Welcome back to another installment of Stream Gems! Today I am going to breakdown Elves, Jeskai Thing Ascension, and Temur Kiki Evolution. I'll be talking a bit about what makes each deck powerful, and diving into some sideboarding suggestions for each archetype against some of the more common matchups in Modern.

First up we have what I think is one of the most underrated aggressive decks in Modern currently:

B/G Elves | Modern | Jeff Hoogland

• Creatures (34)
• 2 Ezuri, Renegade Leader
• 4 Dwynen's Elite
• 4 Elves of Deep Shadow
• 4 Elvish Archdruid
• 4 Elvish Clancaller
• 4 Elvish Mystic
• 4 Heritage Druid
• 4 Llanowar Elves
• 4 Shaman of the Pack

• Instants (4)
• 4 Collected Company

• Sorceries (4)
• 4 Lead the Stampede

• Lands (18)
• 4 Forest
• 1 Horizon Canopy
• 4 Blooming Marsh
• 4 Cavern of Souls
• 4 Gilt-Leaf Palace
• 1 Pendelhaven

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Abrupt Decay
• 4 Damping Sphere
• 2 Surgical Extraction
• 1 Maelstrom Pulse
• 2 Reclamation Sage
• 2 Thoughtseize
• 2 Scavenging Ooze

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This deck has linear draws that can kill as early as turn three, on the back of explosiveness provided by Heritage Druid and reach from Shaman of the Pack. It can go wide to match other creature decks, while also being able to go over the top of them on the back of lords and Ezuri, Renegade Leader.

Playing both Lead the Stampede and Collected Company gives our aggressive deck an absurd amount of grind against decks that are interested in playing longer games of Magic as well. Elves tends to struggle a bit against faster linear combo decks like Storm that win the game without playing to the board.

You can find an archive of me playing Elves on stream here and below you will find my sideboarding notes for this current iteration of Elves against some of the more popular decks in Modern.

VS Tron

In:

• 4 Damping Sphere
• 2 Reclamation Sage (on the draw)

Out:

• 4 Lead the Stampede
• 2 Ezuri, Renegade Leader (on the draw)

VS Humans

In:

• 2 Abrupt Decay
• 1 Maelstrom Pulse

Out:

• 3 Lead the Stampede

VS Control

In:

• 2 Scavenging Ooze
• 2 Reclamation Sage

Out:

• 2 Ezuri, Renegade Leader
• 2 Elves of Deep Shadow

VS Hollow One

In:

• 2 Scavenging Ooze
• 1 Maelstrom Pulse
• 1 Reclamation Sage

Out:

• 4 Lead the Stampede

VS Burn

In:

• 2 Scavenging Ooze
• 2 Abrupt Decay

Out:

• 4 Lead the Stampede

VS Mardu Pyromancer

In:

• 2 Scavenging Ooze
• 1 Maelstrom Pulse
• 1 Reclamation Sage

Out:

• 4 Elvish Clancaller

VS Robots

In:

• 2 Abrupt Decay
• 2 Reclamation Sage
• 1 Maelstrom Pulse

Out:

• 4 Lead the Stampede
• 1 Elvish Clancaller

VS Storm

In:

• 4 Damping Sphere
• 2 Thoughtseize
• 2 Surgical Extraction

Out:

• 4 Lead the Stampede
• 4 Elvish Clancaller

VS Bridge Vine

In:

• 2 Scavenging Ooze
• 2 Surgical Extraction

Out:

• 4 Lead the Stampede

Jeskai Thing Ascension | Modern | Jeff Hoogland

• Creatures (6)
• 2 Bedlam Reveler
• 4 Thing in the Ice

• Instants (20)
• 4 Lightning Bolt
• 4 Lightning Helix
• 4 Manamorphose
• 4 Opt
• 4 Path to Exile

• Sorceries (12)
• 4 Faithless Looting
• 4 Serum Visions
• 4 Sleight of Hand

• Enchantments (4)
• 4 Pyromancer Ascension

• Lands (18)
• 1 Mountain
• 1 Plains
• 2 Island
• 1 Hallowed Fountain
• 1 Sacred Foundry
• 2 Steam Vents
• 3 Scalding Tarn
• 3 Spirebluff Canal
• 4 Flooded Strand

• Sideboard (15)
• 3 Alpine Moon
• 2 Anger of the Gods
• 2 Monastery Mentor
• 2 Negate
• 3 Surgical Extraction
• 3 Wear // Tear

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This next deck is something that I often describe as a "Combo Burn Deck". We look to either get a Thing in the Ice or Pyromancer Ascension into play as soon as possible to get online. Once Thing in the Ice flips, it often ends the game fairly quickly. Ascension in conjunction with Lightning Bolt and Lightning Helix also end the game fairly quickly.

The entire deck gets pulled together by the absurd number of card selection we play with Serum Visions, Sleight of Hand, Opt, Faithless Looting, and Manamorphose. Manamorphose is especially powerful when Ascension is active because it actually creates additional mana for us when two copies resolve.

You can find an archive of me playing Jeskai Thing Ascension on stream here and below you will find my sideboarding notes for this current iteration against some of the more popular decks in Modern.

