What do you think about cut 3 copies of Opt from Caleb´s list and play 3 desperate ravings?
Opt's reprinting is what made our 17 land deck a lot more consistent. I wouldn't give it up for a 2 cmc cantrip with random discard.
I'm with thought scour, that makes us consistent, back in the day I was using 3 PiF but no gifts, no need for that if we can just ascend. No more probe, no more fun though.
I really like Thought Scour, I do agree that Opt is very strong too, I even considered twisted image for a while... too many Hierarchs and damn Birds
I gotta ask, what is blood moon in storm for? It's typically used against big mana decks, where we're already favored, or to make life difficult for tricolor decks, which are pretty low profile at the moment. I haven't met an abzan deck in forever. The current headaches are Hollow One with a lucky pilot, burn, and Humans. Blood Moon does.. well, nothing against those decks.
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BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
I gotta ask, what is blood moon in storm for? It's typically used against big mana decks, where we're already favored, or to make life difficult for tricolor decks, which are pretty low profile at the moment. I haven't met an abzan deck in forever. The current headaches are Hollow One with a lucky pilot, burn, and Humans. Blood Moon does.. well, nothing against those decks.
UW control and Humans are a big issue where I play, so everything into mountains is pretty damn strong, with a ritual on turn 2, I didn't know it leave either, everyday in the sky. I wish blood sun was good, maybe Alpine Moon who knows, gotta test it
I gotta ask, what is blood moon in storm for? It's typically used against big mana decks, where we're already favored, or to make life difficult for tricolor decks, which are pretty low profile at the moment. I haven't met an abzan deck in forever. The current headaches are Hollow One with a lucky pilot, burn, and Humans. Blood Moon does.. well, nothing against those decks.
UW control and Humans are a big issue where I play, so everything into mountains is pretty damn strong, with a ritual on turn 2, I didn't know it leave either, everyday in the sky. I wish blood sun was good, maybe Alpine Moon who knows, gotta test it
I havent found moon to be very effective against humans, although maybe my opponents may have had the good luck to start with a vial on turn one all the time. I can imagine how bad it must be for them if they *don't* have a vial, though.
Alpine Moon takes out Tron and Valakut. Tron isn't so much of a problem... Valakut I could get behind, because between their ramp and bolts, they could possibly hold you off the combo turn just long enough to scapeshift or simply primetime and win.
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BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
I've been doing a 1 Izzet Charm - 2 Lightning Bolt split in the sideboard instead of just the 3 Bolts. I like the versatility, it still kills most things we care about, but the countering mode can be a lifesaver if they're trying to remove our creature or combo out themselves (I used it on a Collected Company to not die last week). Also, I like that it's a lot better to draw in the middle of going off than Bolt because it gives us some card selection, almost like it's another draw spell.
Decided to pick up Storm again for the PPTQ season and during practice I came across an interesting situation. I would like your input as to the correct line.
Suppose you keep a one lander that has Baral, 2 cantrips (Serum + Sleight, for concreteness' sake), Manamorphose, Rit and Grapeshot.
Turn 1 you cast Serum, draw another cantrip and scry a land and Goblin Electromancer. Would you rather:
a) Keep both on top, play land, cycle Manamorphose and play a bear;
b) Keep both on top, play land and a bear (no cycle) in the hopes of a untap and t3 kill;
c) Keep both on top, play land, cycle Manamorphose and double cantrip;
d) Keep both on top, play land and double cantrip;
e) Some other line that I haven't considered?
Also, would your opinion change if you knew the cantrip drawn from Serum was another Serum? Personally, I am more inclined to d) since the drawn cantrip is Serum, to maximize the cantrip value while keeping a ritual for the combo turn. If it wasn't Serum, I'd be more inclined to c) to try to find a payoff spell and lands asap.
Decided to pick up Storm again for the PPTQ season and during practice I came across an interesting situation. I would like your input as to the correct line.
Suppose you keep a one lander that has Baral, 2 cantrips (Serum + Sleight, for concreteness' sake), Manamorphose, Rit and Grapeshot.
Turn 1 you cast Serum, draw another cantrip and scry a land and Goblin Electromancer. Would you rather:
a) Keep both on top, play land, cycle Manamorphose and play a bear;
b) Keep both on top, play land and a bear (no cycle) in the hopes of a untap and t3 kill;
c) Keep both on top, play land, cycle Manamorphose and double cantrip;
d) Keep both on top, play land and double cantrip;
e) Some other line that I haven't considered?
