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Thread: Jeskai Ascendancy

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    Jeskai Ascendancy

    Jeskai Ascendancy

    Table of contents
    1) Overview - about the deck
    2) Card choices
    3) Sideboard
    4) Decklist
    5) Resources

    1) Overview - About the deck

    Jeskai Ascendancy is a deck looking to kill the opponent primarily by abusing the Fatestitcher/Jeskai Ascendancy combo.

    The deck used to be played in late 2014/early 2015 whilst Treasure Cruise and Dig Through Time were legal. When those cards were banned, the deck disappeared as the draw power needed to find combo pieces and execute the kill were no longer available. The most popular variant of the deck was a version playing Young Pyromancer, both as a card which has synergy with Jeskai Ascendancy, but also as a win condition that dodged the traditional combo and graveyard hate. The other major loss since then has been Gitaxian Probe.

    With the banning of Deathrite Shaman, a new/old draw engine popularised by Miracles reared its head again; Accumulated Knowledge. Accumulated Knowledge nicely fills the void left by the delve spells (though at a more acceptable power level for the format). Incidentally, Shaman being gone makes our combo more reliable.

    The deck is slower than the majority of combo decks in Legacy, due to needing to cast a three mana enchantment and untap. However because the combo takes up so few slots (4 Fatestitcher, 4 Jeskai Ascendancy), the deck can run meaningful main deck interaction such as Force of Will, Spell Pierce, Lightning Bolt and Swords to Plowshares.

    2) Card choices

    Core

    Jeskai Ascendancy: Ascendancy is the namesake of the deck, the card we're looking to abuse. 4 copies.

    Fatestitcher: The part B of the A+B combo, only gets better in multiples when comboing and you really want to find the first, so I believe that 4 copies are necessary. 3 could be correct.

    Brainstorm/Ponder/Preordain: The best cards in the deck, I don't think going below 12 of these is an option. They help us dig for combo pieces, build a board with Pyromancer and then kick the combo off whilst we only have one Fatestitcher.

    Spell Pierce: A cheap and highly effective disruptive piece to slow down opposing combo decks and protect our own combo. The main upside it has over Flusterstorm is that it counters lock pieces such as Chalice of the Void and Trinisphere, which are a pain to deal with main deck, and hard to impossible to win through.

    Force of Will: One of the benefits of having such a high blue card count, and needing so few cards to kick off the combo, is that we can play Force of Will. Protect your combo, your Pyromancer, counter their disruption, prolong the game until you kill them.

    Young Pyromancer: The alternate win condition in the deck, Pyromancer lets us play a more fair game, whilst being a card that gets turbocharged with an Ascendancy in play. Build your own Monastery Mentor! (More on that card later).

    Accumulated Knowledge: The draw engine in the deck. Serves as a way to dig for the combo, and then fuel Ascendancy or Pyromancer once you get the cantrips flowing. Looting away the first copy of AK, or milling it with Mission Briefing, is particularly sweet.

    Mission Briefing: Speaking of Mission Briefing - this card is excellent, though I don't want more than two copies, as at 2+ mana it can be a little clunky. Milling Fatestitchers and AKs whilst digging for what you need is a very strong effect, and effectively double triggering Ascendancy whilst going off is also very nice. When you're really going for it, these are your AKs 5 and 6, we both know you want to draw your whole deck.

    Swords to Plowshares/Lightning Bolt: These help you buy time vs aggro decks, deal with problematic permanents like Thalia, Guardian of Thraben and Marit Lage, and occasionally you get to kill your opponent with them.

    Jace, Vryn's Prodigy: A proactive threat that loots away Fatestitcher and digs for whatever you need. The planeswalker side often operates as an addition cantrip whilst going off, but is a threat in its own right.

    Lands

    Needing to cast a three mana enchantment on curve means that I've not been comfortable going below 19 land.

    Basics: Blue sources are at a premium in this deck because of all the cantrips and Mission Briefing, so non Islands are kept to a minimum. The build I'm playing is base UR, but despite this I'm playing a Plains over a Mountain to hedge against Blood Moon. This could be wrong, and I want to test a basic Mountain soon, so we can cast Bolt/Pyromancer without getting punished by Wasteland.

