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

[Lemnear]

IMO, although I like Pyroblast a lot, I feel it underperformed in TES against Miracle. I couldn't counter a landing counterbalance against Miracles because mine was countered. Next turn, I draw Pyroblast, try to destroy CB but it shows a land, and then my opponent counters Pyro again.

I think it's better to run Decay against Miracles, because you'll be sure it won't be countered. A 3-off seems a lot, but I haven't tested it yet. Not sure if Pyroblast was cool against Delver decks, maybe just playing discard spells it's just fine.

In other words, you dislike Pyroblast because your opponent can open the nuts of turn 2 Counterbalance/S&T plus FoW backup? With that standard set, you'll have to cut Xantids as well. It's not that Pyroblast was run to destroy Counterbalance but for it's flexibility in other matchups and it's strange to messure it soley on it's application against Counterbalance and not even on it's usefullness vs. upkeep Cliques, Brainstorms or boarded Meddling Mages.

For my personal taste we have a bit too much specific hate in the board which has next to no application against other decks and that includes the mentioned Decay and Xantid, which are also the only cards we need a 4th color for. Maybe the Hive Mind can come up with something I have not thought off to add it to my testing board

[Bryant Cook]

In other words, you dislike Pyroblast because your opponent can open the nuts of turn 2 Counterbalance/S&T plus FoW backup? With that standard set, you'll have to cut Xantids as well. It's not that Pyroblast was run to destroy Counterbalance but for it's flexibility in other matchups and it's strange to messure it soley on it's application against Counterbalance and not even on it's usefullness vs. upkeep Cliques, Brainstorms or boarded Meddling Mages.

For my personal taste we have a bit too much specific hate in the board which has next to no application against other decks and that includes the mentioned Decay and Xantid, which are also the only cards we need a 4th color for. Maybe the Hive Mind can come up with something I have not thought off to add it to my testing board

I think Pyroblast is fine, although, with an uprising in Eidolon of the Great Revel, I'd like an extra bounce effect. As crappy as it is, we can side in Tendrils of Agony or Grapeshot as a way to play around Mage. I understand that it's not all encompassing, but there's trade offs in playing a Wish board.

[Rafael Benedetti]

I don't understand everyone's desire to shove the Infernal into the main deck, we're essentially preboarded at this point without running a shitty card like Diminishing Returns.

Since I started play with TES, I always played with IT in side board, one day I played with 4 tutors in main deck and I lost 2 games where I could play BW-IT-AN and I dont had the IT in side... I don´t understand too, and diminishing I never liked, is one card that you almost never use and it's not sure it will work.

[sawatarix]

i wouldn't even consider dim ret in a deck without chant effects.
sure we waste a sideboard slot to have a 'good' card verus decks like jund and friends but those are already good matchups so there is no need to improve them.

xantid swarm should be back in the sideboard again, discard on its own doesn't clear the way against miracle control.
alongside abrupt decay , xantid swarm is the perfect tool to beat miracles in my opinion.

[Lemnear]

i wouldn't even consider dim ret in a deck without chant effects.
sure we waste a sideboard slot to have a 'good' card verus decks like jund and friends but those are already good matchups so there is no need to improve them.

xantid swarm should be back in the sideboard again, discard on its own doesn't clear the way against miracle control.
alongside abrupt decay , xantid swarm is the perfect tool to beat miracles in my opinion.

Because Miracles isn't playing cards like Meddling Mage, Counterbalance, StoP, Vendilion Clique ... what? They do? Xantid Swarm is total crap against Miracles.

[wonderPreaux]

One thing worth noting is that on the draw Xantid Swarm can come down, dodging Spell Pierce and Flusterstorm, and provide you with an angle against Miracles if you have to play a longer game. Though, I don't think that compensates for the fact that Miracles keeps removal in, not only for Goblin all-ins that are possible from TES, but also for Xantid Swarm/Dark Confidant.

