[Deck] TES - The EPIC Storm

[yawg07]

Got another one for you guys!


6-0 Tourney Report

9 people, 4 rounds, TES Wins! w00t


The List:

4x Lion's Eye Diamond
4x Chrome Mox
4x Lotus Petal
4x Simian Spirit Guide
4x Rite of Flame
4x Dark Ritual
2x Cabal Ritual

4x Brainstorm
2x Ponder
2x Infernal Contract

4x Infernal Tutor
4x Burning Wish

4x Orim's Chant

1x Tendrils of Agony
1x Empty the Warrens
1x Ill-Gotten Gains
1x Diminishing Returns

1x Tarnished Citadel
1x Undiscovered Paradise
4x Gemstone Mine
4x City of Brass


The Sideboard:

4x Pyroblast
3x Duress
1x Pyroclasm
1x Shattering Spree
1x Hull breach
1x Infernal Contract
1x Tendrils of Agony
1x Empty the Warrens
1x Ill-Gotten Gains
1x Diminishing Returns


---


Round 1

Opponent: R/G Goblins


Game 1

This was kind of wild, my opening hand had a lot of mana and some draw, I kept.
I draw, then play Brainstorm. More mana and a land. Okay, cool, need a wincon :/
He starts getting his army together and I'm searching, I've played Brainstorm,
and now I get a ponder with IGG, land, LED and on my last turn to live.

I could shuffle and hope, OR I can do this ...

Petal, Ritual, Ritual, LED, SSG, Rite, Rite, IGG breaking LED for UUU and picking up LED, Ponder, and Brainstorm.
Ponder and see the two I'd seen before plus another LED, blah. Shuffle. Draw LED, okay sweet.
Brainstorm now, see land, land, INFERNAL TUTOR YEAH!!!!!

I proceed to win game phase and we go to SB.


Game 2 - SB in 3x Duress, SB out 2x Ponder and 1x SSG

He goes first and drops Fetch, Lackey, Chalice at 0 ... son of a bitch.
Well, my hand was LED, Petal, Petal, Chrome with stuff. Ugh.
Long story short, Lackey brings out the family and I die without getting together my shit.


Game 3 - No Change

Mull to 6. Open up with land, brainstorm ... okay I can win next turn barring Chalice at 0.
He plays Fanatic and passes, I win with mana spells and 2x LED B.Wish.



Round 2

Opponent: R/G Goblins #2


Game 1

My opener is great, so I keep. He plays a Lackey and passes.
I play a land and Brainstorm. Okay cool, next turn D.Returns with B floating and 7 spells I do believe.
He does non-relevant stuff and passes the turn.
Okay I draw an LED it enabled me to just win.


Game 2 - No Change, as far as I knew he didn't play Chalice

Okay, suck. Mull to 5 and it is still not so hot, but keepable.
We do our thing, he puts me on my last turn and I D.Returns at 4 storm and B floating.
Draw Petal, Petal, LED, Ritual, Chrome, SSG, Chant ... Wow, damn.



Round 3

Opponent: [i]G/B Rock Variant


Game 1

Okay, he mulls to 5 and I lay land and pass the turn.
He doesn't do land, duress/thoughtseize. He goes to waste my land and I brainstorm.
I go Turn 2 D.Returns as 6th spell with none floating and find my win with ...
Chrome removing contract, Dark Rit, LED, Tutor


Game 2 - SB in 3x Duress, SB out 2x Ponder and 1x SSG

I mull to 6 and have a keeper, was gonna just go rit-contract and see how it went.
He opens with a Cabal Pit, Duress and takes my Infernal Contract. :(
Okay, drop land and pass. He puts down treetop village and passes.
Lets see ... Chrome imprinting SSG and Wish for Contract.
He Thoughtseizes the Contract o___0
SIGH. We go a few more turns and he drops E.Witness and picks up Duress.
I duress it from him, but I'm taking it in the butt from Treetop Village still.
I eventually draw an out and take it away.



Round 4

Opponent: G/B Rock Variant #2


Game 1

Holy shit, I mull to 4, I have no choice.
He pins me down with discard and goyfs me to death :/


Game 2 - SB in 3x Duress, SB out 2x Ponder, 1x SSG

I don't remember exactly what happened, but I ended up winning on turn 2 with double LED dumbness.


