Considering bringing this deck to a Team Unified Modern tournament. However, I am unable to use lightning bolt in the sideboard due to our team having a burn deck. It seems that this card is here in a narrow role for killing some problematic creatures (Baral in the mirror, what else?), and could be replaced by Flame Slash with minimal losses in terms of sideboard utility.
What do others think? Is it still viable without this piece? is Flame Slash a reasonable alternative? Are there other options (forked bolt, sudden shock, incinerate) that would accomplish the same things REASONABLY well (of course there is not obvious replacement, or people would play that instead)
For reference, the other deck I have available is Counters Company WITHOUT path to exile in the board there. Seems like missing lightning bolt is a lower impact than missing path there. Love to hear your ideas
Considering bringing this deck to a Team Unified Modern tournament. However, I am unable to use lightning bolt in the sideboard due to our team having a burn deck. It seems that this card is here in a narrow role for killing some problematic creatures (Baral in the mirror, what else?), and could be replaced by Flame Slash with minimal losses in terms of sideboard utility.
What do others think? Is it still viable without this piece? is Flame Slash a reasonable alternative? Are there other options (forked bolt, sudden shock, incinerate) that would accomplish the same things REASONABLY well (of course there is not obvious replacement, or people would play that instead)
For reference, the other deck I have available is Counters Company WITHOUT path to exile in the board there. Seems like missing lightning bolt is a lower impact than missing path there. Love to hear your ideas
Bolt is twofold - it gets rid of problem creatures like Baral and Eidolon of the Great Revel, and it can be used against players in matchups like Bxx shadow for a bolt-cantrip-morphose-grapeshot (or whatever) surprise win out of nowhere
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Modern: UR Storm G Stompy URSuicide Bloo
Commander: (Don't play as much as I'd like) UBPhenax, God of Deception
Thoughts on Apostle's Blessing in the mainboard like Caleb had in his top 16 list?
Pay 2 life to counter anything that would target your mana reducing dude. It lets you tap out on turn 2 with one of them and not feel bad about it.
Might be bad when the opponent is not playing removal, but those matchups should be favored for you anyway
I am going to be doing this because i went 0-3 on Monday night, and always because I couldn't keep my cost reducers alive. Even affinity had 2 galvanic blasts! 1 for my turn 2 baral and 1 for my turn 3! i couldn't freakin believe his luck.
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BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
I like the white splash as Wear//tear hits basically every problem card post board (relic, RiP, spellbomb, both eidolons, leylines etc). The only cards it doesn't hit are surgical and the random radios charm or ravenous trap. I personally don't like the other sideboard mostly because I believe it dilutes the deck too much and isn't a catch all strategy. I also have an Echoing Truth and Cyclonic Rift in the board too. Here's my full board:
3x Lightning Bolt
2x Dispel
2x Blood Moon
2x Empty the Warrens
2x Wear//Tear
1x Swan Song
1x Dismember
1x Cyclonic Rift
1x Echoing Truth
I like to side out all of my flex spots if they aren't relevant (remands, SSG/Noxious Revival/merchant scroll) as well as like a sleight of hand and maybe a mana dork if they don't run a lot of removal (elves, ad nauseum, etc). If I still need to side other cards out then I move towards shaving a Gifts or a ritual. I play peer through depths and they allow me to maximize my card selection post board....I would highly recommend them.
Yeah, but with the recent influx of anger, Explosives and other sweepers like K Return to combat counter company the Warrens plan is becoming less and less reliable.
It depends on the matchup...for example it would be perfectly reasonable if Grixis death shadow brings in EE and/or anger/K Return because they know that the warren plan is really our best path to victory. Against decks like U/W control I can see them cutting back on supreme verdicts but our plan against that type of deck is to accumulate cards in your hand and wait until you can win a counter war not Empty for 6-8 goblins. I think, all in all, that it's really preference at this point as neither sideboard plan is unanimously superior.
I'm thinking of running a singleton Hallowed Fountain and having the Saheeli Cat combo in the sideboard. Am I being insane? I believe the traditional hate brought in for storm will completely miss the ball on saheeli cat, plus the ritual+cantrip shell will help me assemble and cast it asap. producing 6 mana means the combo, since I can cast the cat and untap a land to add 1 more for saheeli and combo off.
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BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
I'm thinking of running a singleton Hallowed Fountain and having the Saheeli Cat combo in the sideboard. Am I being insane? I believe the traditional hate brought in for storm will completely miss the ball on saheeli cat, plus the ritual+cantrip shell will help me assemble and cast it asap. producing 6 mana means the combo, since I can cast the cat and untap a land to add 1 more for saheeli and combo off.
