TES Infernal Tutoring #57

The EPIC Storm is getting another facelift! Ever since the introduction of [[Galvanic Relay]] to the deck, The EPIC Storm has been shifting its game plan to use this powerful card advantage engine. Many words on this website and our YouTube channel have been shared about the benefits of factoring [[Galvanic Relay]] into The EPIC Storm. Changes have now been made to more thoroughly explore the space allowed to us by our new engine. It has been a relatively drastic set of changes too.

We have cut [[Ponder]] from the deck!

The replacement for the Blue cantrip is [[Mishra’s Bauble]]. The EPIC Storm team has tried adding [[Mishra’s Bauble]] to the deck a handful of times before this version, but these additions always were made by cutting [[Rite of Flame]] from the deck. The loss of such an integral ritual in the main deck made it feel less explosive. Now we adjusted the changes and swapped our cantrips instead. In addition to making our cantrips work better for the deck, we have been able to shift pieces around to cut a land, add a [[Mox Opal]], and open our sideboard up for a [[Thoughtseize]] instead of a main deck [[Defense Grid]]. These are significant changes that have three main impacts on v13.1:

  • Reliability: With one more copy of [[Galvanic Relay]] in the main deck, alongside the [[Mishra’s Bauble]] playset, our ability to have small (5-6 cards) combo turns with [[Galvanic Relay]] increases. Chaining these small combo turns into each other can tax opponent interaction to the breaking point. The total mana value of the deck has conversely decreased: making [[Ad Nauseam]] that much more reliable. The EPIC Storm v12.9 had a non-land mana value (without [[Ad Nauseam]]) of 1.11 while v13.1 has a value of 1.02. While the difference does not seem like much, it feels better in practice. Part of this is due to the second thing these changes have done for the deck.

  • Metalcraft: [[Mox Opal]] has gained a lot of equity in The EPIC Storm over recent years. This is with the inclusion of [[Wishclaw Talisman]], prompting [[Mox Opal]]’s adoption; to the supercharging it gets with our [[Mishra’s Bauble]] inclusion. Playing an entire playset has felt like a natural progression to making [[Ad Nauseam]] and [[Galvanic Relay]] better. Part of the increase in reliability is due to the deck’s ability to reach Metalcraft so consistently thanks to [[Mishra’s Bauble]]. Instead of [[Ponder]] – a spell that does not hit the battlefield, we have yet another permanent that can store value until we want to cash it in. The EPIC Storm has very quickly become a Storm deck that has a significant battlefield presence. All of this translates to more consistent Metalcraft and our decision to cut down on a land with the addition of a better mana source.

  • Land Hate: How does cutting a basic [[Swamp]] and only running dual lands translate to playing around [[Wasteland]] better? The change comes from cutting [[Ponder]]. We no longer need to fetch out a land on turn one to cast a cantrip. The play pattern now is just to play a fetch land and pass the turn. Being able to hold our fetches in reserve insulates the deck against an early [[Wasteland]] or two. More copies of [[Mox Opal]] also mean that we need fewer lands in the first place. [[Mishra’s Bauble]] does allow for some tricks to build a Scry-like effect by activating and targeting yourself. If the card is not wanted, shuffling the deck before the draw happens will put a fresh draw on top.

While the overall Legacy meta has not changed too much, certain additions to the format are shaking things up enough to keep things interesting! [[Maddening Hex]] and [[Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes]] have been added to the MTGO client – cards that impact the fair Blue matchup significantly. Dodging [[Pyroblast]] effects can spell certain victory against decks that have difficult times removing these permanents. RUG Control is coming back as a popular shell to try both of these cards. We shall see what kind of longevity they have in the format. Soon we will also see the addition of Unfinity cards to Legacy. To say there are mixed feelings about these cards would be an understatement. No major comments will be made here about their inclusion in eternal formats, but Legacy (and Magic as a whole) is very resilient. The game and its players have weathered many “game-ending” printings, and it will weather this one too. Keep an open mind and see what changes in the long run.

