Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Diprivan
I don't believe this card merits a spot in an already really tight wishboard.
That's what I think. There might be situations where the card can be really cool, but let's be honest it's a minimum of cases.
Let's say we need it for a Landdrop we have to trade BW for it and recieve a random card in exchange. PLUS we lose the game. After that turn.
That means we have to be absolutely sure to win after the turn and can't wait for them to untap/attack/do whatsoever. I feel like the percentage of that case is lower 2% and I bet there are better Lines of play.
It looks quite cool to have the chance of "Timewalking" into the ETW win, BUT you have to draw into BW PLUS you have to havethe mana to cast it on the table, unless you did not use LED to cast it and have the BW in hand. And still you have to have the mana (1RRR). Lets make it 1% of the games.
Rounding it up to 3% making it every ~34th match that means at best you'll have a benefit of it once in a tournament playing 7swiss rounds and reaching the finals.
Now think about a Card in your SB that makes games less likely to win with. In mine there's none. -> I won't play it and I don't feel like it makes any matchup better.
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
Last Chance seems *Meh* in the same vein as Diminishing Returns. That isn't to say it's horrible or anything, but I can't imagine there being enough times it's relevant to justify it's slot. That said, I'm not sure Hurkyl's Recall is that amazing either. (And honestly, I'd rather have Rebuild over Hurkyl's anyway... sometimes chalice @ 2 happens...)
That said, I'm not sure I have any amazing suggestions either.
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
Quote:
Originally Posted by
lorddotm
Your Wishboard is tight? I have a flexslot right now occupied by Hurkyl's Recall, and there have definitely been time where I think an extra turn would be exactly what I need, that being said, RR is a harsh cost to pay.
Once again, a disclaimer, I don't have class tomorrow, so I am not in a position to be seriously making any sort of suggestions.
Hurkyl's recall is just meh. Can you post your current SB please?
PS: my SB is tighter than Rihanna's ass :confused:
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
Last Chance doesn't seem that good. I could see it being used if for whatever reason you need to untap after Ad Naus or something to kill, but how often are you unable to kill while being able to get that Last Chance. Seems Meh for supporting ETW strikes too.
Regarding Mental Misstep, the 'problem' it could theoretically cause for TES is by making Counterbalance decks more viable by providing them an additional method to stop Aether Vial. Not sure how realistic this is though; otherwise it's just another counter to play around - and if they're cutting other counters to run them it's probably less effective than what it's replacing against us.
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
Quote:
Originally Posted by
lorddotm
Your Wishboard is tight? I have a flexslot right now occupied by Hurkyl's Recall, and there have definitely been time where I think an extra turn would be exactly what I need, that being said, RR is a harsh cost to pay.
Once again, a disclaimer, I don't have class tomorrow, so I am not in a position to be seriously making any sort of suggestions.
I'm playing Meltdown at the moment, with the raise of Affinity and artifact base decks it's not a poor choice.
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bryant Cook
I'm playing Meltdown at the moment, with the raise of Affinity and artifact base decks it's not a poor choice.
That's interesting, we both came to similar conclusions, you have both Spree and Meltdown and I have Spree and Recall. Do you really think Meltdown is better to wish for than Spree or better to draw than Recall?
My sideboard is the same as my Top 4 list, -1 Seize +1 Recall. I don't think I've ever wished for Seize. Against decks that I would do that, I just grab EtW.
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
Quote:
Originally Posted by
lorddotm
That's interesting, we both came to similar conclusions, you have both Spree and Meltdown and I have Spree and Recall. Do you really think Meltdown is better to wish for than Spree or better to draw than Recall?
My sideboard is the same as my Top 4 list, -1 Seize +1 Recall. I don't think I've ever wished for Seize. Against decks that I would do that, I just grab EtW.
I prefer meltdown, because being able to wish for it > just hoping to draw it and hurkyl's recall still loses to chalice @ 2.
1 Diminishing Returns
1 Ill-Gotten Gains
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Grapeshot
1 Shattering Spree
1 Wipeaway
1 Krosan Grip
2 Echoing Truth
4 Xantid Swarm
1 Hurkyl's recall
So this is your current SB?