Also, would your opinion change if you knew the cantrip drawn from Serum was another Serum? Personally, I am more inclined to d) since the drawn cantrip is Serum, to maximize the cantrip value while keeping a ritual for the combo turn. If it wasn't Serum, I'd be more inclined to c) to try to find a payoff spell and lands asap.
I wouldn't keep another bear on top, UNLESS the opponent is removal heavy and I have that info. After all, the thing you're missing for the turn 3 kill is Gifts. Secondly, why manamorphose into a bear when its not going to go anywhere else?
Given the above, I would
1. Land top, bear bottom;
2. Draw land, play baral.
3. Depends on draw; if gifts, go for it. If not, dig.
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I decided to top Electromancer in that situation because the extra bear makes me more willing to slam one turn 2 or 3 and hope to untap. I think it's more likely that they have an answer to a bear than not. Drawing a third one would be bad, but I felt that I had enough card selection to avoid it for a few turns, at least. I'd certainly not bottom Electromancer and blindly play Baral turn 2 unless I knew it was a race for t3. I didn't feel it was the correct play to morphose into a bear, just a possibility I considered and discarded.
I decided to top Electromancer in that situation because the extra bear makes me more willing to slam one turn 2 or 3 and hope to untap. I think it's more likely that they have an answer to a bear than not. Drawing a third one would be bad, but I felt that I had enough card selection to avoid it for a few turns, at least. I'd certainly not bottom Electromancer and blindly play Baral turn 2 unless I knew it was a race for t3. I didn't feel it was the correct play to morphose into a bear, just a possibility I considered and discarded.
If there was ever a time that a turn 2 bear would be safe, its now. My last sanctioned match ups were hollow one, humans, bogles.
playing next to my table were vizier combo and another hollow one. On the other side was scapeshift and UW control.
Of course, it all depends on what info you have on your opponent. In the blind, I would go looking for gifts instead of sandbagging an extra bear, since the odds of a race are just much higher at the moment. Further, consider that you can gifts for a bear, but a second bear cannot bring you gifts.
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Of course, it all depends on what info you have on your opponent. In the blind, I would go looking for gifts instead of sandbagging an extra bear, since the odds of a race are just much higher at the moment. Further, consider that you can gifts for a bear, but a second bear cannot bring you gifts.
This is a good point and one I hadn't considered. I think you're right to bottom Electro in this kind of scenario. Thanks.
Yea this is pretty much an easy add, isn't it? Dodges GY removal and creature removal, redundancy to fight Meddling Mage, so I see it as an all star sideboard card or even mainboard tech. Getting 20 damage out of this will be trivially easy for us, or it can be used to remove clocks if necessary.
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Casting 20 spells and paying 8 is trivial? or paying 4 mana before you draw the first card... no way, firemind's research doesnt excite me
uh, have you not been clocking up storm counts to win? How exactly have you been winning with this deck? And 4 mana? Your plan A is casting a very removable 2 cmc creature and trying to use that mana advantage to win in 1 combo turn. This sideboard card changes up your pros and cons - you still invest 2 cmc at the start. Now instead of having to all-in in one turn and possibly be blown out by a well timed removal, extraction or counter, you get to accrue counters over time and kill them at your leisure.
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Sure, I'll be giving it a go. I don't understand your protests though; they're not the doubts that I do have with the card -
1. Can't be played in multiples - why not? Multiple instances will build their own counters. This is like Pyromancer's ascension. Sure, usually you focus on the one, but dropping 2 on the table just means you need less spells before they have 20 damage between them.
2. Cost - You're comparing this with grapeshot, naturally. And the difference is 1 blue mana. If you mean paying mana to get that damage out, yea sure, that's a downside. But the whole point of boarding this in, is when you're boarding your bears out against a removal heavy match up.
3. Multiples of 5 - I don't know why this matters. Do you win less if your 20 damage comes in 4 packets? Do you get an extra promo foil when you kill them all 20 points at a time?
4. Slow - Yea, its slower than the baral - gifts -grapeshot kill. Baral is pushable, boltable, everything-able, actually. Grapeshot needs a remand or a PiF to reliably get 20. And post board we have to deal with GY hate and more spot removals. So yes, speed you are sacrificing to dodge their hate and increase their number of dead cards.
5. Not flexible - you need to elaborate here. How is this less flexible than its competitor - grapeshot? You can draw with it, you can aim it downstairs. You can sidetrack and kill a combo creature if necessary, at instant speed. You can draw cards if the game is going long against a control player.
