Turn-Two Kill in Modern

By Shuhei Nakamura

Shuhei Nakamura is a member of the Pro Tour Hall of Fame, former Player of the Year, and is one of just six players with more than 400 lifetime pro points.

DailyMTG is catching you up on some of the best articles from the past year while our whole crew enjoys the holidays. We’re replaying some of our authors' most popular works and some of your favorites December 15–26, but don’t be surprised if we have a special present or two for you somewhere during the holidays…

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Although the previous decks this week have been for the Legacy format, I'd like to close out the week with a Modern deck. There is no way I could not showcase this deck, as it's one capable of a turn-two kill.

It's pretty simple. Here's how: turn one, play Birds of Paradise or Noble Hierarch. Then play Jeskai Ascendancy, follow that up with Gitaxian Probe and other spells that can be cast for zero mana. Your mana creatures will get +1/+1 and untap from the first ability of Jeskai Ascendancy, and the second ability of the enchantment as well as the extra draw from the Probes, etc., will keep the sequence going as you dig through your library. After you've done this twenty times, attack with your now-20/21 Birds of Paradise.

Blocker in the way? No problem. Just draw your entire library and throw off a 50-point Grapeshot.

Where do you get the mana, you say? No problem—with Jeskai Ascendancy out, your zero-mana spells untap your mana creatures, netting you one mana, and casting Cerulean Wisps on a mana creature untaps it twice, netting you another mana as well.

Just looking at this deck gives me the shivers.

Modern Jeskai Ascendancy

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Creature (14)

4 Sylvan Caryatid 4 Noble Hierarch 4 Birds of Paradise 2 Arbor Elf

Sorcery (20)

3 Treasure Cruise 4 Gitaxian Probe 4 Glittering Wish 1 Grapeshot 4 Serum Visions 4 Sleight of Hand

Instant (7)

1 Noxious Revival 3 Manamorphose 3 Cerulean Wisps

Enchantment (3)

3 Jeskai Ascendancy

Land (16)

4 Mana Confluence 4 Verdant Catacombs 1 Dryad Arbor 2 Breeding Pool 2 Stomping Ground 1 Temple Garden 2 Wooded Foothills

60 Cards

Sideboard (15)

1 Manamorphose 1 Jeskai Ascendancy 2 Swan Song 1 Flesh/Blood 1 Simic Charm 1 Abrupt Decay 1 Rakdos Charm 2 Leyline of Sanctity 1 Maelstrom Pulse 1 Firespout 1 Guttural Response 1 Wheel of Sun and Moon 1 Meddling Mage