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

[Tammit67]

A combo-oriented plan postboard with Elves vs. other fast combo decks is wrong, and will lose you games. Expect lock pieces and discard, don't expect Glimpse. There won't be any unless the pilot is bad in which case you can thank him for free win%.
The warning was more to just not underestimate Elves or think they're free postboard, little else. With smart play it's at least even, perhaps a bit better. Just remember to play smart like a TES pilot should ^^

I understand :) Just reiterating it is still in our favor and there is a reason we cut the silences/duress/empty for decay/chains/therapy

[phazonmutant]

I understand :) Just reiterating it is still in our favor and there is a reason we cut the silences/duress/empty for decay/chains/therapy

So that is what the primer suggests, but I've personally been very happy boarding -1 Empty, -1 IT, -1 Duress, +2 Chain of Vapor, +1 Cabal Therapy and that's it. On the draw it's a little harder to successfully Chant-walk them, but on the play it's pretty trivial. They almost never will play out the blind Therapy on turn 1 anyway.

[Zombie]

So that is what the primer suggests, but I've personally been very happy boarding -1 Empty, -1 IT, -1 Duress, +2 Chain of Vapor, +1 Cabal Therapy and that's it. On the draw it's a little harder to successfully Chant-walk them, but on the play it's pretty trivial. They almost never will play out the blind Therapy on turn 1 anyway.

This does seem like the smart plan, and the reason I fear TES (and white Doomsday) the most out of all storm decks.

[Tammit67]

So that is what the primer suggests, but I've personally been very happy boarding -1 Empty, -1 IT, -1 Duress, +2 Chain of Vapor, +1 Cabal Therapy and that's it. On the draw it's a little harder to successfully Chant-walk them, but on the play it's pretty trivial. They almost never will play out the blind Therapy on turn 1 anyway.

Why wouldn't they blind therapy? Hitting LED before you play it or naming a tutor/cantrip/dark ritual seems really good. Blind game two name LED since it has the highest chance of turn 1'ing you then follow it up with a hatebear or flashback seems like a good way to disrupt storm no?

chant walk is less good IMO since the lands you can do it off of either hurt or or get sacrificed. The plan also deals with a resolved hatebear more poorly while slowing down the available resources to cantrip with. Harder to ponder at every opportunity when you are leaving that gemstone mine up for the upkeep silence.

I am curious to hear others on the subject. How many others have done chantwalking postboard?

[phazonmutant]

Why wouldn't they blind therapy? Hitting LED before you play it or naming a tutor/cantrip/dark ritual seems really good. Blind game two name LED since it has the highest chance of turn 1'ing you then follow it up with a hatebear or flashback seems like a good way to disrupt storm no?

chant walk is less good IMO since the lands you can do it off of either hurt or or get sacrificed. The plan also deals with a resolved hatebear more poorly while slowing down the available resources to cantrip with. Harder to ponder at every opportunity when you are leaving that gemstone mine up for the upkeep silence.

I am curious to hear others on the subject. How many others have done chantwalking postboard?

I don't know exactly why they don't, but Elves players generally haven't in my experience. I think they think that there's not much of a chance of us going off turn 1, and their turn 2 is much, much better if they can drop a mana dork turn 1 - it opens up Therapy, Elf, flashback Therapy, as well as GSZ for 2.

Compound that with the seeming inability for any non-storm player to know what to name with Therapy and I'm really not concerned with their turn 1 plays. Seriously, how many times has any opponent Therapied you on LEDs? I can count the number on one hand.

[Tammit67]

I don't know exactly why they don't, but Elves players generally haven't in my experience. I think they think that there's not much of a chance of us going off turn 1, and their turn 2 is much, much better if they can drop a mana dork turn 1 - it opens up Therapy, Elf, flashback Therapy, as well as GSZ for 2.

Compound that with the seeming inability for any non-storm player to know what to name with Therapy and I'm really not concerned with their turn 1 plays. Seriously, how many times has any opponent Therapied you on LEDs? I can count the number on one hand.

I usually run them out so they don't get the chance.

[Zombie]

I don't know exactly why they don't, but Elves players generally haven't in my experience. I think they think that there's not much of a chance of us going off turn 1, and their turn 2 is much, much better if they can drop a mana dork turn 1 - it opens up Therapy, Elf, flashback Therapy, as well as GSZ for 2.