Interesting idea. I've been toying around with madcap combo in the main. Just one and the platinum guy. It make for quite interesting gifts piles. And can be cast on turn two. I think it's not bad.
I'm thinking of running a singleton Hallowed Fountain and having the Saheeli Cat combo in the sideboard. Am I being insane? I believe the traditional hate brought in for storm will completely miss the ball on saheeli cat, plus the ritual+cantrip shell will help me assemble and cast it asap. producing 6 mana means the combo, since I can cast the cat and untap a land to add 1 more for saheeli and combo off.
Interesting idea. I've been toying around with madcap combo in the main. Just one and the platinum guy. It make for quite interesting gifts piles. And can be cast on turn two. I think it's not bad.
They will be bringing in removal (if they dont have already), so the platinum plan sounds a bit less robust that the saheeli.
So people are off the Pieces/Empty sideboard plan now? I'm just finishing getting the deck together and having trouble deciding which SB plan to go with. Maybe I should try something a little more traditional for my first tournaments with the deck? Adding the copycat combo in does seem very interesting though.
So people are off the Pieces/Empty sideboard plan now? I'm just finishing getting the deck together and having trouble deciding which SB plan to go with. Maybe I should try something a little more traditional for my first tournaments with the deck? Adding the copycat combo in does seem very interesting though.
hello, new recruit here. if anyone is interested in my progress (jeez this deck is tricky to learn, I lost my first 6 games), this is my first 9 games with the deck:
1. Esper draw-go (Loss)
I don't get to resolve anything against negates and cryptics. He counters the first spell of any chain so i can't even get started. On hindsight I was supposed to side out gifts and go low on the empty plan. Well, first game on the deck, lessons learned.
2. 8rack (Loss)
Can we actually beat this? Opponent goes thoughseize, takes manamorphose, turn 2 he plays smallpox losing me a card, a land and the electromancer, turn 3 he plays wrench mind and my hand is pretty much empty and then he casts rack.
Game 2 I board out grapeshots knowing I have a chance in heck of getting that kind of storm going, and board in Thing in the Ice, since I anticipate him taking out bridges. I manage to flip thing on turn 3 and swing in for 7, but then he dismembers my electromancer, plays lily and downticks, leaving me with no board and no hand. There is no coming back.
3. Affinity (Loss)
He galvanic blasts my cost reducer on turn 2 while clocking me with the usual Affinity start. I'm dead on board before I can even sculpt a hand.
Second game, I have a hand that's ready to go but he galvanic blasts my first reducer, I play a second reducer and try to start but he has a second blast and stops the chain in its tracks and I'm stuck. No sign of any of my pyroclasms. I think I should have brought in my Thing in the Ice for this MU. But anyway for him to have drawn 2 removals without mulligan is well, pretty crappy.
4. Zoo (Loss)
Swiftspear and Wild Nacatl and Searing blaze clock me while killing my reducer. The defeat is fast, unambiguous and devastatingly complete. I feel like I'm playing a deck made to lose.
Game 2, I bring in Pyroclasms. I cantrip my way to a baral and have a pyro in hand. His turn 2 he plays Eidolon. My turn 3 is baral into pyroclasm. I'm ready to go off next turn. His turn 3 is a second eidolon. I have no outs and am already low on life.
5. Esper Draw-go (Loss)
My reducers get pathed, my gifts get countered, the opponent slowly gains the CA via think twice keeping up mana for everything I do - basically draw-go. I eventually die to 5 warrior token off secure the wastes and never actually get anything done.
Game 2 I take out 1 gifts, echoing truths and bring in extra empty the warrens. The same thing happens anyway - reducers are pathed, gifts are countered, I never get to so much as rev the engine. I scoop when he sphinxes for 5 and is at 8 cards to my 1 card. It feels horrible trying to storm against someone who is just keeping up mana for counterspells.
6. Bant Eldrazi (Loss)
I'm feeling like this should be my first win, but heck, my deck decides i should draw 6 lands against 4 spells. Are you kidding me? Dead.
G2 I bring in blood moons (duh). I don't see them, though. I make what I feel is a misplay; I try to kill a noble hierarch with my grapeshot to delay the TKS by a turn; he stubborn denials it, casts TKS the next turn and takes I cant remember what, it doesn't matter because the next turn is smasher and I'm getting toasted for 9.
At this point in time I want to fling the deck across the room and go home. I really do.
