[Deck] Spanish Inquisition (B/x Storm Combo)

[DukeDemonKn1ght]

Well, after trying to take into account all the information flying around on this thread, I've come up with the following list. Feedback is gladly accepted:

Business:
4 Cruel Bargain
4 Infernal Contract
4 Infernal Tutor
3 Tendrils of Agony
1 Goblin Charbelcher
1 Ill-Gotten Gains

Accel:
4 Dark Ritual
4 Cabal Ritual
4 Culling the Weak
4 Chrome Mox
4 Lion's Eye Diamond
4 Lotus Petal

Sacrificial Lambies:
4 Shield Sphere
4 Phyrexian Walker

Protection:
4 Cabal Therapy

Land:
4 Land Grant
2 Bayou
1 Dryad Arbor

SIDEBOARD:
So far, this is all I'm sure about:
4 Xantid Swarm
3-4 Autumn's Veil
2-3 Carpet of Flowers
0-4 Tomb of Urami
0-3 Phylactery Lich (is this guy worth it, or am I just attracted to the shiny newness?)
0-3 Deathmark/ Nature's Claim (is this just me being paranoid?)
0-4 Empty the Warrens

So there you have it. I'm going for consistency at the expense of a little bit of speed with my list, so please keep that in mind when giving feedback. I'm not entirely sure whether or not the maindeck IGG is necessary and/or a good idea... Is there anything that I should replace that with?

EDIT: Also, has anybody thought about Maelstrom Pulse as potential sideboard tech? Like, maybe just one in the sideboard in a version that runs Burning Wish? Sure, it costs a bit mana-wise (and money-wise), but I think the versatility might push it over stuff like Deathmark, Meltdown, etc in some lists that don't mind killing on turn 2-3...

[Iranon]

That looks almost perfect. Personally, I'm not convinced about Dryad Arbor here...while it can be useful Therapy/Culling fodder, I'm not sure it's worth weakening Infernal Tutor, Goblin Charbelcher and Land Grant's primary function (useful starting mana). Note that you can't imprint it even though it's green.

The sideboard looks a bit one-dimensional in its focus against countermagic, but since 'no change, go for the throat' is a viable option against most other things that's not a huge problem.

All in all: a few things I don't like, but definitely playable.

[DukeDemonKn1ght]

That looks almost perfect. Personally, I'm not convinced about Dryad Arbor here...while it can be useful Therapy/Culling fodder, I'm not sure it's worth weakening Infernal Tutor, Goblin Charbelcher and Land Grant's primary function (useful starting mana). Note that you can't imprint it even though it's green.

The sideboard looks a bit one-dimensional in its focus against countermagic, but since 'no change, go for the throat' is a viable option against most other things that's not a huge problem.

All in all: a few things I don't like, but definitely playable.

If I were to cut the Dryad Arbor, what do you think would be best? Slithermuse? Second Ill-Gotten Gains?

Also, I completely see what you mean about the sideboard... I think one-dimensional is a good way of describing the problem. There are a couple options I can think of to get a better sideboard. Probably the most compelling would be to replace Cabal Therapy with Burning Wish and have a silver-bullet style sideboard: Deathmark, Meltdown, etc.

Another thing I've been thinking of is potentially replacing Phyrexian Walker with maindeck Xantid Swarm, but I have the feeling I'd have to somehow add more green mana to the deck... Also, Swarm is kind of a shitty culling target (since you don't gain as much acceleration from it.)

Even if I keep the maindeck the way it is, I think the sideboard needs work. Does anyone have any tech they want to share? Also, out of the cards I listed as potential sideboard options, which are too good not to use, and which can fall by the wayside?