With all of these exciting additions to The EPIC Storm in v13.1, it is high time to put them to the test. Let us break down some sticky situations and puzzle our way through their solutions. Put your thinking caps on and let’s get started!

Daniel D'Amato

Special Guest

Daniel D’Amato

(Twitter: @damatoexp | Twitch: damatoexp)

My name is Daniel D’Amato, I have been playing Storm a little over 12 years now! Occasionally you can find me on Twitch, and you can find me spewing daily about my life and Magic on Twitter!

Deck List

the epic Storm

Main Deck

  • 4 [[Brainstorm]]
  • 4 [[Veil of Summer]]
  • 4 [[Mishra’s Bauble]]
  • 4 [[Wishclaw Talisman]]
  • 4 [[Burning Wish]]
  • 2 [[Galvanic Relay]]
  • 1 [[Tendrils of Agony]]
  • 1 [[Ad Nauseam]]
  • 1 [[Echo of Eons]]
  • 4 [[Rite of Flame]]
  • 4 [[Dark Ritual]]
  • 4 [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]]
  • 4 [[Lotus Petal]]
  • 4 [[Mox Opal]]
  • 3 [[Chrome Mox]]
  • 4 [[Bloodstained Mire]]
  • 1 [[Scalding Tarn]]
  • 1 [[Misty Rainforest]]
  • 1 [[Verdant Catacombs]]
  • 1 [[Underground Sea]]
  • 1 [[Volcanic Island]]
  • 1 [[Bayou]]
  • 1 [[Badlands]]
  • 1 [[Taiga]]

Sideboard

  • 3 [[Carpet of Flowers]]
  • 3 [[Abrupt Decay]]
  • 1 [[Chain of Vapor]]
  • 2 [[Galvanic Relay]]
  • 1 [[Thoughtseize]]
  • 1 [[Empty the Warrens]]
  • 1 [[Tendrils of Agony]]
  • 1 [[Pulverize]]
  • 1 [[Echo of Eons]]
  • 1 [[Peer into the Abyss]]

SITUATION No. 1 — Jeskai Control

What do you think of when asked to picture the best control deck in Legacy? While this kind of question can elicit a wide range of answers, many Magic: the Gathering players have asked this same kind of question. Our opponent in the first situation has answered with quite a unique build! Foregoing the powerful cantrip suite of [[Brainstorm]] and [[Ponder]], they have added a playset of [[Chalice of the Void]] in their main deck. Instead of the usual one-mana spells, the deck utilizes [Expressive Iteration]] and [[Accumulated Knowledge]] to gain actual card advantage instead of selection alone. These are bold choices in a deck that is unable to accelerate [[Chalice of the Void]] earlier than turn two. Cantrips have stood as the backbone of Blue decks since the advent of the Xerox theory. Obviously, our opponent thinks the trade-off is worth trying out. This deck seeks to win with cards like [[Brazen Borrower]], [[Timeless Dragon]], and [[Solitude]] while locking opposing development with the three-mana Planeswalker suite – [[Narset, Parter of Veils]] and [[Teferi, Time Raveler]]. Carving out a niche in the Control arena is difficult, there are so many options to choose from, but most of them have been explored already. Our opponent is playing a bold strategy that bucks many trends that have earned their place in the deck-building world. Let’s see if they pay off.

Generally speaking, slow Control decks are quite favorable for The EPIC Storm. The lack of a consistent clock and heavy creature removal hinders their game plan against a streamlined Storm deck like ours. While this generally stays true against a rogue build like we face today, the inclusion of [[Chalice of the Void]] can shift things quite a bit. Our opponent also runs six pitch counters mainboard – likely due to their ability to recoup losses with their card advantage. The plan to overwhelm control with [[Galvanic Relay]] does not change here, but we will need to be more conscious about passing the turn just for our opponent to slam a well-timed [[Chalice of the Void]] or [[Null Rod]] effect. Of note, many Control decks are shifting to [[Stony Silence]] instead of [[Null Rod]] because of the widespread adoption of artifact hate in the wake of 8-Cast’s success. This allows them to dodge incidental hate like [[Meltdown]] or [[Pulverize]].

