It has been a few weeks since the banning of [[Expressive Iteration]] and [[White Plume Adventurer]]. In that time, the Legacy Showcase Qualifier happened. With our own Bryant Cook qualified for the tournament, locking in a list became important. Bryant played the list below to a ninth-place finish on breakers.

the epic Storm

Main Deck
  • 4 [[Burning Wish]]
  • 4 [[Wishclaw Talisman]]
  • 4 [[Brainstorm]]
  • 4 [[Mishra’s Bauble]]
  • 3 [[Galvanic Relay]]
  • 1 [[Ad Nauseam]]
  • 1 [[Echo of Eons]]
  • 4 [[Veil of Summer]]
  • 4 [[Rite of Flame]]
  • 4 [[Dark Ritual]]
  • 4 [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]]
  • 4 [[Lotus Petal]]
  • 4 [[Mox Opal]]
  • 3 [[Chrome Mox]]
  • 3 [[Bloodstained Mire]]
  • 2 [[Scalding Tarn]]
  • 2 [[Verdant Catacombs]]
  • 2 [[Underground Sea]]
  • 2 [[Taiga]]
  • 1 [[Badlands]]
Sideboard
  • 4 [[Abrupt Decay]]
  • 3 [[Thoughtseize]]
  • 1 [[Galvanic Relay]]
  • 1 [[Massacre]]
  • 1 [[Empty the Warrens]]
  • 1 [[Tendrils of Agony]]
  • 1 [[Aeve, Progenitor Ooze]]
  • 1 [[Echo of Eons]]
  • 1 [[Pulverize]]

A Return to Green

[[Abrupt Decay|]]
[[Prismatic Ending|]]
[[Veil of Summer|]]

The most significant difference between v14.1 and 14.0 is going back to playing Green. This change was made not for [[Veil of Summer]], but for [[Abrupt Decay]]. Decks like Cephalid Breakfast and 8-Cast did not go away after the banning and became even more prominent. [[Prismatic Ending]] was not cutting it despite being more efficient. Death & Taxes also did not return to prominence the way it was expected to. Being able to skirt the [[Thalia, Guardian of Thraben]] tax with [[Prismatic Ending]] is not something The EPIC Storm needs. This led to the uncountability of [[Abrupt Decay]] mattering more. [[Veil of Summer]] compared to [[Silence]] was similar. [[Silence]] is slightly better in the combo match ups and [[Veil of Summer]] is slightly better in the blue match ups. With the protection spells being about equal, the choice to go back to [[Abrupt Decay]] seemed obvious.

[[Underground Sea|]]
[[Volcanic Island|]]
[[Taiga|]]

At first, the team went back to the singleton manabase that we used. After thinking about it, [[Volcanic Island]] cast so few spells in the deck. Without [[Ponder]] or a bounce spell like [[Chain of Vapor]], it just cast [[Brainstorm]] and the red cards. The [[Volcanic Island]] slot did want to be a [[Mountain]] for [[Pulverize]] and all of the other red cards. Pairing [[Underground Sea]] and [[Taiga]] was something the team knew was good and it even cast [[Abrupt Decay]]! Realizing that all the deck needed, we opted to play two copies of [[Underground Sea]] and [[Taiga]]. Doubling up on the best lands in the deck just makes sense.

During the Initiative meta, [[Aeve, Progenitor Ooze]] became a staple of the sideboard. When playing white, casting it from hand was almost impossible and not a real plan. Adding green lands to the deck actually makes casting [[Aeve, Progenitor Ooze]] a real plan. Being able to cast [[Aeve, Progenitor Ooze]] helps the blue match ups a lot.

The Future

With Death & Taxes not actually returning to the metagame, [[Massacre]] might not deserve its slot. It is not particularly clear what should take its place. Legacy needs to churn some, and perhaps once the Delver and the Control decks become solidified, what that slot should be will become clear. If you are interested in a sideboard guide for this deck and to read all of our articles a week early, check out The EPIC Storm Patreon. I am always active on Twitter and The Legacy Storm Discord!