Hey everyone!

I played in Grand Prix Indianapolis a couple weeks ago and I ended up with a great Modern deck. If you recall I must have played 10 different decks to prepare for the event because nothing felt quite right to me. My favorite way to play Magic is to establish a quick clock backed with disruption and also have very few dead draws in the late game. Unfortunately this didn’t exist and I had to build my own deck. All of the midrange decks were plagued with late game Inquisition of Kozilek and Mana Leaks; no more I say!

Here’s what I decided to jam:

Jeskai Flash ? Modern | Kyle Boggemes

• Creatures (13)
• 2 Vendilion Clique
• 3 Restoration Angel
• 4 Snapcaster Mage
• 4 Spell Queller

• Spells (23)
• 2 Spell Snare
• 3 Cryptic Command
• 3 Lightning Helix
• 3 Remand
• 4 Lightning Bolt
• 4 Path to Exile
• 4 Serum Visions

• Lands (24)
• 1 Mountain
• 1 Plains
• 3 Island
• 1 Glacial Fortress
• 1 Hallowed Fountain
• 1 Sacred Foundry
• 2 Steam Vents
• 2 Sulfur Falls
• 4 Celestial Colonnade
• 4 Flooded Strand
• 4 Scalding Tarn

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Negate
• 1 Rest in Peace
• 2 Stony Silence
• 1 Celestial Purge
• 3 Ancestral Vision
• 2 Dispel
• 2 Grafdigger's Cage
• 1 Izzetstaticaster
• 1 Runed Halo

Buy This Deck

My inspiration was the U/W Flash deck with Spellskite and Spell Queller that gained some traction on the SCG circuit. Modern is a very diverse format so I didn’t want to only play Blue and White. The issue with Blue is that it lacks removal and White has Path to Exile and nothing else. Sure, I can play Oust and Sunlance, but what happens in matchups where I don’t care about killing creatures? Rather than mindlessly blow up creatures I want to be able to point removal at my opponent’s dome; that’s where Lightning Bolt and Lightning Helix enter the fray.

I’m sure the biggest question mark you all have is “just how good is Spell Queller?” Nobody played UWR Flash in a couple years; is Queller good enough to revitalize the archetype?

Yes!

This card is even more powerful in Modern than it is in Standard. It sounds like hyperbole, but it’s true. Since Modern is so diverse most decks can’t actually kill Spell Queller. I can flash it in on turn three against removal decks since it will die anyway. It’s a ? body that fights well against Lingering Souls so it’s better than Vendilion Clique against Abzan.

Since my plan is to try and counter every spell so it’s important to be able to interact with Cavern of Souls. Spell Queller can exile uncounterable spells which was previously the hole in the Modern control plan.

Here are some things to note with Spell Queller in Modern:

1. It can exile Abrupt Decay in addition to Cavern of Souls creatures because they are exiled and not countered.
2. Path to Exile can exile Spell Queller with the trigger on the stack to permanently exile a spell. It’s also possible to do with Lightning Bolt and Lightning Helix, but not as exciting.
3. Restoration Angel doesn’t work favorably with Spell Queller. You can’t blink it with the trigger on the stack to permanently exile a spell. This is because Spell Queller must counter a spell when it enters the battlefield; it will re-counter the spell.
4. It’s all right to flash in Queller on turn three because then you can exile a spell by blinking it with Restoration Angel on the following turn. Remember that Restoration Angel doesn’t have to blink out a creature when she enters the battlefield.
5. I didn’t do this in the tournament, but you can also exile your own spells. This seems like a dumb thing to do, but there are some times I would do it. When Path to Exile targets Arcbound Ravager it will be sacrificed in response. Once they try to fizzle the path you can counter it so there’s a ? flying blocker that paths a creature when it dies.

I want to start with the mana base. There are only 24 lands despite playing six 4-drops. This is because I have early draw spells like Serum Visions and Remand to find lands. Since Remand replaces itself I don’t have to play a dead top-deck like Mana Leak. Remember that Remand can counter uncounterable spells to at least draw a card.