Game 3 - No Change

Wow. Crazy game. We both like our 7 and keep.
He opens with Cabal Pit and Duresses me.
Ugh he takes my Brainstorm I needed :/ Oh well, I draw and go land, SSG, Wish for Contract.
He lays another Pit and Hymns me ... takes IGG and Contract ... WTF is with people today!?!
Okay, play another land and pass. He passes. I pay ANOTHER land and pass.
Goes to him and he HYMNS ME AGAIN, but plays no land and is at 15.
Well, I'm left with EtW in my hand. I draw a petal and I have 3 lands, hmm, looks like the best play to me.
Petal, tap 3, EtW for 4 guys. He goes and does nothing.

I Draw a Brainstorm, swing and put him at 11. Okay, I play Brainstorm and see LED, Petal, SSG, nice.
He goes and it is a repeat of his last turn. I go and draw petal, swing for 4 more, then cast SSG.
He is at 7 and still can't produce a good turn. I draw the LED and crack him down to 1.

He can no longer win as he can't tap a land. Game is mine.



FINALS

Round 1

Opponent: UG/w Threshold


Game 1

Alright then, 2x chant, mana, and a Brainstorm. Excellent! HE MULLS TO 5! :D
Okay, Brainstorm into a third chant, Rite #2, and a Tutor.
Pass my turn and he lays a land and passed it back.

I chant, it resolves, I get 14 gobs and he lays his hand back on top and concedes.


Game 2 - SB in 4x Pyroblast, 2x Duress - SB out 2x Ponder, 2x Cabal, 1x Tutor, 1x Chrome

Okay, I mull to 6 and he keeps. He drops a land and passes.
Hmm, lets see here, I do the same. He drops another land, plays Meddling Mage and names Orim's Chant.
My turn I go 2x LED, Petal, Chrome imprinting Tutor. IGG is unforturnately in my hand.
I crack petal and tap my land to play Infernal Tutor and crack the LEDs, he dazes and I pay with my Mox.
I go EtW for 14, and he agrees. He Brainstorms on his turn and says THERE they are! And shows Fow, 2x Spell Snare.
He loses and I move to Top 2.


Opponent is Goblins, I don't offer the draw because I should beat Gobs no probs, right?
Yep, you're right :D


Game 1

Can't remember it all, but I get it on turn 3 thanks to a timely Chrome imprinting Ponder, Petal, Rit, D.Returns into the win.
He did stuff, too, and had it almost perfectly done, but game one he has to have a PERFECT game or he loses.

Game 2 - SB in 3x Duress (found out he DOES play chalice between rounds) out 2x Ponder, 1x SSG

Wow, opener had a ton of mana and a Brainstorm, so I kept. So what if it doesn't work out, I've got game 3 by going first.
He starts out strong, wastes 2 of my lands and I'm not drawing anything relevant.
SLAMS me down to 2 and has a Fanatic and I have a City of Brass.

My hand, you ask?

Petal
Petal
Rite
Rite
Dark Rit
Dark Rit
Duress

My draw, you are just as curious?

INFERNAL FUCKING TUTOR AHHHHH YEAHHHH!!!!


Petal, Rite, Rite (3, RRRR)
Petal, Rit, Rit (6, RRRRBBBBB)
Duress (7, RRRRBBBB)
Infernal (8, RRRBBB)
Infernal (9, RRBB)
TENDRILS (10)



Collect up my prize and play some EDH. Good day, today :D

[hungryboi]

Congrats on the tournament.

I was wondering about some of the rules for Meditate. Can it be played before your untap phase during your turn? If it could, then wouldn't it be better than infernal contract since you can avoid the life loss and just go off on your main phase?

[Sanguine Voyeur]

Can it be played before your untap phase during your turn? If it could, then wouldn't it be better than infernal contract since you can avoid the life loss and just go off on your main phase?

No. The untap phase is the first part of the turn, and spells and abilities can't be played then.

[Arsenal]

There is no "before your untap phase" timeperiod. It's, untap (no spells/abilities may be played), upkeep, draw.

[mujadaddy]

Congrats on winning, yawg07, but ... Nine players?

Congrats on the tournament.

I was wondering about some of the rules for Meditate. Can it be played before your untap phase during your turn? If it could, then wouldn't it be better than infernal contract since you can avoid the life loss and just go off on your main phase?

No player gets to play spells DURING the untap phase, and the untap phase is the signal for the beginning of the turn, so I suppose the answer is no.

