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

On the topic of Mox Opal.. I found it to be pretty inconsistent since you need 2 other cards for it to work. However.. I tested a singleton Mox Diamond in place of one of the Pact targets in PSI. It wasn't terrible but it didn't produce any noticeable changes. You only need one card to work with Mox Diamond, ie. Pact or LG. The problem was once I hit the post-board, you lose Pacts so its much more difficult to justify playing Diamond since its a counterable land. In the grind game, you want as many IMS as you can get your hands on.


Perhaps Mox Opal might find a place in some sort of post-board grind strategy.. Mox Opal and Lotus Bloom come to mind. I know Darth Vicious used to play these cards in his build. After finals are over, I'll fiddle around with those 2 cards post-board and see what I can come up with because Mox Opal is kinda like Chrome Mox 2.0 and Lotus Bloom is like a one shot Carpet of Flowers.

Wonderful. I have another question, What about Rhystic tutor? as a singleton in place of a win condition.
I understand it seems bad but I think its a possibility bc it can become any of the 3 we may need. Of course it loses power after turn 2 but im saying as a singleton.

Also, i am loving the 3-2-1 belcher-tendrils-empty
4 belcher is way too many and tendrils can be imprinted.
I also stopped running skyshroud cutter bc i found that in chains i would run it, i had to finish w belcher to feel safe bc often times it makes your storm need raise to 13 and other times 12 which isnt unreasonable but takes more time and effort with which i want to minimize.

I am loving the deck thus far and i love the look on my opponents face when i turn 1 them.

Stay Brewing my friends.

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Originally Posted by Ricardio

I also stopped running skyshroud cutter bc i found that in chains i would run it, i had to finish w belcher to feel safe bc often times it makes your storm need raise to 13 and other times 12 which isnt unreasonable but takes more time and effort with which i want to minimize.

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When I chain D4s into Tendrils it's typically at 13-15 storm, the extra five life has only been a problem a couple times. My biggest issue with Skyshroud Cutter is that you have to have a Forest to cast it, which can be a problem with D4 lines that start by culling Dryad Arbor with no Bayou in play. But, again, it almost never comes up. The utility of having a free creature that can be played the same turn you play a Bayou is absolutely worth the small concessions you make by including Cutter. Bayou + Summoner's Pact + Culling the Weak (and no other initial mana sources) can't generate mana on the turn you play the Bayou without Skyshroud Cutter.

One other kind of random thing I really like about Skyshroud Cutter over other options is the 2/2 body. I have definitely stolen a game or two with T1 Dryad Arbor followed by a Skyshroud Cutter. PSI beats is hilarious and sometimes (ok, very very rarely) the correct line.

Often times I storm for exactses or just over.
It's never stupid like 15+.
The cutter made it a necessity to go long or belcher.
I am an avid believer in less is more meaning that I want them deck with as little effort as possible.
I like tinder wall bc it nets me mana and it makes empty easier to cast.
I will be honest and say I haven't picked up the deck in over a week but I stand by these statements.

http://www.starcitygames.com/events/...uisition_.html

SCG Vegas. Nicolas Prax takes 64th, and they do a Deck Tech interview. He has a suboptimal list though. 3 ESG is wrong if you want to actually cast Carpet of Flowers. And he plays Autumn's Veil over Duress so thats a little puzzling. 4 Belcher, 2 Tendrils config.. meh 4/1 or 3/2, or 2/3 is relatively standard. Also, Skyshroud Cutter > Young Wolf is wrong because Cutter lines of play come up far more frequently than Wolf lines of play. 3 Tombs is just a sideboard playstyle but he'd probably want a Bayou or two if he is to have enough green sources for his heavily green board. Abrupt Decay.. another sideboard playstyle but CB is terrible right now with BUG in DTB playing it maindeck so I don't know why he'd prepare for it. If you can sneak enough perpetuals through before they land Counterbalance, you can play right around it, even if they have a top. I've done it plenty of times vs. BUG control. You get to like 3-6 mana, and they can't consistently get a 3 or 4 ontop. Hell I've won through active CB, Jace, Lili in topdeck mode more than a handful of times. CB isn't as hard for SI as it is for something like ANT or TES because the other storm decks NEED acceleration to play their business spells unless they hit 5 perps for AdN. And even then, an opponent with a mana surplus can just counter the key spells that follow the AdN and attempt to stop you. In SI, you can just sneak through a D4, and then a Belcher right past Counterbalance. Not to say CB is a even or positive matchup, but I wouldn't specifically prepare for it in the current metagame when Abrupt Decay is played elsewhere already.