[Lemnear]

One thing worth noting is that on the draw Xantid Swarm can come down, dodging Spell Pierce and Flusterstorm, and provide you with an angle against Miracles if you have to play a longer game. Though, I don't think that compensates for the fact that Miracles keeps removal in, not only for Goblin all-ins that are possible from TES, but also for Xantid Swarm/Dark Confidant.

Have you counted the numbers of Pierces and Flusterstorms compared with Cliques, Counterspells, FoW, Counterbalance, Cliques, Medding Mages, etc.? The longer the game goes, the worse it gets for you

[paeng4983]

RE: Xantid SB vs. Miracle

If your opponent hasn’t landed yet his CounterTOP duo, then sure enough this bug is a great help. But if he managed to resolve his defensive duo, or just the enchantment alone, hitting a 1cc or 2cc off the top of his library could spell disaster for you.

[wonderPreaux]

Have you counted the numbers of Pierces and Flusterstorms compared with Cliques, Counterspells, FoW, Counterbalance, Cliques, Medding Mages, etc.? The longer the game goes, the worse it gets for you

I wasnt saying Xantid makes the long game winnable, i was noting a situation where its probably at its best. On the draw, its an aggressive threat that skirts a few common counters and can lead into you doing some other stuff later.

[Lemnear]

I wasnt saying Xantid makes the long game winnable, i was noting a situation where its probably at its best. On the draw, its an aggressive threat that skirts a few common counters and can lead into you doing some other stuff later.

It's a wasted handcard and a wasted mana spend aside the fact that you need green mana first and it still can be FoW'd, StoP'd, etc. in addition to the beforementioned Meddling Mage, Counterbalance, Clique, etc.

I'm rarely interrested in best-case-scenarios if I board for games 2 & 3 but solid choices and tbh I cannot see which cards in the MB are bad enough to switch 'em for Xantids and the rare chance to totally screw an opposing Miracle pilot keeping a hand of Pierce, Flusterstorm and SCM but nothing else. What way would you guys board if you want to squeeze in Xantids? That would be very interresting...

[sawatarix]

I would cut these 2 cabal rituald ,1 chrome mox and 3 discad spells to bring in 3 decay + 3 xantid swarm.

The deck becomes less explosive without the chrome mox but that's fine if you get additional protection.
If the miracle-opponent still has swords to plowshares in the deck postboard just board out swarm in g3 and switch back to discard.

[Lemnear]

I would cut these 2 cabal rituald ,1 chrome mox and 3 discad spells to bring in 3 decay + 3 xantid swarm.

The deck becomes less explosive without the chrome mox but that's fine if you get additional protection.
If the miracle-opponent still has swords to plowshares in the deck postboard just board out swarm in g3 and switch back to discard.

You don't think that running Cabal Ritual for long and grindy matchups is a bit wierd if you want to board it out against Miracles? Who runs 3 Xantids in the first place? You forgot boarding the Tropical island btw ;)

[Bryant Cook]

You don't think that running Cabal Ritual for long and grindy matchups is a bit wierd if you want to board it out against Miracles? Who runs 3 Xantids in the first place? You forgot boarding the Tropical island btw ;)

Miracles tends to side in Rest in Peace. Just sayin'.

[Togores]

boarding xantis in ANT or TES vs stp or bolt oppoents is crap. 95% of the time they just kill it and win 2 cards with it (not having his dead card + your card).

Also I usualy side vs miracles +1 tropical +3 decay -1 empty -1 mox -2 ponder/cabal ritual. That has work fine now, beating last week 2 best miracle players in my cuntry.

U can take out cabal or ponder if they side in RIP depends on what they play: A more reb side? side ponder out, a more RIP side? then cabal is your card of choice.


Also Lem I dont think miracles has 2 diferent cards called clicke :P JK

I also do side 3 xantid, I like the card vs blue combo and al already stated I dont like the pyroblasts.

[Togores]

Yesterday I played TES at locals. 4 rounds and so. My main was 2 cabal ritual, 3 mox, no tropical md and in side 3 decay 3 xantid (got them foil yesterday) and no pyroblast.