7. Bogles (Win)
I lose the first game to a bunch of auras on a bogle exactly 1 turn before I could have gotten to gifts + 3 mana floating. Which is sad and I'm feeling jaded, but for the first time I actually felt like i was getting somewhere.
G2 i bring in 4 Thing in the Ice and 2 Blood Moons. I play a T2 Thing, he has a bogle and casts a Kor Skydancer and can't swing thru. T3 I deliberately play a cantrip before I cast a second Thing, so now I have a Thing on 4 and a Thing on 3. his T3 he goes as far as he can on his skydancer and beats for 5 or 7 I can't remember. I untap, chain 3 spells. First Thing flips, Second Thing has 1 ice counter. I swing for 7. Pass. Opponent replays his creatures. Back to me, I untap, play a ritual, second Thing flips and it all goes back to hand again. I swing for 14 and win.
G3 I make a misplay so stupid I wanted to kill myself. I fetch a steam vents on turn 1 when I have another nonbasic in my hand, ritual, blood moon. I could have locked out my opponent and his templegarden and horizon canopy, but I miss the boat and his turn 3 is a fetch, which he wisely uses for a forest. To make things worse, he starts with a leyline of sanctity and his turn 2 play is Rest in Peace. however, I get a thing in the ice out and moon anyway to slow him down after getting an island later on. By the time I flip thing im at 5 life but he has only 1 green mana to re-establish a board with, which he obviously can't while I beat down with my 7/8 and take back the victory I almost threw away.
8. Jund (Win)
Jund has the classic start: Hand removal takes my baral, turn 2 is a goyf, turn 3 is a lily, downtick. Unfortunately for him, my turn 3 is electromancer, manamorphose drawing gifts and floating UR, ritual, ritual. Gifts resolving and 3 mana floating! I try my best to remember the steps, and I actually do (all that goldfishing paid off) and I end it with 2 grapeshots at storm 11 and 12.
Game 2 I bring in blood moons, an additional Apostle's blessing to hedge against the plentiful removal. He guesses as much and begins fetching basic swamps, so I'm guessing a lily is coming. Instead I am surprised by a phyrexian area, but that doesn't faze me too much since I have the engine in hand. I go off on turn 4 and apparent'y he didn't draw any spot removal for my turn 3 reducer.
9. Tron (Win)
There isn't much to say about this match, I basically go off both games. Obviously boarded in moon, but didn't see them. In game 1, opponent informs me that Baral's 3 toughness ensured I won, because he had a pyroclasm. In one of the games I engined off just in time because he had tron but was short mana to activate the O stone, so I had just the 1 turn to do the needful.
Summary: Deck is hard to git gud at. Didn't give up and eventually got a little better. Looking forward to more games with this.
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BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
Glad to hear your seeing success with the deck. It can be tricky. Some turns I find the correct play is land go. And hold some cantrips in hand for a better turn. Espically if you know you can have an explosive next turn.
^Congrats! Very curious to hear more since I just finished building storm and didn't see it at all in Vegas which was a bit discouraging. I built it in paper, but only get to play once or twice a week, so I'm considering building it on MTGO also. Hate to spend the extra money on the same deck twice, but MTGO really seems like the best way to just play the game these days.
A counterflux on a grapeshot that's on storm 20 would indeed save the user if the stormer doesn't have a remand, so its a legitimate way to stop being killed. Of course if the stormer has a remand then that changes things.
If PiF gets hit (why wouldnt they name grapeshot or empty?) then the strategy is the same as when you're facing GY hate; you can either grapeshot-remand-grapeshot from storm 9 for the kill, or go for the Empty wincon.
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BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
A counterflux on a grapeshot that's on storm 20 would indeed save the user if the stormer doesn't have a remand, so its a legitimate way to stop being killed. Of course if the stormer has a remand then that changes things.
If PiF gets hit (why wouldnt they name grapeshot or empty?) then the strategy is the same as when you're facing GY hate; you can either grapeshot-remand-grapeshot from storm 9 for the kill, or go for the Empty wincon.
How does it change things just because they get to draw a card and get their shot back? If the shot wasn't leathal or they don't have more mana after the remand it's still a good play you need to make. Everything has a way around it but you have to play to yours.
Considering bringing this deck to a Team Unified Modern tournament. However, I am unable to use lightning bolt in the sideboard due to our team having a burn deck. It seems that this card is here in a narrow role for killing some problematic creatures (Baral in the mirror, what else?), and could be replaced by Flame Slash with minimal losses in terms of sideboard utility.