Either way, good to see the deck getting some attention.

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Originally Posted by lochlan

One other kind of random thing I really like about Skyshroud Cutter over other options is the 2/2 body. I have definitely stolen a game or two with T1 Dryad Arbor followed by a Skyshroud Cutter. PSI beats is hilarious and sometimes (ok, very very rarely) the correct line.

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PSI beats is actually the correct line of play when you get off an early EtW for like 6 to 8 tokens for some early pressure while you build up perpetual resources. I've had more than a few games where my opponent is constantly cantripping to find answers for my tokens and I just drop ESGs and such to compliment the game plan before they have threshold in RUG. When they are trying so hard to dig for an answer, sometimes they are forced to play creatures as blockers that way they can start chipping down the number of tokens and stabilize. When that happens, they are forced to play more lands which means a more mana from Carpet, which means they are taking lands and creatures with their cantrips instead of permission.

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Originally Posted by Vacrix

SCG Vegas. Nicolas Prax takes 64th

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The tournament isn't even close to over. He was ranked 18th after round 4 with 9 points (so, a record of 3-1) and it's currently round 6.

Edit: apparently after round 5 he is 4-1. It will be interesting to see how rounds 6-8 turn out for him. So far so good.

Indeed. The dude who dropped me the link mentioned this as well. It seems like he knows what he's doing.. even if his list isn't what I would play.

I'd say if he encounters a lot of Goblins, Maverick, and Dredge then he'll probably wind up doing pretty well. The rest of the field has quite a lot of BUG right now so we'll see how it turns out.

He's at 12 points aft round 7 so 4-3 sadly but he can finish in the money.

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Originally Posted by Ricardio

He's at 12 points aft round 7 so 4-3 sadly but he can finish in the money.

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I hope he does a report. It would be interesting to see how his build performed from his perspective, considering some of the variations are questionable.

Do we have any way of getting a hold of this guy to pick his brain??

Hi guys, Im Nich and I played the PSI list and got a deck tech for last weekends SCG Vegas.

I'll start off by fully admitting that my list was sub-opitimal on several card choices, that being said I'll take any credit I can for trying to take this deck out into the real world. As many of you noted I should have had more Bayou's in the board and probably dropped the man plan as it wasnt utilized at all during the day. Autumn's veil should also just be duress and ill try to remeber the other changes that I would make for further tourneyments.

My appologies to anyone if I get the exact turn or gamestate slightly off as I mostly took notes on my mulligans and what turn I attempted/killed.

Round 1: Cedric Phillips-R/B Goblins

Pairing go up and I see that I am going to get to play against SCG/StreamTeam Cedric. I usually see him across from me at player meetings as our last names are close. Game 1 I go off on turn 2 with a lethal belcher, I believe I had both lands either in my opener or 1 land and 1 land grant. He was understanding of the fact that he was dead when I revealed my hand for my land grant and let him look over my deck while belcher activation resolved. G2: I attempt to go off turn 2 and the deck misfires, I remember that Cedric started with a Leyline of the void in the board and had a Mulligan into it while fully acknowledging that he had nothing for the matchup. This game with my misfire I believe that I conceded to my own pact trigger after the misfire. G3: Again Cedric opens on a leyline and I believe a vail, I have a few moxes and I believe a land, this game I had out a cantor and got down the belcher after a turn under rishadan port. I believe it ended on turn 4 although after the game I sheepishly had cedric point out that I had the kill a turn earlier, I tried to be as gracias as I could be and told him that I in no way wanted to slow roll him, he accepted and we were done.

