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Thread: [DECK] Jeskai Delver

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    Re: [DECK] Jeskai Delver

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Safety View Post
    I still get nervous every time I face Merfolk...you'd think with all the removal I'd be fine, but I haven't beaten the deck once. I've stolen a game or two here or there, but not any matches. Aether Vial and Islandwalk are very difficult to deal with. I might have to sideboard Anger of the Gods or something similar.
    While it doesn't have synergy with Delver, I find Engineered Explosives to be the best sweeper against Merfolk. EE on 2 hits the majority of their threats and blows up any Spreading Seas that might be hampering your color production. I see that you have one in your board already. If you really fear the Fish, I'd up that to two. I'm not really sure where Merfolk is at in the meta at the moment. The shift to UG seems to have sparked some revived interest in the archetype, but it's kind of pricey for a tier 2 deck, so that might be keeping people off of it.

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    Re: [DECK] Jeskai Delver

    Thanks for the replies gentlemen!

    1) does supreme verdict cost too much at 4 for an 18 land deck? Seems a bit out of reach.
    2) ghostly prison seems solid, buys me all kinds of time. I like it.
    3) 2nd explosives is also appealing.

    I really like verdict, and if you guys think I can swing it, I'll board a couple copies.
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    Re: [DECK] Jeskai Delver

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Safety View Post
    1) does supreme verdict cost too much at 4 for an 18 land deck? Seems a bit out of reach.
    ...
    I really like verdict, and if you guys think I can swing it, I'll board a couple copies.
    I think Verdict might be a bit of stretch with only 18 land and it's the type of card that, when you need it, you can't afford to wait for it. I also think a full range sweeper might hamper your own game plan, since you're ultimately a creature/attack deck. If you were boarding Celestial Colonnades and wanted to transform into Jeskai control, that could be an option.

    I feel like Grim Lavamancer can put in good work against Merfolk. Maybe something like Vapor Snag to keep a lord off the table so your Lavamancer/burn can handle the other threats. Rending Volley fits the Delver strategy pretty well.

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    Re: [DECK] Jeskai Delver

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Safety View Post
    1) does supreme verdict cost too much at 4 for an 18 land deck? Seems a bit out of reach.
    Yeah, I'm not sold on Verdict. Double white will be hard with Spreading Seas and you can't afford to take that much fetchland damage to make sure you'll get there in time. EE is a good suggestion, though. I still like Ghostly Prison a lot as it can mess with a lot of decks.

    Supreme Verdict might be worth a shot if you can find someone to test it against. You don't really need to cast it on turn 4 with all the burn you have to slow them down, it's really more of a trump card when they hit critical mass and you don't have any more time. I used to play Merfolk in modern and have an old iteration of it still, the major deck that I'd lose to was jeskai control. Supreme Verdict and Snapcaster Bolt are enough to turn all of Merfolk's threats useless, but if they never hit a Supreme Verdict I'd usually be able to just slowly sneak in damage.

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    Re: [DECK] Jeskai Delver

    Should I even bother with a lower-level wiper like Pyroclasm/Anger of the Gods? Anger seems quite good, probably more feasible than Verdict, and like PI said I can slow it down with burn spells and then have a critical mass answer. They both kill my stuff, but it's definitely worse for them. I will test out both Prison and Anger first, I think that's my obvious path for testing. If Prison is good enough, and I suspect it will be, I'll just go 2x Prison. The more I think about it the better it seems.


    2x Young Pyromancer
    2x Rest in Peace
    2x Stony Silence
    2x Blessed Alliance
    1x Engineered Explosives
    1x Ghostly Prison
    1x Anger of the Gods.
    1x Negate
    1x Dispel
    2x Ceremonious Rejection


    Depending on how popular UWx control/midrange gets by the tournament I might maindeck the Dispel again and free up another slot in the board for a 4th Path to Exile or other redundant effect. I think I have these covered fairl well (post board): Affinity, Tron/Eldrazi, Burn, Storm, Elves, Abzan Company. I think the more even, or unfavored, matchups are Death's Shadow, UWx control/mid-range, Lantern Control. Fringe decks like Merfolk I think I have addressed, at least theoretically. Fringe non-interactive decks take a fairly big beating from counterspells supported by Delver/Geist.

    If anger tests poorly I'll switch over to another Ghostly Prison or 2nd Explosives. Both are solid options that I feel work well alongside the deck. Anger is bad for me but I might need to just concede that it's necessary so I can beat certain decks. If my thinking is way off here, let me know. I appreciate your feedback.
    Brainstorm Realist

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    Re: [DECK] Jeskai Delver

    I don't think Anger of the Gods is as good against merfolk as SV. There are times where they'll hit 4/4 and it doesn't do enough, and there are times where they have Cursecatcher or other sideboard counterspells and you'll wish you had SV. AotG is great against other decks but if we're just talking about Merfolk then SV is the clear winner.

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    Re: [DECK] Jeskai Delver

    I really like the ghostly prison idea, going to try that first.
    Last edited by Mr. Safety; 12-07-2017 at 09:53 AM.
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    Re: [DECK] Jeskai Delver

    Ghostly Prison has been great, definitely sticking with that card.
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    Re: [DECK] Jeskai Delver

    Ghostly Prison out...Anger of the Gods back in. It's been a little better.

