One of the most interesting aspects of MTG Avatar is the sheer number of combos the new cards have opened the door for. In addition to the massive volume of new combos that players can execute in a Commander setting, there are also some sweet combo archetypes like Golgari Earthbending that have arisen in Constructed.
For Pioneer aficionados, a bunch of unique tools have revolutionized the Jeskai Ascendancy deck that we’re used to seeing. Following an incredible second-place finish in a Magic Online Pioneer Challenge, this shell could be poised for a breakout moving forward.
A Unique Build
Over the past few years, Jeskai Ascendancy Combo has continued to evolve as more and more sets have been added to the Pioneer ecosystem. We’ve seen versions centered around Sylvan Awakening as a finisher, as well as builds revolving around Retraction Helix as an infinite combo enabler. Now, it seems the deck has taken on a completely different form.
The main goal behind this deck is to stick a copy of Badgermole Cub alongside Jeskai Ascendancy. From there, every noncreature spell you cast not only grows your Earthbent land, but also untaps it. This allows you to consistently tap the land for mana, use that mana to cast one of your many one-mana blue cantrips, and use Jeskai Ascendancy’s final triggered ability to loot through your library and dig for more cheap spells.
In the process, Cub will net a bunch of extra green mana, which can help you cast additional copies of Cub, Level Up Stormchaser’s Talent, or cast one-of copies of Toph, Hardheaded Teacher and Iroh, Grand Lotus. Eventually, you should have no issue attacking for a boatload of damage with your Earthbent lands.
Beyond its mana production, part of what makes Badgermole Cub such a powerful inclusion is that it’s good at all stages of the game. Unlike with Sylvan Awakening, you don’t have to wait until you have Jeskai Ascendancy rolled up to jam Cub. Playing Cub turn two gives you extra mana to work with on future turns, which has a lot of value.
At the same time, though, casting Cub once Jeskai Ascendancy is already in play is totally fine. After all, the land you Earthbend onto can attack that same turn. This lets you set up a turn where you attack for lethal without ever exposing yourself to sorcery speed removal spells or board wipes.
Interestingly, as valuable as Cub is as a win condition on your combo turns, you won’t always need to find it quickly to get your engine rolling. Sylvan Caryatid, for instance, does a great job in conjunction with Ascendancy at letting you cast a ton of cantrips on the same turn, even if it can’t attack itself. Of course, Caryatid also synergizes perfectly with Cub, making it an elite inclusion as well.
The Lesson Package
As much as these MTG Avatar maindeck additions have worked to make Jeskai Ascendancy Combo more consistent, it may be the new sideboard Lessons that have given the deck the biggest upgrade when it comes to resiliency. Because MTG Avatar didn’t feature any spells with the Learn mechanic, Wizards was able to print a multitude of efficient Lessons without fearing repercussions. What that does do, however, is open the door for strong Learn spells in Pioneer to start seeing more play.
This deck takes full advantage by running a playset of Divide by Zero, a card that was once so powerful it had to be banned in Standard. Divide by Zero is a decent interactive element, and with so many new Lessons to grab from the sideboard, it provides a ton of flexibility.
In games where you need to buy yourself time versus aggro, grabbing Firebending Lesson or Combustion Technique is a great option to have. In grindy matchups, True Ancestry plays an important role, especially if your opponent has ways to blow up Jeskai Ascendancy. If games go long enough, even Mascot Exhibition is a nice tool to have access to, especially since Cub and Caryatid can accelerate you to seven mana in a jiffy.
Notably, besides being a nice source of value, Divide by Zero works wonders when it comes to setting up your combo. First of all, being able to bounce opposing hate pieces such as High Noon on your opponent’s end step, then untap and go off, is a huge luxury. On top of that, if you don’t have Cub ready to go, you can use Divide to tutor up Earthbending Lesson and create a lethal attack that way. All of these Lessons, coupled with Boomerang Basics in the main deck, only make Iroh more threatening as a win condition, too.
A Solid Backup Plan
With all of these MTG Avatar tools at your disposal, you have game against nearly every deck in the format. Your fastest combo draws involving Cub are fully capable of racing decks like Gruul Prowess. Meanwhile, against archetypes like Rakdos Midrange that don’t put a ton of pressure on you early, Divide by Zero becomes a nuisance to fight through, which buys you so much time. Even threats such as Sheoldred, the Apocalypse that would normally pose a huge problem for Jeskai Ascendancy can simply be bounced over and over with Divide and Boomerang Basics.
The reality is, this deck has such high card quality that it’s capable of winning without ever executing a combo kill. Any draws involving Stormchaser’s Talent and Boomerang Basics already put a ton of pressure on the opponent. Cub and Caryatid then get you closer to the final Level of Stormchaser’s Talent, which can end games in its own right.
With this in mind, even if the opponent manages to get rid of all of your copies of Ascendancy, say with The Stone Brain out of Mono-Green Devotion, there’s still no need to fear. There’s plenty of room to innovate within the archetype, so don’t be shocked if Jeskai Ascendancy Combo continues to pick up steam.
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