SIDEBOARDING:

-4 [[Rite of Flame]], -1 [[Mox Opal]], -1 [[Chrome Mox]], -1 [[Echo of Eons]]; +3 [[Carpet of Flowers]], +3 [[Abrupt Decay]], +1 [[Galvanic Relay]]

We are deep into game three for our first situation. Lands have eluded us for many of the early turns of the game, forcing us to discard in the face of a turn-one [[Chalice of the Void]] with no counters. We may have a great opportunity, however, to make a move now that we drew [[Carpet of Flowers]] for the turn. [[Stony Silence]] is turning off any artifacts that we have (which is why many of them have been discarded to hand size). With [[Tendrils of Agony]] in hand, there may be lines to a natural Storm kill but for a possible [[Solitude]] in hand. In game two, our opponent showed they kept them in as a threat. Plans will have to keep this in mind. Should we set up a win this turn? Or could [[Galvanic Relay]] provide enough card advantage that pushes us to play for a longer game?

Situation 1

Special Guest

Daniel D'Amato

Daniel D’Amato

I like leading on [[Carpet of Flowers]] to see if there is any fight over it. From there, I’m fine moving to second main phase and adding , then casting my copies of [[Dark Ritual]], giving us four Storm. I then would fetch for a red source and attempt to resolve [[Burning Wish]], Storm 5. If that meets with a counterspell (Storm 6), you can play [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] into the [[Chalice of the Void]] and then [[Tendrils of Agony]] for a lethal Storm eight and hope to fade [[Solitude]].

#TEAMTES

Jordan Karim

Jordan Karim

Even though our opponent is staring us down with serious hate, this turn might be an opportunity to win! Our key card here is [[Carpet of Flowers]] and we need to make sure it resolves. To make it as innocuous as possible, we can play our land and then use [[Bayou]] to cast the [[Carpet of Flowers]] (we may need to use the fetch for red mana to cast [[Galvanic Relay]] if the [[Carpet of Flowers]] does not resolve).

If the spell does resolve, then we can swiftly enter our second main phase and add red mana to our pool. Both copies of [[Dark Ritual]] can follow as well (Storm 3 | ). With this amount of mana, we can afford to spew our entire hand. [[Burning Wish]] is a good bait spell to force interaction and increase our Storm count. [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] being cast into the [[Chalice of the Void]] is easy to start, then the [[Burning Wish]] (Storm 5). If it baits countermagic that wasn’t spend on [[Carpet of Flowers]], all the better. If it does resolve, we can get another copy of [[Galvanic Relay]] or a [[Thoughtseize]] for our next turn if the game lasts that long. We should cast [[Galvanic Relay]] as insurance if the last spell, [[Tendrils of Agony]] does not resolve. Put a lethal [[Tendrils of Agony]] on the stack and see how things play out from there.


Bryant Cook

Bryant Cook

I would begin by playing the [[Verdant Catacombs]], each play you make helps sell a narrative to the opponent. By hiding or concealing the land drop, you tell them you need this spell to resolve, which means that they’re more likely to counterspell additional mana sources. I want this [[Carpet of Flowers]] to hit the table, because of this I’m selling the story that I want the opponent to believe. Tap the [[Bayou]] and then cast the green enchantment.

The decision trees break off from here based on if the opponent counterspells or not, it’s tough to map out an entire game plan when the opponent has five unknown cards and plenty of open mana. If it does resolve, we have enough mana to play every spell in our hand since the [[Carpet of Flowers]] triggers to generate plus the pair of [[Dark Ritual]] to create . Assuming that all of this happens, that’s nine mana. Cast [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Burning Wish]], [[Galvanic Relay]], and then [[Tendrils of Agony]].