    1-2 Island
    0-1 Plains
    0-1 Mountain

    Duals and Fetches: Standard in the majority of Legacy decks. Fetches help us protect our red sources from Wasteland until we're ready to cast Ascendancy. I'm not playing Plateau, as non-Blue Wasteable lands are not something I'm in the market for.

    3 Volcanic Island
    2 Tundra

    4 Flooded Strand
    4 Scalding Tarn
    1-2 Arid Mesa
    0-1 Polluted Delta/Misty Rainforest

    Utility Lands: Faerie Conclave can serve the same role as Fatestitcher. I've found that I can almost always find Fatestitcher when I need it, and so these are not great game one being a tapped land that gets Wastelanded, and also requires two mana to bring online. However, post board these allow you to combo through graveyard hate. I'm considering a 1-1 split between main deck and sideboard.

    1-2 Faerie Conclave


    Cards that underperformed

    The following cards I’ve tried, but haven't worked.

    Faithless Looting: Initially I was playing a couple of copies of this, but I found that the only card you really want to discard is Fatestitcher, and you only care about it being in the graveyard when you already have an Ascendancy in play.

    Thought Scour: The random draw is very poor, and you're not looking to fuel the graveyard to cast delve spells like in the older variants (which did play scours). Not necessary and makes the deck more inconsistent.

    Monastery Mentor: This card is difficult to fit into the curve of the list. Having eight three mana threats is too clunky, and Young Pyromancer does a very similar job for less mana, allowing the curve of t2 Pyromancer, t3 Ascendancy. It does have potential as a sideboard card to beat heavy combo hate.

    3) Sideboard

    At this point my sideboard is not cleanly built, but I know that we need some number of the following types of card: Artifact/Enchantment removal, graveyard hate, additional disruption for combo, additional removal spells.

    Card choices

    Surgical Extraction: My initial graveyard hate of choice, it's the cheapest possible answer to Reanimator, whilst having utility against decks such as Storm. It also counts as a zero mana spell whilst comboing, netting us mana!

    Flusterstorm: Additional cheap disruption for combo, which doubles as protection for our threats.

    Disenchant: This kills Chalice of the Void (and some other things). As I'm playing basic Plains, this trumps Wear // Tear for the moment, though this would change if I switched to Mountain.

    Engineered Explosives: This also kills Chalice of the Void, whilst being a flexible answer in a variety of matchups - sweeping the board of Delvers, or Goblin tokens, is a very pleasant feeling.

    Lightning Bolt/Swords to Plowshares: Helps us kill hatebears like Containment Priest and Ethersworn Canonist, or Marit Lage (Depths has been a tricky matchup in testing so far without additional plows in the sideboard).

    Vendilion Clique: Clears the opponents hand of cards like Abrupt Decay and countermagic before we deploy Ascendancy, whilst being pressure vs combo and control decks.

    Pyroblast: Useful for when we might want to play a slower game to answer opposing cantrips/countermagic, or threats like Jace, the Mind Sculptor and Counterbalance.

    Abrade: A card that kills Chalice of the Void AND Thalia, Guardian of Thraben!? What more could you want? Unfortunately, this doesn't answer Blood Moon or Choke. Pick your battles I suppose.

    Grim Lavamancer: Useful in opposing creature matchups to pick off hatebears and Delver of Secrets

    Swords to Plowshares: In some lists I am only playing this card in the sideboard, mostly for Dark Depths when I want to be primarily UR main deck.

    4) Decklists



    //v1 Ascendancy 26/02/2019

    4 Jeskai Ascendancy

    4 Young Pyromancer
    4 Fatestitcher

    4 Brainstorm
    4 Ponder
    4 Preordain
    4 Accumulated Knowledge
    2 Mission Briefing
    2 Spell Pierce
    4 Force of Will
    2 Lightning Bolt
    3 Swords to Plowshares

    4 Flooded Strand
    4 Scalding Tarn
    2 Arid Mesa
    3 Volcanic Island
    2 Tundra
    2 Island
    1 Plains
    1 Faerie Conclave

