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

[SirTylerGalt]

I've been playing various decks on Cockatrice for the last year, and I want to construct a real deck to attend local tournaments. A local player proposed to sell to me Canadian Threshold and/or T.E.S (full pimp non foil --> korean rituals and lotus petals, german LEDs...).

Funnily, I've never really tested T.E.S. while playing on Cockatrice. Do you think it's a good choice to start with it? It's less expensive than RUG Delver, but I feel like LED will be hard to re-use in other decks than Wasteland / FoW. Also, I don't want people to hate me for being "the new guy who only plays non-interactive combo decks". At the same time, I love complex decks. I was planning to build Solidarity before he proposed to sell me those decks.

What would you do if you were in my place? Get RUG Delver? Get T.E.S? Get both and eat pasta for a few months?

[Lemnear]

I've been playing various decks on Cockatrice for the last year, and I want to construct a real deck to attend local tournaments. A local player proposed to sell to me Canadian Threshold and/or T.E.S (full pimp non foil --> korean rituals and lotus petals, german LEDs...).

Funnily, I've never really tested T.E.S. while playing on Cockatrice. Do you think it's a good choice to start with it? It's less expensive than RUG Delver, but I feel like LED will be hard to re-use in other decks than Wasteland / FoW. Also, I don't want people to hate me for being "the new guy who only plays non-interactive combo decks". At the same time, I love complex decks. I was planning to build Solidarity before he proposed to sell me those decks.

What would you do if you were in my place? Get RUG Delver? Get T.E.S? Get both and eat pasta for a few months?

Get RUG.

TES is insanly hard to learn and ungodly to master leaving 80% of people piloting it in complete despair after the tournament they attend as a Storm virgin. After the total defeat 90% of the people blame TES for being plain bad but refuse to realize that they made major mistakes and are unable to understand the deck and sell-off the cards again or Switch to the much easier ANT's.

Unless you are up for a real challenge and willing to invest at least 5 months learning how to play the deck (which requires a high tolerance Level for frustration) I would not buy into TES. My sincere advice.

[phazonmutant]

A local player proposed to sell to me Canadian Threshold and/or T.E.S (full pimp non foil --> korean rituals and lotus petals, german LEDs...).

Funnily, I've never really tested T.E.S. while playing on Cockatrice. Do you think it's a good choice to start with it?
...
What would you do if you were in my place? Get RUG Delver? Get T.E.S? Get both and eat pasta for a few months?

Did you say full foreign non-foil pimp? That's my jam. I honestly have to agree with Lemnear that Thresh is much more forgiving on your mistakes but is still a reasonably rewarding deck to learn in and out. That being said, pimped out TES is insanely hot and I would never be able to pass that up.

I started out as the degenerate combo guy and still manage to have friends, so don't worry about that.

If it's feasible for you to get both and he's giving them to you at a good price, then it's really hard to pass up buying both. Past trends have shown that within a year of buying into legacy you'll probably be able to sell to vendors at the price you bought the cards.

[RaNDoMxGeSTuReS]

New Grapeshot art from Modern Masters?

Like it? Hate it?

I'm not a fan.

[TestMonkey]

New Grapeshot art from Modern Masters?

Like it? Hate it?

I'm not a fan.

It looks like they're returning a volleyball. It's meh. That being said the original art isn't that great either. Stick to the original.

[Holly]

Original is much better alone for the reference to Rocket Launcher (both art and flavortext wise).

[DarkJester]

I love the new art 'cause I hate the Predator.

[Bryant Cook]

New Grapeshot art from Modern Masters?

Like it? Hate it?

I'm not a fan.

I don't like it. It's too emo.

[emidln]

I don't like it. It's too emo.

Let's be honest: you don't like it because it's not available in Japanese.

[Bryant Cook]

Let's be honest: you don't like it because it's not available in Japanese.

It's not even that, honest. The emo wizard with it's hood up is over done and screams teenage angst.

[Koby]

New Grapeshot art from Modern Masters?

Like it? Hate it?

I'm not a fan.

I'm a fan. I can't get it in Korean to begin with, and the art is an upgrade to PV's chicken scratch.art. It also shows Race, the Mind Blunder; Jace's hot-tempered cousin.

