The definition of "Combo" - Do Storm decks count?

[Jander78]

I see Storm as a one card combo. Mainly because the entire strategy of the deck is focused on casting that one card. It's the same way that combo decks like Dragon/Trix used draw/search/tutor to obtain the correct pieces to complete the combo and win. Storm only spends time drawing/searching/gaining enough mana to go nuts with a lethal Tendrils/Brainfreeze. On this same idea Belcher can be grouped along as well. Since the deck is designed to run 1-2 lands and win on a single "belch" the only card that is really needed to win is the Charbelcher. You can have an all mana hand and a Belcher and just win undisrupted without any support cards what-so-ever.

I do understand that you obviously can't break it down into drawing a Tendrils is the win, because it does require 9 other support cards to generate a win, but on the other hand it doesn't require any specific card in conjunction with itself to be able to pull off the win. Belcher is an exeception to this, because you can technically topdeck a Belcher, play it and win on its activation.

So yes, I do believe if a deck is designed entirely around a single card for the win, than that card is generally considered a 1 card combo.

[Artowis]

With the aforementioned assumption that Storm does NOT count as a one card combo, I defy you to name one other 1 card combo that exists, let alone is viable in the current environment. (Belcher is not a 1 card combo.)

Well gee, kind of hard to name a one card combo when you automatically disqualify both 1-card combos. How is Belcher NOT a 1 card combo by the way? When you design the deck around it, you play it, activate it and you win. Sounds like a 1 card combo to me.

Read what Jander wrote for storm combo.

[Nightmare]

Because I'm considering the support cards to be part of the combo. Maybe thats where my misconception is. If so, I'll leave the Belcher argument aside, and admit my mistake. I still don't consider storm one card combos though.

[Slay]

Mr. Nightmare is right, however, when he says that High Tide is not a 1 card combo. It's a 2 card combo, the two cards are High Tide and Untap Effect. Without both of those cards, you won't win the game, but together they effectively put you so far ahead that you should win the game. It's just that one card can come way after the second card and the Solidarity player can still win.

Belcher is a 1-card combo deck. There is not a single other card that is necessary for it to win. Consider: T1: Land, Birds. T2: Land, 3 birds. T3: Lotus Petal, Belcher, Belch.

There was nothing in that combination that couldn't have been replaced with a Chrome Mox or a Tinder Wall or a Lotus Petal or X.
-Slay

[SpikeyMikey]

I consider all storm combos 1 card combos because they don't require any other specific card function in order to go off. It's helpful, but not required. Let's say it's turn 8. You've got 7 islands in play, and you cast high tide. your opponent counters. you cast tide, they force. you cast brainstorm freeze freeze. You've just milled 39, which on turn 8 against a control deck is pretty damn near lethal, without ever resolving a tide or an untap effect. Are the other functions helpful? Sure. Just like Welder is helpful with a Smokestack on the table. These cards make the deck better, but they aren't required for it to function. They could be replaced with other cards and make a poorer, less functional, but still comborific deck.

[67-1122470612]

Combo decks are decks designed specifically to win with ONE card or card interaction.

Wouldnt that make all decks combo decks then? All Legacy decks depend on the Land + Spell card interaction...

[Zephyrus]

O-kay...

Do I even have to reply to this?

edit- I just did. Right.

[Rag Man]

A combo deck...

Is where a mommy Magic card and a Daddy Magic card get together to tap each other out.

[MattH]

Illusions/Donate is a two card combo, despite the fact that you also need to draw mana. The mana doesn't "count" towards the cards in the combo, despite the fact that you need them: 3x Donate, 4x Illusions is not a keepable hand.

The only usefulness of even measuring how many cards are in a combo is to get a number that corresponds with how hard the combo is to piece together. Thus, when you run enough of a part of a combo, it ceases to count toward the total number of cards involved in the combo in any meaningful sense. (this is intentionally left vague) You don't count Island as part of the High Tide combo, despite the fact that you do indeed need it to go off. Why don't you count it? Because you can bank on getting them. If you could only run four Islands, you would count it as part of the combo. If you could run fifteen Donates, you wouldn't really call Trix a two-card combo.

In that sense, Storm combos (especially Tendrils) are a one-card combo. Yeah, you need some mana, and some spells, but you can be pretty damn sure of getting mana and spells. They're not hard to find - in fact one of them will usually be in such abundance that you wish you had more of the other.