    // Sideboard

    3 Flusterstorm
    3 Disenchant
    1 Engineered Explosives
    1 Swords to Plowshares
    2 Pyroblast
    3 Surgical Extraction
    1 Blazing Volley
    1 Faerie Conclave

    //v2 Ascendancy 12/03/2019

    4 Jeskai Ascendancy

    4 Young Pyromancer
    2 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
    4 Fatestitcher

    4 Brainstorm
    4 Ponder
    4 Preordain
    4 Accumulated Knowledge
    2 Mission Briefing
    1 Spell Pierce
    4 Force of Will
    4 Lightning Bolt

    4 Flooded Strand
    4 Scalding Tarn
    2 Arid Mesa
    3 Volcanic Island
    2 Tundra
    2 Island
    1 Mountain
    1 Faerie Conclave

    //Sideboard

    2 Swords to Plowshares
    3 Surgical Extraction
    3 Flusterstorm
    2 Pyroblast
    2 Abrade
    2 Wear // Tear
    1 Grim Lavamancer



    5) Resources

    To be updated as the deck is played more. I'd really appreciate any input, as I'm having a lot of fun jamming this on MTGO at the moment! Thanks for reading.
    Last edited by FGCmtg; 03-13-2019 at 06:29 AM.

  2. #2
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    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    This looks sweet! Do you think that it might be correct to play 4 plow instead of the 2/3 split with bolt?

  3. #3

    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    Looks sweet!

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    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    How about Thought Scour? Faithless Looting?










    XD

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    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    Quote Originally Posted by joaquin View Post
    This looks sweet! Do you think that it might be correct to play 4 plow instead of the 2/3 split with bolt?
    This is very much a possibility.

    The things I am unsure of in the main are:

    2 Arid Mesa vs 1 Mesa - 1 Blue fetch
    Split of Bolts and Plows
    2 Conclave vs 1 Conclave
    Do I want Mountain?

    Everything else I think is pretty great.

    Having more bolts 'synergises' with Pyromancer better, incentivising the choice to play a Mountain so we can cast removal and threats around Wasteland. This does make us weaker to Blood Moon.

    It might be better to play a Plains sideboard for Moon matchups, though I'm sceptical of this.

    If we're accepting that Pyromancer off of Volcanic is fine, then yes I think having more Plows could well be better. A downside of Plow is that it doesn't let you loot unless it has a target whilst you're going off. Bolting your opponent to continue comboing is a surprisingly common line.

    Testing required!

  6. #6

    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    In the sb isn't abrade better than disenchant? Chalice and 3 Sphere are issues but so is thalia and the white creature chalice.
    Quote Originally Posted by Laser Brains View Post
    With the printing of Gigantosaurus, Thrashing Brontodon and Steel Leaf Champion the deck has evolved from good to very competitive. Anyway, give it a few play tests if you are interested and let me know what you think.

    Winter Maze
    Quote Originally Posted by CptHaddock View Post
    With veteran explorer I know that I 100% will not enjoy a 30 minute grindfest against someone who can barely afford dual lands and believes that their deck can cast a 10 mana 8/8.

  7. #7

    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    Meditate can really help here. It’s a deck that concentrate everything in a turn like Storm.

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    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    Quote Originally Posted by kinda View Post
    In the sb isn't abrade better than disenchant? Chalice and 3 Sphere are issues but so is thalia and the white creature chalice.
    Good point. I do think that being able to kill Blood Moon and Chalice is a useful thing, but Abrade is certainly a consideration for the sb. Thanks.

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    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    Quote Originally Posted by Poron View Post
    Meditate can really help here. It’s a deck that concentrate everything in a turn like Storm.
    Interesting point - I do think that I'd prefer to play cards that are good not just when comboing, but if you end up testing this I'd be interested in hearing the results. Thanks!

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    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    I streamed a league and a half of this earlier this evening on Twitch

    https://www.twitch.tv/videos/393994589


    *SPOILERS BELOW*


























    We went 5-3, losing to DnT, UR Delver and Dredge. We beat Miracles, Sneak and Show and 3x Grixis Control.

