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

[JPoJohnson]

After the match with the TES guy, he was telling me about how he took 17th in SCG: St. Louis. I was a little shocked with how aggressively he mulliganed, but I never saw him play otherwise so who knows.

[Lemnear]

After the match with the TES guy, he was telling me about how he took 17th in SCG: St. Louis. I was a little shocked with how aggressively he mulliganed, but I never saw him play otherwise so who knows.

No idea how mulling to 4 is more appealing than slowly working into the match with 7 or 6 cards.



Edit: I'm done giving honest SB advice for battling storm iterations, only receiving arrogant and insulting responses. From now on, "Mindbreak Trap!! A whole playset!!" will be my copy&paste response and I'll start trolling local Meerfolk kids tomorrow, just to tear them appart with Swarm & Silence. Mr. Nice Guy has left the building...

[JPoJohnson]

Haha, I saw the lovely discussion you had over in 12 Post.

[Lemnear]

Haha, I saw the lovely discussion you had over in 12 Post.

It's not only that thread or this site only ... I'm just sick of all the discussions about scenarios from winderwonderland or bullshit like blood Moon out of Miracles' SB as tech to battle TES.

[Ivan Ferreiro]

Hello, I am a new storm player so thank you all for the detailed information you provide about the deck. It is really useful. Some questions I want to share:

- Have most of you switched to a +1 mana source on the main deck or in the sideboard? I am still not a fan of cutting one Chrome mox but it is true that tempo decks get really difficult if they start waste-landing aggressively.

- About the Xantid, is it not enough with Silence? I have not played a lot against Leyline’s decks, but I feel 4 silence + Chain of vapor it is already an awesome build to beat that card. And against Reanimator or Merfolks with 4 Silence + Discard spells should be ok. Although, do you use silence against Reanimator?

- How about cutting the Ill gotten gains from the sideboard? I really like Pyroclasm to have a better match up against Thalia and friends. Also, I want to try 3 Chain of vapor and 2 Abrupt decay (the latter I think is there mostly for Counterbalance and I do not see that many).

- Are there any outs to a first game Chalice of the Void, Thorn of Amethyst or something horrible like that?

[Pelikanudo]

It's good thru' the entire match regardless of whether or not you SB in Xantid Swarm or SB out an Infernal Tutor, and I don't think it's comparable to IGG because it actually improves a bad match up as opposed to an already good match up. If Swan Song becomes popular in either the MD or SB of Show&Tell and Reanimator archetypes, the matchup is only going to get worse. So I don't think it's unreasonable for a single player to metagame against the popularity of those archetypes at his discretion.

Bribery is definitely an tertiary card for the SB, to a certain extent I think it's more comparable to Shattering Spree in the sense that Chalice of the Void decks are either in the metagame or they're not. Considering Xantid Swarm is already a concenssion to the SneakShow and Reanimator archetypes in the SB with very little value in aggro-control or control match ups, I've never really understood why it's "ok" to play 3 bugs but not ok to play a Bribery in a 3 round match.

Saying you can just win with Empty the Warrens, Diminishing Returns or Past in Flames with a little "know how" is just bull shit compared to Bribery winning on the spot IMO.

I agree on most things.

Apart, only diseagree with Bribery in side I do not side out 1 I.T. with bribery in side, is nonsense, we need to be as quick as posible and I.Tutor makes this posible and now B.W!

VS Reanimator, a match up I hate a lot - and I've even seen lists with full of petals! you need speed and Bribery provide us this. it converts B.Wish into Infernal Tutor vs Reanimator, S&Tell and 12Post also..., I noticed that is also is good vs MUD boy! take that Colossus and win!

its just 1 single card in the Side and there is some scenarios in which it is better than a Xantid swarn, one simple example case is in every first match up in which you can not play Xantid.

I still prefer IGG and will test Bribery.
Take a look to the bad matchups apart from MUD and reanimator is one of them, S&T it's so so, and you can still play 3 Xantid.

