Heart of the Storm - 1st @ Gents Club

Here's a lil' report from a wednesday evening exclusive participation spellslingers called the "gents club". Because it was a very familiar round and we had no time limit or such, which let me take down detailed notes. A special thanks 4 the patience at this point :D. I doubt, the info I can provide contains real value, because I feel none of the deck was real fine-tuned for a tournament … No gent takes a gun to a knife-fight …

4 Gemstone Mine
2 City of Brass
2 Underground Sea
1 Volcanic Island
3 Polluted Delta

3 Chrome Mox
4 Lotus Petal
4 Lion’s Eye Diamond
4 Dark Ritual
4 Rite of Flame
4 Burning Wish
4 Infernal Tutor
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Silence
3 Duress
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Ad Nauseam

3 Abrupt Decay
2 Chain of Vapor
2 Xantid Swarm
2 Cabal Therapy
1 Grapeshot
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Bribery
1 Past in Flames
1 Diminishing Returns

Erm … well … yeah. The field proved VERY diverse, because we all had chatter the week before, which decks to bring. We cut all the fun&casual decks … didn’t help to build sideboards at all. Maybe I can get hands on the “lists” because no one wrote one for this meeting. I really appreciated the exclusive location with Bourbon and Co. over the average gameshop and noisy kids.

Round 1 – NicFit

Game 1

As usual I begin a tounament with loosing the dice roll. I fan an opening seven of the following:

Polluted Delta
Lotus Petal
Lotus Petal
Duress
Burning Wish
Gitaxian Probe
Gitaxian Probe

Would you keep that hand?

I hated this hand and I’m about to ship it immediately as my opponent shuffles for a fresh grip of 6. I try to evaluate the double probe on the draw plus 3 initial mana sources for an EtW out of my sideboard and decided to keep that. The Duress should clear the way in case of defense. To my relief, the mulligan to 6 wasn’t the end. He kept 5 and opened with Forest for a Veteran Explorer … very revealing. Still have to figure out if it’s Scapewish or Rector. He ships the turn and I draw another Wish. I fetch an Underground Sea and probe him, seeing Cabal Therapy and 2 Pernicious Deeds. Suddenly the EtW-plan lost it’s appeal. The Probe gave me a Dark Ritual and I don’t see a way the Duress has any value atm. I probe again, hoping for gas and find LED! I Play out all my mana and cast Wish, crack the LED and think about the color … remember my cutting of IGG? This one would come in handy but this way I have to go for blue and Diminishing Returns. I draw a fresh 7 with a single Black mana in my pool and 8 Storm. I removed a Petal and a LED among junk in my 10. My new 7 are:

Underground Sea
Lotus Petal
Duress
Infernal Tutor
Dark Ritual
Gitaxian Probe
Brainstorm

I Probe and see: Living Wish, Scavenging Ooze, IoK, IoK, Liliana of the Veil, Forest and Explorer . urg. At this point I realize that I just had shipped turns while he only had Explorer in play without a way to sacrifice it and gamble on him not drawing a black manasource. I draw a ponder off Probe and cast it. I brick on 2 Wishes + Infernal and shuffle … draw … EtW!. Cast Ritual, Petal, feel lucky as shit, make 26 dudes for the scoop.

1-0

Sideboarding: -4 Silence, -3 Duress, +2 Cabal Therapy, +3 Abrupt Decay, +2 Chain of Vapor

Game 2

He mulls and I feel really bad for him after game 1. My first 7 were 2 Probe, Rite of Flame, Brainstorm, Gemstone Mine, City of Brass and Cabal Therapy … just worse than my hand game 1 … like a déjà-Vu. This time I join the shuffling. I end up with:

Dark Ritual
Dark Ritual
Burning Wish
LED
Cabal Therapy
Polluted Delta

Would you keep that hand?