[the resurrection]

Mana
3 ESG
4 LED
4 D.Ritual
4 C.Ritual
4 Culling the weak
4 mox
4 Petal
4 Land grant
1 Arbor
1 bayou
Draw/Tutor
8 Draw4
4 Manamorphose
4 I.Tutor
4 pact
Business
1 Trow
1 Cantor
1 Witness
1 IGG
1 Belcher
2 Tendrils
Sideboard
1 Dosan, the falling leaf
1 ESG
1 Uktabi Orangutan
4 Carpet Flowers
4 Oxidize
1 Naturalize
2 Tomb of Urami
1 Bayou

Sideboardplans:
U-based decks: -4 Cabal ritual -1 Wild Cantor + 1 Dosan, the falling leaf +4 Carpet flowers
Thoughts: Playing pact in SI is the same dilemma as in LEDdredge; you will board it out g2 and g3 and replace it with Swarm or aggressive creatures. With 4 Morphose and 4 Carpet Flowers we should be able to cast Dosan, which is a must counter for every u.deck. Dosan has also protection from spell snare and spell pierce and forces the opponent, if he cannot counter him to cast problematic STP and bolts. Produce a lot of mana and try to trick the opponent.

Aggro loam/ Stax:
Game1: win the dice roll
Game2: +3 Oxidize +1 Naturalize + 1Uktabi Orangutan + 1 ESG + 3 Lands -4 Lotus Petal -1 IGG -1 EW - 1 Belcher - 1Pact -1 Chrome mox
Thoughts: They will take mulligan to chalice. We don't know if they cast them with [1] or [0] counters.
[0]: Lay down your lands and try to get access to [Draw4] Oxidize.
[1]: pact-> Orangutan
Game3: + 1 ESG + 1 Uktabi Orangutan -1 Cantor - 1 Witness
Thoughts: Try to cast Mox, Petal, Lands and wait for business or get the perfect hand

I went on a small tournament today to test the deck and it's sideboard. 15 persons, 4 rounds.

Zoo
Game 1. I don't know what he's playing, but he expects burn (I played it last time). I won the dice roll and mulled to 5--> Land, D.Ritual, Mox,IGG, Belcher.
Keep--> turn 1 belcher. he nacatl. Turn 2 draw LED --> He (at 2 Life) casts a Teeg, playing Lighning Helix, and beat me to 4 life. I found the 3rd Mana in the last moment and killed him for 35.
Game 2. He begins with Nacatl again. I fear Teeg/Thorn and begin with draw 4 -->10 Life --> pass. He beats me down to 4 life again, I found IT and managed Tendrils for 20 Life. Note: without Cantor(pact) wouldn't that be possible

Bant with CB, without Survival and NO
Game1. Because everyone in the room knows that I'm playing >Belcher<, he takes mulligan to force. I kept a hand with a lot of startmana and 2 Draw4s. He begins with top.
During 10- 15 Turn's (arbor beat him to 13 Life!) I tried to built up a solid manabase (collectiing rituals, IT and draw4's). Because he doesn't really know my deck he wastes his counters on the startmana, in hope to draw his CB's (Top is online). At 3 Life I made around 15 mana, played around his counters and Tendrils him for 28.
Game2. Played around his counters and killed him Turn 5 or 6

Goblins R/G
A bye matchup. I know that I would facing Gobbos.
Game1. I don't know what I've done.Won the dice roll and hold that hand: Land grant, 3 draw4,3 manamorphose. I played Land grant Turn 1--> pass-->waste--> EPIC FAIL
Game2 on the play, mull to 6 killed him Turn 3 via IGG before his creatures would overrun me.
Game3 he begins and I draw a storm 9 hand. The next 3 turns I drew useless Draw4s and a turn later the last piece of my combo. I play LED he response on IT with Grip, l0l. GG

Dreadstill !!!, yeah
Game 1: I fear a lot of counters. He begins and take mulligan to counters and plays seat of synod. I drew that hand: 3 D.Ritual, morphose, pact, LED. Keep. Draw IT. Alll in, because it will be become certainly much worse each turn-->tried to trick him. I play IT in the end and he response with spell snare (his only counter)...
Game 2. Tons of counter and hate cards,18 counters, 3 waste, 3 balance, 2 explosives, lands and draw

In the end bad Opp. Score and misses a wasteland.

