I have been playing The EPIC Storm (TES) on and off for a couple of years now. I really started doubling down on the deck at the beginning of 2025. Playing this list means a lot to me because a very close friend first introduced me to it. In total, I went 6-1 in the Charlotte Legacy Player’s Tournament, winning the event. I ran extremely well and managed to maneuver through some very tough matchups.

Decklist

The list I registered is one we had been working on in the Stormtrooper section of the Discord prior to the event. I had been playing one to two leagues a day trying to narrow down the flex slots of the deck. There are a few specific choices in the list that I would like to explain:

1. Three copies of [[Silence]] in the 75: We have been discussing ways to beat [[Mindbreak Trap]], and Bryant suggested moving to a five-color manabase to support [[Silence]] again. We tested five-color [[Silence]] last year for a couple of months, so I was very familiar with how good it was with [[Echo of Eons]]. Its ability to defend against all interaction makes it a strong inclusion if you can support the mana.
2. [[Jetmir’s Garden]] in the sideboard: This provides an additional white source to board in alongside [[Silence]], making the spell much more reliable to cast.
3. Sideboard [[Grapeshot]]: As we refined the deck, we realized that [[Approach of the Second Sun]] is no longer a necessity to win through [[The One Ring]] protection or [[Veil of Summer]] anymore. After much discussion and testing, we decided that [[Grapeshot]] would be a better use of the slot because it has more utility in killing hate creatures like [[Lavinia, Azorius Renegade]], [[Collector Ouphe]], and [[Gaddock Teeg]].

Leading Up to the Tournament

The night before the event, I was on a Discord call with Bryant and several others. We were discussing consistency issues with our current sideboard plan. We discussed leaving [[Brainstorm]] in more often post-board and shaving around the edges of other cards to help maintain consistency when resolving [[Echo of Eons]] and sculpting slower hands. This small change in sideboarding made a huge deal during the tournament, and I am glad that we were able to discuss it and challenge ideas to improve the deck for all of us.

Preparation & Mindset

The Competition: This was an invitation-only tournament requiring at least 100 points earned over the previous year to qualify. Having to qualify made the quality of players in this tournament above average. An advantage and disadvantage of a tournament like this is that you can guess what people are playing, but they can also guess what you are playing if you play the same deck consistently.

The Local Scene: There are many good players in this Legacy league who show up every Monday to grind at our locals, and it was a privilege for me to participate in this event.

Charlotte Legacy Player’s Tournament

Round One – Izzet Affinity

Game One:

I kept a medium hand with a [[Brainstorm]] but didn’t have enough time to sculpt a win before being overwhelmed.

Game Two:

I kept a solid hand featuring [[Hexing Squelcher]] to ignore [[Chalice of the Void]] and force effects, securing a turn-three win.

Game Three:

My opponent mulliganed to five. I led with a turn-one [[Hexing Squelcher]] and followed up with a win on turn three.

Round Two – Simic AlurenTell

Game One:

I was on the draw. My opponent played [[Flooded Strand]] and passed. I kept a powerful hand: [[Silence]], two [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]]s (LED), [[Echo of Eons]], and a fetch land. I fetched for [[Scrubland]] and cast [[Silence]]. It resolved, so I [[Echo of Eons]] with and floating into a [[Burning Wish]] win.

Game Two:

I kept a hand with [[Burning Wish]], [[Silence]], [[Veil of Summer]], [[Brainstorm]], [[Dark Ritual]], and two fetch lands. My opponent spent a few turns developing their hand, casting [[Stock Up]] two turns in a row while leaving a [[Lotus Petal]] in play. I had cast [[Burning Wish]] for [[Thoughtseize]]. After drawing another [[Dark Ritual]], an artifact, and a couple of lands, I cast [[Thoughtseize]] on turn four into their open [[Lotus Petal]]. They cast [[Veil of Summer]] to protect their hand. I responded to the[[Veil of Summer]] with [[Silence]]. They cast [[Force of Will]] on my [[Silence]]. I cast my own [[Veil of Summer]] to protect the [[Silence]], and they had a second [[Force of Will]]. They only had three cards left in hand after everything resolved, and I had one untapped black mana. I cast double [[Dark Ritual]] into [[Beseech the Mirror]] for [[Gaea’s Will]]. I cast just enough spells to Beseech for [[Song of Creation]], leaving an artifact in my graveyard I had surveilled away. Once [[Song of Creation]] was active, I chained spells together until I had enough mana and storm to [[Burning Wish]] for the sideboard [[Grapeshot]] to win the match.

Round Three – Boros Painter

Game One:

Aware of what I was playing, my opponent mulliganed to five. On their first turn, they played a [[Mountain]] into [[Simian Spirit Guide]] to cast [[Goblin Engineer]], putting [[Ethersworn Canonist]] into the graveyard. I kept a hand with [[Beseech the Mirror]], [[Burning Wish]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Commercial District]], [[Verdant Catacombs]], [[Gamble]], and [[Chrome Mox]]. I drew [[Veil of Summer]] for the turn, played [[Verdant Catacombs]], and cast [[Chrome Mox]] imprinting [[Burning Wish]]. I then cast [[Dark Ritual]] and [[Gamble]] for a second [[Dark Ritual]]. I discarded the [[Commercial District]] and cast the second [[Dark Ritual]] into [[Beseech the Mirror]] for a clean [[Gaea’s Will]] win.