Now that’s a good 6! He keeps 5 after another mulligan and I eat an Inquisition of Kozilek after he fetches for Bayou taking my Chris Moeller Ajani LED. A good choice. I draw and cast Ponder, shuffle, draw Therapy and pass. He plays Verdant Catacomb and cast Therapy off Bayou naming Dark Ritual and hit my 2-off. I’m in very bad shape now. I draw Underground Sea for the turn and think about, what to name with my Therapy. I choose GSZ and see Sylvan Library and Liliana of the Veil. I fire off my second for Library in fear of the cardadvantage it provides. He rips a swamp, cracks Catacomb and plays Liliana. The Lady in Black takes my Burning Wish and we’re both in topdeck mode. Fortunately I draw lands and an Infernal for LED while he can’t apply pressure. I then topdeck brainstorm, find Wish and cast it to find Past in Flames which obviously gets discarded. The following turn I draw into Rite of Flame with 4 lands + LED online. I Flashback PIF over Rite (+Rite already in grave) and recast hellbent Infernal out of my graveyard for another LED after casting both Dark Rituals flashback, crack one LED for blue, flashback cantrips for stormcount, break the second LED and Wish for Tendrils.

2-0

Wow, my plain lack of practice strikes hard. The first game should have resulted in a loss for me. This 2-0 feels disgraceful but my pal is rather displeased with his deck. I’ve picked up my empty glas twice during the last game so I think it’s time to order a new drink … for both of us .

Round 2 – RUG Delver

Game 1

Yay! I know he loves control so anything without FoW is out of discussion. I Open with these 7 after winning the dice:

City of Brass
Gemstone Mine
Duress
Gitaxian Probe
Brainstorm
Lotus Petal
Dark Ritual

Would you keep that hand?

Looks pretty solid. I probe him and see Brainstorm, Stifle, Burn and Beatz. I’m confused about this keep (He told me afterwards, he expected me playing my Stoneblade today), play City and think about duressing his Stifle or Brainstorm, ending up with stripping him off the poor man’s Ancestral Recall. He plays Mongoose off Tropical. I Brainstorm into a fetch, ponder and a Burning Wish putting back 2 gemstones (I draw 1 for turn), Delta for Volcanic, Ponder, seeing Probe, Petal and LED. I take Probe with LED on top. He untaps, attacks and passes back. I draw LED for turn, Petal off Probe revealing a hilarious hand of Chain Lightning, 2 Tarmogoyfs and 3 .. in words … THREE Stifle. I play all my mana, cast Wish 4 Returns and this is my new 7:

LED
LED
Petal
Chrome Mox
Rite of Flame
Probe
Infernal Tutor

I probe and see brainstorm among crap. I draw Burning Wish, play out all my mana (imprint Rite of Flame into the Mox), Wish for Therapy and cast it. He responds with Brainstorm. Since I have more than enough mana for Daze, I name FoW and miss. Since he’s tapped out, I can now cast Infernal into Wish into Tendrils off the 2 LED’s.

3-0

Sideboarding: - 1Infernal, + 1 Cabal Therapy

Game 2

I keep a hand with limitless potential naming:

LED
Infernal Tutor
Rite of Flame
Gemstone Mine
Gitaxian Probe
Brainstorm
Silence

Would you keep that hand?

My heads aching bout the Gemstone as single initial manasource against wasteland. He opens with Tropical into Delver of Secrets. I draw Petal for turn, Probe and see Stifle and more pressure coming. The Dark Ritual I drew via Probe was golden: Gemstone for R, Rite of Flame, Petal for B, Dark Ritual, LED, Infernal Tutor, pop LED for BBBBRR in my pool. I’m @ 18 and grab Ad Nauseam leaving one Black open.

Burning Wish (16)
Polluted Delta (16)
LED (16)
Silence (15)
Rite of Flame (14)
Rite of Flame (13)
Ponder (12)
Burning Wish (10)
Chrome Mox (10)
Lotus Petal (10)
Duress (9)
Dark Ritual (8)
Infernal Tutor (6)
City of Brass (6)
LED (6)
Dark Ritual (5)
Rite of Flame (4)

I’ll shorten the report here and only say that I looped PIF for 72 Goblins on the field and ~40 Grapeshot copies on the stack.