I will cut Morphose and put them to the SB, because they are really hard to master. You don't know what you have if they are on your hand, on the other side they are nice with EW and draw4s. Morphose will be 3 therapy and 1 ESG. I will board them against Bye-matchups, combo and stax.
Cantor was always a free slot, but today he surprised me and won me 2 games. Store mana, change color, get threshhold or Storm 2 for free with pact are in my opinion to good.

@ everyone I know that my english is bad
@Vacrix
I tested S.Muse. In combination with IT/LED (Turn 1-2) great, but most of the time just a weaker Meditate. If Muse would be black I would certainly play it, but the fish is blue and makes you more dependent on Morphose/Cantor/Petal

[Swordfish]

Game3 he begins and I draw a storm 9 hand. The next 3 turns I drew useless Draw4s and a turn later the last piece of my combo. I play LED he response on IT with Grip, l0l. GGl

His play is not possible, you MUST keep priority after playing IT in order to sac LED, if you don't keep it, opponent doesn't need grip, he just says ok and your IT resolves without saccing LED.

EDIT: Also, has anybody thought about Maelstrom Pulse as potential sideboard tech? Like, maybe just one in the sideboard in a version that runs Burning Wish? Sure, it costs a bit mana-wise (and money-wise), but I think the versatility might push it over stuff like Deathmark, Meltdown, etc in some lists that don't mind killing on turn 2-3...

It's too slow, lists that don't mind killing on T2/3 aren't called SI imo. Unnatural speed and people's unfamiliarity with SI are only reasons to play it.

and to contribute to thread a bit, i see that some people are overloading their SB with "man-plan". When you SB out 8 cards for 8 mans, your comboing potential lowers significantly and things like Phylactery Lich aren't strong enough - people will probably keep swords for Xantid Swarm anyway...

[TheSleeper]

DukeDemonKn1ght - I'd probably just stick to the Land Grant SI list in Vacrix primer. No need to weaken Belcher by adding a Dryad Arbor, not until you're familiar enough with the list enough to start tweaking.

I was testing LGSI (no SB's) yesterday with a friend playing Dragon Stompy. That is a pretty rough matchup! I would put it at 60/40, although we only played about 12 games. Depends a lot who is on the play and how good the hand you keep is. Sometimes you will have a decent hand, but maybe not enough to warrant going off so you have to 'risk' passing turn and hoping they don't lay down a Trinisphere. From memory here are some games:

Me: Turn 1 Storm on the play
Him: Turn 1 Trinisphere, beat down
Me: Turn 1 Cabal for Trinisphere (hit it), go off 2 turns later
Him: Turn 1 Chalice for Zero, theoretically we can get around it (Belcher), but I didn't. Another game I let all my zero artifacts be countered so build up threshold, got a Cabal Ritual into Draw4 off, but alas I fizzled.
Me: Turn 1 Belcher on the play
Him: Turn 1 Blood Moon, I Storm two turns later. Blood Moon doesn't hurt us that much depending on your hand.

Trinisphere > Chalice @ 0 > Blood Moon. If they Trinisphere before you go off, you've basically lost IMO. It makes it quite an intense matchup, as you're both mulliganing aggressively. We were both surprised how quick LGSI could be however when played balls to the wall. I recommend testing a matchup like this because it will teach you to mull hard, and go off asap, as opposed to playing a non-disruptive aggro deck which is almost a bye. I'm interested in testing post-SB where I can bring in the man-plan and see what happens.

Anyone else got thoughts/experience vs. Stompy decks?

and to contribute to thread a bit, i see that some people are overloading their SB with "man-plan". When you SB out 8 cards for 8 mans, your comboing potential lowers significantly and things like Phylactery Lich aren't strong enough - people will probably keep swords for Xantid Swarm anyway...

True but as above you might only man-plan against decks where combo'ing off is very difficult, thus you at least have another avenue to victory. If they have no hate/disruption, just keep MD as is. And if they have swords, they will probably swords the Xantid Swarm, not realising you have beefier men incoming. At least I assume that is the theory. You might lose game 2 and can go back to Combo Turn 1 in Game 3.