For now, I'm testing: - 1 hurkyl's recall, -2 echoing truth, -1 wipe away; + 1 meltdown, +3 chain of vapor
note: I just skipped on counterbalance hate for now, as nobody plays it. However, since everybody thinks mental misstep will make EVERY deck better, I expect some metagame shifts and a possible return of counterbalance to the scene, forcing us to play hate for it again.
So, if counterbalance returns... what should we play?
Pyroblast?
I never really liked the pyroblast approach, since when balance hit play, you just had to hope for your opponent to make a mistake to take it out.
Doomsday package?
Though an excellent answer to counterbalance decks, I think ANT is better suited to play the DD game post SB. Besides, it takes much space in our crammed wish SB.
Some combination of krosan grip/wipe away?
Maybe our best pick, though I personally still believe there has to be something better for us.
Empty the warrens plan?
I just want to mention it (again): some years ago I tested an approach in which I boarded to 3-4 copies of empty the warrens post SB against CB. (credit goes to the Dutch team of team Nijmegen, as I think they developed it first)
Etw is just able to storm through a resolved counterbalance and with that much copies of it, we are able to consistly create some goblins turn 1/2 and again and again if necessary. As another plus, it only requires 2-3 spots in our SB. What do you think, fellow combo players? Is it still a viable plan?
To clarify, from my latest tournament report:
Round 4: Countertop bant
G1: He leads tropical island, top. I duress, he fows, pitching brainstorm. Turn 2, he plays counterbalance. Hooray. I burning wish for empty the warrens. He plays tarmogoyf and starts beating for 3 a turn. I build up to 4 lands. When He taps 3 of his 4 lands for a KOTR, I get my chance: I chant, he activates top in response, in response I play another chant, he taps top in response, I respond with dark ritual (fow), dark ritual. Dark ritual resolves, counterbalance counters my chants. I play lotus petal, lotus petal, empty the warrens for 16. The tokens get there.
So, I just hope to create some new discussion in this thread, which really has gone to shit lately. :frown:
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
I really don't hate the empty the warrens plan. I certainly like it better than Blast. A considerable number of the games I won with ANT vs. CB (before DD/Emrakul was tech) involved boarding in extra Tendrils and just forcing through copies.
In some of the *other* storm threads, City of Solitude has been mentioned a couple of times.
While it seems expensive, completely turning off top tricks would certainly make life easier, and it fits a similar role as swarm (though obviously infinitely slower)
- there is also Bound//Determined if it comes to replacing chant effects. It's interesting in that it has the side effect of completely nullifying Chalice on 1 (for the turn anyways)
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Diprivan
Pyroblast?
I never really liked the pyroblast approach, since when balance hit play, you just had to hope for your opponent to make a mistake to take it out.
While I can't say I ever really LIKED the pyroblast plan (Sitting there with an infernal tutor, two leds and a pyroblast, staring at an opponent with the I-have-a-force-smile on his face is horrible), I have to say that simply countering the CB has worked wonders for me a couple of times.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Diprivan
Doomsday package?
Though an excellent answer to counterbalance decks, I think ANT is better suited to play the DD game post SB. Besides, it takes much space in our crammed wish SB.
I traded for all of the cards to play Emidln's Doomsday Emrakul list (Rev314) . . . and I hated it. A lot. I felt like games would go like this. t1. Brainstorm. T2. Ponder. T3 Top + Spin. T4. I die. I would simply cantrip cantrip cantrip cantrip and never do anything. Theoretically the deck was stronger against wasteland (because it ran basics) but I found that, because of the fewer mana sources (chromes, rituals, etc.) the deck was often mana light--you have to cut things for the cantrips and lands, after all. Not to mention the fact that the alternative win condition involves a nonbasic land. I tested the deck, and it did win--don't let my unhappiness with the deck make you think that it didn't win--but I felt that it won despite the DD plan, more often than because of it. However, this was during a lull in countertop--maybe I should resleave it and do some more testing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Diprivan
Some combination of krosan grip/wipe away?
Maybe our best pick, though I personally still believe there has to be something better for us.