[phazonmutant]

Huh, I hadn't really looked at the old Grapeshot art. They both kinda suck. The stock Photoshop lens flare in the dude's hand in the new picture just pisses me off at the new-style lazy computer art.

I'm going to have to go with the original. It has a lot of fire and shit. The card's called Grapeshot! Come on, I want some fire, not some pussy-ass magic mace.

[Megadeus]

I love how off topic this is. What is everyones favorite dark ritual art? I like the Masques version the most

[Asthereal]

Tempest for me. But I also love the original, so I'm thinking about trading my reserve set of Mirage Rituals for 4th editions. Revised I don't really like, and anything older is just a waste of money, just like foil cards are. I love humiliating guys with all foil and black bordered BUG decks with $50 of LEDless Dredge.

[phazonmutant]

I love how off topic this is. What is everyones favorite dark ritual art? I like the Masques version the most

My avatar should make my preference clear. Rebecca Guay is amazing. The biggest problem is that it doesn't come in Korean...so I actually play with K FBB 4th. It's still a sweet piece of iconic art and the white border versions don't do it justice.

[DarkJester]

I like foreign black bordered "Schwarzer Ritus" (the background reminds me a little of Goro's Lair in MK1), and next topic: I fucking love full-art Ponders.

[Machahiko]

Glad to see a bit more light-minded discussion. Here are some of my thoughts:

Rebecca Guay's Dark Rituals are above the rest. Tempest one is second best. Judge foil Burning Wishes look better than the original Torment ones. Full art Ponders look disgusting, I rate merfolk tit ponders a lot higher than full art ones. The ugliest card in the deck is Infernal Tutor with Tendrils of Agony being the only card that has a chance to fight back. (therefore FNM ToA > ToA) Old Grapeshot is a lot better than the new one.

The best goblin token?

My vote goes to Player Rewards goblin token, I got ~20 of those and I just hand them out to my friends / relatives to draw on. This way I'll some day have a big merry bunch of funny goblins doing silly things while they kill you. (like riding ponies etc..)

[emidln]

The best goblin token?

My vote goes to Player Rewards goblin token, I got ~20 of those and I just hand them out to my friends / relatives to draw on. This way I'll some day have a big merry bunch of funny goblins doing silly things while they kill you. (like riding ponies etc..)

Best Goblin Tokens are ones that were sketched by Gencon 2007 artists:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15105605@N00/1218124588/

[Tammit67]

Best Goblin Tokens are

Shadowless Charmander from the pokemon starter set. Hope you guys will see them down in Baltimore this weekend

[Sockosensei]

I love Rebecca Guay's art in general, but I'm also a sucker for the classics. I run Japanese FBB Dark Rituals, and buy those things up whenever and wherever I find them. FBB Counterspell, Swords to Plowshares, Mishra's Factory, but the hottest is Serra Angel.


--------TES Match Report--------

Tonight was my second time piloting T.E.S. against live opponents, again at my local shop with 40-minute rounds. I made an effort to take better notes this week--opening hand at least--though they're still not great. Ran the list from the OP except with 3 Duress and no Therapy main.

Goals for the night:
1) Play with confidence and put the opponent on the defensive.
2) Properly assess when to go for it, and when to be patient.
3) Reduce facepalm-worthy misplays by half or better.


Round 1: Vs Jund
This is an opponent I've played against several times, and have only ever seen him bring Jund or Zoo. I lose the die roll and brace for Thoughtseize.

Game 1

Dark Ritual
Dark Ritual
Rite of Flame
Chrome Mox
Infernal Tutor
Underground Sea
Fetchland

Would you keep that hand? <--Thanks Lemnear

I expect him to discard my Tutor, but I doubt I'd do better on a six-card hand. Keep.

My best recollection:
Opp T1: Thoughtseize (Tutor)
My T1: Draw Chrome Mox. Play Land. Go.
Opp T2: Thoughtseize (Dark Ritual). DRS. Go.
My T2: Draw Petal. Play Land. Go.
Opp T3: Goyf. (And Bolt? Can't recall)
My T3: Draw Silence (no W mana). Go.
Opp T4: Goyf beats in for 3. Plays Sylvan Library.
My T4: Draw Ad Nauseam (Internal Fist Pump!).
Probably should have played Ad Nauseam right here (17 life). But I was feeling greedy and safe, so instead I elected to use it on his turn so I could untap with a ton of cards on my T5 and go off.
Play Petal, Pass.
Opp T5: pays 4 life to keep an extra card off Library. Plays Wasteland and hits my Sea (Respond, B in pool). He plays BBE and cascades into Goyf. After checking that he has no red mana open, and that Goyf won't grow any larger, I use that black mana, and a ritual, crack a fetch, petal--> mini-Ad Nauseam, keeping my life high enough to survive the attack.
My T5: Untap with a full grip and opponent at 9 life(!). I storm into Tendrils without difficulty.