[DukeDemonKn1ght]

DukeDemonKn1ght - I'd probably just stick to the Land Grant SI list in Vacrix primer. No need to weaken Belcher by adding a Dryad Arbor, not until you're familiar enough with the list enough to start tweaking.

I was testing LGSI (no SB's) yesterday with a friend playing Dragon Stompy. That is a pretty rough matchup! I would put it at 60/40, although we only played about 12 games. Depends a lot who is on the play and how good the hand you keep is. Sometimes you will have a decent hand, but maybe not enough to warrant going off so you have to 'risk' passing turn and hoping they don't lay down a Trinisphere.

Trinisphere > Chalice @ 0 > Blood Moon. If they Trinisphere before you go off, you've basically lost IMO. It makes it quite an intense matchup, as you're both mulliganing aggressively. We were both surprised how quick LGSI could be however when played balls to the wall. I recommend testing a matchup like this because it will teach you to mull hard, and go off asap, as opposed to playing a non-disruptive aggro deck which is almost a bye. I'm interested in testing post-SB where I can bring in the man-plan and see what happens.

Anyone else got thoughts/experience vs. Stompy decks?

I would imagine that if you're running the version with maindeck Burning Wish, you could get around it pretty easily, wishing for Shattering Spree, Meltdown, etc. You might want to test that version as well.

Here's my conundrum though, on a different note: I'm starting to think that I'd like to splash both red and green in this deck. Basically, the main cards I want access to are Burning Wish, Xantid Swarm, Empty the Warrens, and Autumn's Veil. (Obviously Wish and ETW are the only two of those that I would run in the main.) I'm thinking Tinder Wall also at least deserves testing, in a list that's using both colors. It's hard to figure out the best way to work the mana base though. And if I can't make a mana-base that supports two splash colors, I basically have to give up. Obviously Land Grant doesn't really work out, because I'd have to run Taiga in order to get red mana with it. And I'm thinking non-black duals don't really cut it. I'm thinking It would probably require 6-8 lands maindeck. Seems to me the options are either duals and fetches or duals and Gemstone Mine. Not sure which is better.

Is it just asking for too much to expect the mana-base to work with two splash colors, or do y'all think I could work it out? Does Gemstone Mine seem like a good option? Or should I go for fetches, since they will thin the deck?

EDIT: If I needed more rainbow lands and didn't want to take City of Brass pain, I could probably also run 1-2 Undiscovered Paradise, since the drawback is pretty negligible if you don't give a shit about making land drops and want the game to be over this turn or the next one.

[Jonathan Alexander]

I'm running a manabase of 3 Verdant Catacombs, 1 Underground Sea, 1 Badlands and 1 Bayou, and so far it worked out quite nice. Underground Sea because of mainboard Meditate and Diminishing Returns / Slithermuse (not sure which of them I want to play in the long run). Sea is usually the first land I fetch. For reference, my list:

//Lands
1 Badlands
1 Bayou
1 Underground Sea
3 Verdant Catacombs

//Creatures
1 Dryad Arbor
4 Kobolds Of Kher Keep
4 Simian Spirit Guide

//Spells
4 Burning Wish
4 Cabal Ritual
4 Chrome Mox
4 Cruel Bargain
4 Culling The Weak
4 Dark Ritual
1 Diminishing Returns / Slithermuse
3 Infernal Contract
2 Infernal Tutor
4 Lion's Eye Diamond
4 Lotus Petal
4 Meditate
2 Tendrils Of Agony
1 Empty The Warrens

//Sideboard
3 Autumn's Veil
1 Deathmark
1 Diminishing Returns
1 Duress / Thoughtseize
1 Empty The Warrens
1 Grapeshot
1 Infernal Contract
1 Meltdown
1 Reverent Silence
1 Shattering Spree
1 Tendrils Of Agony
2 Xantid Swarm

So far I love mainboard Diminishing Returns. The card I'm least happy with is definitely mainboard Empty The Warrens. Maybe I'll cut it for another Infernal Tutor or another Tendrils, but I'm not sure, deserves more testing.
And about Dragon Stompy / Chalice Aggro in general. I hate the matchup. It seems like they're always opening with Trinisphere or double Chalice against me. I think Faerie Stompy is our worst Matchup postboard. They have Cahalice, Trinisphere, Force and a guite fast clock.
Dragon Stompy is much easier, since you can just go off on the play.