VS Tron

In:

• 3 Alpine Moon
• 2 Negate

Out:

• 2 Bedlam Reveler
• 2 Path to Exile
• 1 Faithless Looting

VS Humans

In:

• 2 Anger of the Gods

Out:

• 2 Bedlam Reveler

VS Control

In:

• 2 Monastery Mentor
• 2 Negate
• 2 Wear // Tear

Out:

• 4 Path to Exile
• 2 Faithless Looting

VS Hollow One

In:

• 2 Surgical Extraction

Out:

• 2 Bedlam Reveler

VS Burn

In:

• 2 Negate

Out:

• 2 Bedlam Reveler

VS Mardu Pyromancer

In:

• 2 Monastery Mentor
• 2 Wear // Tear

Out:

• 4 Path to Exile

VS Robots

In:

• 2 Anger of the Gods
• 3 Wear // Tear

Out:

• 2 Bedlam Reveler
• 3 Faithless Looting

VS Storm

In:

• 2 Negate
• 3 Surgical Extraction

Out:

• 4 Path to Exile
• 1 Bedlam Reveler

VS Bridge Vine

In:

• 3 Surgical Extraction
• 2 Anger of the Gods

Out:

• 2 Bedlam Reveler
• 3 Faithless Looting

Temur Kiki | Modern | Jeff Hoogland

• Creatures (30)
• 1 Eternal Witness
• 1 Goblin Chainwhirler
• 1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
• 1 Pestermite
• 1 Shaman of the Great Hunt
• 3 Bounding Krasis
• 3 Scavenging Ooze
• 3 Tireless Tracker
• 4 Birds of Paradise
• 4 Bloodbraid Elf
• 4 Coiling Oracle
• 4 Strangleroot Geist

• Instants (4)
• 4 Lightning Bolt

• Sorceries (3)
• 3 Eldritch Evolution

• Lands (23)
• 1 Island
• 1 Mountain
• 3 Forest
• 1 Breeding Pool
• 1 Rootbound Crag
• 2 Botanical Sanctum
• 2 Copperline Gorge
• 2 Scalding Tarn
• 2 Steam Vents
• 2 Stomping Ground
• 2 Wooded Foothills
• 4 Misty Rainforest

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Abrade
• 2 Alpine Moon
• 2 Damping Sphere
• 1 Fulminator Mage
• 1 Goblin Chainwhirler
• 1 Obstinate Baloth
• 2 Reclamation Sage
• 2 Roast
• 1 Scab-Clan Berserker
• 1 Tireless Tracker

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As a lover of creature combo decks, this last one today is near and dear to my heart - Temur Kiki Evolution. This is an aggressively slanted deck that looks to pressure its opponent's life total with hasty threats like Strangleroot Geist, Shaman of the Great Hunt, and Bloodbraid Elf. We back up this aggressive package with a toolbox powered by a few copies of Eldritch Evolution. This toolbox includes a copy of Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker which can go infinite with our copies of Bounding Krasis and Pestermite.

You can find an archive of me playing Temur Kiki Evolution on stream here and below you will find my sideboarding notes for this current iteration against some of the more popular decks in Modern.

VS Tron

In:

• 2 Alpine Moon
• 2 Damping Sphere
• 1 Scab-Clan Berserker
• 1 Fulminator Mage
• 1 Reclamation Sage

Out:

VS Humans

In:

• 2 Abrade
• 1 Goblin Chainwhirler
• 2 Roast

Out:

• 4 Strangleroot Geist
• 1 Shaman of the Great Hunt

VS Control

In:

• 1 Fulminator Mage
• 2 Reclamation Sage
• 1 Scab-Clan Berserker
• 1 Tireless Tracker

Out:

• 3 Birds of Paradise
• 1 Goblin Chainwhirler
• 1 Eldritch Evolution

VS Hollow One

In:

• 2 Abrade
• 2 Roast
• 1 Obstinate Baloth
• 1 Reclamation Sage

Out:

• 3 Tireless Tracker
• 1 Goblin Chainwhirler
• 2 Lightning Bolt

VS Burn

In:

• 1 Scab-Clan Berserker
• 1 Obstinate Baloth
• 2 Abrade

Out:

• 3 Tireless Tracker
• 1 Goblin Chainwhirler

VS Mardu Pyromancer

In:

• 1 Tireless Tracker
• 1 Scab-Clan Berserker
• 1 Goblin Chainwhirler
• 1 Obstinate Baloth

Out:

• 4 Birds of Paradise

VS Robots

In:

• 2 Abrade
• 2 Reclamation Sage
• 1 Goblin Chainwhirler

Out:

• 3 Tireless Tracker
• 2 Scavenging Ooze

VS Storm

In:

• 2 Damping Sphere
• 2 Abrade
• 1 Scab-Clan Berserker

Out:

• 3 Tireless Tracker
• 1 Eternal Witness
• 1 Bloodbraid Elf

VS Bridge Vine

In:

• 1 Goblin Chainwhirler
• 1 Obstinate Baloth
• 1 Abrade

Out:

• 3 Tireless Tracker