[Deck] T.E.S. - The EPIC Storm

The amount of experience required to play T.E.S. correctly greatly surpasses the amount required to play A.N.T.. Mostly because of burning wish. Anyone can win with infernal tutor in to ad nauseum if they can count, but burning wish and silence push the difficulty level of the deck over the top. Sequencing on the combo turn is much more complicated than with A.N.T., and you don't have to always be aware of what options you can tutor for from your sideboard. Burning wish is the power and the curse of the deck.... it is so versatile and powerful, but makes it very difficult to play / learn.

TES PiF != ANT PiF, just as ANT AdN != TES AdN.
Speaking of Burning Wish, one thing the raw power of Cabal Rit enables is having a Grim Tutor in the board as a Wish target, so you can tutor chain with Wishes as well.

I wanted to discuss cantripping with more experienced TES players.

In most decks, the following tenets hold:
1) Wait as long as possible before Brainstorming to maximize value, particularly with a fetch effect available.
2) Play cantrips like Preordain (or Gitaxian Probe if not using for information) without a shuffle effect before using Ponder, then finally Brainstorm
3) If playing against discard, use it to protect important pieces, which is something I won't address

As far as #1, I will certainly Brainstorm more aggressively with a slower combo deck or a tempo deck than I would with Miracles, but it seems like TES takes it to another level. Often a mainphase Brainstorm is enough to setup a kill.

More subtle is the ability to place a bomb on top of library, lay some LEDs and crack them in response to another cantrip, which brings me to my second point. It seems that sometimes I will play Ponder with a Brainstorm in hand, dig 3 deep, and then realize that I would have had the kill if I led with Brainstorm first. Or I'd fire off an "extra" Probe (i.e. reveals no new information) before Brainstorming to get an extra card deeper to find out the same thing. In addition, this deck doesn't run that many fetchlands and the Infernal Tutors are too valuable to use as a shuffle effect, so it seems to me that leading with Brainstorm before Ponder often makes sense.

So my question is "when playing this deck, do the normal rules of sequencing cantrips which apply to normal decks break down?" How often do you lead with Brainstorm for these reasons?

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Originally Posted by lordofthepit

So my question is "when playing this deck, do the normal rules of sequencing cantrips which apply to normal decks break down?" How often do you lead with Brainstorm for these reasons?

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As you pointed out, it highly depends on your hand, if on play/draw, etc. So, no, it doesn't follow the rules, "cantrip X, when condition Y is met".

I've done Plenty of blind brainstorms into turn 1 kills. I've also done plenty of Brainstorms into turn 1 brainstorm locks, for 2 turns.

Edit Like turn 1 Main phase brainstorm into 2 Lotus Petal for instance, having dark rit, RoF and AN in hand. If you not sure what your playing against I would probably ponder or git robe first. I've done plenty of Git Probes before even playing a land on turn 1... Control Pilots hate that.

If I have a very good hand missing one piece I'll fire off a t1 main phase brainstorm just to try and go off. Otherwise your points are sold one's

I disagree.

I rather play land-go instead of T1 Brainstorm for the nuts. In case of discard you can hide Key pieces with Brainstorm in response or draw an additional card before Brainstorm Turn 2 and make up for the invested mana via a Second landdrop. If you Turn 1 Brainstorm, you have to make up the invested mana AND the Brainstorm with the 3 cards revealed which requires A combination of Petal or Mox paired with LED or Ritual (adding more than 1 mana per invested card) to return the cardinvestment in a manaboost. Additional Information via Probe may affect the decision if it reveals shit like Daze + spell Pierce but no FoW which would ruin your gameplan if you pass the turn

Im a gambling man. Ill take the chance!

Can trips are so hard to understand. I'd argue that they are more difficult to master than the opening post opening hands. It really depends on the match up, the board state, cards in hand, what your opponent knows about you and what you know about your opponent. Luckily gitaxian probe has made that a lot easier.

I think without knowing what my opponent is playing and needing to brainstorm for a final piece to my win con, I'd rather wait a turn as well. It just seems unlikely and the investment is just too large to go unprotected.

The versatility of this deck doesn't help with its cantrip decision making.

If you know you can't win on turn one, Ponder or hold up Brainstorm.

Otherwise, I main phase Brainstorm blind on the play everyday twice on Sundays.

Especially in G1 when they don't know what I'm on. They don't know to mull to FOW and that is the only card they can have

Should I play the therapy over duress number three tomorrow? Haven't really had time to test it.

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Originally Posted by Megadeus

Especially in G1 when they don't know what I'm on. They don't know to mull to FOW and that is the only card they can have

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With the slow shift of the meta towards combo i wouldn't bet for that. I still think, the additional mana you have to shell Out for that Turn 1 Brainstorm can be crucial, aside from the gamble to draw your 8-outer in Form of Tutor/wish or either LED/Ritual (as i expect being the cards you dig for here)

If I'm missing one piece and it is an 8 outer I think that the odds are in my favor that I get there. Im not saying you HAVE to do it, but im willing to take that risk. I like my odds rather than allowing them to drop and island and have brainstorm to find the force.

I believe some one in here said it best. Force of Will in G1 is not necessarily a reason to keep a hand whereas brainstorm is.

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Originally Posted by Jay_Gatz

Should I play the therapy over duress number three tomorrow? Haven't really had time to test it.

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Yes. It's very strong.

Round one opponent in the legacy challenge bought me a pad and pen from the booth, so I grapeshot him.

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Originally Posted by Jay_Gatz

Round one opponent in the legacy challenge bought me a pad and pen from the booth, so I grapeshot him.

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This guy.

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Originally Posted by Jay_Gatz

Round one opponent in the legacy challenge bought me a pad and pen from the booth, so I grapeshot him.

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like a boss

Bryant on Camera at #SCGDC

vs Esper blade, currently 1:1.

Bryant is playing TES against Esperblade on SCG Live.

Edit: He wins 2-1. Also he gets some interwebz fame for inventing T.E.S.

Happy St. Patty's Day :tongue:

That was a pretty meh Ad Naus... but ripping into the LED after shuffling ponder felt AWESOME.