Jeskai Control Deck Primer and Sideboard Guide

As the premier control deck of the Modern metagame that represents about 9% of the field, many players are picking up Jeskai Control. Javier Dominguez placed 3rd at the most recent pro tour with the deck, which many players are looking at as the blueprint for the archetype.

Creatures

3 Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury

4 Subtlety

With the release of Modern Horizons 3, the previously Azorius Control deck transitioned to Jeskai mainly for the legendary titan, Phlage. The ability to kill a creature with the damage while also gaining life can stabilize a control deck under pressure from an aggressive creature deck, like Eldrazi Tron or more notably Boros / Mardu Energy.The escape ability on Phlage also allows for it to remain a threat throughout the game despite it dying. Watch out for exile effects like Solitude, Kozilek’s Command and Static Prison.

A notable difference in this deck specifically compared to other builds of Jeskai Control is the exclusion of Solitude and increased number of Subtlety. In the pre-MH3 version of Azorius, a full playset of Solitude was considered incredibly necessary, with a couple of copies of Subtlety normally joining along. Solitude’s flexibility as a removal spell that can be important lifegain later was deemed unnecessary by Dominguez, opting for a playset of Subtlety due to the increased number of ETB effects present in the meta, as well as combos that can affect the game on resolution, like the Esper Goryo’s or Nadu deck.

I’d recommend these creatures in Jeskai Control :

2-4 Subtlety

2-3 Phlage

0-3 Solitude

Spells

4 Galvanic Discharge

1 Spell Snare

3 Tune the Narrative

4 Counterspell

3 Wrath of the Skies

4 Force of Negation

1 Supreme Verdict

1 Invert Polarity

2 Lorien Revealed

Now to the other reason this deck has gone Jeskai, Galvanic Discharge. This flexible removal spell allows early game threats like Ocelot Pride and Orcish Bowmasters to be dispersed of, while also acting as an energy generator for later copies of Wrath of the Skies. These two cards and Tune the Narrative serve as the common energy package in most to all Jeskai Control decks, as Wrath can turn into a 2 mana board wipe for everything up to 5 or 6 mana. Tune the Narrative is a cheap cantrip that also generates energy, and can be pitched to Force of Negation or Subtlety in a pinch.

The counterspell suite of the deck obviously contains a playset of Counterspell, as well as a full 4 Force of Negation and single Spell Snare and Invert Polarity. The full playset of Forces may initially come off as unusual, however with a certain 4 mana artifact that will be talked about later, the deck will often have a well-stocked and well-crafted hand that can afford to lose cards quite aggressively if need be.

One Invert and Spell Snare are counterspells for opposite points in the game, one for early game threats that especially serves useful on the draw, while the other can gain control of a win condition late in the game if Phlage has been exiled or not found yet.

Supreme Verdict represents redundancy as another board wipe that’s unreliant on energy, as well as uncounterable against tempo decks playing cheap creatures and plenty of counterspells. Lorien Revealed makes up about half a land in the count, putting this deck on about 23 lands, with this 5 mana sorcery also able to pitch to Force or Subtlety, while also restocking your hand if topdecked late.

I’d recommend these spells in Jeskai Control :

4 Galvanic Discharge

1-2 Spell Snare

2-4 Tune the Narrative

4 Counterspell

3-4 Wrath of the Skies

2-4 Force of Negation

0-4 Prismatic Ending

0-1 Supreme Verdict

0-2 Invert Polarity

0-1 Lorien Revealed

0-1 Archmage’s Charm

0-1 Consign to Memory

0-1 Stern Scolding

0-2 Sink Into Stupor

Others and Lands

2 Teferi, Time Raveler

2 Dress Down

4 The One Ring

4 Arid Mesa

4 Flooded Strand

1 Scalding Tarn

1 Meticulous Archive

1 Elegant Parlor

1 Thundering Falls

2 Hallowed Fountain

2 Steam Vents

1 Plains

1 Mountain

1 Island

1 Minamo, School at Water’s Edge

1 Monumental Henge

1 Mystic Gate

On the play especially, Teferi, Time Raveler’s ability to bounce a creature and draw a card while simultaneously denying any instant speed interaction is incredibly potent. Teferi counters a problem card for the Jeskai deck very well; Orcish Bowmasters as it forces a cast in response, to which it can plus to 5 and escape attacking territory. Also, resolving Teferi in the mirror or against any deck without significant pressure can be game ending, as the necessity to play at sorcery speed can kill some deck’s ability to win. Dress Down is one of the main flex slots in the 75, as a pitch to Subtlety and Force as well as a temporary answer to pesky creatures; at the very worst cycling in bad matchups.