2-1 in games

Round 2: Eric Chan- Show and Tell
This was a pretty awesome set of games. I opened on the draw with a turn 1 belcher for the win if he opens on anything non-blue. He plays a Sol land and passes, in my mind Im worried about playing against a stax or chalice deck, so I know that it would be now or never for my deck. I go all in and push with a belcher ready for an activation, he has force of will pitching either brainstorm or a show and tell I cant remember. I know hes on show and tell now. He untaps and his last cards are lotus petal, show and tell, omniscience and burning wish. GG once i see petals and grapeshot. G2:I start with a IC which is really strong against the show and tell decks since much like PSI your either dead or alive. after drawing I have indicated that I drew a Belcher, another D4 and a mox that along with my mana in had allowed me to play the belcher and activate for the win.

They cant have force of will all the time.

G3: This I dont have anything noted for but I do remember that I went off on turn 1 and I'll assume killed with a belcher as this would be my main kill all day. The reason I remember that it was turn 1 was that Eric commented on the fact that I had a turn 1 kill in every game that we played and that he only saw FoW in the second game.

2-1 for games

2-0 matches

Round 3: Tannon Grace- RUG Delver-13th place overall.
Tannon was a really cool guy, he explained that he was a poker play by profession and that he liked to play invitationals and more standard than legacy. He was really tired he would explain throughout our round.
This game I again have few notes for, the reason being that I was realizing that the runner for the scg coverage team was looming around our game and prior to the round starting I overheard a judge saying that he wanted to know what were some of the cooler things that he was seeing from the tables to several other judges.
He starts off tropical island, delver. I have a turn 1 belcher but no activation. I land the belcher and we begin the grind to see if i can fire off before he kills me with his delver, It flips and were off to the races. I draw dead, he attacks me, I draw a ritual and activate belcher, thinking this was all but done, he reveals his ace in the hole like a true stalwart poker player, Stifle the belcher activation. I calmly agree, under his breath or while im focusing on other things he mentions that he has another stifle and that I am dead, I let him attack me and then he passes back and I rip another mana source to try again, he reiterates that he had the stifle, I apologize for not listening and its off to game 2.

In between boarding I notice that Rubin from the SCG team is watching from a few feet back of the table and talking with the show runner, Its at this point that I realize that I am being scouted for coverage.
Game 2 I board in carpet of flowers and cabal therapy as well as autumn's veil. I start off with an early carpet of flowers and I believe he as some light pressure but I stabilize behind a D4 and eventually push through a belcher with no land in my deck. GG.
Game 3: Rubin sits down next to Tannon. Now I know that playing under pressure is part of the game but I could really tell that if i wanted coverage of PSI that I was going to have to win this last game. Again it came down to me having I believe 1 or 2 carpet of flower as well as my young wolf to kill to my culling the weak in order to belcher for the win. I can remember the tension in the game and my focus and determination to win in order to have a chance for a deck tech or feature match.

3-0

After the game tannon turns and ask Rubin if he would have played anything out differently, he seemed satisfied with the response that he had played to his best outs. Then I get asked if I would do a deck tech, now I know that a lot of people know of or keep this deck as a pet side project but I was really happy to be asked to talk about the deck and to get some exposure for it. I wont really talk about the deck tech other than to say that I put the deck together the day before and have mostly spent my time playing doomsday before going back to pick up PSI, some of the card choices are my own. As Vacrix has pointed out were at the time sub optimal and probably changed out for a more standard list. Just play whatever your most comfortable with.

Round 4 Richard-1st Place overall

Richard was a really nice guy and a great opponent to play against. As we sat down he asked if I had just finished a deck tech, I replied that I had, he scoffed that he should have actually looked to see what deck I had laid out on the table.
Game 1: I have a note that I played a D4 dropping me to 10 life he spends his turn casting a show and tell for and Emrakul and I put out a belcher and then my only other note is that I misfired on a belcher I believe it was for 9dmg. Game 2: This would be the game that I let go for the stupidest reason.