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    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    4 Brainstorm
    4 Lightning Bolt
    4 Force of Will
    4 Fatestitcher
    4 Accumulated Knowledge
    1 Spell Pierce
    4 Preordain
    4 Ponder
    2 Arid Mesa
    1 Faerie Conclave
    4 Flooded Strand
    4 Scalding Tarn
    2 Island
    1 Mountain
    3 Volcanic Island
    2 Tundra
    4 Young Pyromancer
    2 Mission Briefing
    4 Jeskai Ascendancy
    2 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy

    2 Swords to Plowshares
    3 Surgical Extraction
    3 Flusterstorm
    2 Pyroblast
    2 Abrade
    2 Wear/Tear
    1 Grim Lavamancer

    I've made some changes to help combat Delver and DnT, though I expect that Moon and Depths get worse. Will likely be streaming this on Thursday evening GMT.

  12. #12

    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    Quote Originally Posted by FGCmtg View Post
    4 Brainstorm
    4 Lightning Bolt
    4 Force of Will
    4 Fatestitcher
    4 Accumulated Knowledge
    1 Spell Pierce
    4 Preordain
    4 Ponder
    2 Arid Mesa
    1 Faerie Conclave
    4 Flooded Strand
    4 Scalding Tarn
    2 Island
    1 Mountain
    3 Volcanic Island
    2 Tundra
    4 Young Pyromancer
    2 Mission Briefing
    4 Jeskai Ascendancy
    2 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy

    2 Swords to Plowshares
    3 Surgical Extraction
    3 Flusterstorm
    2 Pyroblast
    2 Abrade
    2 Wear/Tear
    1 Grim Lavamancer

    I've made some changes to help combat Delver and DnT, though I expect that Moon and Depths get worse. Will likely be streaming this on Thursday evening GMT.
    Run it in paper, would be amusing.
    Quote Originally Posted by Laser Brains View Post
    With the printing of Gigantosaurus, Thrashing Brontodon and Steel Leaf Champion the deck has evolved from good to very competitive. Anyway, give it a few play tests if you are interested and let me know what you think.

    Winter Maze
    Quote Originally Posted by CptHaddock View Post
    With veteran explorer I know that I 100% will not enjoy a 30 minute grindfest against someone who can barely afford dual lands and believes that their deck can cast a 10 mana 8/8.

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    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    Quote Originally Posted by kinda View Post
    Run it in paper, would be amusing.
    Well, would you have it I did!

    This evening I went 3-1 with the last list I posted here.

    I beat Enchantress, BG Pox and Ruby Storm. I lost to Death and Taxes, in a game 3 where I passed with JVP and YP in play and Bolt/Brainstorm up, they have three cards in hand after drawing, vial in Sanctum Prelate and cast Sword of Fire and Ice and pass. I loot, don't find Abrade or Wear // Tear, die horribly.

    Lots of fun, and quite competitive for the local meta it seems!

  14. #14

    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    Could Intuition work in this deck? Searching for three fatestitchers seeks good, especialy when you ditch 2 into graveyard. It works with AK as well and can search for ascendancy if needed

  15. #15

    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    Quote Originally Posted by FGCmtg View Post
    Well, would you have it I did!

    This evening I went 3-1 with the last list I posted here.

    I beat Enchantress, BG Pox and Ruby Storm. I lost to Death and Taxes, in a game 3 where I passed with JVP and YP in play and Bolt/Brainstorm up, they have three cards in hand after drawing, vial in Sanctum Prelate and cast Sword of Fire and Ice and pass. I loot, don't find Abrade or Wear // Tear, die horribly.

    Lots of fun, and quite competitive for the local meta it seems!
    Looked sweet, what about forked bolt...possibly over lightning bolt? Nothing has three toughness pretty much, think the option to blow up revoker plus thalia seems good?
    Quote Originally Posted by Laser Brains View Post
    With the printing of Gigantosaurus, Thrashing Brontodon and Steel Leaf Champion the deck has evolved from good to very competitive. Anyway, give it a few play tests if you are interested and let me know what you think.

    Winter Maze
    Quote Originally Posted by CptHaddock View Post
    With veteran explorer I know that I 100% will not enjoy a 30 minute grindfest against someone who can barely afford dual lands and believes that their deck can cast a 10 mana 8/8.