If the [[Carpet of Flowers]] is countered, I’d likely look into playing the available spells into [[Galvanic Relay]].


Alex Poling

Alex Poling

The opponent most certainly has at least one counterspell in hand, so we aren’t just trying to beat what is in play. A counterspell could stop us from comboing, but it also could give us extra Storm count for [[Galvanic Relay]] and [[Tendrils of Agony]]. I would lead off by playing the [[Verdant Catacombs]] and using the [[Bayou]] to cast [[Carpet of Flowers]]. If the opponent has a counterspell, this would be a nice target since they have seen us missing land drops and we can’t use artifact mana. If [[Carpet of Flowers]] resolves, we would have enough mana for [[Galvanic Relay]] and [[Tendrils of Agony]], and I would take that line. If it doesn’t, then I would go for [[Galvanic Relay]], because [[Tendrils of Agony]] would not be lethal and we wouldn’t have enough resources to [[Galvanic Relay]] in future turns for much Storm.


Alex McKinley

Alex McKinley

This feels like a window. The goal should be to win the game with this [[Tendrils of Agony]], but also we have a [[Galvanic Relay]] if things go wrong. I would start by playing the [[Verdant Catacombs]], then tapping the [[Bayou]] to play the [[Carpet of Flowers]]. By playing the land first, it makes the [[Carpet of Flowers]] look the most innocuous, while it is the most essential card to the plan. When the [[Carpet of Flowers]] resolves, I would switch phases, add red mana and then cast both copies of [[Dark Ritual]]. Then, I would [[Burning Wish]] for [[Thoughtseize]] to check for something like [[Solitude]]. I’d then cast [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] into the [[Chalice of the Void]], cast [[Galvanic Relay]] for seven, and a lethal [[Tendrils of Agony]] for eight.


Grant Johnson

Grant Johnson

For this situation, we have the ability to put [[Peer into the Abyss]] onto the stack if we want. [[Carpet of Flowers]] will make and then our copies of [[Dark Ritual]] will make a total of . Nine mana with a [[Burning Wish]] casts [[Peer into the Abyss]]. Due to having no mana floating, however, our [[Peer into the Abyss]] will likely fail; having no access to zero-cost mana sources. In this case, I think it is best to play the [[Carpet of Flowers]] to help cast our [[Galvanic Relay]]. With the remaining mana, we cast [[Burning Wish]] to increase Storm count and get [[Peer into the Abyss]] for the following turn. Our ideal [[Galvanic Relay]] includes more mana acceleration and a [[Veil of Summer]] to beat the [[Chalice of the Void]] or counter magic like [[Force of Will]]. Copies of [[Abrupt Decay]] would also be ideal to remove either the [[Chalice of the Void]] or the [[Stony Silence]].

SITUATION No. 2 — Naya Depths

In a world that lives in the shadow of UR Delver, Naya Depths has been a popular choice to fight back. One of the best cards against the S-tier menace is [[Endurance]]. Blocking a [[Dragon’s Rage Channeler]] after it has to attack with Delirium while also turning off [[Murktide Regent]] in a single card is the perfect counterplay. A handful of decks use this powerful creature, but Naya Depths can back up a Maverick-like fair plan with the quick production of a 20/20 [[Marit Lage Token]] out of nowhere. With more tutors than any Storm deck, Naya Depths can very consistently enact its game plan despite its lack of cantrips. [[Elvish Reclaimer]], [[Knight of the Reliquary]], [[Green Sun’s Zenith]], and [[Crop Rotation]] easily find the pieces that matter in the moment. If a player decides to commit to learning the ins and outs of this deck, they can consistently put up results against a large majority of the field.