It was my misplay that cost me the game. The situation becomes that I have a land and an LED and a carpet of flowers on the field, along with a dark ritual, D4 and a belcher in my hand. I keep weighing my options and lines of play realizing that if I simply wait for him to play a show and tell that I will put in a belcher and activate on the spot. After spending time debating between a D4 or my belcher I foolishly pick up my belcher from hand, announce my intent to activate carpet of flowers and then put belcher on the stack. No sooner had I done this then I knew I was sunk, he forces pitching show and tell. Untaps and shows in a grislebrand. I die to the 7/7 after a hit and a dead draw.

3-1
Again Richard was a great guy and it was a good game, although I knew that if I didnt misplay that my deck would get me the other game and the match.

Round 4: Bruce on R/B Goblins

Apparently R/B Goblins is the deck to play when people like BUG Decks.

Game 1 I mull to 5 and have a slow hand, he starts with lackey and beats me down to 16 before I have a belcher kill on turn 3, it felt a little dirty just winning on a mull to 5 on turn 3 after Im sure it looked like I was really far behind but game 1 unless they have the nuts I dont think goblins has any way to end the game faster than you can stumble onto a win.

Game 2: I have an Iggy loop that goes IT into Culling the weak, Dark ritual and a D4. The D4 is a IT, LED, Culling the Weak and a D4. I kill my young wolf 2 times that turn and go hellbent on the tutor to get a tendrils for lethal storm.

4-1

Round 5: Christian Keeth

After winning back the prior round I felt that I may have over thought my lose and that I was still in the running to finish well.

Game 1 He starts off with a thoughseize and takes my first mana accelerent, next its followed up by a hymn that hits my only 2 win conditions in hand, from that point I knew I would have to get lucky to stay in the game. He didnt have much pressure and was only able to play a delver and it would take it several turns to flip. His delver hits me to 19 and I draw a D4 for the turn, I know that I have to go off now if possible as he had exhausted his hand. My notes show that I cast 4 D4 and never found a win condition I die with 6 black mana floating and more in hand. I was all dressed up with nowhere to go.

Game 2 This game I remember for the fact that I had 2 carpet of flowers, he again had some pressure but this time from nimble mongoose. On the turn that I had to go off I started with an Autumn's veil , he force back,so i hedged my bets and went all in only to see another force and blue card as his only 2 cards in hand.

Im 4-2 and I know that im out of the running for top 8

Round 7: Arthur Naugle: U/R Burn, or what I thought was RUG Delver 14th in final standings I believe.

This match really comes down to Arthur having one game 1 after I had a bad D4 and he burned me out with a few bolts. Game 2 though was another punt on my part, I was sculpting a hand that was only lacking protection, I was attempting to wait for either a cabal therapy or a veil when I passed to Aruthur while I was at I believe 7, now I had thought that he was on RUG for the first game as all that I saw was Volcanic Island, so in play he has a bloodstained mire, this i chalked up to him not having the right fetches and saying earlier in the match that he had borrowed the deck from a friend for the tourney. So I pass expecting that the worst he can do is drop me to 1 if the has 2 bolt effects, he cracks his fetch and gets a basic mountain. Alarms start ringing in my head, " hes a burn deck you idiot why didnt you just try to win." he bolts me , flips his delver off a chain lightning and fireblasts me. I die with the win in hand.

I ask him after if he had the force or any counter at all, he didnt. The deck is better than me. If you have the win in hand you should try to win. Just my 2 cents in hindsight.

4-3 and I guess its a top 32 finish that Im looking for now.

Round 8: Luke: Sam Black Zombies

This is a match that I know I should be able to win, I start off strong with a turn 2 belcher for the win in game 1. Game 2 I start off with a D4 into a belcher misfire, I get to see that his only relevant board cards are surgical extraction. Game 3 is determined by my misplay of forgetting that I want to kill him with a belcher and that i dont need to keep petals in hand to increase a storm count. I loose a hand of double summoners pact and double lotus petal to cabal therapy. Sadly thats it, I die with a wimper rather than a bang.

4-4
50 dollars and I sign off on 60th place.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, again I apologize for my lack of indepth notes, everyone that I played against was great, the deck was a blast to pick up and I was beyond happy to get a deck tech and shine a bit of light on this old deck.