    I have also switched from 3x Geist/1x VClique main to 4x Young Pyromancer main and sideboarding the legendaries. So far it has been excellent, and Geist out of the board completely wrecks UWR control, which I would think would be a hard matchup.

    Also, I dropped Forked Bolt for Basilisk Collar, and there's a ton of value in that 1 mana Equipment. Not only is it a machine gun for Grims it is also an incidental way to discourage attacking, gains some life to help in races, and is super efficient. Love it.

    EDIT: There's no way I'm not adding Jace TMS to this deck now. I think 1x Jace is exactly what this deck needed.
    Last edited by Mr. Safety; 02-12-2018 at 11:03 AM.
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    Re: [DECK] Jeskai Delver

    Updating my list on here, I've been messing around with this quite a bit. I was really enjoying Young Pyromancer maindeck and Geist in the board for a while...but now that Jund is big and bad again I might need Geist main again. I think against Jund both threats are good, but YP gets hit by literally every piece of Jund's removal. Good against Liliana yes, but against anything targeting it's weak. If Jund becomes a deck to beat maybe the threat to drop is Delver, going more midrange with YP/Geist, which means I would have to get up to 20 lands in the deck to support the higher threat curve. Added a Basilisk Collar maindeck, it's been fantastic even without Lavaman, if only to win races. Slapping it on pyro tokens to block has been nice, too.

    Does Boros Charm still hit pw's now that the redirect rule is going away? Will it be errata to say player or planeswalker? If so, I'm maindecking it for Jaces, for sure.

    4x Delver of Secrets
    4x Young Pyromancer
    3x Snapcaster Mage
    2x Grim Lavamancer

    4x Serum Visions
    3x Opt
    4x Lightning Bolt
    4x Lightning Helix
    3x Path to Exile
    2x Spell Snare
    2x Spell Pierce
    4x Deprive
    1x Basilisk Collar
    1x Jace, the Mind Sculptor
    1x Boros Charm

    4x Flooded Strand
    3x Scalding Tarn
    1x Arid Mesa
    2x Steam Vents
    1x Hallowed Fountain
    1x Sacred Foundry
    2x Spirebluff Canal
    2x Island
    1x Plains
    1x Mountain

    Sideboard
    3x Geist of Saint Traft
    1x Vendilion Clique
    2x Anger of the Gods
    1x Engineered Explosives
    2x Rest in Peace
    2x Stony Silence
    2x Blessed Alliance
    2x OPEN (used to be Ceremonious Rejection, might need to be some mix of Negate, Dispel, Path to Exile, Wear/Tear)


    Really happy with the maindeck, just looking for guidance on whether Delver is the correct play with 18 lands or play maindeck Geist and work up to 20 lands. I am really unhappy with soft counters at the moment (even Spell Pierce seems kind of bad most of the time.) Deprive has consistently overperformed in every matchup. I am thinking that a 2nd Jace would likely be very good, but I only have 1. Not sure if Ajani Vengeant would be good, along with another land (likely a Ghost Quarter if I drop Ceremonious Rejection from the sideboard.)

    Thoughts? Would really love some feedback.
    Brainstorm Realist

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    Re: [DECK] Jeskai Delver

    I agree with dropping Delver for Geist+YP. As for soft counters, you should use Logic Knot. I use 4 maindeck and treat it as a hard counter unless they're playing maindeck Relic, and even then you can just pay mana for X. It has quickly become my favorite counterspell in modern.

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    Re: [DECK] Jeskai Delver

    Hmmm... I'm not sure I want another 2 mana counterspell, and I'm committed to Deprive. I could drop some number of Deprive for Logic Knot, but I've always been happy with Deprive, even in multiples. The low curve is what allows Deprive to be so effective (which is why I don't go for Cryptic, or even Electrolyze.)

    Theoretical list:
    4x Young Pyromancer
    3x Geist of Saint Traft
    3x Snapcaster Mage
    2x Grim Lavamancer

    4x Serum Visions
    3x Opt
    3x Path to Exile
    4x Lightning Bolt
    4x Lightning Helix
    4x Deprive
    2x Spell Snare
    2x Spell Pierce
    1x Basilisk Collar
    1x Jace, the Mind Sculptor

    4x flooded strand
    3x Scalding Tarn
    1x Arid Mesa
    2x Steam Vents
    2x Hallowed Fountain
    1x Sacred Foundry
    2x Spirebluff Canal
    2x Island
    1x Plains
    1x Mountain
    1x Ghost Quarter

    sideboard
    1x Vendilion Clique
    2x Rest in Peace
    2x Stony Silence
    2x Negate
    1x Engineered Explosives
    2x Blessed Alliance
    2x Anger of the Gods
    1x Wear/Tear
    1x Detention Sphere
    1x Ajani Vengeant


    That puts the deck in a much more mid-range direction, and the mid-range jeskai decks haven't been doing well lately. This has cheaper interaction and a faster clock, which means it's better in the early game than the quad-Cryptic Geist lists. I do really like the Collar/Lavaman combo, maybe a 2nd Collar would be good. Sideboard is still a guess, but I do want Negate over Ceremonious Rejection for the time being. It counters Jace AND Karn, and the Affinity matchup is already pretty decent. Like I said, maindeck GQ as land #20 to help offset the Tron matchup, kinda. I don't think I have enough basics to use Field of Ruin, and I want to keep mana open anyways. Detention Sphere is obviously for Jace/random bullshit. Ajani for grindier matchups where he can leverage the longer game.