4-0

This match was a lot better than the first. I feel that his keep in game 1 was VERY loose even if he didn’t put me on TES. I feel confident now to take the crown with only one more round to play before the T4.

Round 3 – The SneakShow

Game 1

We are all here for playing so, an ID is out of discussion. I’m pretty sure he’s on Show & Tell at this point of our lil’ tourney and I have to put both feet on the brake for boozing up if I want to continue playing at a decent level. We both keep our initial 7. I, for my part, am pleased with

Gemstone Mine
Gemstone Mine
Volcanic Island
Ponder
Ponder
Dark Ritual
Burning Wish

Would you keep that hand?

‘Cause Fortuna blessed me tonight, I am able to start the game with Volcanic into Ponder, shuffle and draw Brainstorm. A mimicry gameplay on the other site of the table. I draw a Delta for the turn and try to Brainstorm … resolves. I find, Rite of Flame, Probe and Ritual, put back the gemstones, cast probe and see, Sneak Attack, Scalding Tarn, Ancient tomb, Ponder, Griselbrand, Intuition and FoW. I fetch an Underground sea and Ponder again. I Find Duress and think about keeping it to put a gun against my opponents head: Protecting his Sneak Attack or keep up Force. I take the Discard spell because I still have at least 1 more turn. As expected, he plays Tarn and ponders bevor passing back the turn. I draw Infernal, Play ritual, Duress and see he drew an additional sneak attack, I take his Force of Will. I still have an untapped Volcanic and BB in the pool. I cast Wish for Therapy and take both of his enchantments. He plays Ancient Tomb and passes. I know that he still has Intuition in his hand and have to pay attention. I play the drawn Petal and Wish for the second Therapy, because EtW is not an option. I strip the Intuition and see both Griselbrand and the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I have to pray for him drawing a blank. He plays land, go … phew! Even better: I draw a second Dark Ritual! Tap Volcanic for R, U.Sea for B, Rite of Flame, Dark Ritual, Dark Ritual, Infernal Tutor, Ad Nauseam off 17 life:

Dark Ritual (16)
Ponder (15)
LED (15)
Infernal Tutor (13)
Lotus Petal (13)
Silence (12)
Gemstone Mine (12)
Burning Wish (10)
Ponder (9)
Chrome Mox (9)
Duress (8)
Gitaxian Probe (7)
Lotus Petal (7)
Polluted Delta (7)
Gemstone Mine (7)
Brainstorm (6)
Rite of Flame (5)
Underground Sea (5)
Rite of Flame (4)

I Probe him going to 2 life, seeing Griselbrand, City of Traitors and Emrakul. Petal, Petal, Chrome Mox (Duress), Ritual off Mox, Rite off Petal, Rite, Infernal for LED, play both Diamonds, Burning Wish, pop LED’s for RRRBBBBBUUU floating and 14 storm grabbin PIF from the SB and cast it, replay all rituals and Rites, Infernal for LED, Ponder, take LED and cast it, Ponder again, take Petal and cast it, Brainstorm into Infernal, infernal for EtW, Cabal Therapy takes Griselbrand, make 60 Goblins, become bored myself, Infernal flashbacked for Wish, pop LED’s, flashback PIF, flashback EtW, increase goblin-count to 126, cast Wish for ~40 grapeshizzzle.

Sideboarding: can’t remember

5-0

Game 2

My fellow friend on the other site of the tables laughting about the goblins but can’t distract me … he’s pissed … his cards suffer riffle torture :/

Gitaxian Probe
Lotus Petal
Rite of Flame
Rite of Flame
Dark Ritual
Infernal Tutor
Chrome Mox

Would you keep that hand?