Compound that with the seeming inability for any non-storm player to know what to name with Therapy and I'm really not concerned with their turn 1 plays. Seriously, how many times has any opponent Therapied you on LEDs? I can count the number on one hand.

I have some (not super extensive, mind you) experience playing Bryant's TES list and Grim ANT before going back to Elves again, so that may have something to do with my comfort in the match. *shrug*

T1 dork vs. T1 Therapy is probably the most difficult decision to make for Elves vs. Storm, especially vs. TES.

[Davek]

Thank you all guys for your insights! I like the idea of becoming a "stormtrooper" :)
I'll definitely test TES again on cockatrice, maybe i've been unlucky with my opponents lately..
@PhazonMuant: if it's not a problem for you, i think i'll look for you on cockatrice to watch you piloting the deck
@Lemnear: your reports are really full of hints, you did a great job (getting the girl's phone number too!) :)
I'm writing soon again, probably reporting some bad beatings i'm gonna take and asking for help

[phazonmutant]

Thank you all guys for your insights! I like the idea of becoming a "stormtrooper" :)
I'll definitely test TES again on cockatrice, maybe i've been unlucky with my opponents lately..
@PhazonMuant: if it's not a problem for you, i think i'll look for you on cockatrice to watch you piloting the deck
@Lemnear: your reports are really full of hints, you did a great job (getting the girl's phone number too!) :)
I'm writing soon again, probably reporting some bad beatings i'm gonna take and asking for help

Yeah for sure. I always make my rooms open to spectators, hands viewable to all, and spectators can comment so it's more interactive. My nick on cockadicks is Phazonmutant...because I apparently couldn't spell when I created my account on the source. Not sure how much Legacy I'm going to be playing in the next couple days, need to figure out this stupid fucking T2 thing for the SCG Invitational.

[Megadeus]

Yeah for sure. I always make my rooms open to spectators, hands viewable to all, and spectators can comment so it's more interactive. My nick on cockadicks is Phazonmutant...because I apparently couldn't spell when I created my account on the source. Not sure how much Legacy I'm going to be playing in the next couple days, need to figure out this stupid fucking T2 thing for the SCG Invitational.

Ill give you a hot trading post list to play

[Lemnear]

About time to participate in a tourney again after being 2 months away for work :/

[Tammit67]

About time to participate in a tourney again after being 2 months away for work :/

Good! I'm really digging your reports

[Lemnear]

Good! I'm really digging your reports

Thx for enjoying, but I doubt, these reports wield any kind of value anymore, once a Player reached your level of experience, Matt.

Those reports once aimed for newer storm pilots.

I fear i've lost touch to the metagame during my 2 month stay in France and Italy.

[Tammit67]

Thx for enjoying, but I doubt, these reports wield any kind of value anymore, once a Player reached your level of experience, Matt.

Those reports once aimed for newer storm pilots.

I fear i've lost touch to the metagame during my 2 month stay in France and Italy.

As long as I make mistakes, there is still more to learn. It's always good to see someone else's perspective, like with regards to the chantwalking against elves postboard

[Koby]

As long as I make mistakes, there is still more to learn. It's always good to see someone else's perspective, like with regards to the chantwalking against elves postboard

From personal experience, chantwalk has been my number one worst feeling as the Elves player. Modern Elves list don't run ESG, so any possibility of turn 1 hate piece is out of possibility. This means on the draw, TES can just regain tempo by chanting. So brutal!

[Star|Scream]

From personal experience, chantwalk has been my number one worst feeling as the Elves player. Modern Elves list don't run ESG, so any possibility of turn 1 hate piece is out of possibility. This means on the draw, TES can just regain tempo by chanting. So brutal!

I'm sitting here wondering why you're talking about Modern Elves....

[davelin]

I'm sitting here wondering why you're talking about Modern Elves....

Maybe modern as in contemporary, not the format?

[Star|Scream]

Maybe modern as in contemporary, not the format?

Yes, but that is not how I read it the first time around!

[phazonmutant]

Small report for a mediocre performance. I tried keeping notes so hopefully this will be helpful to you guys and hopefully you can point out some places for improvement in my play.