I love Grip. Love that stupid card, but I loathe Wipe Away. I've taken it out of my sideboard and have never looked back. I realize it's flexible, and deals with CB AND hatebears, but I find it a really bad way of dealing with both, as you HAVE to be able to win on the next turn after doing it. Additionally, the 1UU cost has been backbreaking on more than one occasion. When Wipe Away lost me three games in a tournament--two games when it should have been grip and another game--when it should have been deathmark--I pulled it and haven't looked back. Anyone else have feelings about this card?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Diprivan
Empty the warrens plan?
I just want to mention it (again): some years ago I tested an approach in which I boarded to 3-4 copies of empty the warrens post SB against CB. (credit goes to the Dutch team of team Nijmegen, as I think they developed it first)
Etw is just able to storm through a resolved counterbalance and with that much copies of it, we are able to consistly create some goblins turn 1/2 and again and again if necessary. As another plus, it only requires 2-3 spots in our SB. What do you think, fellow combo players? Is it still a viable plan?
Do you guys see Bant CB? Mine's always Thopters, which runs EE.
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
Got second at a small 8-man, 3 round tournament up here in Davis. I ran the standard list with this sb:
1x Diminishing Returns
1x Tendrils of Agony
1x Empty the Warrens
1x Ill-Gotten Gains
1x Shattering Spree
1x Pyroclasm
1x Deathmark
1x Thoughtseize
1x Krosan Grip
1x Wipe Away
1x Echoing Truth
1x Chain of Vapor
3x Pyroblast
I wanted to play this deck a little more before Mental Misstep throws a wrench into the metagame and I probably move over to Doomsday builds. I was trying to work out a Canadian Thresh variant of my own but couldn't get ahold of submerges or Fire//Ice for the tournament so I just decided to go in with what I know best and wouldn't be too hard to pilot (counter-intuitive haha, but I hate creature combat math and all the bullshit that goes into winning with creatures. Sometimes it's just more relaxing to play some Dark Rituals).
R1 Sean with Burn
I knew he was probably playing burn since he played it at the last tournament and he told me prior that he wasn't playing the combo deck he was working on. He probably knew I was playing TES though since we had tested a few games before and I usually play it up here. Anyway, I'm not too sure about how this matchup goes, though I imagine it's quite good due to TES's ability to go off faster than burn can kill, though Ad Nauseam is risky.
G1: Went off to a good start. He put down a bunch of Goblin Guides which whiffed on their land-giving ability and put me down to 12 or so. I then made a bunch of goblins, and then was able to mini-tendrils and take home the win.
G2: Was forced to do a mini tendrils to stay alive, but was still on a clock from 18 with a Pyrostatic Pillar out and his Hellsparks and Fireblasts. I wished for IGG as a last ditch to get back 2x Dark ritual and Tendrils to kill him at what I thought was 6 but turned out I wasn't keeping track of his life-loss from the pillar and had I wished for a single Tendrils I may have won. Though it was close.
G3: I tendrils him down to 8 or so on the first couple turns and then wait around to build my hand up while sitting at a cool 27. He had a bunch of burn but I ended up doing another Tendrils a couple turns later.
These were good matches against a great player and cool guy.
R2 Matt (I think) with Combo elves
G1: I keep a slower hand and he goes off T3 with Burning Wish into Tendrils after playing six million spells. That's what my deck is supposed to do!
G2: I keep a slower hand but with Chants and Duresses to kill off his Glimpses and Thorns. I end up getting aggro-ed out when I draw into nothing.
R3 Alexi with Bant (with Zenith and Stoneforge)
G1: I had the Ad Nauseam T2 but decided to wait for some protection since I wasn't really under a clock. He gets me down to 10 where I decide I should just go for it with the backup option of a mini Tendrils to buy time. My ADN resolves and I IGG loop to get there with exactly the right amount of mana and ending at 4 life.
G2: I try to do a quick Ad nauseam (I drew it both games). I had to resolve a Lotus Petal for the right mana, but in response to me casting it he Cliques me, taking the ADN. I draw into a Rite of Flame, giving me more mana to BW for Empty for 16 goblins. He had out a Knight and a SFM. He scooped when he couldn't find an answer.
