Tiny Leaders: Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest – Master of the Jeskai Way

“The Way has no beginning and no end. It is simply the path.”

~ Narset, Khan of the Jeskai

Introduction

Shu Yun reminds me of Tibet…and Tibetan monks. The Jeskai, as far as  we know, live lives totally like Tibetan monks. Just take a look at where they live while studying the elusive Way.

~Mystic Monastery (Tarkir) vs. Potala Palace (Tibet)~

Now let’s take a look at our General of the day: Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest:

The last time I saw such a magnificent library of scrolls was on Azami, Lady of Scrolls. Shu Yun is seen to be holding one of such scrolls, probably a testament to his continuous pursuit of knowledge and the Way. If you observe closely, the background is a Jeskai student training to master his weapon. Honestly, I would build a Tiny Leaders deck based solely  on Shu Yun’s art. The amount of detail set in this artwork is breathtaking (kudos to David Gaillet).

Aside from Aesthetics, Shu Yun isn’t that great a General for the Commander (EDH) format. His power/toughness of 3/2 for 3 mana isn’t anything great in Commander. Abilities-wise, Prowess + Double Strike is not as fatal in commander when your base power and toughness is a mere 3/2. Narset, Enlightened Master would make a much better and brutal general in Commander for the Jeskai.

“Study the topography of your enemies, and you will have a map to victory.”

—Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest

Below is my deck with Shu Yun at the helm:

Deck Design – Jeskai Tempo

Creatures – 14

Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest *Commander*

Boros Reckoner

Judge’s Familiar

Izzet Staticaster

Izzet Guildmage

Mantis Rider

Figure of Destiny

Azorius Guildmage

Nivix Guildmage

Skyknight Legionnaire

Frenzied Goblin

Court Hussar

Monastery Swiftspear

Chandra’s Phoenix

Lands – 16

Opal Palace

Slayer’s Stronghold

Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion

Tranquil Cove

Desolate Lighthouse

Boreal Shelf

Wind-Scarred Crag

Boros Guildgate

Izzet Guildgate

Azorius Guildgate

Mystic Monastery

Island (2)

Mountain (2)

Plains (1)

Artifacts – 4

Chromatic Lantern

Boros Signet

Izzet Signet

Azorius Signet

Enchantments – 1

Jeskai Ascendancy

Instants – 12

Lightning Helix

Lightning Bolt

Brainstorm

Turn//Burn

Fire//Ice

Izzet Charm

Azorius Charm

Swords to Plowshares

Boros Charm

Telling Time

Jeskai Charm

Electrolyze

Sorceries – 3

Sleight of Hand

Ponder

Rift Bolt

Other Spells

NA

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Interesting Interactions

Let’s analyse the deck with a little help from Sun Tzu’s Art of War.

According to Sun Tzu,

“Warfare is the greatest affair of state, the basis of life and death, the Way to survival or extinction. It must be thoroughly pondered and analysed.”

The deck is made out of 14 creatures, 12 instants, 4 artifacts, 3 sorceries, 1 enchantments and 16 lands.

According to Sun Tzu,

“Attack where they are unprepared. Go forth where they will not expect it.”

There are 5 creatures with haste in the deck. This is to keep the pressure up after being hit by mass removal or spot removal. Let your opponent destroy your prized creatures and watch them frown when you immediately relaunch your assault with Mantis Rider, Skyknight Legionnaire and Monastery Mentor.

According to Sun Tzu,

“Warfare is the Way of deception. Thus although you are capable, display incapability to them. When committed to employing your forces, feign inactivity. When (your objective) is nearly, make it appear as if distant; when far away, create the illusion of being nearly.”

Best part about playing Jeskai Tempo is that your opponent will not be able to guess what is going to hit them. The deck includes 4 charms: Jeskai Charm, Boros Charm, Izzet Charm and Azorius Charm, together with 2 split cards: Turn//Burn and Fire//Ice. When playing a monored burn deck, for example, your opponent can guess that you are either holding a burn spell, land or a creature spell when you attack. Playing Jeskai Tempo, your opponent will not know what kind of combat tricks that you are going to use at the very last minute.