The mana curve is very low in this deck: 4 Path to Exile, 4 Lightning Bolt, 4 Serum Visions, and 2 Spell Snare can be played on the first turn. It’s ok to miss your fourth land drop because I can interact with cheap spells until my lands show up.

Lightning Helix over-performed for me because most combo decks revolve around creatures. Since Brandon Burton won the GP with Burn, it may rise in popularity in the near term and I have a fantastic matchup against it.

Cryptic Command looks out of place, but it’s an instant that creates card advantage. Since UWR Flash can play out like a tempo deck I also found it useful to tap my opponent’s creatures to win a race with flyers. Late game Snapcaster Mages flash back Cryptics so it’s key to have 4 Blue mana sources once you have 6 mana. There are 3 non-Blue sources in the deck- Plains, Mountain, and Sacred Foundry.

Since Lightning Helix and Cryptic Command are color-intensive I couldn’t find room for a Ghost Quarter. If you think Tron will be popular, it’s reasonable to play one Ghost Quarter as your 25th land.

This deck is land-light on purpose. Serum Visions lets you keep spell-heavy hands and I want to draw lots of gas against B/G midrange decks like Jund and Abzan. There are also 4 Celestial Colonnades to take down Liliana of the Veil because that planeswalker gives me headaches.

Here are how some of the popular matchups play out:

Affinity

This might be your best matchup. I like to hold up Spell Snare on turn one for Steel Overseer, Arcbound Ravager, and Cranial Plating. Spell Queller is one of your best cards because it’s capable of flashing in to eat creature lands, Vault Skirge, and Signal Pest. I like to eat Memnite last because Snapcaster Mage can trade with it later in the game.

The only card that actually matters is Etched Champion. If you make sure and counter the champion with Spell Queller and Cryptic Command the game will remain under control. When Affinity is popular I would suggest an additional Runed Halo in the sideboard to gain protection from Etched Champion. Note that the champion is only a 2/2 when Stony Silence is in play. The ways to pump up Etched Champion are artifacts so it’s less scary after sideboard.

-3 Remand -1 Vendilion Clique

+2 Stony Silence +1 Runed Halo +1 Izzet Staticaster

Burn

This is another great matchup. I played 3 main deck Lightning Helix because I expected a lot of Goblin Guides in the event. Spell Queller is once again very powerful, but I don’t like to play it on turn three. It’s best to play it with counter backup for Searing Blaze. Hold onto Spell Snare in Game 1 as long as you can to set up this play. This is easier after sideboard because Dispel and Negate can do the same thing. Fetch for basic lands when possible to save life, but remember that 3 Blue sources are needed for Cryptic Command.

-3 Remand -3 Cryptic Command

+2 Dispel +2 Negate +1 Celestial Purge +1 Runed Halo

I can name Eidolon of the Great Revel with Runed Halo; this stops me from taking damage from the trigger as well as attacks. The opponent will still take damage from the trigger so they may spend a burn spell to kill it themselves. Remand gets upgraded to Dispels and Negates while Cryptic Command is too expensive to leave up each turn.

Infect

This is the most difficult of the linear aggro decks and will come down to pilot skill. Your interaction is cheap which gives you some game, but Inkmoth Nexus can be a problem. Make sure Noble Hierarch dies on sight; I notice that infect opponents underrate it.

-3 Remand -2 Spell Snare -1 Cryptic Command

+1 Izzet Staticaster +1 Runed Halo +2 Negate +2 Dispel

When Runed Halo names an infect creature it represents 33% of their win conditions. Inkmoth Nexus is annoying to kill so that will often be the correct threat to name. Remember that your life total is still relevant even though infect is their plan A. Green fetch lands can get a Dryad Arbor to kill with regular damage out of nowhere. Watch out for Spellskite and Wild Defiance after sideboard. It’s possible your Izzet Staticaster will die to Twisted Image; the opponent will be ready for Spellskite after seeing Spell Queller and will kill the 0/3 subsequently.