Burning-Tree Emissary (R/G) (R/G)

Creature - Human Shaman

When Burning-Tree Emissary enters the battlefield, add RG to your mana pool.

Those who regard the Gruul as savage simpletons underestimate the subtle power of their shamans.

Illus. Izzy. 2/2

Omg! What if this is a cycle?!?

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Originally Posted by Ricardio

Burning-Tree Emissary (R/G) (R/G)

Creature - Human Shaman

When Burning-Tree Emissary enters the battlefield, add RG to your mana pool.

Those who regard the Gruul as savage simpletons underestimate the subtle power of their shamans.

Illus. Izzy. 2/2

Omg! What if this is a cycle?!?

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I doubt it's a cycle. The card makes zero sense in blue black design wise. Even if it was a cycle, there won't be a green black one since golgari isn't in this set. UG would be sort've neat although even then it probably wouldn't make the cut in this deck.

I am just saying its something that has been talked about previously in the thread. A creature that has a EtB that gives mana and gives us a solid CTW target. It will find a better home in pure belcher but its something new to look at. That and whispering madness although I believe it to be a worse slithermuse. All avenues must be sought to find the perfect direction.

Hi all,

I'm currently running a LED-less list due to me having a dog of a time tracking some down - that aside, my list is currently in a state of flux as I try out new ways of configuring the remaining spots.
-4 LED, -1 Pact, -2 Belcher (1 in the main)
In their place I'm running more mana sources, +1 Bayou (2 in main), +1 Taiga, +2 Simian Spirit Guide (I'm running 2 EtW) and the last slot has been in flux with creatures, PiF, Mirri's Guile etc etc. I actually really enjoying Mirri's Guile in there.
My biz is 3 Tendrils, 2 EtW & a single Belch.
What else could I try to get the most of out being 1 Pact and 4 Led's down?

I have a few questions re:the current state of PSI.
I've seen many of the older lists running both a Cutter and one of Odious Trow/SlitherHead/Deathrite Shaman in the main.
But many of the more recent lists have dropped one of these, with quite a few just running Cutter.
Why is this?

DRS has been great in goldfishing - but I'm finding over and over, that DRS is a magnet for removal and counter.
I never had this issue with Trow or Slitherhead. For the times I want to actually tap it and get mana etc etc., I can't keep it alive until my next turn.
For those of you who run DRS, have you also found this to be a problem?
Is this a reason enough for anyone out there to consider not running it in the main?

Cheers

This deck is totally unplayable without a set of LEDs.

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Originally Posted by slave

I've seen many of the older lists running both a Cutter and one of Odious Trow/SlitherHead/Deathrite Shaman in the main.
But many of the more recent lists have dropped one of these, with quite a few just running Cutter.
Why is this?

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Because those pilots have been happier with the utility of one creature over the other, of course. I'm playing both Deathrite Shaman and Skyshroud Cutter in my list. There is no consensus on the "correct" way to configure the creature suite.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by slave

DRS has been great in goldfishing - but I'm finding over and over, that DRS is a magnet for removal and counter.

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If your Deathrite Shaman is getting countered and/or your opponents are leaving in removal for it, you're in great shape. I would almost always prefer that my opponents counter my sheep to be culled instead of my business.

Thanks.

Yeah I kinda assumed the deck lost a bit of bite without LED's.

Cabal Therapy can hit anything potentially, and has flashback to increase storm with no mana cost possibly.....
Why Duress over Cabal Therapy in the side?

I don't think PSI wants to board in hand destruction versus a hate bear deck (although I have considered it many times) so hitting creatures doesn't seem too important. On the other hand, if you're playing a Robot SI list or some other configuration with a lot of actual creatures (thus enabling flashback more readily), Cabal Therapy is awesome.

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Originally Posted by lochlan

I don't think PSI wants to board in hand destruction versus a hate bear deck (although I have considered it many times) so hitting creatures doesn't seem too important........