Very nice … I have a draw step + probe to find a land or another petal for a turn 1 kill. He starts with Volcanic, go. I draw Volcanic, Probe and he responds with brainstorm. He reveals 2 Show and Tell, 2 Petal(?), Island, Spell Pierce and Ancient Tomb. As I think about his brainstorm and the petals I suspect a Griselbrand hidden on top of his deck but can’t explain why he’d keep the petals in hand unless he drew both. This way Spell Pierce is turned off and I draw Brainstorm for the Probe’s cantrip. I play Volcanic, Petal, sac petal to cast Dark Ritual, Volcanic for R, Rite, Rite, Chrome Mox (Brainstorm), Infernal for Ad Nauseam. At this point was VERY SAD not having the option to wish for Bribery in that matchup. I start flipping off 18 life and one red floating…

Gemstone (18)
Lotus Petal (18)
LED (18)
Gitaxian Probe (17)
Infernal Tutor (15)
Ponder (14)
Ponder (13)
Gitaxian Probe (12)
Gitaxian Probe (11)
Underground Sea (11)
Gemstone Mine (11)
Gemstone Mine (11)
Chrome Mox (11)
Burning Wish (9)
City of Brass (9)
Burning Wish (7)
Dark Ritual (6)
Brainstorm (5)
Infernal (3)

I stop here and continue playing. Petal, Chrome Mox (Infernal), Ritual off Mox, Brainstorm via Petal, find Rite + LED (put back lands), Rite, Infernal for LED, play all 3 Diamonds, Burning Wish, crack a LED for red and view my graveyard with 3 Rites, 2 Rituals, 2 Infernals and a Wish for shenanigans but in fear of bad karma, I just leach 36 live instead with Tendrils of Agony.

6-0

I’m pumped for making it into the semifinal undefeated despite my lack of practice. I’m even more excited to see my possible opponents while the rest of the players is going to play some boring Tempo/Control Mirrors for “fun” now.

Semifinal – UG 12-Post

Game 1

I saw him playing Venser and oblivion stone in one oft he rounds before so I expect this list being close to Jeremiah Rudolph's with SB Flusterstorms and Mindbreak Traps (+Chalice of the Void?). He doesn’t seem too happy about that pairing, Stomping Stoneblade and RUG before as he told. I’m always a nervous freak while playing M:TG (bad idea if playing near always combo lol) and try to calm down via excessive shuffling. He win’s the dice roll ( we don’t use the play-draw-rule here). He keeps after a Mulligan but I feel my initial 7 are ok

Gemstone Mine
Gemstone Mine
Infernal Tutor
Duress
Ponder
Lotus Petal
Dark Ritual

Would you keep that hand?

He starts the game with Cloudpost and ships back. I draw Rite for Turn and Ponder off Gemstone seeing Delta, LED and RoF. Take the Rite and float LED. He plays a Sensei’s Divining Top and a Tropical before passing. I play Gemstone Mine, tap both for RB, cast Ritual and Duress, seeing the Prime Time off Show&Tell play he was setting up, taking the Show, Rite, Rite, Petal, LED, Infernal, pop LED for BBB, Ad Nauseam off 20 Life with RB floating and 7 storm

Infernal Tutor (18)
Empty the Warrens (14)
Silence (13)
Dark Ritual (12)
LED (12)
Rite of Flame (11)
Burning Wish (9)
Dark Ritual (8)
Rite of Flame (7)
Chrome Mox (7)
Polluted Delta (7)
Duress (6)
Chrome Mox (6)
Underground Sea (6)
Silence (5)
Silence (4)
Brainstorm (3)
Gitaxian Probe (2)

I cast Chrome moxen (Probe, Duress), Dark Ritual, Dark Ritual, Rite, Rite, Braintorm off Chrome Mox (U.Sea, Infernal, Ponder), Infernal for an additional LED, play both Diamonds, make 36 Goblins due to my notes, Wish for Grapeshot (leaving him @ 1 life), Infernal, crack both remaining LED’s for RRRBBB, search for a Wish and cast it to grab Tendrils from the sideboard.

