About Jeskai Scepter ChantIn today's article, we'll explore a Modern Jeskai Scepter Chant list. This control build uses white, blue, and red tools as well as the very fun Isochron Scepter to create value.Isochron Scepter, the Main PieceIsochron Scepter and Orim’s Chant are the main pieces in this strategy. Most MTG players know Scepter because, for many years, it has enabled many annoying control lines with cards like Silence, for instance. Chant, in turn, is another effect that doesn't let the opponent cast cards, but it is more versatile than what most players used to play.This obvious interaction doesn't make this deck just a 2-card combo, on the contrary. Instead, this list has an entire control structure around Scepter, with counters, removals, and some great card selection tools. This is important because a plan centered around finding and resolving Isochron Scepter and praying it stays in play would be too fragile for Modern. In this case, this artifact boosts the Jeskai Control shell around it.The best way to understand this list is to see Isochron Scepter as a factory of "repeated effects", but it can do lots of different things. Orim's Chant will lock down the opponent in a broader way, but lines with other options, like Counterspell, will allow you to lock down the opponent in different ways throughout the game. This is a pretty interactive list that is often quite annoying for the opponent.The DeckThe version we'll see today showed up in the hands of a player called stefansson30952, who performed reasonably well with it at a Modern Challenge. It's a pretty traditional Jeskai Control list, but it plays Isochron Scepter to boost some of its best outs.Here it is:The Scepter KitOrim's Chant is key to understanding why this list plays Isochron Scepter as well. By itself, it is already a strong interaction, as it stops enemy attacks and combos, carves a path forward, and delays the opponent. With Scepter, it is a lot more consistent. Together, they'll essentially force the opponent to answer the Scepter or find a way to play around this lock. Counterspell on your Scepter is another way to disarm the opponent, and it gives you access to more classic counters. When you Imprint it on your Scepter, you will put your opponent in a very difficult position.Galvanic Discharge is pretty fun because it's essentially an easy removal. This card will give you energy counters that you can then spend to remove increasingly bigger cards with tools like Wrath of the Skies. Consult the Star Charts, finally, is another great card to Imprint on the Scepter. Like so, you'll be able to sift through your cards constantly, and it gets better as the turns go on. It's everything a real control list wants.Card Draw and ConsistencyWan Shi Tong, Librarian opens up many possibilities. It has Flash and evasion and draws cards when the opponent goes through their deck, which is wonderful with fetchlands, tutors, and lands like Field of Ruin. This ability gives you a lot more value than it seems, particularly because the card itself grows as you use it. It is not a traditional win condition for control lists, but it is a threat that enters play at instant speed and interacts well with the reactive nature of this strategy. It often turns into a beater bit by bit.Teferi, Hero of Dominaria is still one of the best ways to control the game, stabilize, and eventually win. It draws cards, untaps lands, and eventually takes over the match if it stays in play long enough to activate its ult. In this list, the fact it untaps lands is even more relevant, as this way you can progress your game plan without completely abandoning the idea of activating Scepter or holding an interaction in your hand.Interactions and RemovalsGalvanic Discharge is the main red removal in this deck. It deals with small and average-sized creatures really well and is quite efficient early on. It works almost like a Lightning Bolt. Jeskai strategies perform better if you don't spend your first few turns on creatures, and playing Bolt on a Birds of Paradise or similar is always a great idea, so this cheap removal is great. It is fundamental, in fact. After all, your main game plan includes setting up heavier strategies later on, so you'll have to control the board in some way before you get to that point.Solitude is an emergency answer and also a clean removal for bigger creatures. In control decks, being able to interact without mana is critical because you won't always be able to save mana. At the same time, when you cast it normally, Solitude also leaves a relevant body behind and helps you stabilize the board.Prismatic Ending only sees play in this strategy as a single copy, but it deals with an important array of problematic permanents. It is particularly useful against cheap pieces that are immune to traditional removals, like enchantments, artifacts, or creatures that you need to push out of the board immediately. As for Wrath of the Skies, it is the versatile board wipe in this list. It scales with energy counters and is critical against decks that put small creatures in play before you can stabilize.TeferisTeferi, Time Raveler plays a clear role in this list. It makes it harder for the opponent to interact on your turn, acts as backup when you try to resolve your important pieces, returns a permanent to your hand, and draws a card. Teferi, Hero of Dominaria, on the other side, is a late-game piece. It doesn't need to come into play early, but, when you're a bit more stable, it is often one of the best cards in this deck. Drawing one card per turn and untapping lands allows you to keep interacting with the opponent. Like so, you can keep putting pressure in terms of resources but not stick your neck out too far.These two Teferis allow you to not rely as much on Scepter to win. In some matches, your main game plan is locking down the opponent with Orim's Chant. In others, your best bet is playing the long game, answering to the right threats, and letting your planeswalkers do the rest.The Mana BaseModern mana bases are great at balancing three colors without giving up utility lands or consistency. Flooded Strand, Arid Mesa, and Scalding Tarn fix your colors, while Hallowed Fountain, Steam Vents, Elegant Parlor, and Thundering Falls will give you access to the color combinations you need throughout the match.Field of Ruin is important because it deals with problematic lands and also interacts with Wan Shi Tong, Librarian, as it forces the opponent to go through their own deck. Hall of Storm Giants is a win condition and part of your mana base, which is always welcome in control lists, while Otawara, Soaring City is a flexible answer because of Channel. They both save space in your deck.Meticulous Archive and Monumental Henge will also do a little more than just create mana. Archive's Surveil can improve draws in long matches, whereas Henge makes this deck more consistent.SideboardThis sideboard is adapted to the classic problems Modern faces nowadays. It plays 4 copies of Consign to Memory, which will make the matchups against colorless spells, triggered abilities, and permanents that are difficult to deal with a lot better. Mystical Dispute is great against blue decks, particularly when the match turns into a "counter war", and because it deals with the other common problematic blue spells. Furthermore, you can use it as a counter in emergencies.High Noon is quite relevant against decks that cast lots of spells in a row, like Burn and Storm, and fits this Jeskai list really well, as it usually performs better when you play one important spell per turn and try to keep the game under control. Rest in Peace and Surgical Extraction deal with graveyard strategies. They're pretty direct answers for a problem that the main deck can't really deal with.Voice of Victory will protect your important turns and be quite annoying to opponents that want to interact on your turn. As for the second copy of Supreme Verdict, it improves creature-based matchups, particularly when spot removals aren't enough to deal with the enemy board.Final WordsI always enjoy exploring lists that have adapted to certain conditions and incorporated unusual ideas. As I said at the beginning of the article, locking down the opponent with Isochron Scepter is nothing new. In fact, it saw play in the past with Silence. However, Orim's Chant performs a lot better in a list like this because you can cast it from your hand through Kicker to stop attacks in emergencies. Modern is quite dynamic and allows us to experiment like this, and this list is a perfect example of that. It's a clear evolution of a past archetype.What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.Thank you for reading, and see you next time!
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