[Iranon]

If I were to cut the Dryad Arbor, what do you think would be best? Slithermuse? Second Ill-Gotten Gains?

Can't say really - I often have a 59-card deck with a fluctuating slot - e.g. a second IGG when expecting to see a lot of discard, another Belcher if I expect anti-storm cards like Ethersworn Canonist, a singleton Death Wish if I'm wary of something that'll singlehandedly win if unanswered but not enough to do some actual sideboarding...

Also, I completely see what you mean about the sideboard... I think one-dimensional is a good way of describing the problem. There are a couple options I can think of to get a better sideboard. Probably the most compelling would be to replace Cabal Therapy with Burning Wish and have a silver-bullet style sideboard: Deathmark, Meltdown, etc.

Adding red for Wishes and at least 1 maindecked EtW is certainly an option. If you like the thought of a silver bullet sideboard but aren't willing to make as many concessions for it, 1-2 Death Wishes allow you to keep playing the Land Grant version. Giving up a lot of sideboard space for 1-2 Wishes may seem odd, but SI arguably doesn't need much of a regular sideboard anyway.
Even Living Wish may work - you have several efficient-but-situational win conditions at your disposal, various destroy-x creatures, a high-end draw effect in Slithermuse and protection in the form of Xantid Swarm.

Another thing I've been thinking of is potentially replacing Phyrexian Walker with maindeck Xantid Swarm, but I have the feeling I'd have to somehow add more green mana to the deck... Also, Swarm is kind of a shitty culling target (since you don't gain as much acceleration from it.)

Tried this and was... less than impressed with it. This applies to both replacing robots and running them in addition in a Glimpse-heavy list.

Even if I keep the maindeck the way it is, I think the sideboard needs work. Does anyone have any tech they want to share? Also, out of the cards I listed as potential sideboard options, which are too good not to use, and which can fall by the wayside?

I don't like Autumn's Veil very much because it's a little limited. Unlike Chant or Swarms, it doesn't help against Chant, Stifle, Mindbreak Trap. I also don't like removal unless I can tutor up the right one (without throwing my hand away...); losing because I got the wrong answer instead of a random threat means I shot myself in the foot.

[Vacrix]

Sideboardplans:
U-based decks: -4 Cabal ritual -1 Wild Cantor + 1 Dosan, the falling leaf +4 Carpet flowers
Thoughts: Playing pact in SI is the same dilemma as in LEDdredge; you will board it out g2 and g3 and replace it with Swarm or aggressive creatures. With 4 Morphose and 4 Carpet Flowers we should be able to cast Dosan, which is a must counter for every u.deck. Dosan has also protection from spell snare and spell pierce and forces the opponent, if he cannot counter him to cast problematic STP and bolts. Produce a lot of mana and try to trick the opponent.

Aggro loam/ Stax:
Game1: win the dice roll
Game2: +3 Oxidize +1 Naturalize + 1Uktabi Orangutan + 1 ESG + 3 Lands -4 Lotus Petal -1 IGG -1 EW - 1 Belcher - 1Pact -1 Chrome mox
Thoughts: They will take mulligan to chalice. We don't know if they cast them with [1] or [0] counters.
[0]: Lay down your lands and try to get access to [Draw4] Oxidize.
[1]: pact-> Orangutan
Game3: + 1 ESG + 1 Uktabi Orangutan -1 Cantor - 1 Witness
Thoughts: Try to cast Mox, Petal, Lands and wait for business or get the perfect hand

I went on a small tournament today to test the deck and it's sideboard. 15 persons, 4 rounds.