I understand that moving to -1 IGG,-1 A.D = +1 Xantid, +1Tropical.
But I've been thinking in even moving to just -1A.D =+1Bribery. and even in taking out full set of Xantid for more Therapys and more Decay. Sure Xantid shine vs Sneak and Show but not sometimes vs Reanimator, even Duress effects can be ok vs these kind of archetypes. From my experience with other combo Decks, lets take Burning ANT, playing 7 discard effects plus 3 from side, you are just playing an attrition war, the match up can be even slow. lets take another more radical example: TES mirror, do you side in Xantid in TES mirror? I'm not still sure how good is Xantid vs Reanimator, if they can land an iona on second turn... I've lived games vs reanimator in which you just loose because you need a 3rd turn win and it is too slow, with Xantid and Silence you just will loose but with duresses effects you still have an opportunity to at least slow down his combo.

Well, finish. Bahamut if you are by there, have you considered Bribery? still playing 3B.Wish List?

[Tammit67]

It's not only that thread or this site only ... I'm just sick of all the discussions about scenarios from winterwonderland or bullshit like blood Moon out of Miracles' SB as tech to battle TES.

:( Just because you cannot convince one person does not mean the effort wasn't worthwhile.

Bryant, how do you think the overloaded 12 post sideboard fairs against us?

[Lemnear]

:( Just because you cannot convince one person does not mean the effort wasn't worthwhile.

Bryant, how do you think the overloaded 12 post sideboard fairs against us?

Matt, there's no problem if there's disagree or counter-arguments or even if there a single peeps resistant to advice; it's the complete lack of even adressing points outlined but fling insults instead; it's the ever repeating discussions about the ever same cards (like Beck/Call in the Elves thread or Mindbreak Trap in general); it's the same ever repeating scenarios from winterwonderland to dismember your 96% probability example ...

... I fear, all that crap over the last weekend was enough for me to question myself, why the heck I invest so much time in testing, explaination, etc. if no one cares about stuff outlined in details unless guys like Reid Duke achieve top placings with those.


I doubt that Bryant saw his matches against Jeremiah Rudolph and 12-Post in general as an 35-65 uphill battle...

[Bryant Cook]

I doubt that Bryant saw his matches against Jeremiah Rudolph and 12-Post in general as an 35-65 uphill battle...

People care about results dude. I do too.

But as for your question, it's an insanely good match-up for us. I've played Jeremiah a handful of times, he's beaten me once. Although, it was mostly due to my deck shitting the bed.

I hear there was a TES player on camera yesterday, time to go look it up.

EDIT: UGH... Why am I still watching this? Poor play on both sides.

[Lemnear]

Hello, I am a new storm player so thank you all for the detailed information you provide about the deck. It is really useful. Some questions I want to share:

- Have most of you switched to a +1 mana source on the main deck or in the sideboard? I am still not a fan of cutting one Chrome mox but it is true that tempo decks get really difficult if they start waste-landing aggressively.

aside from the list with -1 Wish +1 Fetch the mana density is the same in all lists MB. Sideboard Tropical or the 4th fetch MB give more stable mana to operate with against taxing effects/discard and to be able to gather lands with cantrips for additional value with Brainstorm. More lands also counters the thread of Wasteland to a minor extend

- About the Xantid, is it not enough with Silence? I have not played a lot against Leyline’s decks, but I feel 4 silence + Chain of vapor it is already an awesome build to beat that card. And against Reanimator or Merfolks with 4 Silence + Discard spells should be ok. Although, do you use silence against Reanimator?

it's not only Leyline. Xantid dismantles extreme counterspell-centric Sideboards containing Mindbreak Trap, Flusterstorm, Swan Song and Spell Pierce which you'll face vs. Meerfolk and Show&Tell variants as well as certain control builds

- How about cutting the Ill gotten gains from the sideboard? I really like Pyroclasm to have a better match up against Thalia and friends. Also, I want to try 3 Chain of vapor and 2 Abrupt decay (the latter I think is there mostly for Counterbalance and I do not see that many).