Game Two:

My opponent kept a five-card hand and played an [[Ancient Tomb]] into [[Painter’s Servant]] naming blue. I went for a turn-one [[Beseech the Mirror]] into [[Gaea’s Will]], but my opponent had [[Simian Spirit Guide]] into [[Red Elemental Blast]] on the Beseech. I was left with a land, [[Boomerang Basics]], and an [[Echo of Eons]] in hand. My opponent cast [[Goblin Engineer]] for [[Ethersworn Canonist]] on their turn. I drew a card and played my fetch land, planning to surveil. My opponent played a [[Lotus Petal]] and used the Engineer to put the Canonist into play. I surveilled on their end step and milled a card, then drew a [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]]. I cast [[Boomerang Basics]] on the [[Ethersworn Canonist]], then cast [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] into [[Echo of Eons]], drawing a [[Silence]]-protected [[Burning Wish]] for [[Tendrils of Agony]] to win the match.

Round Four – UW Stiflenought

Game One:

I kept a slower [[Brainstorm]] hand and spent a few turns sculpting. My opponent used a [[Consign to Memory]] to counter a [[Phyrexian Dreadnought]] trigger on turn five. On my turn seven at five life, I decided to cast a [[Brainstorm]] instead of a 60% [[Gamble]] and missed. I died to the [[Phyrexian Dreadnought]].

Game Two:

My opponent had double Force, but I was able to overwhelm the countermagic with [[Beseech the Mirror]], [[Veil of Summer]], and [[Echo of Eons]] into a win.

Game Three:

My opponent had a turn-two [[Lavinia, Azorius Renegade]]. I drew out to four lands and cast [[Silence]] with [[Veil of Summer]] protection into a [[Beseech the Mirror]] win with [[Gaea’s Will]].

Round Five – Eldrazi

Game One:

My opponent had a turn-one [[Chalice of the Void]] for zero, followed by a turn-two [[Reality Smasher]] and turn-three [[Eldrazi Linebreaker]], running me over.

Game Two:

I kept [[Hexing Squelcher]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Mox Opal]], [[Lotus Petal]], [[Chrome Mox]], [[Boseiju, Who Endures]], [[Undercity Sewers]], and [[Brainstorm]]. I cast my artifacts, imprinted [[Brainstorm]], and surveilled, milling a fetch. My opponent played [[City of Traitors]] into [[Null Rod]] and [[Chalice of the Void]] on zero. I used [[Boseiju, Who Endures]] on the [[Null Rod]]. I drew [[Badlands]] and cast [[Hexing Squelcher]]. My opponent played [[Eldrazi Temple]] into [[Kozilek’s Command]] on the Squelcher, then cast [[Thought-Knot Seer]] taking my [[Beseech the Mirror]], and proceeded to run me over with Eldrazi.

Semi-Finals – UW Stiflenought

Game One:

I kept a medium hand and took a couple of turns to cast [[Brainstorm]]s and sculpt, eventually reaching a double-protected win.

Game Two:

My opponent had turn-two [[Null Rod]] and turn-three [[Lavinia, Azorius Renegade]]. I took a couple of turns to develop with [[Brainstorm]] and fetches. I had three lands in play, [[Burning Wish]], and [[Silence]]. I cast [[Silence]], which got Forced. I cast [[Boomerang Basics]] on Lavinia, cast double [[Dark Ritual]], and used [[Beseech the Mirror]] for [[Gaea’s Will]]. I played a land from my graveyard, bounced the [[Null Rod]], and set up [[Thoughtseize]] for [[Consign to Memory]] into a final Beseech for [[Tendrils of Agony]].

Finals – Boros Painter

Game One:

I cast a turn-one [[Veil of Summer]], double [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and [[Echo of Eons]] into a win.

Game Two:

My opponent had turn-one [[Painter’s Servant]] + [[Simian Spirit Guide]] + [[Pyroblast]], leading into a quick [[Urza’s Saga]] kill with [[Construct Token]]s.

Game Three:

I was able to pull off a [[Silence]]-protected [[Beseech the Mirror]] win before [[Ethersworn Canonist]] could come down.

Closing & General Thoughts

I absolutely loved this decklist. Even though this wasn’t a large tournament, it featured several great players. I had to fight through some tough matchups and was lucky enough to win the event. Having most of my opponents know what I’m on before the match starts makes the games even harder. I put a lot of time and effort into working on the list in the several months before this event. I’m glad to have played against so many great players and had the honor of working on this deck with Bryant Cook and the other members of The EPIC Storm Discord. I look forward to continuing to work on the deck and represent the Storm community to the best of my ability.