Zoo
Game 1. I don't know what he's playing, but he expects burn (I played it last time). I won the dice roll and mulled to 5--> Land, D.Ritual, Mox,IGG, Belcher.
Keep--> turn 1 belcher. he nacatl. Turn 2 draw LED --> He (at 2 Life) casts a Teeg, playing Lighning Helix, and beat me to 4 life. I found the 3rd Mana in the last moment and killed him for 35.
Game 2. He begins with Nacatl again. I fear Teeg/Thorn and begin with draw 4 -->10 Life --> pass. He beats me down to 4 life again, I found IT and managed Tendrils for 20 Life. Note: without Cantor(pact) wouldn't that be possible

Bant with CB, without Survival and NO
Game1. Because everyone in the room knows that I'm playing >Belcher<, he takes mulligan to force. I kept a hand with a lot of startmana and 2 Draw4s. He begins with top.
During 10- 15 Turn's (arbor beat him to 13 Life!) I tried to built up a solid manabase (collectiing rituals, IT and draw4's). Because he doesn't really know my deck he wastes his counters on the startmana, in hope to draw his CB's (Top is online). At 3 Life I made around 15 mana, played around his counters and Tendrils him for 28.
Game2. Played around his counters and killed him Turn 5 or 6

Goblins R/G
A bye matchup. I know that I would facing Gobbos.
Game1. I don't know what I've done.Won the dice roll and hold that hand: Land grant, 3 draw4,3 manamorphose. I played Land grant Turn 1--> pass-->waste--> EPIC FAIL
Game2 on the play, mull to 6 killed him Turn 3 via IGG before his creatures would overrun me.
Game3 he begins and I draw a storm 9 hand. The next 3 turns I drew useless Draw4s and a turn later the last piece of my combo. I play LED he response on IT with Grip, l0l. GG

Dreadstill !!!, yeah
Game 1: I fear a lot of counters. He begins and take mulligan to counters and plays seat of synod. I drew that hand: 3 D.Ritual, morphose, pact, LED. Keep. Draw IT. Alll in, because it will be become certainly much worse each turn-->tried to trick him. I play IT in the end and he response with spell snare (his only counter)...
Game 2. Tons of counter and hate cards,18 counters, 3 waste, 3 balance, 2 explosives, lands and draw

In the end bad Opp. Score and misses a wasteland.

I will cut Morphose and put them to the SB, because they are really hard to master. You don't know what you have if they are on your hand, on the other side they are nice with EW and draw4s. Morphose will be 3 therapy and 1 ESG. I will board them against Bye-matchups, combo and stax.
Cantor was always a free slot, but today he surprised me and won me 2 games. Store mana, change color, get threshhold or Storm 2 for free with pact are in my opinion to good.

@ everyone I know that my english is bad
@Vacrix
I tested S.Muse. In combination with IT/LED (Turn 1-2) great, but most of the time just a weaker Meditate. If Muse would be black I would certainly play it, but the fish is blue and makes you more dependent on Morphose/Cantor/Petal

I have no problems with people playing IGG over Slithermuse. Just know that I prefer Slithermuse at the moment.

Wasn't Odious Trow redundant w/ MD Cantor?

Also, I really like the idea of boarding in Dosan and keeping Summoner's Pact. How well does it work? Sinking 3 mana looks a little hard unless you have Carpet of Flowers.

The other idea I had, which could be cheaper if incorporated correctly would be Pact-->Xantid Swarm.. if we could somehow give it haste. On a similar note of random creatures to fetch out with Summoner's Pact, it occurred to me the other day that Pact + LED --> Groundbreaker. It gives you some reach against control if your opponent screws you out of your tokens with EE.

Anyone else got thoughts/experience vs. Stompy decks?

With SITES, Burning Wish into removal or just go for a fast win.
With QSI, board in your extra lands and then cantrip into post-board Rebuilds.
With PSI, win before you have to deal with their shit. Sometimes you have the resources to play through Chalice @ 0 or 1.
With LGSI, play the man plan or win fast.