The elf player ended up getting first, and he was the only 3-0 player so I ended up second place with $20 in store credit. Overall a good tournament, and I'm glad that the scene is being built up more and more! Next time I'm hoping to bring something else!
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LostButSeeking
While I can't say I ever really LIKED the pyroblast plan (Sitting there with an infernal tutor, two leds and a pyroblast, staring at an opponent with the I-have-a-force-smile on his face is horrible), I have to say that simply countering the CB has worked wonders for me a couple of times.
I traded for all of the cards to play Emidln's Doomsday Emrakul list (Rev314) . . . and I hated it. A lot. I felt like games would go like this. t1. Brainstorm. T2. Ponder. T3 Top + Spin. T4. I die. I would simply cantrip cantrip cantrip cantrip and never do anything. Theoretically the deck was stronger against wasteland (because it ran basics) but I found that, because of the fewer mana sources (chromes, rituals, etc.) the deck was often mana light--you have to cut things for the cantrips and lands, after all. Not to mention the fact that the alternative win condition involves a nonbasic land. I tested the deck, and it did win--don't let my unhappiness with the deck make you think that it didn't win--but I felt that it won despite the DD plan, more often than because of it. However, this was during a lull in countertop--maybe I should resleave it and do some more testing.
I love Grip. Love that stupid card, but I loathe Wipe Away. I've taken it out of my sideboard and have never looked back. I realize it's flexible, and deals with CB AND hatebears, but I find it a really bad way of dealing with both, as you HAVE to be able to win on the next turn after doing it. Additionally, the 1UU cost has been backbreaking on more than one occasion. When Wipe Away lost me three games in a tournament--two games when it should have been grip and another game--when it should have been deathmark--I pulled it and haven't looked back. Anyone else have feelings about this card?
Do you guys see Bant CB? Mine's always Thopters, which runs EE.
EE thopters: I agree the goblins plan is much less appealing against them. However, in Belgium, it's a very rare deck to encounter, so I don't mind.
Pyroblast: Sitting there with an infernal tutor, two leds and a pyroblast, staring at an opponent with the I-have-a-force-smile on his face is horrible = Exactly my opinion on the matter.
Wipe away: It's not the best answer to something, but it's an answer to everything. This being said, I don't like the card myself too, for the reasons you stated and don't play it anymore in my SB.
For 'general bounce' aka bouncing hatebears, thorns etc I stronly advocate chain of vapor. For U, you get bounce AND a storm engine.
Krosan grip: I understand you love the card. It's our best answer to a resolved counterbalance and is able to deal with loads of other troublesome permanents like cotv, spheres, canonist etc.
However... the more I play against counterbalance decks, the more I believe our best answer to counterbalance is winning before they can play it...
They resolve counterbalance. You have 2 grips in your 60, counterbalance shuts off your cantrips. You are just hoping to get lucky and draw it in time. (note: in time isn't the moment they kill you, it's the moment they have sealed the deal, by letting them build an insane grip. A thing at which they're much better now with mental misstep. Pre-MM they would find 1-2 fow, some snares and/or dazes. Enough lands and 2 chants still win you this game, but MM made this impossible)
To advocate my views: I believe empty the warrens may best our best bet against tempo decks too... For 2 extra slots (we already have 1 MD and 1 SB empty), you load up to 3 MD empty, 1 SB wishtarget post SB.
Tempo ********: has no real way of dealing with empty the warrens.
Team america: most play 1 EE MD, but without a way to tutor for it (trinket mage), I'm willing to take my chances.
Last weekend I playtested extensively with one of my team members. He played UGB tempo *****.
His build featured:
4 fow
4 stifle
4 mental misstep
4 daze
3 spell snare
4 wasteland
4 dark confidant
Streamlined with 8 cantrips, this really is a challenge for us.
After side: he boarded 2 thoughtseize.
NOTE: I realise tempo decks are among the most difficult to play. Therefore, comparing test results against them can be really depending our your opponent's experience with the deck (next to your own talent ofc).
My friend is top 5 ranked in the Belgian eternal ranking and has been playing (and winning) tournaments with tempo decks for quite some time now, so no comments on this matter please.
I played the usual TES list (can be found in my tournament reports).