Luckily for us, one thing that Naya Depths struggles with is Combo decks. [[Endurance]] is good against fair decks and great against graveyard strategies like Reanimator. But Storm decks can exploit the deck’s weak spot. Because Naya Depths can tutor up a quick [[Collector Ouphe]], quickly create a 20/20 threat, or windmill slam an early [[Deafening Silence]], games are certainly not free. The EPIC Storm is very capable of beating one or two points of permanent hate. The goal is to thread the needle of winning quickly, but not so quickly that we don’t have enough resources to secure victory. [[Peer into the Abyss]] is certainly the best engine to work towards, as countermagic only exists in the form of [[Pyroblast]]-effects. For this reason, [[Echo of Eons]] needs to be approached carefully.

SIDEBOARDING:

+3 [[Abrupt Decay]], +1 [[Chain of Vapor]]; -4 [[Veil of Summer]]

In this game two situation, we are resolving a [[Brainstorm]]. With a tapped-out opponent, things may seem free to move forward. Naya Depths will play cards like [[Force of Vigor]], [[Surgical Extraction]], or [[Mindbreak Trap]]. These interaction points need to be considered before moving too far into a combo turn. With that being said, our opponent is likely untapping into the requisite mana to cast [[Green Sun’s Zenith]] for their [[Collector Ouphe]]. Can we weave our turn around potential interaction and set up a win this turn or next?

Situation 2

Special Guest

Daniel D'Amato

Daniel D’Amato

I would put back [[Volcanic Island]] and [[Chrome Mox]]. I would fetch for a black or red dual and lead on [[Dark Ritual]]. I would then cast [[Thoughtseize]], going to to clear the way. I would cast both copies of [[Rite of Flame]] off of [[Lotus Petal]] leaving us . I would use to cast [[Wishclaw Talisman]]. Play [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], crack for bringing mana floating to , activate [[Wishclaw Talisman]] for [[Ad Nauseam]] and hope for the best.

#TEAMTES

Jordan Karim

Jordan Karim

[[Mindbreak Trap]]? Never heard of it.

We are so close to lethal! With the [[Thoughtseize]] able to check for interaction, the turn can play cautiously around something like [[Force of Vigor]] to make it happen. Proper sequencing of our spells is so important, it should get to be second nature. That sequencing will be planned in the future. For now, we can put back [[Volcanic Island]] and the [[Chrome Mox]]. We need black mana, so [[Bloodstained Mire]] is a priority. We also don’t the ability to exile a card underneath [[Chrome Mox]], so it’s utility of enabling Metalcraft is nonessential here. Of note, we could use the [[Lotus Petal]] to cast the [[Dark Ritual]], but that play looks more desperate and could prompt an early [[Mindbreak Trap]] to stifle our mana development.

Once the [[Brainstorm]] has resolved, we can play our fetchland and find [[Bayou]] ([[Abrupt Decay]] mana) or [[Underground Sea]] ([[Brainstorm]] mana). [[Dark Ritual]] needs to be put on the stack, followed swiftly by [[Thoughtseize]]. A [[Mindbreak Trap]] can come at this point to hide information, but since we don’t have the ability to play around two copies, it would only serve to add to an already-lethal Storm count. Next is our copies of [[Rite of Flame]] using the [[Lotus Petal]] and the [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] (Storm 14 | ). The artifact sequencing here is prioritizing our ability to activate the [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] in response to interaction as we cast [[Wishclaw Talisman]]. Since the spell is on the stack, we cannot discard it when making mana. If we’ve gotten this far, activate [[Wishclaw Talisman]] to find and put a very lethal [[Tendrils of Agony]] on the stack.


Bryant Cook

Bryant Cook

At first this one seemed relatively simple, but the more I think about it the more interesting it becomes. Do you play around [[Mindbreak Trap]] on [[Dark Ritual]]? This is the big thing I keep coming to. “Who would even counter it?” is what I keep telling myself. I would put back the [[Chrome Mox]] as well as the [[Volcanic Island]].