7-0

Sideboarding: -1 Duress, -1 Chrome Mox, +2 Xantids. Decide to gamble here on Chalice. I doubt he runs Chalice, Flusterstorm and MBT in one SB.

Game 2

He starts with a mulligan to 6 and I decide to keep my 7 of

Silence
Duress
Lotus Petal
Gemstone Mine
Gemstone Mine
Ponder
Ponder

Would you keep that hand?

He starts with Island, SDT. Him starting with Island indicates my idea of sideboarding wasn’t too bad. I draw Wish and Duress off Gemstone. Seeing, Spell Pierce, MBT and Prime Time. I take the Pierce while having at least 2 turns left for action. He spins the top in his upkeep and plays Misty Rainforest. I lay down the second Mine and Ponder, shuffle, draw Probe. He spins in his upkeep again and plays forest,go. I draw another Silence, Probe him (no news here), draw Xantid Swarm and cast the second Ponder seeing Gemstone, LED, Ad Nauseam. I take the Gemstone and cast the Insect. He continues playing Lands and passes back shaking his head over the Swarm. I draw the LED for turn, attack with swarm, Petal, LED, thinking about Wishing for Bribery to take his Emrakul and beat him to death but decide against that cute play and fire off Brainstorm, cracking the LED for BBB in response. Draw into Ad Nauseam and cast it off 18 life

Brainstorm (17)
Ponder (16)
Lotus Petal (16)
Chrome Mox (16)
Probe (15)
Infernal Tutor (13)
Silence (12)
Underground Sea (12)
City of Brass (12)
Dark Ritual (11)
Infernal Tutor (9)
Infernal Tutor (7)
Underground Sea (7)
Empty the Warrens (3)
Dark Ritual (2)

Crappy flips. I play Chrome Mox and imprint Probe to cast Ponder. I see Volcanic, LED and Petal. I take the LED and float the Petal. I play U.Sea, Brainstorm into Petal, Play Petals, Dark Ritual off Petal, Dark Ritual, Infernal for LED, play 2 Diamonds with BBB floating, put Infernal on the stack, pop up LED’S for RRRBBBB in my pool, search for Burning Wish and grab Tendrils from my Sideboard.

8-0

After the game he shows me his hand of MBT, Flusterstorm and another Flusterstorm floating on top of his library to spin his SDT into. I feel my boarding was weak but my opponent was on full defense anyways, so a plus in silence-effects should beat that sooner or later. We finished before the other semi final and I order a double espresso machiatto since it’s late already and I’m gett’n tired after a day @ work + a MTG tournament. I lol’d loud as Goblins beat the SneakShow in the other semi because Griselbrand is worth crap turn 3+ on low life facing an army of green men in addition of drawing useless protection. So it’s up against Goblins after a break ... fast forward …

Finals – Goblins

Game 1

Best info first: I win the dice and can play first. I pray for a hand which is fast and draw the following 7

Infernal Tutor
Gitaxian Probe
Chrome Mox
Gemstone Mine
Silence
Chrome Mox
Dark Ritual

Would you keep that hand?

Double Mox suxx but having Infernal + D. Ritual is a sarting point I cannot ignore. I keep as my opponent does. I probe and see a nice curve of goblins, leading with Lackey. I drew RoF, play Gemstone Mine and Silence-walk in his upkeep. This leaves, him on Mountain, go. I drew Rite of Flame and pass back. He plays Cavern and Lackey. I topdeck Petal, play’n pop for R, Rite, Rite, Ritual off Gemstone, for BBBRRRR, cast the 2 Chrome moxen as blanks to turn on Infernal for Ad Nauseam once more off 18 life

Gemstone Mine (18)
Gemstone Mine (18)
Dark Ritual (17)
Lotus Petal (17)
LED (17)
Chrome Mox (17)
Probe (16)
Lotus Petal (16)
Dark Ritual (15)
Ponder (14)
Silence (13)
Brainstorm (12)
Bruning Wish (10)
Ponder (9)
Polluted Delta (9)
Underground Sea (9)
LED (9)
Brainstorm (8)
Silence (7)
Duress (6)
Infernal Tutor (4)

Play out Petals, Gemstone Mine, Rituals, Infernal for LED, lay down 2 Diamonds, Duress and see no defense, Chrome Mox (Probe), Ponder off Mox, durdle around and end up wishing for a lethal Grapeshot for both the Lackey and his controller.

