Jeskai Stoneblade

[Mr. Safety]

Stoneblade variants are popping up everywhere with the B&R announcement that occurred on 8/26/19. It seems like an early front-runner is strict UW, but plenty of Jeskai lists have popped up as well. This thread is to discuss Jeskai in particular until a clear best version is established.

For how I like to play magic, I want to maximize the powerful synergy of SFM into inevitability. I think the 2 equipments that will be auto-include are Batterskull and Sword of Fire and Ice. Sword of Feast and Famine is likely the next best sword, especially considering the recent uptick in Jund. The 3rd equipment I think will be very good is Basilisk Collar. It gives a mid-range deck an efficient way to grind out games and make combat miserable. Grim Lavamancer is a pretty cool combo with Collar, and I think some number of sideboarded Izzet Staticaster would be ok.

Using legacy Stoneblade as a template is a good start, but not strictly transferrable. We don't have Force of Will or Brainstorm so we will have to make do with other options. Serum Visions and Opt are the best cantrips, but I'm not sure which one to favor. I think at least 6 is warrented. I'm starting with a 4/2 split of Opt/Visions, just so I can keep up Bolt/Spell Snare/Opt in the early turns because t1 threats aren't a focus. Countermagic will likely be a mix of Spell Snare, Mana Leak, Spell Pierce, Remand, Logic Knot, and Cryptic Command. Cryptic on the upper end will be a little hard to support given the nature of wanting more gas instead of too much at the top end. I am thinking 20-22 lands, not the 24+ usually needed to support a full set of Cryptics.

Creatures are pretty easy to narrow down: Batterskull and Snapcaster Mage are auto include. From there I want a couple Grim Lavamancers and at least 1 Vendilion Clique. The closest True Name Nemesis variant I can think of is Geist of Saint Traft, which I think could be very good given the amount of cheap removal the deck can play. Restoration Angel could make it's way into the deck, but I'm not sure just yet.

Other cardsto consider: Lightning Helix, Electrolyze, Blessed Alliance, Fact or Fiction, Field of Ruin, Narset, Parter of Veils, Supreme Verdict, Anger of the Gods, Sunbaked Canyon. I will add to the list as other suggestions get mentioned.

To summarize: why play Jeskai Stoneblade? Stoneforge Mystic is a powerful threat with inherent card advantage, something that gives inevitability to a UWx mid-range strategy. It has the best unconditional one mana removal (Path to Exile), lets you play Lightning Bolt for reach, and lets you play Jace, the Mind Sculptor and Teferi, Time Raveler. If SFM is unbanned it will bring back Jeskai Mid-Range in a big way, and in my opinion it will supplant some amount of UW Control as a different option for playing 'good stuff' blue strategies in Modern.

Updated list 11/7

4x Stoneforge Mystic
3x Snapcaster Mage
3x Geist of Saint Traft
2x Brazen Borrower
1x Vendilion Clique

4x Lightning Bolt
4x Path to Exile
4x Lightning Helix
4x Serum Visions
4x Remand
2x Spell Snare
1x Force of Negation
1x Teferi, Time Raveler
1x Batterskull
1x Sword of Fire and Ice

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

Sideboard
2x Alpine Moon
1x Celestial Purge
2x Search for Azcanta
2x Relic of Progenitus
2x Wear/Tear
1x Detention Sphere
1x Engineered Explosives
2x Stony Silence
1x jace the mind sculptor
1x Dispel


Update 9/20: This is a great list posted by 'xkeeperx ' that displays the Spell Queller/Teferi synergy. It's actually more prevalent than my 'niche' list above, so it's here for reference.