Lesson: Keep greed in check.


Game 2
Probe, Burning Wish, LED, Rite, Mox, Land, Duress. Keep.

I eventually go for Diminishing Returns (which exiles Ad Nauseam, EtW, and a second Wish), and pathetic misplay earlier in the turn costs me the final mana needed to finish in a Tendrils kill. Pass the turn. Opponent plays Thoughtseize, Thoughtseize. Ouch. It's looking really bad as he attacks me down to 6 with a Bolt in hand, a DRS active, and more coming online next turn.
I Brainstorm on my turn: LED, Wish, Mox!
Combined with the mana in hand it's enough to hit Tendrils for 14 when he's only got 12.

2-0 win with Lady Luck on my side.


Round 2 vs Merfolk.
Game 1 on the draw
Sea, Probe, Ponder, Brainstorm, Ritual, IT, Ad Nauseam(?). Keep

He says, "Island, Go"
My Probe reveals: Lord of Atlantis, Phantasmal Image, Spellstutter Sprite x2, Mutavault, Island.
Ponder gets me LED.

My previous experience against Merfolk (playing with other decks) is that every other spell they draw is a counter. I decide to be aggressive with goblins while his shields are down so to speak.
I bait a sprite on my T2 and then make 12 goblins. He lays Lords and Mutavault, whittling down my gobbos. I'm in the position where I can hit him down to 1 but no more. He is soon able to swing back for my entire life total in one island walking mass.

Lesson: Do the math. It only takes a moment. I'm glad to have lost this one.


Game 2:
Xantid, Petal, Petal, LED, IT, Ponder, Mine.

My T1: Xantid off Mine
His T1: Wasteland my Mine.
My T1: Draw a third Petal. I can make 12 goblins with Xantid protection while my opponent has no permanents. That's exactly what I do, figuring this is a spot to be aggressive.
His next two turns are Island, Mutavault+Echoing Truth(!)
Of course I knew the card existed but that's the first time I can recall ever seeing it played.

I start rebuilding hoping to tendrils for the remaining 8. He builds up quicker with multiple lords and swings for 20.

0-2 loss


Rd. 3: Vs. Esper Stoneblade (on the draw)
I scouted him earlier so I know what to expect.

Game 1: Volcanic Island, Gemstone Mine, Dark Ritual, Rite of Flame, LED, IT, Silence. Wow. Keep.
Sadly, he immediately Thoughtseizes away the IT, quickly lands Jace and we play a lot of draw-go as he puts my next 5 draws on the bottom.
With Jace on 13 counters, I top Ad Nauseam. Silence draws out Force, and I have the mana to easily pay for his soft counters. Ad Nauseam from 20 life draws a quick concession.

Game 2:
Duress, Brainstorm, Brainstorm, Ponder, Ponder, Fetchland, Chrome Mox.
Whoah. I strongly consider tossing it, but decide to keep partly out of curiosity and partly because I'm not worried about their clock. After a long buildup on both sides, I Probe seeing Force, Force, Counterspell, StP with him at 7 land and a Snapcaster in play that has beaten me down to 5 life while I've waited to draw a Tutor or Wish. My board is 5 lands and LED, and I've got 7 cards in hand including a Silence and a Duress.
On his next turn Snap beats me to 3 life.
I draw a Tutor.
Duress meets Counterspell, Silence meets a hardcast Force. He's now holding Force, StP, and a mystery card. I wager that he hasn't drawn a blue card and don't want to give him another turn to do so. I play IT cracking LED. The mystery card turns out to be Tundra.

2-0 win.

2-1 in matches, 4-2 in games.


All in all, I felt much more comfortable with the deck. There were still a few horrific misplays, but fewer than the previous week.

Questions
1) In Rd2 G2, would you have gone for the Goblins?
2) In Rd3 G2, would you mull or keep?