9-0

Sideboarding: -3 Duress, -1 Silence, +2 Chain of Vapor, +2 Cabal Therapy

Game 2

He keep’s his 7 and so do I.

Chain of Vapor
Underground Sea
Lotus Petal
Gitaxian Probe
Gitaxian Probe
Rite of Flame
LED

Would you keep that hand?

That’s simply too much mana to ship that hand with chain of vapor as a pseudo-Silence against Lackey or Vial and I can check for MBT out of the board with probe. He starts with Mountain and Lackey. I draw Volcanic and check the coast with probe (storm1) (draw U.Sea). I see Matron, Ringleader and 2 REB’s. I play Petal(storm2) and Probe again (storm3) into Brainstorm. I brainstorm (storm4) into Ritual, Petal and Wish off the petal, searching for a shuffle effect for my 3 lands in land, which I fail. I put back Volcanic + Sea, play Underground Sea, Petal (storm5), LED (storm6), Rite off Petal (storm7), Ritual off U.Sea (storm8), Burning Wish (storm9), pop my beloved Ajani Vengeant LED to boost my mana to RBBBBB and grab Tendrils of Agony from my sideboard (storm10)

10-0

Now that was a nice evening with some cash gained. I may add additional thought to this one.



Propper:
- Location
- Drinks
- Patient Peeps
- PIF for showboating

Blopper:
- not having IGG in by SB
- Bribery was accessible only in one match it mattered but Ad Nauseam was in reach too
- Horrible performance in game 1
- lack of practice due to job, family etc.
- tired due to work before

Factsheet:
- 10 games, 10 wins
- 1 win off EtW
- 1 win off PIF
- 2 times casted Diminishing Returns
- 6 times casted Ad Nauseam
- 6 games finished via Tendrils
- 3 games finished via Grapeshot
- 1 game won off natural spellchain (without engine card involved)
- casted Lion's Eye Diamond 22-times


Thx for your patience to read through this wall of text.


Play-by-Play TES Reports
Heart of the Storm - Vol. 1
Heart of the Storm - Vol. 2
Heart of the Storm - Vol. 3

Yeah man families are overrated anyway

thanks for your detailed report.

yeah, IGG is useful, especially if you have multiple wishes and LEDs.

Edit: Minor fixes and updates

Great report.

It really gave me a taste for playing storm.
I was looking at the deck for a while now, but I think you just convinced me to build it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kayradis

Great report.

It really gave me a taste for playing storm.
I was looking at the deck for a while now, but I think you just convinced me to build it.

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Glad you enjoyed it and maybe gave you some insight. Sadly most storm reports are reduced to "Turn 1 Ad Nauseam gets there" which I don't feel contains any value for the reader, therefore I focused on the decisions to make and problems you might face. Thankfully my peeps let me take excessive notes for that purpose.

The whole line-of-play description did help indeed!

Now, I have to get my hands on LEDs...

Fixing and spellcheck

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lemnear

Fixing and spellcheck

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Nice reports.
Are you attending the tournaments at the "Anderer Spieleladen" in Berlin?

I don't think he is. At least not the legacy tournaments.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CabalTherapy

Nice reports.
Are you attending the tournaments at the "Anderer Spieleladen" in Berlin?

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I'm not a regular attendant in the ASL for business reasons (happens I peek in). We use to play in Halle (Saale) atm or Potsdam where this one was held. I really depends how many peeps Tim (organizer) can aquire for these wednesday events. It's a pain to take the train down to Halle (thankfully I can either nap there or we share a car)