Standard: Jeskai Talents - Deck Tech and Sideboard Guide

Standard is full of surprises right now! One of them is the new Jeskai Control, also called Jeskai Talents.

This deck's strategy focuses on the new Bloomburrow (BLB) classes, and combines an efficient and powerful removal package with a good number of tokens that will finish the game for you.

Ral, Crackling Wit and Archangel Elspeth are this deck's planeswalkers. Ral is one of the best cards in the format nowadays, and its abilities have a lot of synergy with decks that play lots of spells. However, its most relevant ability for this deck is its +1's prowess tokens. Elspeth plays the same role; her +1 creates lifelink tokens, and her -2 makes them more powerful. Both of their ultimates are quite strong.

However, this deck is named after Talents, so they are also critical for its strategy. Builder's Talent and Caretaker's Talent will be your engines: they'll put more tokens in play and buff them, and also give you some recursion to keep creating and playing tokens. You can even bring back a planeswalker you lost in combat with these cards.

Nonetheless, the most crucial feature in this deck are its removals. Its control game plan needs a wide array of removals that can deal with the wide array of aggro decks that this format welcomes nowadays. Gruul, Red, Boros, and many others execute a fast and solid game plan, so being able to interact with your opponent effectively is crucial to survive the new Standard metagame.

Beza, the Bounding Spring is another interesting card in this list. It has popped up in the meta quite often and plays an important role in Jeskai Talents: it gives you all the resources you need, namely board presence, life, and card draw. Furthermore, it is a creature with an impactful body, and also costs only four mana.

Another great card in this deck is Fountainport, a utility land that gains a lot of value with this deck's token engine, creates its own tokens, and lets you accelerate your mana curve.

Mulligan and Game Style

As you'll be playing a control deck, you'll need to be reactive, and always play around your opponent's actions. Prioritize initial hands with enough lands to develop your game plan, as well as removals to deal with your opponent's threats. Three Steps Ahead is interesting in decks like this one, as it gives you more versatility and is way more than just a simple counter.

Vs. Jeskai Convoke

The newest Convoke is one of the main aggro decks in the format right now, and combines the resilience from the Boros version with the consistency of blue. Blue has thus replaced a few key cards this deck lost to the latest rotation, and added a few new elements, like Protect the Negotiators and Spyglass Siren.

Temporary Lockdown is your best card in this matchup, and your removals will be essential. Control your opponent's board and try to disrupt them at all costs to stop them from developing their game plan. One well-played Imodane's Recruiter is practically the end of the game for you.

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Vs. Domain Ramp

I believe this matchup is more favorable to Jeskai. Domain will follow their ramp game plan, and all you'll need to do is to develop your own game plan and answer your opponent's key pieces.

Post-side, they might add more counters to trade better with you, but Jeskai is still favored in that front and its control approach is more effective than Domain's. As the game goes on, this difference widens, but be careful: a resolved Atraxa may unclog your opponent's game plan.

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Vs. Orzhov Tokens

This matchup is almost a mirror. Orzhov will follow the same game plan as you, but without blue and playing black to make up for it. I still consider Jeskai is favored in this matchup.

Your game plan will be to play around your opponent and take control of the game bit by bit. Furthermore, Orzhov nearly always loses the value race. So, even if they can delay your game plan, you can just deal damage to your opponent bit by bit until they're in the range of Lightning Helix and you can burn your life points with four Helix at once. It will be a long game, but not impossible to win.

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As you'll need to grind in this matchup, I prefer to play with 61 cards post-side.

Vs. Golgari Midrange

This is probably one of the worst matchups for this deck. Golgari can attack your resources and punish you, all while consistently putting pressure on the board. On the other side, you can win this game if you stay focused and deal with the right threats.

Golgari's weakest spots in this matchup are most likely their removals, which can't easily deal with Jeskai's pieces. Nonetheless, the Vraska, Betrayal's Sting combo still commands respect.

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Vs. Gruul Prowess

This is the most efficient aggro deck in Standard right now. This matchup will be complex because Gruul has many threats that can potentially kill you, and it is also extremely resilient and fast. Use your life points as much as you can and, under no circumstances, pass your turn without leftover mana.

Your global removals should work overtime in this matchup. Avoid hands with too many tap lands, or hands that are just too greedy.

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Jeskai Talents is a fun deck that should be more explored in the future. As more sets will soon come along, I'm excited to see how this archetype will develop.

What about you? What did you think of this list? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below!

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!