Pro Tip : Play Dress Down on the turn 2 end step into a Phlage on turn 3 to have a 6/6 lightning helix every turn.

The One Ring is one of the boogeymen of the format, and the reason why this deck can function so efficiently. A resolved Ring can easily run away with the game, drawing 6-10 cards within reason before threatening your life total. Like mentioned earlier, the excess of cards that the Ring provides allows for a large mass of pitch cards to more easily disrupt the opponent.

Ensure to remember the protection from everything, denying access from cards like Thoughtseize or Grief.

If Ring is banned, expect this deck to fall off in popularity, as the lack of a serious draw engine would severely handicap it, as well as making mulligan decisions harder. In a traditional control deck, five lands and two spells would usually be a mulligan; however in Jeskai, a removal spell and The One Ring can win the game, as it just digs through so much of the deck.

Most of the land choices are fairly stock; 9 fetchlands is common for a 22-24 land deck, as well as one of each surveil land and one of each basic. 2 Steam Vents and 2 Hallowed Fountain is an interesting choice without the inclusion of a Sacred Foundry, but the difference is minimal.

The main difficulty of the land base is the speciality lands, with both Monumental Henge and Minamo acting as engines in a pinch. Minamo can untap the Ring once a turn, allowing the burden counter count to increase expeditiously, sometimes drawing 10 cards by the second turn of its resolution. Henge can dig for Phlage, Teferi, The One Ring or Minamo at the end of turn after holding up a counterspell to no action. Without a real Blood Moon deck in the format, these inclusions are fairly risk-free and can provide tons of upside in the right situations.

I’d recommend these Others and Lands in Jeskai Control :

2-4 Teferi, Time Raveler

4 The One Ring

0-2 Dress Down

0-4 Leyline Binding

4 Flooded Strand

4 Arid Mesa

1-2 Scalding Tarn

1 Plains

1 Mountain

1 Island

1-2 Steam Vents

1-2 Hallowed Fountain

0-1 Sacred Foundry

1-2 Meticulous Archive

1-2 Elegant Parlor

1-2 Thundering Falls

1 Mystic Gate

1 Minamo, School at Water’s Edge

0-1 Monumental Henge

0-1 Castle Vantress

0-1 Hall of the Storm Giants

Sideboard Guide

3 Consign to Memory

1 Soul-Guide Lantern

2 Celestial Purge

3 Drannith Magistrate

1 Wrath of the Skies

1 Invert Polarity

1 Mystical Dispute

1 Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury

1 Supreme Verdict

1 Commandeer

VS Nadu

Matchup Rating : 7 / 10

In :

+3 Consign to Memory

+1 Mystical Dispute

+1 Wrath of the Skies

+1 Supreme Verdict

Out :

-2 Teferi, Time Raveler

-2 Force of Negation

-1 Invert Polarity

-1 Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury

Trimming on counterspells to minimize the dead cards in hand to an Urza’s Saga game plan, as well as slower three mana cards that trade less favorably to the deck’s large mass of creatures. Bringing in Consign to counter Shuko and Saga fetches or Springheart Nantuko tokens in a pinch.

VS Energy

Matchup Rating : 8 /10

In :

+1 Wrath of the Skies

+1 Supreme Verdict

+1 Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury

+1 Soul-Guide Lantern

+2 Celestial Purge

+2 Drannith Magistrate

Out :

-1 Invert Polarity

-2 Teferi, Time Raveler

-4 Force of Negation

-1 Tune the Narrative

Bringing in board wipes, Phlage to gain life and kill creatures, Soul-Guide to exile opposing Phlages, as well as Celestial Purge as a 2 mana answer anything, and Drannith Magistrate to stop casts off Amped Raptor, Phlage, and Unstable Amulet. Static Prison can be a problem for removing The One Ring and Phlage as well as Bonecrusher Giant getting through protection, so prioritize keeping board wipes in hand first.

VS Ruby Storm

Matchup Rating 5 / 10

In :

+3 Consign to Memory

+3 Drannith Magistrate

+1 Commandeer

Out :

-1 Subtlety

-3 Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury

-1 Supreme Verdict

-1 Dress Down

Consign to Memory for Ruby Medallion and Ral transforming, Drannith Magistrate to stop impulse like effects from casting from exile, as well as Past in Flames and Wish, and Commandeer to steal spells in a pinch (better than a Supreme Verdict or Dress Down in this matchup.)