What do others think? Is it still viable without this piece? is Flame Slash a reasonable alternative? Are there other options (forked bolt, sudden shock, incinerate) that would accomplish the same things REASONABLY well (of course there is not obvious replacement, or people would play that instead)
For reference, the other deck I have available is Counters Company WITHOUT path to exile in the board there. Seems like missing lightning bolt is a lower impact than missing path there. Love to hear your ideas
WUB Counters Company
UBR Grixis Shadow
Legacy:
UBR Grixis Delver
BR Reanimator
Commander:
UBR Nekusar
BG Gitrog Monster
WUG Roon
Bolt is twofold - it gets rid of problem creatures like Baral and Eidolon of the Great Revel, and it can be used against players in matchups like Bxx shadow for a bolt-cantrip-morphose-grapeshot (or whatever) surprise win out of nowhere
UR Storm
G Stompy
URSuicide Bloo
Commander: (Don't play as much as I'd like)
UBPhenax, God of Deception
I'm actually super interested in testing that out. Seems to have potential. Interesting tech with the mana reducers.
I am going to be doing this because i went 0-3 on Monday night, and always because I couldn't keep my cost reducers alive. Even affinity had 2 galvanic blasts! 1 for my turn 2 baral and 1 for my turn 3! i couldn't freakin believe his luck.
BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
3x Lightning Bolt
2x Dispel
2x Blood Moon
2x Empty the Warrens
2x Wear//Tear
1x Swan Song
1x Dismember
1x Cyclonic Rift
1x Echoing Truth
I like to side out all of my flex spots if they aren't relevant (remands, SSG/Noxious Revival/merchant scroll) as well as like a sleight of hand and maybe a mana dork if they don't run a lot of removal (elves, ad nauseum, etc). If I still need to side other cards out then I move towards shaving a Gifts or a ritual. I play peer through depths and they allow me to maximize my card selection post board....I would highly recommend them.
BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
Interesting idea. I've been toying around with madcap combo in the main. Just one and the platinum guy. It make for quite interesting gifts piles. And can be cast on turn two. I think it's not bad.
They will be bringing in removal (if they dont have already), so the platinum plan sounds a bit less robust that the saheeli.
BW BW Tokens
RG Dredgeplendid Reclamation
RW Boros Burn
GB Elves
RB Dark Goblins
WU Azorius' Relic
I currently have:
I just sold my last blood moon a couple weeks ago, now I want to get a couple more, whoops.
Edit: One more thing, why is peer through depths only in about 50% of decks? It seems too good not to use.
What is pieces of the puzzle for?
1. Esper draw-go (Loss)
I don't get to resolve anything against negates and cryptics. He counters the first spell of any chain so i can't even get started. On hindsight I was supposed to side out gifts and go low on the empty plan. Well, first game on the deck, lessons learned.
2. 8rack (Loss)
Can we actually beat this? Opponent goes thoughseize, takes manamorphose, turn 2 he plays smallpox losing me a card, a land and the electromancer, turn 3 he plays wrench mind and my hand is pretty much empty and then he casts rack.
Game 2 I board out grapeshots knowing I have a chance in heck of getting that kind of storm going, and board in Thing in the Ice, since I anticipate him taking out bridges. I manage to flip thing on turn 3 and swing in for 7, but then he dismembers my electromancer, plays lily and downticks, leaving me with no board and no hand. There is no coming back.
3. Affinity (Loss)
He galvanic blasts my cost reducer on turn 2 while clocking me with the usual Affinity start. I'm dead on board before I can even sculpt a hand.
Second game, I have a hand that's ready to go but he galvanic blasts my first reducer, I play a second reducer and try to start but he has a second blast and stops the chain in its tracks and I'm stuck. No sign of any of my pyroclasms. I think I should have brought in my Thing in the Ice for this MU. But anyway for him to have drawn 2 removals without mulligan is well, pretty crappy.
4. Zoo (Loss)
Swiftspear and Wild Nacatl and Searing blaze clock me while killing my reducer. The defeat is fast, unambiguous and devastatingly complete. I feel like I'm playing a deck made to lose.
Game 2, I bring in Pyroclasms. I cantrip my way to a baral and have a pyro in hand. His turn 2 he plays Eidolon. My turn 3 is baral into pyroclasm. I'm ready to go off next turn. His turn 3 is a second eidolon. I have no outs and am already low on life.
5. Esper Draw-go (Loss)
My reducers get pathed, my gifts get countered, the opponent slowly gains the CA via think twice keeping up mana for everything I do - basically draw-go. I eventually die to 5 warrior token off secure the wastes and never actually get anything done.