Once again, I want to sell the idea that this [[Dark Ritual]] doesn’t matter. I would use the [[Bloodstained Mire]] to find [[Bayou]], cast the [[Dark Ritual]] and then [[Thoughtseize]]. Assuming all goes well, you can cast the pair of [[Rite of Flame]] to generate and then [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]]. After this, play [[Wishclaw Talisman]]. This sequencing allows you to sacrifice the [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] in response to something such as a [[Force of Vigor]].

When all is said and done, put that beautiful [[Tendrils of Agony]] on the stack where it belongs.


Alex Poling

Alex Poling

I am going for it this turn. With only a [[Thoughtseize]] and not much deck manipulation, I don’t think waiting more turns benefits us. I would put back [[Chrome Mox]] and [[Bloodstained Mire]] and go for a combo here. I would play [[Volcanic Island]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Wishclaw Talisman]], and then [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]]. This order also beats a [[Surgical Extraction]] and [[Force of Vigor]]. I would then search for and cast [[Ad Nauseam]].


Alex McKinley

Alex McKinley

The only card that the opponent can have that really matters this turn is the [[Mindbreak Trap]]. [[Force of Vigor]] is relevant in the fact that it can stop the [[Chrome Mox]] from imprinting a card, but that’s not a blow out and still likely lets us untap and win. Our current hand can only produce seven mana, which is exactly enough to cast [[Wishclaw Talisman]] and find [[Tendrils of Agony]]. That line does lose to a [[Mindbreak Trap]], however. I would start by activating [[Mishra’s Bauble]] targeting the opponent to see their top card. If that card is a [[Mindbreak Trap]] or a lock piece, I would jam the [[Tendrils of Agony]] this turn. If that card is a blank, I would cast [[Chrome Mox]], imprint [[Dark Ritual]] and cast [[Thoughtseize]]. There is plenty of mana to win the game next turn and this seems like the safest line.


Grant Johnson

Grant Johnson

[[Brainstorm]] throws back our two lands. From there, to play around these three pieces of action, I think we must assemble our mana first and then [[Thoughtseize]] to see if we truly do have any opposition in the matchup. I think our biggest nightmare would be seeing two pieces of interaction. Lets assume the opponent has all THREE in hand. We assemble all of our mana, we [[Thoughtseize]] and take their [[Mindbreak Trap]]. This will leave us with only having to play around [[Force of Vigor]] because I do not think [[Surgical Extraction]] stops our most optimal lines here. [[Chrome Mox]] will be imprinting a copy of [[Rite of Flame]] to open up our access to red mana. After the [[Thoughtseize]], we should have and . All that is left is a [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] and a [[Wishclaw Talisman]]. The [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] should be played first because if we get hit by [[Force of Vigor]] with the [[Wishclaw Talisman]] on the stack, we can sacrifice it with no consequence to our hand leaving us with five mana floating to search out [[Tendrils of Agony]] with the [[Wishclaw Talisman]].

SITUATION No. 3 — Grixis Control

Grixis Control has been held tenderly in the hearts and minds of Control players that remember the days of playing [[Snapcaster Mage]] to Flashback [[Hymn to Tourach]]. Players also remember watching Reid Duke through round after round of GP Richmond piloting the deck with methodical precision. Every so often, cards are printed that revive the archetype. Lately, the cards that have brought Grixis Control back in the spotlight have been [[Hidetsugu Consumes All]] and [[Fury]]. Supplementing the stellar removal suite Grixis has to offer, [[Fury]] is a serious win condition that can turn the corner once a board has been stabilized (it also absolutely destroys Elves before players have the ability to hard-cast it). Other than [[Fury]] or the backside of [[Hidetsugu Consumes All]], actual ways to win the game are few and far between. Typically they are the ultimate of [[Jace, the Mind Sculptor]] or anemic [[Baleful Strix]] beats. Because Grixis can now clock opponents though, its viability has drastically increased. Non-lethal options also include the pairing of [[Narset, Parter of Veils]] and [[Day’s Undoing]]. Resources are the real battle for Control, and effectively winning the game is often just good as actually winning it.