VS Jeskai Control

Matchup Rating : 5 / 10

In :

+1 Commandeer

+3 Consign to Memory

+1 Invert Polarity

+1 Mystical Dispute

+1 Soul-Guide Lantern

+1 Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury

Out :

-1 Supreme Verdict

-2 Dress Down

-2 Wrath of the Skies

-1 Tune the Narrative

-1 Galvanic Discharge

-1 Spell Snare

These sideboard choices are fairly self-explanatory. Take out creature removal against the control deck, sideboard in Soul-Guide for Phlage, counterspells to win the battle on the stack, and another Phlage to have another recursive threat in deck.

Vs Eldrazi

Matchup Rating : 3/10

In :

+3 Consign to Memory

+1 Invert Polarity

+1 Supreme Verdict

+1 Wrath of the Skies

Out :

-2 Teferi, Time Raveler

-1 Spell Snare

-2 Force of Negation

-1 Lorien Revealed

Although its one of the toughest matchups for the deck, Consign to Memory can help, hitting every card on the stack, as well as cast triggers of cards like Devourer of Destiny and Sowing Mycospawn. Try to be as aggressive as possible with Subtlety early game, and prioritize The One Ring as a way to draw out answers.

VS Esper Goryo’s

Matchup Rating : 9.5 / 10

In :

+1 Mystical Dispute

+1 Soul-Guide Lantern

+2 Celestial Purge

+1 Consign to Memory

Out :

-1 Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury

-1 Tune the Narrative

-1 Galvanic Discharge

-1 Lorien Revealed

-1 Supreme Verdict

As probably the most favorable matchup for Jeskai Control in the meta, the lack of pressure from this deck can allow you turns to set up and craft a hand. Always hold fetches on the end step if you suspect they have Goryo’s, as they can do it in response to your fetch. Grief is the main card that causes this matchup to become unfavorable, so play around that and countering the main combo; as no other card can run you over alone.

VS FrogTide

Matchup Rating : 6 / 10

In:

+1 Mystical Dispute

+1 Soul-Guide Lantern

+1 Supreme Verdict

Out :

-1 Dress Down

-1 Invert Polarity

-1 Force of Negation

A very close matchup that can swing either way depending on Orcish Bowmaster triggers and how quick a Murktide Regent can land, as Jeskai can have trouble dealing with high mana cost, high toughness creatures. Extra copies of Spell Snare are useful as ever in this matchup. Resolve The One Ring or Teferi and the game should become very favorable.

VS Living End

Matchup Rating : 10 / 10

In :

+1 Mystical Dispute

+1 Soul-Guide Lantern

+3 Drannith Magistrate

+3 Consign to Memory

+1 Supreme Verdict

Out :

-4 Subtlety

-1 Spell Snare

-1 Invert Polarity

-3 Galvanic Discharge

This is as close to a bye as matchups get. The excess of counterspells in the 75 as well as disruptive pieces like Drannith Magistrate to prevent cascade as well as Consign to Memory to counter the cascade trigger makes Living End nothing to worry about.

VS Mono B Necro

Matchup Rating : 7.5 / 10

In :

+2 Celestial Purge

+1 Invert Polarity

+1 Commandeer

Out :

-2 Dress Down

-1 Supreme Verdict

-1 Lorien Revealed

This matchup revolves around the same type of dynamic as the Goryo’s deck, with a low pressure gameplan that can get much better after the titular card is played. Grief scam makes this matchup more difficult to answer, as the 4/3 body of disruption can pressure the life total too much. Landing Teferi is especially important, as it can stop all the pitch spell casts on the Necro player’s end step before discarding.

VS Tron

Matchup Rating : 2/10

In :

+3 Consign to Memory

+1 Commandeer

+1 Invert Polarity

Out :

-1 Supreme Verdict

-3 Galvanic Discharge

-1 Dress Down

Tron has always beat Azorius Control in Modern, and this matchup is really no exception. They have the tools to go overtop of control no matter what, and without an early Subtlety or Phlage, it’s very difficult to beat it without land destruction sideboard cards.

I’d recommend these alternate sideboard cards for Jeskai Control :

Suncleanser

Stern Scolding

Unlicensed Hearse

Pyroclasm

Anger of the Gods

Prismatic Ending

Wear // Tear

Leyline of Sanctity

Teferi, Time Raveler

Hullbreaker Horror

Damping Sphere

Rest in Peace

Obsidian Charmaw

Dress Down

Dovin’s Veto

Temporary Lockdown

Narset, Parter of Veils

Solemnity

Rending Volley

Aether Gust

For a full decklist, specifically the one for this article, click here.