[ScatmanX]

"Goblins R/G
A bye matchup. I know that I would facing Gobbos.
Game1. I don't know what I've done.Won the dice roll and hold that hand: Land grant, 3 draw4,3 manamorphose. I played Land grant Turn 1--> pass-->waste--> EPIC FAIL
Game2 on the play, mull to 6 killed him Turn 3 via IGG before his creatures would overrun me.
Game3 he begins and I draw a storm 9 hand. The next 3 turns I drew useless Draw4s and a turn later the last piece of my combo. I play LED he response on IT with Grip, l0l. GG"

g3: he cannot respond IT with Grip, because you dont pass the priority back to him. It goes: IT--> priority continues with you--> crack LED.

[the resurrection]

His play is not possible, you MUST keep priority after playing IT in order to sac LED, if you don't keep it, opponent doesn't need grip, he just says ok and your IT resolves without saccing LED.

Thank you guys. Nice to know. He responded with Grip after I played pact, sry. But I failed anyway XD, but the next time I'm prepared

Wasn't Odious Trow redundant w/ MD Cantor?

No. Both creatures have different roles. Trow is the 2nd Ctw target after Arbor or the 1st after Bayou, he gets imprinted by mox and gives you addional storm if you have just B in your pool, or (I'am testing now) as an addional discard effect if therapy is in the grave. Cantor is 3rd Ctw target or the 2nd after Bayou->Trow, change G into B (I made around 100 goldfishes and I needed this effect about 10-13%), creates addional storm (with IGG) without wasting a manasource, getting threshhold or he saves mana

Also, I really like the idea of boarding in Dosan and keeping Summoner's Pact. How well does it work? Sinking 3 mana looks a little hard unless you have Carpet of Flowers.

Morphose will help you to get GG. The dosan boarding plan works against decks that play just 8 counters. Get the combo and trick them or collect enough mana and throw out "Chant". Against Dreadstill I wasn't able to do something, while I crushed the deck g2 and g3 in the past via Urami, Tombstalker. But this SBplan is still in work.

The other idea I had, which could be cheaper if incorporated correctly would be Pact-->Xantid Swarm.. if we could somehow give it haste.

One year ago I did the same. I've looked for every green/black/red cards to give swarm haste XD... I found nothing.

On a similar note of random creatures to fetch out with Summoner's Pact, it occurred to me the other day that Pact + LED --> Groundbreaker. It gives you some reach against control if your opponent screws you out of your tokens with EE.

With the full playsets of ESG and Morphose an intresting option, but a creature that is much more intresting is Uktabi-Sceada. He's a funny stormengine. Play pact-> Sceada-> attack--> Now you have made 3 virtual spells !!! Culling target and another funny thing: make Tendrils for 9, draw pact next turn and cast him (just kidding, but this might work in RL)

[Vacrix]

How do you board then against U.dec if you want to add the Carpets? I usually board out Pact for Carpet.

Uktabi Drake actually looks pretty sexy. The fact that it adds +1 virtual storm might make it a pretty good outlet for a sticky situation. I think, though, that he will be pretty hard to use IRL. Switching between phases is going to make floating mana more difficult, especially if you want to attack with it before you play Culling the Weak for the extra virtual storm copy.

[DukeDemonKn1ght]

So, any thoughts from anyone whether it would be viable to try to make a manabase work? The idea would be to be able to splash for all the bombs: namely Burning Wish (and a little sideboard suite to go with it), Xantid Swarm, Autumn's Veil, and probably also some number of Empty the Warrens. Tinder Wall might also be worth exploring...

I was thinking that Gemstone Mine might be a good way to try to make this feasible. Probably running 6-8 lands. Do y'all think this would be feasible, or would I just be too prone to color screw? (Advice from someone with some experience playing this deck please. Help!)

