This came up in the forum draft discussion and opinions seemed widely split. There was at least one limited deck at the Pro Tour that was running 2 of them and Zack Hill said that some pro (can't recall who) called it the "second best blue common" (presumably after retraction helix). On the other hand Brian and Marshall from Limited Resources were pretty lukewarm about it. Personally I think its quite good. The natural card to compare it to is Sea God's Revenge, which most people think is quite good. I did this in the forum thread, but just to compare:
Advantages for Sea God's Revenge:
Targets 3 things.
Sets opponent much further back on mana since bounced creatures must be replayed.
Gets rid of non-bestow auras and counters.
Creatures can't be untapped via trick.
Advantages for Sudden Storm
Instant speed.
2 mana cheaper.
Bestow creatures do not fall off (possibly giving the opponent blockers).
Creatures bounced by Sea Gods can be replayed the following turn (whereas Sudden Storm deals with them for 2 turns.
Bounced bestow creatures might be able to be played to better advantage.
Bounced creatures with enter the battlefield effects can be replayed.
If I was choosing, I think I would take Sea God's revenge, but I do think it is pretty close.
If you care about "pro opinion" Huey was pretty lukewarm on it in his draft cap vid as are most of the pros who have done BTG draft vids for Channel Fireball so far. I've been keeping an eye on it and I'm still not impressed with it. It does the job you expect it to but that's all I can say for it.
If you care about "pro opinion" Huey was pretty lukewarm on it in his draft cap vid as are most of the pros who have done BTG draft vids for Channel Fireball so far. I've been keeping an eye on it and I'm still not impressed with it. It does the job you expect it to but that's all I can say for it.
Wait what? All the Channel Fireball videos I've watched the Pros have had nothing but good things to say about the card. The only lukewarm responses I've seen were from before the cards were released.
Perhaps I'm not remembering correctly but I have been watch the draft vids and I don't remember sudden storm being pick up much. Maybe I need to check again. I do remember that Huey's response to it clearly though since I just watched that last night.
@Edit: Ok looked it up. There are only two drafts on their channel (so I must have been remembering other drafts I've watched). The second didn't have a chance to get Sudden Storm so that one doesn't matter. In the first (which was a bit painful to listen to/watch when he doesn't pick something within the time limit and is given Satyr Wayfinder... Ouch) he passes two without comment on them then gets one on the wheel and says "You want at least one Sudden Storm in your U/X kinda tempo decks. It's a sweet effect."
Perhaps I'm not remembering correctly but I have been watch the draft vids and I don't remember sudden storm being pick up much. Maybe I need to check again. I do remember that Huey's response to it clearly though since I just watched that last night.
@Edit: Ok looked it up. There are only two drafts on their channel. The second didn't have a chance to get Sudden Storm so that one doesn't matter. In the first (which was a bit painful to listen to/watch when he doesn't pick something within the time limit and is given Satyr Wayfinder... Ouch) he gets one on the wheel and says "You want at least one Sudden Storm in your U/X kinda tempo decks."
Domaderosa made some comment like "I'm always wanting to draw sudden storm [the card is great]"
Owen apparently values Nyxborn Triton over Sudden Storm if the commentators are correct during his draft (which I certainly agree with). Heck if his "pulling forward cards" is to be read into, in the pack with Sudden Storm he left that in the back (didn't even really look at it) and pulled forward the Chorus of the Tides (again I agree with this).
Yeah, if Sudden Storm is the "second best" common, it's absolutely behind Nyxborn Triton, not Helix. And after doing a few more drafts than I had done when we had the P1P2 discussion (in which I advocated for Storm over Chorus), I definitely think that Storm/Chorus are much closer than I initially gave them credit for (and I kinda wish I could change my vote).
I do think I'm quite happy to have a Storm in my deck. But what I'm learning is that you don't need to prioritize it highly to get one, and it's generally not worth spending a high pick just to have one.
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It's not your job to win games of Magic where you're mana screwed.
It's your job win every game of Magic where you're not.
I think the first one might be a little better than Chorus, but mostly because Chorus has underperformed for me. I haven't gotten to the bottom of why Snapping Drake doesn't appear to be as good as usual, but I think it has something to do with the fact that the only thing I ever want to do with it is trade down with whatever is currently killing me.