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    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    Quote Originally Posted by Kriggy View Post
    Could Intuition work in this deck? Searching for three fatestitchers seeks good, especialy when you ditch 2 into graveyard. It works with AK as well and can search for ascendancy if needed
    Potentially! As a one of maybe? The curve is quite low, and you only really need one Fatestitcher and the Ascendancy to start going off. It could be a good way to tutor for the final piece whilst going off though.

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    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    Quote Originally Posted by kinda View Post
    Looked sweet, what about forked bolt...possibly over lightning bolt? Nothing has three toughness pretty much, think the option to blow up revoker plus thalia seems good?
    True, that does sound nice, I was considering it yesterday actually before heading to the event. I did remember from playing Forked Bolt in Grixis Delver that it not being instant speed really sucks, Lightning Bolt really is a much better card - the power in the deck comes from being able to switch roles very easily from an aggressive Young Pyromancer deck, to a control deck with Accumulated Knowledge, to a combo deck, and you can sideboard more into whichever role you want to play. Bolt seems to let you do this better - but for the situation you're highlighting, sure Forked Bolt is much better ;)

  18. #18

    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    I've been running JAC for the last couple of weeks with moderate success. I kinda moved on, but thought I would share the various builds I have run if anybody wanted to give them a go and see what they could make of it:

    v1.0

    3x Flooded Strand
    1x Island
    3x Polluted Delta
    3x Scalding Tarn
    2x Tundra
    3x Volcanic Island

    3x Lotus Petal

    4x Jeskai Ascendancy

    4x Arclight Phoenix
    4x Fatestitcher

    4x Brainstorm
    4x Force of Will
    2x Swords to Plowshares
    2x Spell Pierce
    2x Mental Note
    4x Thought Scour

    4x Faithless Looting
    4x Ponder
    4x Preordain

    Sideboard
    2x Flusterstorm
    2x Swords to Plowshares
    3x Monastery Mentor
    3x Pyroblast
    3x Surgical Extraction
    2x Wear

    v1.5

    3x Flooded Strand
    1x Island
    3x Polluted Delta
    3x Scalding Tarn
    2x Tundra
    3x Volcanic Island

    3x Lotus Petal

    4x Jeskai Ascendancy

    4x Arclight Phoenix
    4x Fatestitcher

    4x Brainstorm
    4x Force of Will
    4x Accumulated Knowledge
    2x Spell Pierce
    4x Thought Scour

    4x Faithless Looting
    4x Ponder
    4x Preordain

    Sideboard
    2x Flusterstorm
    2x Swords to Plowshares
    3x Monastery Mentor
    3x Pyroblast
    3x Surgical Extraction
    2x Wear

    v2.0

    3x Flooded Strand
    1x Island
    3x Polluted Delta
    3x Scalding Tarn
    2x Tundra
    3x Volcanic Island

    4x Jeskai Ascendancy
    3x Pyromancer Ascension

    4x Arclight Phoenix
    4x Fatestitcher

    4x Brainstorm
    4x Force of Will
    4x Manamorphose
    2x Spell Pierce
    4x Thought Scour

    4x Faithless Looting
    4x Ponder
    4x Preordain

    Sideboard
    2x Flusterstorm
    2x Karakas
    3x Monastery Mentor
    1x Pithing Needle
    2x Pyroblast
    1x Silence
    2x Silent Gravestone
    2x Wear

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    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    Did you find the Arclights helpful in your 2.0 version. I am wondering if running terminus and Noxious Revival would be better. I could see needing more disruption to beat the quicker decks of the format

  20. #20

    Re: Jeskai Ascendancy

    Quote Originally Posted by Guy I Don't Know View Post
    Did you find the Arclights helpful in your 2.0 version. I am wondering if running terminus and Noxious Revival would be better. I could see needing more disruption to beat the quicker decks of the format
    Version 2.0 was definitely the shell where the Phoenixes were least impressive. However, that is also the version is liked the least. I think v 1.5 was the best shell and if were to go back to the deck I would start there and try to run some Thing in the Ice or Mentors main.

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