    I'll have to test it out.
    Brainstorm Realist

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    Re: [DECK] Jeskai Delver

    I'm back on Delver, it's just too good to pass up. Getting a threat in under opposing mid-range decks and having counterspells open has been very good. I don't think I need the Ajani in the sideboard, the maindeck Jace, Lavaman, and Snaps are just fine at giving the deck a decent grind plan. Geist has been outstanding in the maindeck, to the point that I don't know if I want more than 2 YP's in the board. I've been facing a ton of linear decks in testing (affinity, humans, Ironworks) and a few mid-range decks (Bant Spirits, Jund). Deck does really well with the linear strategies (as it should) and it's about even on the mid-range decks. Post-board I think Jund gets tougher, but Spirits wasn't that tough of a matchup, honestly. Maybe it was just a bad player.

    Newl list:
    4x Delver of Secrets
    3x Geist of Saint Traft
    3x Snapcaster Mage
    2x Grim Lavamancer
    1x Vendilion Clique

    4x Serum Visions
    3x Opt
    3x Path to Exile
    4x Lightning Bolt
    4x Lightning Helix
    3x Remand
    3x Deprive
    2x Spell Snare
    1x Spell Pierce
    1x Boros Charm
    1x Jace, the Mind Sculptor

    4x flooded strand
    3x Scalding Tarn
    1x Arid Mesa
    2x Steam Vents
    1x Hallowed Fountain
    1x Sacred Foundry
    2x Spirebluff Canal
    2x Island
    1x Plains
    1x Mountain

    sideboard
    2x Young Pyromancer
    2x Rest in Peace
    2x Stony Silence
    2x Dispel
    1x Engineered Explosives
    2x Blessed Alliance
    2x Anger of the Gods
    1x Wear/Tear
    1x Basilisk Collar


    Deck plays out like Burn with counters, which isn't bad as long as I can land a threat. Without something to create pressure while threatening countermagic the deck plays as a decent control deck (Grim Lavamancer helps out a ton here.) The cantrips are really good at filtering into a Delver/Geist, and only playing 18 lands makes the deck operate really nicely in the mid-game. I was thinking I want 2 jaces, but for now 1 has been just fine. He's essentially another threat in the deck, but the deck isn't really interested in going long. Debating the 4th Path in the main over Boros Charm, or putting the 4th Path in the board instead of the Basilisk Collar. I like the collar a lot, with Lavaman can break some matchups wide open, and it's never really bad.

    EDIT: Celestial Purge seems like it could be good again, with the rise of jund. Also, if UWx control doesn't take off with Jace (like everyone thought it would...) then Dispel becomes Ceremonious Rejection, which is just so good against Tron/Eldrazi.
    Last edited by Mr. Safety; 03-27-2018 at 10:20 AM.
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  14. #34
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    Re: [DECK] Jeskai Delver

    Entering this deck at a tournament this Saturday, May 5th. List is the same as above, it's been doing very well. Flex slots are the Spell Pierce, Boros Charm, and the VClique maindeck (but all of them do their job well.) I wish I could squeeze in a 2nd Spell Pierce, but it's so bad when I need something to finish games off and it isn't a burn spell. VClique is another evasive threat, which has been very good. Ceremonious Rejection stays in the board, Tron isn't going anywhere. Celestial Purge is still on my mind, not sure if I want it or not.

    Excited to see what the deck can do. I feel like I have a really decent humans matchup (counterspells out for additional removal and YP's post-board) and that's one of the most popular decks ATM. I made 14th at last year's spring 1k, looking to best that. Suggestions are welcome!
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    Re: [DECK] Jeskai Delver

    Went 3-3, winning against Titan Shift, Hollow One, and BW Planeswalkers/homebrew. Lost to Serum Powder Eldrazi, Eldrazi and Taxes, and Jeskai Control.

    Deck was solid, I went to 3 games in all of my losses, only went to 3 games against BW in my wins (others were 2-0.) I think the deck has some very good matchups but also some very *bad* matchups. I feel like I could have won against Jeskai Control, all 3 games were close. Eldrazi seems very bad considering Chalice@1 was BRUTAL. I am rethinking the Remands, I think in the current metagame I should be playing 4x Path maindeck and probably finding a way to speed up the deck a little bit. Grim Lavamancer was fairly dead all day, not doing nearly enough work. Sideboard card I think. Maindeck pyromancer could do it, or just go back to Swiftspear tech and play 4 Opts (8 cantrips total.) I'll be testing Swiftspear out.
    Brainstorm Realist

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