Lingering Souls tokens to attack, and bouncing pesky permanents that are causing problems (even enchantments on Bogles). One of in the board.
Blessed Alliance
: Great against burn and Bogles. Can be a real game changer against deaths shadow as well.
Damping Sphere
: This deck breaks the symmetry of this card and allows for spirits to slow decks like burn and other aggro decks, as well as shut off decks like tron, amulet titan, and combo. This is a two of for sure.
Other potential sideboard cards:
Pithing Needle
: Needle helps us to get around some pesky planeswalkers that may hurt our tempo a lot, such as
Liliana of the Veil
and
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
. Can also turn off other creatures and artifacts with activated abilities that could be detrimental to us later in the game. Might be a card I test over Rejection in the future.
Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
: Seems like another Kira can be great in the Jeskai control matches as well as against any deck that looks to stabilize by targeting your board. Worth testing in the future.
Overall, I’ve come to love the deck and think there is potential to take this to a competitive level with the right help. Through testing, I’ve found that the worst matchup for this deck by far us lantern control. I’m open to suggestions about how I could edit this to make it even more competitive. Thank you!
Sideboarding Guide
KCI
Out -2 Nebelgast Herald, -1 Kira, Great Glass Spinner, -3 Selfless Spirit, -1 Geist of Saint Traft, -1 Phantasmal Image
In- +1 Fragmentize, +2 Damping Sphere, +1 Ceremonious Rejection, +2 Kataki, Wars Wage, +2 Remorseful Cleric
G Tron
Out -2 Nebelgast Herald, -1 Path to Exile
In +2 Damping Sphere, +1 Ceremonious Rejection
Eldrazi Tron
Out -1 Geist of Saint Traft, -3 Selfless Spirit
In +2 Damping Sphere, +1 Ceremonious Rejection, +1 Settle the Wreckage
5C Humans
Out -1 Geist of Saint Traft, -3 Selfless Spirit
In +1 Echoing Truth, +1 Settle the Wreckage, +2 Blessed Alliance
Burn
Out -2 Nebelgast Herald, -1 Kira Great Glass Spinner, -1 Phantasmal Image, -1 Geist of Saint Traft
In +2 Blessed Alliance, +2 Eidolon of Rhetoric, +1 Celestial Purge
Mardu Pyromancer
Out -1 Geist of Saint Traft, -2 Nebelgast Herald,
In +1 Echoing Truth, +1 Settle the Wreckage, +1 Celestial Purge
U/W/x Control
Out -2 Nebelgast Herald
In +2 Remorseful Cleric
Hollow One
Out -1 Geist of Saint Traft, -1 Kira, Great Glass Spinner, -2 Phantasmal Image, -1 Nebelgast Herald, -1 Selfless Spirit
In +2 Remorseful Cleric, +1 Celestial Purge, +2 Blessed Alliance, +1 Settle the Wreckage
Affinity
Out -1 Geist of Saint Traft, -3 Selfless Spirit, -1 Kira Great Glass Spinner, -2 Phantasmal Image
In +2 Kataki, +1 Fragmentize, +1 Ceremonious Rejection, +2 Blessed Alliance, +1 Settle the Wreckage
U/B/x Death’s Shadow
Out -1 Geist of Saint Traft, -2 Phantasmal Image, -1 Island
In +1 Celestial Purge, +2 Blessed Alliance, +1 Settle the Wreckage
Dredge
Out -1 Geist of Saint Traft, -2 Nebelgast Herald, -1 Kira Great Glass Spinner
In +2 Remorseful Cleric, +1 Echoing Truth, +1 Settle the Wreckage
Storm
Out -2 Nebelgast Herald, -1 Kira Great Glass Spinner, -3 Selfless Spirit, -1 Phantasmal Image
In +2 Eidolon of Rhetoric, +1 Echoing Truth, +2 Damping Sphere, +2 Remorseful Cleric
Ad Nauseum
Out -1 Nebelgast Herald, -4 Path to Exile
In +2 Eidolon of Rhetoric, +1 Echoing Truth, +2 Damping Sphere
Infect
Out -1 Geist of Saint Traft, -1 Kira, Great Glass Spinner, -3 Selfless Spirit
In +2 Blessed Alliance, +1 Settle the Wreckage, +1 Echoing Truth, +1 Damping Sphere
Blue Moon
Out -4 Path to Exile
In +2 Remorseful Cleric, +1 Celestial Purge, +1 Echoing Truth
R/G Scapeshift
Out -1 Geist of Saint Traft, -1 Nebelgast Herald
In +2 Blessed Alliance
Bogles
Out -1 Geist of Saint Traft, -1 Kira Great Glass Spinner, -2 Nebelgast Herald, -2 Path to Exile, -1 Phantasmal Image
In +2 Blessed Alliance, +1 Settle the Wreckage, +1 Echoing Truth, +2 Damping Sphere, +1 Fragmentize
Jund
Out -2 Nebelgast Herald, -1 Geist of Saint Traft, -1 Phantasmal Image
In +2 Remorseful Cleric, +1 Settle the Wreckage, +1 Celestial Purge
Goblins/8 Whack
Out -1 Geist of Saint Traft, -2 Nebelgast Herald, -1 Kira Great Glass Spinner, -1 Phantasmal Image
In +2 Eidolon of Rhetoric, +1 Celestial Purge, +2 Blessed Alliance, +1 Settle the Wreckage
Counters Company
Out -1 Geist of Saint Traft, -1 Kira, Great Glass Spinner
In +1 Settle the Wreckage, +1 Echoing Truth
Ponza
Out -1 Geist of Saint Traft
In +1 Celestial Purge
Living End
Out -1 Geist of Saint Traft, -1 Kira Great Glass Spinner, -2 Nebelgast Herald
In +2 Remorseful Cleric, +1 Settle the Wreckage, +1 Celestial Purge