I boarded: 1 tropical island, 3 xantid swarm, 2 empty the warrens.
We played 20 games, 10 preside, 10 postside. We both were on the play 10 times.
Results:
preside: TES 4 - Tempo ***** 6
postside: TES 6 - Tempo ***** 4
Some notes:
1. Postside could have been 7-3; 8-2, but I mulliganed a lot those games and never had a really good hand.
2. Empty the warrens is a house against them. With so many copies, I can almost every game create a decent amount of goblins turn 1-2. Most of the time without really spening my entire hand, letting a turn 4-5 mini Tendrils finish him off.
3. Empty the warrens played a much bigger role in winning 6 postSB games than xantid swarm did. Empty the warrens forced my opponent to block my combo attempt much earlier. (as allowing me to reach 4-5 storm with 4 mana floating = goblins) This forced him to use his missteps on my first ritual, rather than my second or third and gave me more ‘expandable’ spells to punch through his counterwall, thereby changing our interaction not only on a tactical level, but on a strategical level too.
Thanks for making it all the way through this long post.
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
Quote:
Originally Posted by
lorddotm
That's interesting, we both came to similar conclusions, you have both Spree and Meltdown and I have Spree and Recall. Do you really think Meltdown is better to wish for than Spree or better to draw than Recall?
My sideboard is the same as my Top 4 list, -1 Seize +1 Recall. I don't think I've ever wished for Seize. Against decks that I would do that, I just grab EtW.
Anytime I've wished for Thoughseize, I was already winning.
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Diprivan
ETW-plan
Could you tell me what you boarded out? The idea is very interesteing now that there are many different tempo decks and few cb-decks appearing. Ponder, brainstorm, duress, silence? What else?
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
Quote:
Originally Posted by
tride
Could you tell me what you boarded out? The idea is very interesteing now that there are many different tempo decks and few cb-decks appearing. Ponder, brainstorm, duress, silence? What else?
I boarded 4 duress, 1 ponder, 1 infernal tutor.
My reasoning: after boarding I play the deck as a sort of Belcher deck (1/2 turn slower, but more consistent and protected). Therefore I think you shouldn't cut fast mana, as you really want 4 mana ASAP. (normally boarding 1 chrome mox is a no brainer, but I kept it in for now) This also explains why I don't board the deck into more protection spells, as even keeping in all duresses gives me 11 protection spells (4 duress, 3 xantid, 3 chant, 1 silence) against their 20 ish counterspells. Just going for the throat now (turn 1/2) with a semi non counterable engine before they establish a mana base that allow them to snare, stifle you out of the games, looks appealing to me from this view.
Duress: I cut them because against tempo decks aka "I play many conditional counters like stifle and spell snare.dec" duress is just meh. Duress has 2 functions:
1. take a counter (obviously), however they play 20ish counters. If you play a duress turn 2-3, they have >1 counter everytime, reducing its effectiveness to 0.
2. take a permanent you really don't want them to resolve, however they don't have troublesome non-creature permanents we want to get rid off proactively (counterbalance, top,....)
Xantid swarm and chant both dodge problem number 1 (number 2 is a non-issue against these decks). They only have MM en FOW to stop it and if I stick my chant their hand of 2 stifle, 2 snare just became worthless.
This creates a balance of my 7 (3 xantid, 3 chant, 1 silence) against their 8 (4 fow, 4 mm). However by boarding into the empty the warrens, dark ritual and rite of flame become a "must counter" too for them. Balancing the odds in our favor.
For example: (and this happens a lot when playing it like this)
turn 1: land, cantrip
turn 2: land, dank ritual (resolves, people wait for the big spell (adn of iggy of tutor saccing led). lotus petal, chrome mox (notice that once they let dark ritual resolve, MM becomes useless against this play), empty the warrens from hand.
You'll steal many games against MM.dec this way, besides even if they grasp your masterplan and start countering every ritual you play, you're still in great shape, because they just get overwhelmed by a plethora a must counters.
This is what I mean with changing the strategical interaction between our deck and Tempo decks.