R1 vs affinity. 2-0
g1 he mulls stats with signal pest turn 1 and 2 but has a slow hand I just Nauseam him
g2 he mulls again his hand of canonist + tomb + no more mana and gets a 6er thats not good. I just slam a ton of gobins and win.

Sided in chain of vapor and decay for both duress. May be I should have sided the decays, but saw the matchup like DNT.

R2 dragon stompy 0-2
g1 keep a 7 hand on the draw with lots of mana and 2 lands. then draw 4 lands straigt while he trinispheres me turn 2 and so.
g2 On the play this is my hand: GP, GP, delta, gemstone, DR, RoF, cabal ritual.Would you keep this? I draw more mana from both gitaxian. And he slams revoker turn 1 chalice on 0. And then chalice on 1 turn 2 and trinisphere turn 3.

I sided g2 so:
+ inf
+ trop
+3 decay
+ seize
-4 therapy
-2 ponder

opinion? Latter i thought that this was not good enought. Also he sided in 4 ratched bomb 3 earthquake that only afects the color of your choice.

-cabal
-etw
+inf
+ts

thoughts on this?


R3 burn
g1 I just put a ton of goblins and race him.
g2 I have 3 leds and mana. But no bussines. When im at 9 I draw infernal and go for it, but when i crack led he makes bolt, fireblast+fork and im dead.
g3 Was one of the best games I have had with the deck.Whem im ready to drop on my turn 10000 goblins he draw and plays a card that every time my creature atacks it deals one dmg to itseld or to me. I dont remeber but I was unable to goblin. So we play a bit more and this is my situation:
opp 3 lands, skullcrack and fireblast. on table simian spirit guide, and satir that makes 1 damage to a creature i own when i get burned and no mana up.
I have:
12 lives, 2 lands, rof,DR, DR, Cabal ritual, Led and burning. I also have sided in the infernal from the side.
my graveyard is: gP,therapy, gp, Delta, Bs, ponder.
I go like this: play the rituals and have much mana. burning for pif, pif resolves crack led for blue, probe for lives and draw mox, probe for lives and draw mox, ponder and see therapy, tutor and cabal ritual. draw the infernal, braisntorm draw the cabal ritual, the therapy and a duress. put mox and therapy back. Make mox with duress then cabal ritual and infernal. I dont have red mana or way to get to it, no more cantrips in grave. just a lot of black mana and a infernal on the stack. Get led, crack for red. play all the rituals back. flashback of pif. now cast the other new infernal and sarch for bruning, cast the discard spell of my grave and grapeshot him for 22 his simian for 2 and satir for 1.
GG

yess! op win never flashed back the pif and never killed with grapeshot without having nauseamed before.


R4 vs a modern merfolks.
g1 he makes nothing I win
g2 he makes nothing I win.


Dragon stompy guy won and I got second. So good evening alltogether.

[Dice_Box]

http://sales.starcitygames.com//deck...p?DeckID=69800

11th is not too bad. That sideboard though, seams a touch light on cards.

[Togores]

2 chain of vapor and 2 xantid should be the answer ^^

[LDX]

Does anyone know if Bryant played any featured match in his 11th place? I wish I could actually learn the deck by seeing him play an updated list.

[Bryant Cook]

Does anyone know if Bryant played any featured match in his 11th place? I wish I could actually learn the deck by seeing him play an updated list.

I did not, also the full list is in the opening post. Here were my match-ups on the day:

1-2 Belcher
2-1 BUG Delver
2-1 Merfolk (Main deck Chalice of the Void)
2-0 Miracles
0-2 Belcher
2-1 Elves
2-0 Death & Taxes
2-0 ANT
2-0 Elves

[anakyn]

I did not, also the full list is in the opening post. Here were my match-ups on the day:

1-2 Belcher
2-1 BUG Delver
2-1 Merfolk (Main deck Chalice of the Void)
2-0 Miracles
0-2 Belcher
2-1 Elves
2-0 Death & Taxes
2-0 ANT
2-0 Elves

Congratulations
Seems like you won every hard matchup (BUG, Miracle) and lost to the only deck which is faster than TES (Belcher).

Do you plan to write a report?