[Primer/Deck] Burn

[JPettie]

Hey everyone! Long time burn player here that just came back from the Grand Prix in DC. I finished 36th with a 12-3 record and thought I would write a report on my matches and experience. In a 15 round tournament I'm not gonna remember everything but I'll try to give some good detail.

So first is my deck list!
Land 20
11 Fetches
9 Mountains

9 Creatures
4 Goblin Guide
4 Grim Lavamancer
1 Vexing Devil

31 Spells
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Rift Bolt
4 Flame Rift
4 Fireblast
4 Lava Spike
4 Price of Progress
4 Chain Lightning
3 Sulfuric Vortex

Sideboard
4 Searing Blaze
4 Pyrostatic Pillar
3 Ensnaring Bridge
3 Smash to Smithreens
1 Pyroblast

Pretty standard maindeck aside from the 1 vexing devil. I have played the 60th card as a 4th vortex or 21st land and I didn't like either. Vexing devil ended being solid the few times I saw him. I'll talk about the sideboard in the round reports.

I've been having the same thoughts about the 21st land and 4th Vortex, in my case I've been running a singleton Ensnaring Bridge, mainly just as a placeholder for now until I find a reasonable choice for the 60th card. I am not a huge backer on Vexing Devil, but how did you feel about it being your 60th card, would you rather have something else looking back, say you were to run the list tomorrow, your mainboard?

Round 1 - Imperial Painter
Sweet! Start off the tournament with a good matchup. Not only that but my opponent was a newer player who made a few fatal mistakes. Game one he had the win on turn four with no targeted burn in my hand to stop it but he punted by not tapping his city of traitors before fetching with an arid mesa he played for the turn (city in play already, played mesa, cracked). Judge was called and he gave my opponent a warning. This bought me the extra time to burn for the win.

Sideboarded in 4 searing blaze, 3 smash and out 3 vortex/ 4 price progress.

I actually believe that Price of Progress is very good against Imperial Painter, even under blood moon it will kill them easily with all their non-basics. I find most players do not know about that ruling being in favor of Price of Progress. Just having a Grim Lavamancer on line against that deck is insane, they have a horrible match up against burn it seems.

Round 2- Reanimator
Well shit. One of the worst match ups possible and I dont have any specific GY hate. Game one he kept a hand of swamp and 2 lotus petals that didn't do anything and had to use the petals to cast his brainstorms. Weeee!

Sideboarded in 3 ensnaring bridge and out 3 grim lavamancer.

Have you thought about running Faeries? I find Reanimator our worst match up. I have actually been toying with the idea of Duplicant to deal with Iona and Sneak and Show match ups. Even with a Bridge in play, if they resolve an Iona, you still lose the game, because you can't play any of your spells, I have toyed with Dismember as well, but maybe it is best to just understand losing to that match is going to happen and devoting too much to it, is wrong.

Round 13 – Death and Taxes
Dream match up again. Make sure though to know when to bolt a mother or thalia. You usually never hit a mother unless you get a goblin guide hand. Knowing when to hit thalia is a lot tricker. A lot of of the time you kill her when you need to cast vortex to stop their life gain but are only on 2 or 3 mana.

Could you elaborate on your meaning behind usually never hitting a mother of runes unless you have a goblin guide hand?

I have some questions regarding your sideboard choices.
Do you favor Pyrostatic Pillar over Mindbreak Trap and why is that if you do?
Do you find Searing Blaze to be necessary in winning against the match ups you bring it in against or is it just an added bonus?
How important do you feel the Smash to Smithereens have been even though you are running 3 Vortex main?

Lastly, I would like to congratulate you on a wonderful showing, I do not play Burn because of budget, same as you. I love the deck and believe experience speaks more than the cards in your deck. I recently top 8'd a local monthly tournament with a mid 20s showing. I will write a small report if anyone is interested and you can find my list here: http://www.mythicgameselmira.com/For....php?item.51.5