Dies to Removal

ended the day 4-4. I had good tiebreakers so i played the last game to maybe get into money but I lose the last match instead.
I thought I was being clever, taking a relatively new deck that has only been in the spotlight for 3 days but I guess that's enough to be 50% of the field. If there wasn't a jeskai tokens deck in the match to my left or right, it was because I was playing the mirror. And everyone was doing poorly. I don't think I saw any in the 4-0 or even 3-1 positions when I checked, except me (at 3-1)

I used the deck I posted before, but cut a rabble for a ur scryland, and in the sideboard cut a mantisrider for negate, and cut LStrike and an End Hostilities for 2 angers.
The sideboard winners were Glare and Anger. DisdainfulStroke was as good as you'd expect (fantastic). Whenever I drew and casted EndHostilities it could have been another anger.
Mantis Rider didn't do anything. It was a rabblemaster with flying. By that I mean I played it and it got removed.
I need 3 or 4 jeskai charms, 2 is too few, as you said.
Chandra didn't do anything except kill a token then die. I would prefer sarkhan or just cut the big stuff altogether. At least sarkhan can kill a butcher of the horde.

win vs jeskai control (2-0)- this deck couldn't keep up with tokens at all without anger. I got blown out by anger once but only after getting the dream 4x 4/4 raisethealarm tokens attacking for 16. In the first match of the day. I was feeling excited.
win vs jeskai burn (2-0)- smooth easy win. Exactly like you'd think against someone who doesn't know the matchup.
loss vs jeskai tokens (1-2)- classic "he drew treasure cruise and I didn't"
win vs monoblack aggro (2-1)- lost die roll, kept ok hand vs anything else game 1 and I paid for it. Won the next two games easily.
loss vs temur (0-2)- Thought I could take a hit I shouldn't have from a knuckleblade and then lost to a boonsatyr combat trick. Had him next turn.
game2 I boarded in control and I suspect he boarded in control as well. He got me to 8 before I stabalized. I had a chandra out at 6loyalty. He plays ashcloud phoenix. So I think "Oh, he needs 2 damage from the morph to get me in burn range. Why else would you play phoenix here?" I had to treasure cruise to find an answer: Anger, an untapped land (for a stoke the flames I had in hand), or Lightning strike. I found none of them. If I did, I would have -7 chandra next turn.

loss vs jeskai tokens (1-2)- He wins the die roll but has a slow start. We trade 1:1 a lot of cards. I never find my ascendency and he does. We reach the end of the game with both of us at 7 health. He magmajets my wayseeker, but I know he has another spell to kill it with so I don't bother saving my wayseeker, instead using my last card (stoke) to bring him to 3 and hope to draw a burn. My next 3 draws were land so i lost.
Game 2 we both stall out the board with angers and ascendencies, but I get my end of turn "RtAx2 -> attack for 12 lifelink" off first. I follow it up with treasure cruise, so I won.
game3 went to time because we stalled so hard and I got an elspeth off because he tapped out for a sarkhan that I negated. I never drew an ascendency that game but he did. It was who could stall harder with angers and wayseekers and goblin tokens and elspeth tokens. Very epic game. He wins by looting until he finds the burn to finish me on turn 4 of additional turns.

win vs U/W heroic (2-0)- Removed the threats, got my ascendency out without dying too hard. He was on the "no blocks, untap and kill you" plan but I blew him out with 2 ascendency triggers and +1/+1/lifelink on my tokens and 3 points of burn to the face. Game 2 he mulligan to 5 and I have anger and mana in my opening hand.

loss vs Mardu (0-2)- I kept the dumbest hand. it was 4 lands, 2 hordelingoutburst, chandra. My draws were more land and a swiftspear and a jeskai charm. Game 2 I mull to 5 on the play and it wasn't too good. He had thoughtseize. I wish I would have played better so I could better info on the matchup

I kept too many bad hands because I wasn't experienced enough with the deck to know what I needed to win.

I told that in MTGO I face many Token decks, but didn't expect that grow in one week! About Mantis Rider, I really play it like a replace of Rabble in some matches. In first place he can fly through some decks in second with a Ascendacy in the field Mantis can survive our own Anger of the Gods (Swiftspear and Seeker can survive too ).
SCG top 16 of this week had 3 copy's of Yuua's list (with some small changes), seems that SCG team think that the deck is really good. They use Chandra's more to draw cards, but I think I will try my list with less land and small pieces. I will test it in next days and if not happy test the Yuua's list.

Against Mardu (after sideboard) I usually keep some seven card hands with few gaz and some lands, because they will bring Thoughtseize and they can ruin a mulligan hand with good cards in only a hit. Against other decks with the same kind of play, I usually do it and try to topdeck. And if the lands in my hand are scry ones, it will good enough the most part of the games. (personal opinion)

What do you feel about the Treasure Cruise draws? Can be possible best use Dig in that spot?