Please note rulings on Shu Yun below:

1. Any spell you cast that doesn’t have the type creature will cause prowess to trigger. If a spell has multiple types, and one of those types is creature (such as an artifact creature), casting it won’t cause prowess to trigger. Playing a land also won’t cause prowess to trigger.
2. Prowess triggers only once for any spell, even if that spell has multiple types.
3. Prowess goes on the stack on top of the spell that caused it to trigger. It will resolve before that spell.
4. Once it triggers, prowess isn’t connected to the spell that caused it to trigger. If that spell is countered, prowess will still resolve.

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Strengths and Weaknesses

Shu Yun is the general that I have play-tested the most since I started this site. The deck is also loads of fun to play due to the limitless options of combat tricks and prowess triggers. The largest amount of damage I have done with Shu Yun was a gigantic 20 damage (triggering prowess and Jeskai Ascendancy a number of times before paying to double strike).

The deck packs a number of decent card draw to search for the right answers as well. Your strategy is to sit back and control the tempo elements of the game (burn opponent’s creatures, draw cards and bounce/tap creatures at end of turn).

Jeskai Tempo is a midrange deck. Together with other decks of the same category, it suffers from either being too slow for more focused aggressive decks (take my Jaya Ballard, Task Mage deck for example) and lacking of the control elements of a true blue control deck. Your sideboard must include some red mass removals (against aggro) and more counterspells (against control decks).

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For Vorthos and Vulcans

Jeskai teachings are abundant in Fate Reforge. Below are some of my favourite quotes of the Jeskai extracted from Fate Reforge:

“Learn from your enemies, but do not tolerate them.”

~Wandering Champion

“The lotus takes root where body and mind intersect. It blooms when body and mind become one.”

~Lotus Path Djinn

“The quieter the skies, the calmer the mind.”

~Mistfire Adept

“Before you can open your third eye, you must prove you can open the first two.”

~Refocus

“Every action has a foreseen purpose.”

~Lotus-Eye Mystic

“Speak little. Do much.”

~Monastery Mentor

“The one who conquers the mind is greater than the one who conquers the world.”

~Jeskai Sage

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History to Parody

 

~Lao Tzu ~

Although the Jeskai in general reminds me of Tibet, their teachings reminds me of the teachings of Taoism by Lao Tzu (circa 6th century BC). Lao Tzu, the Old Sage, is an ancient Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism.

Lao Tzu is reputedly the author of the Tao Dejing, an ancient cryptic text on philosophy, ethics and governance (politics). He was last seen riding a water buffalo into the West, never to be seen again (in legend, he left the Tao Dejing with a guard at the most Western gate of the Chinese Empire).

Below are some of my favourite quotes by Lao Tzu:

All under heaven know beauty as beauty, therefore there is ugliness;

All under heaven know good as good, therefore there is badness.

Being and being less generate each other;

Difficult and easy for each other;

Long and short shape each other;

High and low complete each other;

Note and voice match each other’

Front and back follow each other.

~

Dwelling aims to be earth-bound;

Thinking aims to be profound;

Giving aims to be like heaven;

Speaking aims to be trustworthy;

Governing aims to be correct;

Accomplishing aims to be capable;

Undertaking aims to be timely.

~

Welcoming her you do not see her head;

Following her you do not see her tail;

Grasping the Way of old so as to guide the beings of today;

Know that the ancient beginning is called ‘the beginning of the Way’.

~

Further Reading:

Daodejing (2008) A New Translation by Edmund Ryden, Oxford University Press Inc., New York.

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The Road Ahead

Up Next is either Alesha, Who Smiles at Death or Nin, the Pain Artist.

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Cheerio and Warm Regards,

James Ee