[SCD] Brainstorm - in non-Blue decks!?

[Uncoordinated]

Searching the forum here for Brainstorm articles just turns up a bunch of stuff on how to play it and the right mix of 1cc cantrips in decks running blue as a primary colour.

What I'd like to get feedback on is the idea of splashing for Brainstorm, and perhaps a playset of another blue card - Daze/Snare/Pierce? Basically, has anyone ever tried to stick Brainstorm in a deck sporting a lot of shuffle effects, without running enough blue to support Force? Specifically, in a non-combo, creature-based deck that is somewhere around midrange.

[Lejay]

Any Tendrils based deck fits your description.

[Uncoordinated]

Any Tendrils based deck fits your description.

Herp. Totally neglected TES. Made the OP more concise.

[from Cairo]

Searching the forum here for Brainstorm articles just turns up a bunch of stuff on how to play it and the right mix of 1cc cantrips in decks running blue as a primary colour.

What I'd like to get feedback on is the idea of splashing for Brainstorm, and perhaps a playset of another blue card - Daze/Snare/Pierce? Basically, has anyone ever tried to stick Brainstorm in a deck sporting a lot of shuffle effects, without running enough blue to support Force? It'd probably have to be multicoloured already to even think about weakening the manabase for such a tiny splash.

Team Left Field had a junk deck called Tombstone that spashed Brainstorm for it's filtering. I did a search for the thread, but maybe it's been lost, it dated back to '08-09 I think. I don't know how active Konsultant and Raider Bob still are, but maybe one of the two of them will catch the thread and have something to contribute.

[TsumiBand]

Brainstorm tends to break pretty late in creature decks. You're almost always playing incorrectly if you even have the mana to EoT a Brainstorm during the first 3 turns of the game, if you're playing a "creature-based" non-Blue deck.

Shit son, Merfolk doesn't even have to play Brainstorm, and that is like the first place you'd expect to see Brainstorm in an aggro-control deck. So it's hard to imagine such a deck which would go out of its way and poop on its own manabase for Brainstorm.

[Rico Suave]

There are a number of artifact-based decks that can make use of Brainstorm. Specifically, I'm talking about artifact-based decks that take advantage of acceleration in the form of Ancient Tomb and Grim Monolith to pump out fatties like Wurmcoil Engine or Steel Hellkite or other similar monstrosities.

There are a variety of ways to approach such a deck, but one way is to splash a few non-artifact cards into the deck. Red offers Goblin Welder which can be pretty ridiculous and blue offers all-stars like Thirst for Knowledge, Transmute Artifact, or our friend Brainstorm.

These sort of decks generally struggle to support enough blue cards for Force but they do benefit immensely from the specific card manipulation of a Brainstorm.

[menace13]

Team Left Field had a junk deck called Tombstone that spashed Brainstorm for it's filtering. I did a search for the thread, but maybe it's been lost, it dated back to '08-09 I think. I don't know how active Konsultant and Raider Bob still are, but maybe one of the two of them will catch the thread and have something to contribute.


http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?8462-[Deck]-Tombstone

[perm]

The reason why Brainstorm is so good is because you can potentially see THREE new cards for one mana, and get rid of the chaff with a shuffle effect. It isn't good in aggro decks like Zoo because zoo's cards are essentially interchangeable, same reason why FoW is bad against them. Creature decks already have to tap out because the curve is so damn crowded if you want to get competitive tempo, so you won't be playing BS except late game. You usually wont have shuffle effects then either

[FieryBalrog]

There are a number of artifact-based decks that can make use of Brainstorm. Specifically, I'm talking about artifact-based decks that take advantage of acceleration in the form of Ancient Tomb and Grim Monolith to pump out fatties like Wurmcoil Engine or Steel Hellkite or other similar monstrosities.

There are a variety of ways to approach such a deck, but one way is to splash a few non-artifact cards into the deck. Red offers Goblin Welder which can be pretty ridiculous and blue offers all-stars like Thirst for Knowledge, Transmute Artifact, or our friend Brainstorm.

These sort of decks generally struggle to support enough blue cards for Force but they do benefit immensely from the specific card manipulation of a Brainstorm.

Those artifact decks will usually prefer Thirst for Knowledge which you mention and there are only so many slots for this type of effect. Brainstorm is hurt by Trini & Chalice, takes no special advantage of the fast mana, and you lack shuffle effects. In contrast TfK is amazing because Tombs and Cities fill in the {2} and it combines the card filtering with actual drawing power, plus turning on Welder.