Bant Eldrazi

Remember that targeting Reality Smasher is a bad idea, but you can double block with Spell Queller and Restoration Angel profitably. Eldrazi Skyspawner isn’t too annoying because Queller is a ? flyer that can ambush it. The most annoying creature out of Bant Eldrazi is Drowner of Hope; I would save a Path to Exile to kill it. Vendilion Clique can get multiple triggers thanks to Restoration Angel; I make sure to put Drowner on the bottom whenever possible.

This match is a race the entire time. Eldrazi will eventually assemble a massive horde of Drowner of Hopes so the game must end quickly. I attack their mana, but eventually pivot to firing off burn spells at their dome.

Despite losing to the deck I managed to beat Bant Eldrazi two times in day 1 of the event. My opponents had more realistic draws so both matches ended up with me winning 2-0.

-3 Remand -2 Spell Snare

+3 Ancestral Vision +1 Izzet Staticaster +1 Runed Halo

I don’t necessarily want Ancestral Vision, but it can be great at times. The important thing is getting the counters out of my deck because of Cavern of Souls. Remand can cycle by countering Eldrazi that were cast off of Cavern of Souls, but that’s a very weak effect. Izzet Staticaster kills Noble Hierarch, Eldrazi Skyspawner, and Eldrazi Scion tokens. It can also team up with a Lightning Bolt to take down Thought-Knot Seer.

Spell Queller is the reason this is a fine matchup and a good reason why Jeskai Flash can’t exist without it in modern day Magic.

Dredge

This is a bad Game 1 matchup. Your interaction isn’t good against graveyard shenanigans.

-2 Spell Snare -2 Remand -2 Snapcaster Mage

+1 Runed Halo +2 Grafdigger's Cage +1 Rest in Peace +1 Izzet Staticaster +1 Celestial Purge

It’s important to mulligan aggressively to Rest in Peace and Grafdigger's Cage. Runed Halo can stop a swarm of Prized Amalgams. Izzet Staticaster can take down hordes of Narcomoebas and Bloodghast. Snapcaster Mage is weaker with Grafdigger's Cage and Rest in Peace in play.

Abzan Midrange

This deck was very popular at the World Championships and for good reason. Lingering Souls is the optimal way to build around midrange strategies these days as it’s easy to go over the top of Jund. I think Jund is a fine matchup, but Abzan is not so great. Celestial Colonnade isn’t good against Lingering Souls which makes Liliana of the Veil harder to kill.

+1 Celestial Purge +1 Rest in Peace +3 Ancestral Vision

-2 Vendilion Clique -3 Lightning Helix

Conclusion and Further Research

I think I have a great deck here and will be playing it in the future. This is a very proactive deck that can sit around and counter everything, too. Give this a try and you won’t be disappointed. My one warning is the wait until Abzan Midrange hype dies down if it’s popular in your area.

Before I go here’s another deck I’m working on that I will discuss further in a coming article:

Mardu Planeswalkers ? Moden | Kyle Boggemes

• Creatures (4)
• 1 Emrakul, the Aeon's Torn
• 3 Wall of Omens

• Planeswalkers (10)
• 2 Ajani Vengeant
• 4 Liliana of the Veil
• 4 Nahiri, the Harbinger

• Spells (22)
• 2 Lightning Helix
• 3 Path to Exile
• 4 Lightning Bolt
• 1 Thoughtseize
• 2 Collective Brutality
• 2 Night's Whisper
• 4 Inquisition of Kozilek
• 4 Lingering Souls

• Lands (24)
• 1 Mountain
• 1 Plains
• 2 Swamp
• 1 Blood Crypt
• 1 Godless Shrine
• 1 Sacred Foundry
• 2 Ghost Quarter
• 3 Shambling Vent
• 4 Blackcleave Cliffs
• 4 Bloodstained Mire
• 4 Marsh Flats

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Surgical Extraction
• 2 Engineered Explosives
• 1 Celestial Purge
• 1 Blessed Alliance
• 2 Anger of the Gods
• 3 Fulminator Mage
• 1 Slaughter Pact
• 2 Stony Silence
• 1 Thoughtseize

Buy This Deck

This deck has been a blast to play so far and will be the next deck get a rundown.

That’s all for this week.

Thanks for reading!

—Kyle