My pick order for blue commons is something like:
Nyxborn Triton
First Retraction Helix
First Sudden Storm
Chorus
Second Retraction Helix
Deepwater Hypnotist
Everything else I'm not really happy to play, including the second Sudden Storm.
I think the first one might be a little better than Chorus, but mostly because Chorus has underperformed for me. I haven't gotten to the bottom of why Snapping Drake doesn't appear to be as good as usual, but I think it has something to do with the fact that the only thing I ever want to do with it is trade down with whatever is currently killing me.
My pick order for blue commons is something like:
Nyxborn Triton
First Retraction Helix
First Sudden Storm
Chorus
Second Retraction Helix
Deepwater Hypnotist
Everything else I'm not really happy to play, including the second Sudden Storm.
No nullify? I love that card.
I don't really like Nullify, but generally side it in against green decks because I don't like telling Nessian Asp bad beat stories. The mana cost is awkward, and the spells I really want to counter out of nongreen decks are the combat trick blowouts.
To be honest, I like almost all of the blue commons excepting the idiotic mill card. They just need to be taken in the right quantities and for the right situation. Sudden Storm and Retraction Helix are great options that you only really need one of. Nullify is good, but only in matchups where you don't need to fret about combat tricks and just want to keep threats off the board (control vs green monsters). Crypsis and Stratus Walk are some of the best cards a blue/white heroic or blue/green tempo deck can ask for, but are pretty awful in other blue decks. Divination is the perfect tool for the deck that is actually able to sacrifice tempo for card advantage. Even Floodtide Serpent is useful in a midrange deck with lots of bestow/cantrip auras and a need to clog up the ground.
Bottom line, blue's a deep color with a lot of great cards, but they don't all necessarily go together.
Sudden storm is pretty good. BTT is still very tempo oriented, especially the blue decks. As far as pick order goes, I'm still not that hot on helix. I'd rarher pick triton over it. Helix is still a good card, but many things need to happen: you need to sometimes-suspiciously hold back a creature for it, and requires your opponent not having removal in hand. As I draft more voyage's end, griptide and SGR, I may even end up leaving helix in the board. (I'd need at least 2 VE + GT to do that.)
Then I'd sideboard it in if my opponent is voltron-oriented.
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Advantages for Sea God's Revenge:
Targets 3 things.
Sets opponent much further back on mana since bounced creatures must be replayed.
Gets rid of non-bestow auras and counters.
Creatures can't be untapped via trick.
Advantages for Sudden Storm
Instant speed.
2 mana cheaper.
Bestow creatures do not fall off (possibly giving the opponent blockers).
Creatures bounced by Sea Gods can be replayed the following turn (whereas Sudden Storm deals with them for 2 turns.
Bounced bestow creatures might be able to be played to better advantage.
Bounced creatures with enter the battlefield effects can be replayed.
If I was choosing, I think I would take Sea God's revenge, but I do think it is pretty close.
Wait what? All the Channel Fireball videos I've watched the Pros have had nothing but good things to say about the card. The only lukewarm responses I've seen were from before the cards were released.
@Edit: Ok looked it up. There are only two drafts on their channel (so I must have been remembering other drafts I've watched). The second didn't have a chance to get Sudden Storm so that one doesn't matter. In the first (which was a bit painful to listen to/watch when he doesn't pick something within the time limit and is given Satyr Wayfinder... Ouch) he passes two without comment on them then gets one on the wheel and says "You want at least one Sudden Storm in your U/X kinda tempo decks. It's a sweet effect."
Domaderosa made some comment like "I'm always wanting to draw sudden storm [the card is great]"
I do think I'm quite happy to have a Storm in my deck. But what I'm learning is that you don't need to prioritize it highly to get one, and it's generally not worth spending a high pick just to have one.
It's your job win every game of Magic where you're not.
My pick order for blue commons is something like:
Nyxborn Triton
First Retraction Helix
First Sudden Storm
Chorus
Second Retraction Helix
Deepwater Hypnotist
Everything else I'm not really happy to play, including the second Sudden Storm.
I don't really like Nullify, but generally side it in against green decks because I don't like telling Nessian Asp bad beat stories. The mana cost is awkward, and the spells I really want to counter out of nongreen decks are the combat trick blowouts.
Bottom line, blue's a deep color with a lot of great cards, but they don't all necessarily go together.
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Then I'd sideboard it in if my opponent is voltron-oriented.