[Zappa]

Hello bryant or to the others who is well experienced with the deck. What changes would you do to the sideboard if your meta has few to none counter magic, but discard is more rampant. A friend told me to just play a different deck, but I want to gain more experience playing the deck against others.

Cards like Hymn to Tourach, Duress, Thoughtsieze, Gerrard's Verdict, True Believer, Sinkhole, Wasteland, Smallpox, Hypnotic Specter, Extirpate, and Cabal Theraphy. Are thall the cards that I frequently see.

Pretty much decks I play against often that have difficulty fighting are:

- Mono black aggro (packing some discards)
- B/W Confidant
- Homebrew and TruffleShuffle (though truffleshuffle is too slow for me)
- Death and Taxes
- Stax (those chalices and 3spheres hurt)

Theres other decks around that can sometimes out race me on a bad draw, but those said decks I face them very often. Theres also a G/U/R threshold player, but just him. Those decks I mentioned are the once that gives me problems.

Any advise on sideboarding vs a heavy discard enviroment?

[Mental]

Hello bryant or to the others who is well experienced with the deck. What changes would you do to the sideboard if your meta has few to none counter magic, but discard is more rampant. A friend told me to just play a different deck, but I want to gain more experience playing the deck against others.

Cards like Hymn to Tourach, Duress, Thoughtsieze, Gerrard's Verdict, True Believer, Sinkhole, Wasteland, Smallpox, Hypnotic Specter, Extirpate, and Cabal Theraphy. Are thall the cards that I frequently see.

Pretty much decks I play against often that have difficulty fighting are:

- Mono black aggro (packing some discards)
- B/W Confidant
- Homebrew and TruffleShuffle (though truffleshuffle is too slow for me)
- Death and Taxes
- Stax (those chalices and 3spheres hurt)

Theres other decks around that can sometimes out race me on a bad draw, but those said decks I face them very often. Theres also a G/U/R threshold player, but just him. Those decks I mentioned are the once that gives me problems.

Any advise on sideboarding vs a heavy discard enviroment?

You need to bring in Dark Confidant. Also, having IGG is strong, so you might want to go up to 2 Copies, though that probably isn't necessary. Infernal Contract also seems alright, giving you 4 new cards when your hand has been taken apart.

[yawg07]

Infernal Contract is your number one main weapon against discard.
I've won SO MANY games where I was Duressed/Hymned/Thoughtseized to death just going ...

"Oh look! Rit, Contract, 4 more cards. Hey, whaddya know? LED, Rit, Tutor, Chrome" or something like that. :D

[r0ckstAr]

What about Mox Diamond ?
With the new errata on it, it is far less risky than it was before, and could be great to avoid some of the chrome moxen Card Disadvantage.

[Silvoz]

You won't have the lands to constantly play Diamond in this deck, you are just playing 10-11.

[r0ckstAr]

You're probably right; thinking about it, I was probably gonna cut some lands to play mox diamond, which is terrible.

[Zappa]

You need to bring in Dark Confidant. Also, having IGG is strong, so you might want to go up to 2 Copies, though that probably isn't necessary. Infernal Contract also seems alright, giving you 4 new cards when your hand has been taken apart.

Is the confidant really necessary? Or can I just increase the number of IGG and contract? I am trying to avoid using the confidant, since to me most of those decks I mentioned usually packs StP, therefore intead of making their removals a dead card, I would just be giving them use out of it. Would seem like we would no longer have virtual card advantage for that matter, since thier "dead" card will now have some target.

[Holo_rip]

he mean bring confidant into the MD from the sideboard.
as you've stated, the first game the opponent deck have deck removal, and they usually side them all for combo hate, and that's why you can safely bring in confidant, making him draw card for you and make CA with your combo deck, with the opponent unable to deal with your CA machine

regard,
holo.

[yurivish]

This is very much in the cool-things category, but I should mention Dream Salvage (Draw cards equal to the number of cards target opponent discarded this turn) from Shadowmoor + IGG.

For one more mana, you draw as many cards as your opponent had in their hand. Seeing as we're trying to go off early, this is anywhere from 4-7 cards.

[Arsenal]

Bryant -

From your most recent post, I understand that you've been testing Slithermuse in place of a draw4 maindeck. What has your testing yielded?