Today's Channelfireball article about Yuua's list - http://www.channelfireball.com/articles ... et-weapon/

Gonna start running the stock list again, and test dig through time. In theory it is pretty bad, double blue mana is oppressive when you want to to be casting double red hordelingoutburst, and you want to have 3 cards instead of 2 to loot.

Next iteration:

[deck]Raka Counterburn[/deck]

I traded in the Outbursts for Raise the Alarm. It is cheaper and an instant. I will miss extra Rabblemaster pumps. Added a second Chandra main. She has been doing good work for me. Added Erase to my sideboard to further fight Ascendency and Whip but lost my Impersonator in the process.

Gonna start running the stock list again, and test dig through time. In theory it is pretty bad, double blue mana is oppressive when you want to to be casting double red hordelingoutburst, and you want to have 3 cards instead of 2 to loot.

I Understand it all, but first (before Yuua's) I begin testing this deck with Dig. I play it like a combo where I try to chain Stokes for free and in that point Dig is awesome. I can attack without lethal and with 2 manas change the combat complete or if I feel it's not wort it keep for instant shenanigan in my opponent turn. If I play Dig only Hordeling will not be instant speed spell. But I will test it properly today's FNM and tomorrows tournament. Online people are now prepare for the deck and I'm thinking change for a list like Yuua's in PTQ if this 2 next tests in paper don't be what I think. My swiftspears don't do much the difference in this days' in MTGO, last night I was testing Yuua's list and it run better.

Chapin's article from yesterday gave me the idea to cut my Raise the Alarms and Negate for Treasure Cruise. They are probably helping more than what they replaced in non-Heroic matchups.

[deck]Raka Counterburn[/deck]

You have way too many 3cmc spells. For instance, I don't think Jeskai Charm is an auto four-of. I also think Hushwing Gryff is overkill if you also plan on running Disdainful Stroke. The nice thing about Raise the Alarm is that it immediately fills the yard for Treasure Cruise and also lowers the curve of your deck.

I agree that I am a bit clogged at 3 but I was before the change as well. My meta is full of Hornet Queen and Siege Rhino decks so Gryff is definitely a requirement somewhere in the 75, even with the Strokes. I have considered cutting the Brimaz but every time I do, I get into a situation where it pulls me out. The charms have done me too much good to want to cut them. Perhaps I shave the Cruises to just 2.

Tweaking continues. The question now is if I want Seeker or Raise the Alarm. I moved the Brimaz and the Chandras to the sideboard and put the Negate back in. 3 slots are free for two drops. Sideboard shaved a Negate, the Sarkhans, and the Keranos to make room for the cards from the main. I also cut the Angers for Arc Lightnings. I got sick of wiping my own board.

Since my deck is pretty locked in until the new set (I stripped out the Seekers again. I just don't like them.) here is my first draft for after FRF releases:

[deck]
Creatures
3 Soulfire Grand Master
3 Mantis Rider
3 Goblin Rabblemaster
3 Monastery Mentor

Spells
3 Wild Slash
3 Magma Jet
3 Lightning Strike
3 Jeskai Charm
4 Stoke the Flames
2 Treasure Cruise
3 Valorous Stance
2 Disdainful Stroke
2 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker

Land
4 Mystic Monastery
4 Flooded Strand
2 Island
2 Plains
1 Mountain
2 Shivan Reef
2 Battlefield Forge
3 Temple of Epiphany
3 Temple of Triumph

Sideboard
1 Disdainful Stroke
2 Negate
2 Erase
2 Glare of Heresy
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
2 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
2 Deflecting Palm
2 Ride Down
1 Keranos, God of Storms
[/deck]

Aside from the usual metagame shift, the real question that I am trying to answer is how badly the ground will be/stay gummed up. That might be the factor that makes or breaks Mentor vs just more flyers. Also, if the ground is reasonably free, Shaman of the Great Hunt becomes an excellent option at 4 instead of things like Ashcloud.

http://tinyurl.com/pmwwlyy

[deck]4 Mantis Rider
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
3 Seeker of the Way
2 Hordeling Outburst
2 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
4 Stormbreath Dragon

2 Dig Through Time
3 Jeskai Charm
4 Stoke the Flames
4 Lightning Strike
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
2 Magma Jet

4 Mystic Monastery
2 Temple of Epiphany
1 Mana Confluence
4 Temple of Triumph
3 Flooded Strand
2 Mountain
2 Island
2 Plains
1 Shivan Reef
4 Battlefield Forge

Sideboard
3 Disdainful Stroke
3 Hushwing Gryff
1 Scouring Sands
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
1 Anger of the Gods
2 Glare of Heresy
2 Magma Spray
2 Erase
[/deck]

Version 2

[deck]Jeskai[/deck]

I came to a few conclusions after some testing: Monastery Mentor is Rabblemaster 5+, not a replacement for him unless you have specific plans. 24th land lets you drop Magma Jet for more efficient burn spells. It also allows for Elspeth out of the board. The deck has a reduced need for counters with Valorous Stance. I may still want the 2 Strokes in the main deck but that would be about it. Stormbreath vs Sarkhan is a meta call.