if you are facing hate-permaments you'll already have Decay + CoV ... there's no need for a 5th slot in the SB not is it in the MB post SB, when you'll usually evaluate the Duress' and Silences for the postboard games aka 4+2 slots (and the reason Bryant already 1 Therapy "preboarded")

- Are there any outs to a first game Chalice of the Void, Thorn of Amethyst or something horrible like that?

depending on the actual permament, you can still work your way to Goblins through the taxing (more lands come in Handy) with the +2 Rituals or play your 0cc artifacts/Rituals right into Chalice @1/@0 for some Goblins. If those matchups occur in your meta, just change your SB according to that with a Shattering Spree or such. Don't see a problem altering your 75 to your metagame

[Ivan Ferreiro]

Thanks Lemnear. The last question was just in case I face those matchups, I think my meta is actually pretty sane, (perhaps more towards to a control deck building). Then, does the actual SB looks like this? (probably not for everyone, but the reference one):

-1 Diminishing returns
-1 Ill Gotten Gains
-2 Cabal therapy
-1 Grapeshot
-1 Tendrils of agony
-2 Xantid
-1 Tropical island
-2 Chain of vapor
-2 Abrupt decay
-1 Empty the warrens
-1 Past in flames

How about changing the Tropical Island for a City of brass? I do not own a Tropical. I know the damage is really valuable and still prefer an actual land than a fetchland.

How do you sideboard against Reanimator? Do you use Silence?

[Lemnear]

Thanks Lemnear. The last question was just in case I face those matchups, I think my meta is actually pretty sane, (perhaps more towards to a control deck building). Then, does the actual SB looks like this? (probably not for everyone, but the reference one):

-1 Diminishing returns
-1 Ill Gotten Gains
-2 Cabal therapy
-1 Grapeshot
-1 Tendrils of agony
-2 Xantid
-1 Tropical island
-2 Chain of vapor
-2 Abrupt decay
-1 Empty the warrens
-1 Past in flames

How about changing the Tropical Island for a City of brass? I do not own a Tropical. I know the damage is really valuable and still prefer an actual land than a fetchland.

How do you sideboard against Reanimator? Do you use Silence?

You'd be surprised how good Xantid is as a 3-off against the current meta, so I would not pass on that one.

For your 2 questions: for the matchups which you may want the additional land for, I expect a lot of cantripping and fighting through defense, ergo I expect lands to be tapped a few times which would become annoying if the land you have to use for that is exactly the City you intend to use instead of the Tropical, but that is a minor issue through variance. More important however is, that Tropical is a Virtual 4-off in Bryant's suggested list (through fetchlands) and therefore you have a whole playset more green manasources available to cast Xantid.

"I" do keep Silence in because unless they reanimate turn 2 Iona, Silence and Xantids let you ignore their top tier target (Griselbrand) and all their drawn cards.

[Ivan Ferreiro]

Ok, cool. Thanks again. I am going to try as you said this friday on a sanctioned event (hope someone lend me a Tropical). I'll post the results!

[Lemnear]

Ya welcome :)

[Lemnear]

After finally knowing what nasty, Secret SB tech Carsten Kotter will bring to BoM I finally cut the Pyroclasm in the SB for a super Secret tech myself.

No one will see this one coming ... Muahahahaha

[Pelikanudo]

After finally knowing what nasty, Secret SB tech Carsten Kotter will bring to BoM I finally cut the Pyroclasm in the SB for a super Secret tech myself.

No one will see this one coming ... Muahahahaha

Sure it is Bribery, you kept it very secretly....
Joke.

[Lemnear]

Sure it is Bribery, you kept it very secretly....
Joke.

It's not Bribery. It's however a card that immediately kills most combo decks in the format..

[Pelikanudo]

It's not Bribery. It's however a card that immediately kills most combo decks in the format..

Haunting Echoes, Cranial Estraction, the Cranial Extraction with GraveStorm????
Please let me know!

[P-E]

Sadistic sacrament ahah

[Lemnear]

It will be epic

;)