[Bryant Cook]

Hello bryant or to the others who is well experienced with the deck. What changes would you do to the sideboard if your meta has few to none counter magic, but discard is more rampant. A friend told me to just play a different deck, but I want to gain more experience playing the deck against others.

Cards like Hymn to Tourach, Duress, Thoughtsieze, Gerrard's Verdict, True Believer, Sinkhole, Wasteland, Smallpox, Hypnotic Specter, Extirpate, and Cabal Theraphy. Are thall the cards that I frequently see.

Pretty much decks I play against often that have difficulty fighting are:

- Mono black aggro (packing some discards)
- B/W Confidant
- Homebrew and TruffleShuffle (though truffleshuffle is too slow for me)
- Death and Taxes
- Stax (those chalices and 3spheres hurt)

Theres other decks around that can sometimes out race me on a bad draw, but those said decks I face them very often. Theres also a G/U/R threshold player, but just him. Those decks I mentioned are the once that gives me problems.

Any advise on sideboarding vs a heavy discard enviroment?

Don't ever play more than one IGG, it's a terrible idea. Play draw 4's and/or more Ponder. Possibly Thoughtsieze? I'd probably play more Shattering Spree.


As for Slithermuse, I found it to be underwhelming. Amazing in goldfishing, terrible in actual gameplay.

[Zappa]

There is a new hybrid card in Shadowmoor, that I am wondering if it can see some play in this deck. Its called:

[CARD]Manamorphose[/CARD]

Casting cost : 1 (G/R)
Card type: Instant

Add 2 color mana in any combination of colors to your mana pool.
Draw a card.


It is basically free and replaces its self. Do you think that this can see some play in TES? It's basically a free storm count.

[Cone]

Manamorphose

Casting cost : 1 (G/R)
Card type: Instant

Add 2 color mana in any combination of colors to your mana pool.
Draw a card.

I'll give it a try and test it in the two Cabal Ritual-Slots. (Or instead of Ponder??!? -- Not really.)

[BreathWeapon]

I'm running a Manamorphose/Tinder Wall base to support 3 Diminishing Returns in the MD at the moment. It doesn't seem to be as consistent as the 3 Empty the Warrens 4 Ponder version I've been running, but it's not as reliant on Lion's Eye Diamond either.

Manamorphose TES

MD

1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Ill Gotten Gains
3 Empty the Warrens
3 Diminishing Returns
3 Infernal Tutor
4 Burning Wish
4 Brainstorm
4 Orim's Chant
4 Manamorphose
4 Tinder Wall
3 Rite of Flame
4 Dark Ritual
4 Lion's Eye Diamond
4 Lotus Petal
4 Chrome Mox
4 City of Brass
4 Gemstone Mine
2 Tarnished Citadel

SB

1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Ill Gotten Gains
1 Diminishing Returns
1 Infernal Contract
1 Doomsday
1 Infernal Tutor
1 Cabal Therapy
1 Deconstruct
1 Tranquility
1 Rite of Flame
4 Vexing Shusher

I think this is the right approach to take, you min/max Manamorphose as much as possible by using it's color filtering for Diminishing Returns and storm generation for Empty the Warrens. A Right of Flame and Infernal Tutor got moved to the SB to free up some room, and Deconstruct is doing cool shit like casting Vexing Shusher after you blow something up or filtering the green mana with Manamorphose and going off on the same turn. Doomsday is kind of sketchy, the basic idea is that you can set up a bunch of interesting stacks with Manamorphose and then just untap and win on the next turn.

It's not perfect, but it has a lot of neat little synergies you get to mess around with. I've become a fan of being able to Brainstorm a Diminishing Returns back on top of the deck and then using Manamorphose to draw into it with LED on the stack, or being able to Doomsday and then Manamorphose into a stack made up of Brainstorm and Manamorphoses for at least 8 storm.

[Zach Tartell]

I don't understand why you'd run only three "right" of flame. Seems to me that card is way better as a 4 of. And a single one nets the same amount of mana that tinder wall does (don't argue that you can save mana by untapping). I'd go -1 +1, in reverse order of mentioning.

Edit: it's in your board. That's a terrible idea. Why waste acceleration to wish for acceleration?

Seems to me it makes as much sense as putting a burning wish in your board so you can wish for the one you used to wish for the second (in order to add storm).

(that's sarcasm - it seems like a terrible idea to me to board a rite of flame)

Attack the ideas, not the person. Verbal warning for flaming and flames deleted.

-PR