1 Batterskull
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Spell Queller
4 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Vendilion Clique
1 Abrade
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Lightning Helix
2 Mana Leak
3 Opt
3 Path to Exile
1 Spell Snare
2 Spell Pierce
2 Celestial Colonnade
4 Flooded Strand
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Island
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Sacred Foundry
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Spirebluff Canal
2 Steam Vents
1 Seachrome Coast
3 Teferi, Time Raveler

1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Relic of Progenitus
2 Geist of Saint Traft
2 Alpine Moon
1 Abrade
1 Ceremonious Rejection
3 Force of Negation
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Celestial Purge
1 Cryptic Command
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar

[Phoenix Ignition]

I just don't see SFM getting unbanned, despite my love for the card in older formats I think it'd be bad for Modern. Kind of like Deathrite Shaman.

Reasoning:
1. It warps the format around it. Why play any 2-drop creature other than SFM when it can hunt for either a giant uncounterable beater or the exact Sword of X and Y that crushes your current matchup? Literally every midrange deck will *need* to play this because there just isn't another 2-drop that is more threatening. Grabbing up uncounterable equipment is going to outclass normal creatures by a wide margin.

2. It guarantees a 4/4 lifelinker by turn 3 for every midrange/control deck. If you're on the play, that means you can block any 2-drop your opponent plays with a 4/4 lifelinker that can be recast if needed. sligh/burn decks would have to adopt maindeck artifact hate for this card, but the decks playing it won't even be playing other artifacts so it isn't something that helps their gameplan against the midrange or control deck they're playing against. Also, perhaps even more importantly, it pretty much negates the drawbacks of shocklands in Modern, something that keeps 4-color good stuff decks being the best (homogenizing the format due to their lack of drawbacks). Against any non-burn deck you can just crack yourself with a fetch for 3 life each turn and still pull out ahead.

3. There really isn't an effective way to stop the Stoneforge strategy. Killing it still nets them +1 toolbox card. Karn, the Great Creator doesn't shut it off from being a 4/4 immediately. Artifact hate will put you behind by at least a 1/2 creature if not completely blanked by them just bouncing Batterskull. Playing even more niche answers like new Ashiok to stop them from grabbing an artifact still puts you behind because you're playing bad cards to stop 3-4 cards in their deck. It does the best thing a 2-drop can do and it doesn't have an effective answer.

Sure, it doesn't seem stronger than stuff like Hogaak or Arclight Phoenix, but people paint a false picture when they try to compare utility cards to payoff cards. Deathrite Shaman isn't as good as Hogaak either, but I don't think many people argue that DRS needs to stay banned because everyone knows it goes straight into any B or G deck that already exists.

[Mr. Safety]

I can see your points, but I've seen some (limited) testing done on SCG live coverage where they test it out. Spoiler: SFM is way too slow to keep up with the current top decks. That isn't a data point, just an anecdote really, but I honestly don't think SFM would warp the format. I think some of the cards in Modern Horizons/War of the Spark are way more powerful, not even including Hogaak. The power level of Modern has been boosted to a level it hasn't seen in a long time. I look at Karn, the Great Creator and that card is way more powerful than Stoneforge Mystic, same with Urza and Wrenn and Six. I see SFM on that same level, not better or worse.

I know this isn't a great argument, but the answers to SFM have gotten a lot better since the beginning of modern. Kolaghan's Command, Assassin's Trophy, Fatal Push, and Collector Ouphe all come to mind quickly.

I'm not sure if SFM will get unbanned, but I think this is about as close as we'll ever get to seeing it unabanned. We've also seen a trend of unbannings over the past couple years that have really shaken up the format but not broken it: Bitterblossom, Bloodbraid Elf, and Jace the Mind Sculptor.

I also see the opportunity to test it like they did with Golgari Grave Troll: unban it, see what happens, ban it again if it becomes too oppressive.

If nothing else, it was a fun exercise in theoretical deckbuilding. SFM singlehandedly establishes viable white-splashed mid-range variants. I think the more viable mid-range decks get in modern, the better.

[Mr. Safety]

Called it! Stoneforge incoming!

[Mr. Safety]

I think mantis rider or young pyromancer may be a better option than geist. I love geist, but i'm not sure it will be good. The format will be shaken up, big time.

[Phoenix Ignition]

How about Monastery Mentor? Seems like it'd do well in here without even having to build around it.