Here's the weaknesses I do see in the card which you didn't bring up:
a. the "storm" counters are now on a permanent that you can actually interact with as opposed to a Caleb Scherer storm token - meaning an abrupt decay would really suck if you've built it up nice and good. Though, you could just *not* bring it in against BGx, and stick to grape. That's not the only worry too; you have Teferi's -3, Cryptic command bounce, opposing repeals/wipe aways could all undo many spell's work. In a nutshell, this "storm counter" can be interacted with, and that's a serious downside.
b. another competitor for this function is TiTi, and its not a given that the card will be better. TiTi's questionable success in this role casts a shadow on this card as well, since they are doing somewhat similar thingss. TiTi only needs 4 spells before it can get to work, albeit it needs to connect 3 times. On the flipside, it bounces elves, humans, hollow ones, which is sometimes what we need to win. Research on the other hand is passive, like pyromancer's ascension.
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The problem with Firemind's Research as a wincon is that you have to play it before comboing off. Grapeshot is played after. Having to fit a Firemind's Research before the combo means you have less mana to spend on cantrips and bears to prepare for it.
There's also that issue of Firemind's Research costing a lot more than Grapeshot to kill. Firemind's Research needs 20 storm and 8 mana to kill. None of the storm can be reduced by your opponent dealing damage to himself unless he hits himself all the way down to <15, and none of the 8 mana can be reduced by Baral/Electromancer. Grapeshot needs 19 storm and 2 mana, but you will usually have a way of casting it twice so you only need 8 storm and 4 mana.
I'm with thought scour, that makes us consistent, back in the day I was using 3 PiF but no gifts, no need for that if we can just ascend. No more probe, no more fun though.
I really like Thought Scour, I do agree that Opt is very strong too, I even considered twisted image for a while... too many Hierarchs and damn Birds
? I was not aware blood moon had left?
I gotta ask, what is blood moon in storm for? It's typically used against big mana decks, where we're already favored, or to make life difficult for tricolor decks, which are pretty low profile at the moment. I haven't met an abzan deck in forever. The current headaches are Hollow One with a lucky pilot, burn, and Humans. Blood Moon does.. well, nothing against those decks.
BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
UW control and Humans are a big issue where I play, so everything into mountains is pretty damn strong, with a ritual on turn 2, I didn't know it leave either, everyday in the sky. I wish blood sun was good, maybe Alpine Moon who knows, gotta test it
I havent found moon to be very effective against humans, although maybe my opponents may have had the good luck to start with a vial on turn one all the time. I can imagine how bad it must be for them if they *don't* have a vial, though.
Alpine Moon takes out Tron and Valakut. Tron isn't so much of a problem... Valakut I could get behind, because between their ramp and bolts, they could possibly hold you off the combo turn just long enough to scapeshift or simply primetime and win.
BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
But certainly try it out and let us know how it works.
Standard:
GRUW Temurai Aggro
Modern:
UR Storm
EDH:
UWR Zedruu the Greathearted
R Heartless Hidetsugu
W Hixus, Prison Warden
RB Lyzolda, the Blood Witch
Suppose you keep a one lander that has Baral, 2 cantrips (Serum + Sleight, for concreteness' sake), Manamorphose, Rit and Grapeshot.
Turn 1 you cast Serum, draw another cantrip and scry a land and Goblin Electromancer. Would you rather:
a) Keep both on top, play land, cycle Manamorphose and play a bear;
b) Keep both on top, play land and a bear (no cycle) in the hopes of a untap and t3 kill;
c) Keep both on top, play land, cycle Manamorphose and double cantrip;
d) Keep both on top, play land and double cantrip;
e) Some other line that I haven't considered?
Also, would your opinion change if you knew the cantrip drawn from Serum was another Serum? Personally, I am more inclined to d) since the drawn cantrip is Serum, to maximize the cantrip value while keeping a ritual for the combo turn. If it wasn't Serum, I'd be more inclined to c) to try to find a payoff spell and lands asap.
UB Fae
TES
Pox
I wouldn't keep another bear on top, UNLESS the opponent is removal heavy and I have that info. After all, the thing you're missing for the turn 3 kill is Gifts. Secondly, why manamorphose into a bear when its not going to go anywhere else?