[deck]Creatures:
1 Seeker of the Way
3 Soulfire Grand Master
4 Mantis Rider
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
1 Stormbreath Dragon

Spells:
3 Wild Slash
4 Jeskai Charm
4 Lightning Strike
4 Stoke the Flames
2 Dig Through Time
4 Hordeling Outburst
2 Valorous Stance

Lands:
3 Mystic Monastery
2 Mountain
2 Plains
2 Island
4 Flooded Strand
3 Battlefield Forge
2 Shivan Reef
2 Temple of Epiphany
4 Temple of Triumph


SB:
3 Disdainful Stroke
2 Negate
1 Dig Through Time
1 Glare of Heresy
1 Valorous Stance
1 Erase
3 Anger of the Gods
1 Font of Fortunes
1 Narset, Enlightened Master
1 Keranos, God of Storms[/deck]

Beats everything but control. Still working on fixing that matchup.

How have you liked Grandmaster? I have been on the fence between that and Seeker.

Grandmaster is the nuts and the taint. Rebuying spells in the mid late game is obviously awesome, but the lifelink mode on your burn spells lets you change the pacing of games.

And you haven't had issues swinging through Coursers and Caryatids? That is where I rely on Seeker.

No mentor? How do you beat whip?

You beat whip by countering it as it comes down or Erasing it. Killing all his stuff works as well.

0 counterspells and Erase mainboard, right? So, like, G1 seems super hard.

They don't have a lot of the hate cards to slow you down in G1. It isn't as bad as it seems.

Game 1 can be rough, but you can usually get there by killing there guys and attacking in the air. They also have a lot of draws that fold to early rabblemaster.

G2, you get to bring in a bunch of counterspells and anger of the gods. Anger does a big number on the sidisi decks in particular. Valorous stance also does good work taking out doomwake giants and tasigurs that slip through the cracks.

Also, gonna drop stormbreath and seeker to try 2 Prognostic Sphinx's in there place.

I like the list. Have you tried wingmate in place of stormbreath?
I don't like wingmate because I die to too many stormbreaths recently. For that reason sphinx main sounds really neat. I'm gonna pick up your list as you posted and start test there myself.

Wingmate was in the previous version of the deck and was pretty great yeah. I switched to sphinx to make the control matchup better and so that I don't have to worry about raid.

Any tips for jeskai tokens handling stormbreath dragon? just hope I draw stoke?

Either that, or build a big ass board and race that ass.

With Jeskai tokens, you are ALWAYS the beatdown. Anytime you're behind, your plan should be try to build a board state, draw ascendancy, kill them. Obviously if you have stoke, you stoke it, but barring that, go after their lifetotal.

This is partly why I went the route of the more aggressive burn oriented jeskai list actually. For one, you aren't as locked into a role and for 2, you can go more all in on soulfire grandmaster. Grandmaster is great in tokens since the lifelink gives you some leeway with switching roles, but in tokens, seeker is actually so much better since when you have ascendancy out, it's getting affectively double prowess.

Did a lot of testing tonight (as tokens).

Mardu seemed like a difficult matchup when it came to sideboarding...there are SO many variants they could be playing.

I think I am settling on this creature base:

4 Seeker
3 Rabble
2 mantis

Do I EVER side out ascendancy?

I cut one or two against sligh or any time I brought in elspeth. Otherwise no.

4-0 tonight with the deck I posted with only very minor sideboard changes. Only dropped one game and it was because I couldn't find my second red source. Stance is the real deal and Slash is an excellent replacement for Magma Jet.

I'm confused. How many decks are we talking about here? One person is talking about siding out Ascendancy, but the most recent list in the thread doesn't even contain it.

There are a few people talking Tokens. LP and I are talking about regular old Jeskai, as in the title of the thread.

any recommendations for good sb cards against ub control? wing mate has not been cutting it.

A lot of different variants of tokens this weekend. Wild slash seems to play best alongside Mentor.

I like Keranos against control. Other options being planeswalkers (limited removal for them) or counterspells for their removal. Wild Slash has been fantastic alongside Mentor and Seeker. A few Aggro/Burn lists at the top tables, as well as some token options.

I dislike Keranos. Maybe Ill try two sarkhans.

Why do you dislike Keranos? It is very hard to remove, and either bolts or draws a card each turn. The only downside is that it doesn't impact the board the turn it enters.

Keranos is good when you want to play a control role postboard. Why would you want to do this against control?

I am not trying to play control. I am trying to get reoccurring card advantage using hard to remove permanents to finish off my opponent. It helps to avoid running out of gas before killing our opponent.