Game 2 I take out 1 gifts, echoing truths and bring in extra empty the warrens. The same thing happens anyway - reducers are pathed, gifts are countered, I never get to so much as rev the engine. I scoop when he sphinxes for 5 and is at 8 cards to my 1 card. It feels horrible trying to storm against someone who is just keeping up mana for counterspells.
6. Bant Eldrazi (Loss)
I'm feeling like this should be my first win, but heck, my deck decides i should draw 6 lands against 4 spells. Are you kidding me? Dead.
G2 I bring in blood moons (duh). I don't see them, though. I make what I feel is a misplay; I try to kill a noble hierarch with my grapeshot to delay the TKS by a turn; he stubborn denials it, casts TKS the next turn and takes I cant remember what, it doesn't matter because the next turn is smasher and I'm getting toasted for 9.
At this point in time I want to fling the deck across the room and go home. I really do.
7. Bogles (Win)
I lose the first game to a bunch of auras on a bogle exactly 1 turn before I could have gotten to gifts + 3 mana floating. Which is sad and I'm feeling jaded, but for the first time I actually felt like i was getting somewhere.
G2 i bring in 4 Thing in the Ice and 2 Blood Moons. I play a T2 Thing, he has a bogle and casts a Kor Skydancer and can't swing thru. T3 I deliberately play a cantrip before I cast a second Thing, so now I have a Thing on 4 and a Thing on 3. his T3 he goes as far as he can on his skydancer and beats for 5 or 7 I can't remember. I untap, chain 3 spells. First Thing flips, Second Thing has 1 ice counter. I swing for 7. Pass. Opponent replays his creatures. Back to me, I untap, play a ritual, second Thing flips and it all goes back to hand again. I swing for 14 and win.
G3 I make a misplay so stupid I wanted to kill myself. I fetch a steam vents on turn 1 when I have another nonbasic in my hand, ritual, blood moon. I could have locked out my opponent and his templegarden and horizon canopy, but I miss the boat and his turn 3 is a fetch, which he wisely uses for a forest. To make things worse, he starts with a leyline of sanctity and his turn 2 play is Rest in Peace. however, I get a thing in the ice out and moon anyway to slow him down after getting an island later on. By the time I flip thing im at 5 life but he has only 1 green mana to re-establish a board with, which he obviously can't while I beat down with my 7/8 and take back the victory I almost threw away.
8. Jund (Win)
Jund has the classic start: Hand removal takes my baral, turn 2 is a goyf, turn 3 is a lily, downtick. Unfortunately for him, my turn 3 is electromancer, manamorphose drawing gifts and floating UR, ritual, ritual. Gifts resolving and 3 mana floating! I try my best to remember the steps, and I actually do (all that goldfishing paid off) and I end it with 2 grapeshots at storm 11 and 12.
Game 2 I bring in blood moons, an additional Apostle's blessing to hedge against the plentiful removal. He guesses as much and begins fetching basic swamps, so I'm guessing a lily is coming. Instead I am surprised by a phyrexian area, but that doesn't faze me too much since I have the engine in hand. I go off on turn 4 and apparent'y he didn't draw any spot removal for my turn 3 reducer.
9. Tron (Win)
There isn't much to say about this match, I basically go off both games. Obviously boarded in moon, but didn't see them. In game 1, opponent informs me that Baral's 3 toughness ensured I won, because he had a pyroclasm. In one of the games I engined off just in time because he had tron but was short mana to activate the O stone, so I had just the 1 turn to do the needful.
Summary: Deck is hard to git gud at. Didn't give up and eventually got a little better. Looking forward to more games with this.
BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
And on the basis that you kept it and drew a ritual next turn, would you heck it and make 10 tokens on turn 2? (4 rituals into empty)
BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
how do you play when past in flames gets turn3 slaughter games?
A counterflux on a grapeshot that's on storm 20 would indeed save the user if the stormer doesn't have a remand, so its a legitimate way to stop being killed. Of course if the stormer has a remand then that changes things.
If PiF gets hit (why wouldnt they name grapeshot or empty?) then the strategy is the same as when you're facing GY hate; you can either grapeshot-remand-grapeshot from storm 9 for the kill, or go for the Empty wincon.
BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
How does it change things just because they get to draw a card and get their shot back? If the shot wasn't leathal or they don't have more mana after the remand it's still a good play you need to make. Everything has a way around it but you have to play to yours.