Given the above, I would
1. Land top, bear bottom;
2. Draw land, play baral.
3. Depends on draw; if gifts, go for it. If not, dig.
BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
UB Fae
TES
Pox
If there was ever a time that a turn 2 bear would be safe, its now. My last sanctioned match ups were hollow one, humans, bogles.
playing next to my table were vizier combo and another hollow one. On the other side was scapeshift and UW control.
Of course, it all depends on what info you have on your opponent. In the blind, I would go looking for gifts instead of sandbagging an extra bear, since the odds of a race are just much higher at the moment. Further, consider that you can gifts for a bear, but a second bear cannot bring you gifts.
BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
This is a good point and one I hadn't considered. I think you're right to bottom Electro in this kind of scenario. Thanks.
UB Fae
TES
Pox
Scroll to the bottom for how to beat Humans
tl;dr side in 10 cards against them
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
UBR Grixis Shadow UBR
UR Izzet Phoenix UR
UW UW Control UW
GB GB Rock GB
Commander
BG Meren of Clan Nel Toth BG
BGUW Atraxa, Praetor's Voice BGUW
Can someone explain to me why Fiery impulse instead of simply a 3rd bolt?Oh gawd its for meddling mage and gifts. I'm not sure to be impressed or horrified. Wouldn't a pyroclasm be better i wonder.
BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
Yea this is pretty much an easy add, isn't it? Dodges GY removal and creature removal, redundancy to fight Meddling Mage, so I see it as an all star sideboard card or even mainboard tech. Getting 20 damage out of this will be trivially easy for us, or it can be used to remove clocks if necessary.
BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
uh, have you not been clocking up storm counts to win? How exactly have you been winning with this deck? And 4 mana? Your plan A is casting a very removable 2 cmc creature and trying to use that mana advantage to win in 1 combo turn. This sideboard card changes up your pros and cons - you still invest 2 cmc at the start. Now instead of having to all-in in one turn and possibly be blown out by a well timed removal, extraction or counter, you get to accrue counters over time and kill them at your leisure.
BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
1. Can't be played in multiples - why not? Multiple instances will build their own counters. This is like Pyromancer's ascension. Sure, usually you focus on the one, but dropping 2 on the table just means you need less spells before they have 20 damage between them.
2. Cost - You're comparing this with grapeshot, naturally. And the difference is 1 blue mana. If you mean paying mana to get that damage out, yea sure, that's a downside. But the whole point of boarding this in, is when you're boarding your bears out against a removal heavy match up.
3. Multiples of 5 - I don't know why this matters. Do you win less if your 20 damage comes in 4 packets? Do you get an extra promo foil when you kill them all 20 points at a time?
4. Slow - Yea, its slower than the baral - gifts -grapeshot kill. Baral is pushable, boltable, everything-able, actually. Grapeshot needs a remand or a PiF to reliably get 20. And post board we have to deal with GY hate and more spot removals. So yes, speed you are sacrificing to dodge their hate and increase their number of dead cards.
5. Not flexible - you need to elaborate here. How is this less flexible than its competitor - grapeshot? You can draw with it, you can aim it downstairs. You can sidetrack and kill a combo creature if necessary, at instant speed. You can draw cards if the game is going long against a control player.
Here's the weaknesses I do see in the card which you didn't bring up:
a. the "storm" counters are now on a permanent that you can actually interact with as opposed to a Caleb Scherer storm token - meaning an abrupt decay would really suck if you've built it up nice and good. Though, you could just *not* bring it in against BGx, and stick to grape. That's not the only worry too; you have Teferi's -3, Cryptic command bounce, opposing repeals/wipe aways could all undo many spell's work. In a nutshell, this "storm counter" can be interacted with, and that's a serious downside.
b. another competitor for this function is TiTi, and its not a given that the card will be better. TiTi's questionable success in this role casts a shadow on this card as well, since they are doing somewhat similar thingss. TiTi only needs 4 spells before it can get to work, albeit it needs to connect 3 times. On the flipside, it bounces elves, humans, hollow ones, which is sometimes what we need to win. Research on the other hand is passive, like pyromancer's ascension.
BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
There's also that issue of Firemind's Research costing a lot more than Grapeshot to kill. Firemind's Research needs 20 storm and 8 mana to kill. None of the storm can be reduced by your opponent dealing damage to himself unless he hits himself all the way down to <15, and none of the 8 mana can be reduced by Baral/Electromancer. Grapeshot needs 19 storm and 2 mana, but you will usually have a way of casting it twice so you only need 8 storm and 4 mana.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.