However, I'm still trying out this sideboard strategy and I'm not sure about cutting the infernal. Maybe cutting Adn is a better idea. I know the power level of the card, but getting to 5 mana against daze, spell pierce and waste can be a real pain if they MM your dark rituals. (note: empty the warrens in a sort of way doesn't need to get to 4 mana as it has storm, as in let me reach 4 mana (most opponents will allow you to get to 4 mana, because they want to blow you out by countering your final infernal tutor or adn) and you can't stop me anymore unless you have stifle.)
PS: I never board out my brainstorms (and I think you shouldn't do it either), it remains the best blue card in the format.
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
I like the ETW idea, going to play around with it.
I was also thinking that cutting Ad N might make sense for that configuration, but can never be sure until you try it, the idea of taking out Ad N feels absurd
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
Quote:
Originally Posted by
TUMBLES
I like the ETW idea, going to play around with it.
I was also thinking that cutting Ad N might make sense for that configuration, but can never be sure until you try it, the idea of taking out Ad N feels absurd
Thanks, I really like it till now.
On cutting Adn: During the 10 postSB games I never wanted it. My 6 wins involved 4 empty the warrens, 1 tendrils from hand after counterwar, 1 diminishing returns -> empty the warrens. Another thing to consider is the increased risk of going Adn with 4 4CC spells in your deck.
However this ofc is just a really small sample and as you said, we should test this out some more before we jump to conclusions. If you reach some interesting test results, please share them.
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
What about boarding in IGG in place of Adn against Merfolk? If you get the Xantid Swarm stick you'll propably have enough time to set up IGG. And if you get a fast hand you can probably get 8-14 tokens t1-2 which is enough if they don't have Echoing Truth. I played about 15 games against Team America and Merfolk yesterday and cast Adn twice. Most of the games I won was with EtW (with normal 75 including 1 EtW md and 1 sb).
The boarding plan would look like this:
+3 Xantid Swarm
+2 EtW
+1 IGG
-1 Ad Nauseam
-2 Duress (With IGG I'd like to have more than 7 protection spells to get the Swarm on the board.)
-2 Cantrips
-1 other card.
Cutting Tutor with IGG isn't very good idea. I'll try with Burning Wish first. Too bad I have exams coming so I can't test much. I know the plan seems pretty strange and IGG might not be very good call. I just got excited of the EtW plan and it makes your Ad Nauseams seem pretty awkward.
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
I don't really think that you can rely on Xantid Swarm that much anymore in the near future; i.e. in two weeks. Mental Misstep will be everywhere, and that thing just doubles Merfolk's chances of countering Xantid Swarm. I think going for Empty The Warrens is a pretty good idea right now, though I'm not entirely sure what to cut from my current sideboard. Neither do I know what to board out for them, though I'm playing the UBRg list. Every card I'm running has proven to be worth running. I think I'm going to do some testing with some Empty The Warrens instead of Xantid Swarms or something similar.
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jona
I don't really think that you can rely on Xantid Swarm that much anymore in the near future; i.e. in two weeks. Mental Misstep will be everywhere, and that thing just doubles Merfolk's chances of countering Xantid Swarm. I think going for Empty The Warrens is a pretty good idea right now, though I'm not entirely sure what to cut from my current sideboard. Neither do I know what to board out for them, though I'm playing the UBRg list. Every card I'm running has proven to be worth running. I think I'm going to do some testing with some Empty The Warrens instead of Xantid Swarms or something similar.
So you would cut Xantid swarms because they can be countered? This is rediculous, xantid swarm is still by far the best protection against merfolks . Let's put it this way: would you rather have a duress/chant or a xantid swarm in your hand against merfolks?
There are many reasons why xantid swarm could be left out of your sideboard but "because people have acces to MM" isn't one of them.
Re: [DTW] T.E.S - The EPIC Storm
No, I would cut them because Empty The Warrens will be harder to handle for them. It's pretty easy to reach four mana, with two lands or one land and a Chrome Mox / Lotus Petal you only need to resolve one single Dark Ritual to be able to cast it, and you don't really need protection in this case, so Empty The Warrens doubles as protection and win condition in a way.
This is comparable to Nimble Mongoose in Threshold decks, they're running the threats that are the hardest to disrupt.