Round 1 - bye
1-0

Round 2 - Deadguy Red
G1 - He mulligans to 6 on the play. I keep RoF x2, LP x2, IT x2, Delta - a turn one Empty for 16 tokens in hand. He leads with Inquisition of Kozilek and fortunately doesn't realize the correct play of taking Rite of Flame or even Lotus Petal. He instead takes IT, I draw another LP, and Empty for 14 on turn 1 after confirming the Empty math out loud (14 goblins is exactly enough to beat a turn 2 Stoneforge into Batterskull). He scoops.
-1 Empty, -1 IT, -4 Silence, +2 CoV, +3 Abrupt Decay, +1 Cabal Therapy
G2 - I mulligan into a hand with a couple lands and a Ponder, but no tutor. Ponder bricks and his t2 Canonist goes all the way after many Wastelands and no Chains.
G3 - I keep RoF x2, LP, Ponder, BS, Delta, Gemstone Mine. Mine into Ponder, stacking (top to bottom) IT, BW, Therapy with the thought that if he Duresses, I'd rather have the Wish, but if he doesn't, I can use the IT as a +1 R, +2 Storm by finding RoF. He Wastes after seeing that I tanked for a minute on the Ponder, but LP gives me the extra IMS to Empty for 14. Scoop.
2-0

Round 3 - Hoogland Loam
We draw into top8 (small tournament, bad weather) but play it out for practice.
G1 - He mulliganned and I kept a hand with a Silence and a couple cantrips, lands, and tutors with the thought that I can potentially Chant-walk him until I find the needed mana. Fortunately he didn't have the turn 1 Chalice, just a Dryad Arbor. GP reveals he kept PFire x2, Grove, Chalice, Savannah. I drop Mine and Silence. He plays a Savannah. Next turn I drop Sea, Ponder, and keep Silence, Ponder, IT, then Silence him again. He drops Grove. I drop a City of Brass and Ponder, find a Duress, and take his Chalice, then Wish for DimRet to attempt to go off next turn. He Zeniths into Teeg, then I can't find an answer before he beats down and Fires me.
-4 Silence, -1 Empty, -1 IT, +2 Chain of Vapor, +3 Abrupt Decay, +1 Cabal Therapy
G2 - I make it rain with the natural Ad Nauseam turn 1. I pick up piles of cards off the top and throw them onto the field, 5 at a time. NBD.
G3 - I mulligan a hand of AD x2, IT x2, BW, Delta, Ponder and keep GP, Therapy, BW, Ponder, LP, DR (yolo). He doesn't have a turn 1 play, and I obviously rip the Sea. GP draws Chrome Mox, Therapy takes Thalia, revealing Loam, Decay, Burning Wish, Savannah, Taiga. He EOT fetches for Badlands, then got pretty upset when he drew a Teeg. Pass. At this point my memory gets hazy, but I do remember imprinting BW on Mox, Wishing for a DimRet in the attempt to go off with the DR, LP x2, and 2 lands in play next turn. He rips a Mox Diamond for the black source to be able to Burning Wish for Duress, which leaves me with pretty much nothing until I die. The other line was to wait until the next turn to play around Duress, but I honestly forgot he had it as a BW target.
2-0-1 (but really 2-1)

Quarters - UR Delver
G1 - On the play, I Duress and see Ponder, BS, Bolt, Bolt, Goblin Guide, Snapcaster Mage, Scalding Tarn, taking Ponder. My hand has a Silence and a as protection, as well as a couple lands, a tutor, and some cantrips. A couple of turns and surprising 2 Wastes later, I'm finally ready to attempt to go off into a weak Empty. I lead on Dark Rit, and his Brainstorm hits Daze and Force. Daze I can pay for, but he Forces my DR and kills me 2 turns later.
-1 IT, +1 Therapy
G2 - I probed, seeing no protection, then Pondered to set up for next turn. He dropped a Delver. I probed again to double-check, saw he drew a Chain Lightning (to go with the 2 Bolts he had in hand), then fetched and Emptied for 16. He natural-flipped, and yeah. You know how this math works. I get exactsied with him at 3.

It's always embarrassing to lose to UR Delver. Typically they just don't have a fast enough clock or enough protection plus they usually don't have mana denial. Turns out that his weird inclusion of Wasteland worked really well for him g1, then he had a very fast kill g2.

[Megadeus]

Yeah that guy playing UR Delver does have somewhat of an odd build. I guess Waste makes daze a bit better and live more into the late game. But it is a nonbo with Goblin Guide.