[Vacrix]

A while back I played SSG over Chrome Mox. If you are looking to build a glasshouse, then it might look something like this:

Business (15)
1 Slithermuse
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Tendrils of Agony
4 Burning Wish
4 Infernal Contract
4 Cruel Bargain

Mana (45)
1 Tinderwall
1 Wild Cantor
4 Manamorphose
4 Summoner's Pact
4 Elvish Spirit Guide
4 Lion's Eye Diamond
4 Lotus Petal
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Dark Ritual
4 Cabal Ritual
4 Culling the Weak
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Taiga
1 Bayou
1 Dryad Arbor

Its a little business light.

I think that the Rainbow lands plan is weak. Having access to fetches opens you up to the possibility of Dryad Arbor. As you can probably see, there aren't too many initial black sources. I switched out Chrome Mox for SSG. It works, and you have slightly more Daze protection, but you really need that Wild Cantor in there to color fix for black. Also, it completely foregoes IT for BW. I tested something like this a while back and it worked pretty well. I don't think its as good as the others lists to be honest, but give that a go and see if you like it. I'd tweak something along those lines before trying the traditional tallman builds. They just don't have the flexibility that PSI does.

[Jodahae]

Picked up PSI after talking with Vacrix at the last Knightware.
Really pleased with the deck so far, the biggest hurdle for me to figure out so far has been to either run fetches or land grant.

Grant being a spell makes it alot easier to get hellbent for infernal, where as i have had some awkward draws where fetches have kept me off it. Any thoughts on this ? I have considered a split but that just seems redundant and wrong, i figure i should pick and stay with one or the other.

In addition I like experimenting with 2 xantid in the main, i really feel that it gives you the ability to craft a hand that you may have otherwise had to go all in on. An example as to my current preference for fetches comes from the often crafty play of fetching for my bayou to play swarm, my opponents when not familiar with the fact that i am storm will often put me on rogue and let swam sit, which buys all the time in the world to craft a beautiful hand.
My current list

Land
4 x Verdant Catacombs
2 x Bayou
1 x Dryad Arbor

Mana
4 x Lotus Petal
4 x ESG
4 x Summoners Pact
4 x Dark Ritual
4 x Cabal Ritual
4 x Culling the Weak
4 x Chrome Mox
4 x LED

Business
4 x Cruel Bargain
4 x Infernal Contract
4 x Infernal Tutor
1 x Eternal Witness
1 x Odious Trow/Wild Cantor - Havent been able to nail down which is better for me
2 x Manamorphose
2 x Xantid Swarm
1 x Slithermuse
2 x Tendrils of Agony

[Rood]

Was going to make a new thread for this since I feel it's a bit different from SI but here's my list I've been testing on and off the past few weeks

// Lands
11 [PT] Swamp (4)

// Creatures
4 [AL] Shield Sphere
4 [VI] Phyrexian Walker
1 [R] Ornithopter

// Spells
4 [4E] Dark Ritual
4 [EX] Culling the Weak
4 [TO] Cabal Ritual
4 [ALA] Ad Nauseam
4 [MI] Lion's Eye Diamond
4 [V09] Lotus Petal
2 [SC] Tendrils of Agony
4 [DIS] Infernal Tutor
3 [MR] Chrome Mox
3 [PS] Diabolic Intent
4 [ARE] Duress

// Sideboard
SB: 3 [5E] Nevinyrral's Disk
SB: 3 [M10] Deathmark
SB: 3 [FUT] Pact of Negation
SB: 2 [UD] Powder Keg
SB: 3 [RAV] Dark Confidant
SB: 1 [M11] Deathmark

Pretty much it's been really cool so far for me. It doesn't play any splash colors I designed it that way so it's impossible to scoop to Wasteland/Stifle. It's also extremely fast.

[Volrath]

Why 11 Swamps?, even the fetchland lists only play 6 orso lands.

[Rood]

Worked for me with 11 Swamps my initial list ran 12 but I cut it down to 11 to fit in the full set of Duress. It also helps against control to be able to make a couple few land drops as oposed to trying to burn out your resources just to get mana to play spells. Since I don't run Pact I can't tutor for mana either.

[Aleksandr]

Very strange build. How do the four of AdN + double ToA work together? Don't you lose to bad flips from time to time?