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On this I agree - but the ability to get rid of Teeg (read: Green Sun's Zenith), Thalia or a Glacial Chasm (postboard) seems like it's definitely worth it for me, even if we don't use it for it's flashback.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lochlan

.....if you're playing a Robot SI list or some other configuration with a lot of actual creatures (thus enabling flashback more readily), Cabal Therapy is awesome

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I guess this is where I may differ - I've been running a couple more creatures than some lists (that's until I track down a set of LED's! :mad:)
I agree with what Vacrix was saying about Young Wolf (in that Cutter is much more useful), but I've been liking having it in the main with Therapy in the side to make use of it against control or combo.
I might just try a Kobold and see how that works out.

Sometimes hitting creatures is crucial though. I've been playing 3 Thoughtseizes in my current post-board and I've won more than a few games having had the ability to take creature with it. Sometimes you run into U-control decks that play Thalia, Meddling Mage, Clique, etc. Sometimes even taking SFM is the right call because they completely lose their clock, or if they don't have the mana, I wait for them to find Batterskull, then take it with discard so they lose their easiest win condition.

I have yet to reach a conclusion about Lotus Bloom but I haven't had much time lately to test the board. The good thing about the board so far is that Thoughtseize is versatile enough to attack their potential clock as well as their permission. Turn 1 Bloom(s), if resolves, is basically game if you back it up with the right cards. You play out some perpetual resources here and there, perhaps a discard spell. Then on turn 4ish, Bloom tries to resolve. You can fight over its resolution with your perps, perhaps a Drit/Crit to draw out as much permission as possible.. but ultimately the opponent has to deal with you having 8 cards, one resolving, any perps you've acquired.. that or you get very aggressive with your perpetual resources and discard early on to prepare for the Lotus Bloom.


Lets look at an example hand..

Hand:
Petal, Chrome Mox, Thoughtseize, Duress, Cabal Ritual, Elvish Spirit Guide, Lotus Bloom

Seems good. a perpetual resource, 2 protection spells, acceleration, and some Daze protection.

T1: Chrome Mox (imprint Crit), suspend Lotus Bloom
T2: Draw, Cruel Bargain, Duress.. taking Spell Pierce, seeing a hand of Force, Force, Spell Pierce, Flusterstorm, Daze.. so he has 4 countermagic, left, 3 if he doesn't draw another blue card.
T3: Draw Dark Ritual, Thoughtseize, he Dazes, I remove ESG, and take one of the Forces. I play out the Lotus Petal just to avoid running into a Flusterstorm if I have to play around it later.
T4: Lotus Bloom resolves, no countermagic. He's rather counter the business and not lose to Belcher because he can't counter it with Flusterstorm if I have more acceleration in hand, which is Dark Ritual, Cruel Bargain.. I draw Infernal Contract.

Combo turn:
We know the opponent still has Force and Flusterstorm, and if they've drawn a blue card then they can play both. We've encounter a light clock, heavy permission.

Bloom, Mox, Petal in play. Access to BB BBB, Drit in hand. So we have 7 black mana. and 2 business spells. However, if the opponent has a blue card, then we will run into Flusterstorm... Bloom, CB, FoW, Drit, IC means we'll have to pay 6 fucking mana. So.. I'll crack the Bloom for BBB, play Cruel Bargain 2 spells on the stack. The opponent has a tough choice here. Flusterstorm or Force of Will. Flusterstorm invites me play Dark Ritual to pay for it. Force completely shuts me down. Force is probably the safer play. So we encounter Force, he removes a Ponder. I'll wait that way I don't run full force into the Flusterstorm.

T5: Draw LED
LED, Dark Ritual, Infernal Contract, he Flusterstorms, I pay 4 with LED/Petal. Draw 4

LG, Carpet of Flowers, Carpet of Flowers, IT

LG --> Bayou, Carpet, pass to second mainphase, play Carpet

T6: Draw Petal
IT --> Belcher... since Carpets add 2 each, plus Petal/Bayou. we have access to 6 mana per turn.. in a savage topdeck mode.

GG from here

Granted, its an example hand against a hand chalk full of countermagic just to recall one of the games I had on Cockatrice. It was similar to this one. Against a RUG player, I encountered basically 6 or 7 countermagic. So imagine exactly what I just described, only he counters the IT, and the next Belcher, then I finally sneak through a Belcher. Still tweaking the board but I like it so far.