The non-White strategy still struggles against its classic nemesis: [[Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath]]. The recursive threat and card advantage engine lines up very well against removal that does not exile. There is a sort of Rock, Paper, Scissors metagame of Control decks. Jeskai Control will beat Bant Control. Bant Control will beat Grixis Control. Grixis Control will beat Jeskai Control. These lines tend to blur when the decks begin to incorporate a fourth color. Czech Pile, Stryfo Pile, RUG Control, and many other variants have all seen moderate success. Control players need to stay tuned to the meta if they want to make informed decisions for deck selection on a given weekend.

Grixis Control can be more difficult to approach for The EPIC Storm in some ways, and in others, it is easier than other Control decks. Difficulties in balancing the conflict between holding cards for [[Galvanic Relay]] and playing them under [[Hymn to Tourach]] can tax the early turns of a game. These decks typically do not play hate permanents that we have to worry about, besides the sporadic [[Narset, Parter of Veils]]. Sideboarding can be very dependent on the specific build of Grixis Contol being presented by our opponent. Their ability to play around [[Carpet of Flowers]] informs decisions to include it in our post-board strategy. [[Abrupt Decay]] used to be a consideration to leave in the sideboard. With the addition of [[Maddening Hex]] to MTGO, it’s often best to bring them in.

SIDEBOARDING:

+3 [[Carpet of Flowers]], +3 [[Abrupt Decay]], +1 [[Galvanic Relay]]; -4 [[Rite of Flame]], -1 [[Echo of Eons]], -1 [[Mox Opal]], -1 [[Chrome Mox]]

Our final situation brings with it some unique challenges. [[Ruination]] is not a card seen often against The EPIC Storm. But it was good for destroying three lands of our own while also clearing the [[Volcanic Island]] from our opponent’s board. Now our [[Carpet of Flowers]] do nothing, very clever! Because of this, we are fairly limited on options. A [[Mishra’s Bauble]] that was cracked on the opponent’s end step showed that they are drawing a [[Hidetsugu Consumes All]] for their next turn – certainly an undesirable position. What can we do to salvage this situation and get our mojo back?

Situation 3

Special Guest

Daniel D'Amato

Daniel D’Amato

This is certainly an interesting spot. I would play the land, fetch for a [[Bayou]] and cast [[Dark Ritual]]. I would then cast [[Wishclaw Talisman]] and pass. I think we can be conservative here with the opponent not having much on the board currently. Finding a [[Dark Ritual]] or [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] gives us [[Peer into the Abyss]] the following turn using [[Wishclaw Talisman]] pending no hand interaction.

#TEAMTES

Jordan Karim

Jordan Karim

While this may not be the best play in the world, there is a line to a large [[Galvanic Relay]] that protects against one piece of stack interaction. The concern is that we open ourselves up to [[Surgical Extraction]] on our [[Burning Wish]] that will leave us without any way to win the game (in this scenario, [[Tendrils of Agony]] will remain in exile). These risks need to be weighed against the benefits of attempting to play underneath the known [[Hidetsugu Consumes All]].

Start by playing our land and finding the [[Bayou]] still in the deck. Since we have [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], it serves as the second route to [[Galvanic Relay]] if a ritual is countered. [[Dark Ritual]] should be next. We can use the floating mana to cast [[Wishclaw Talisman]] from the [[Galvanic Relay]] pile (Storm 2 | ). Here we can cast the [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] and then use the floating mana to activate [[Wishclaw Talisman]] to find another one. Cast the second [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]]. Sacrifice both copies for . Now that our tutor has served it’s purpose, we can use the floating mana to [[Abrupt Decay]] the [[Wishclaw Talisman]]. Next, hold priority and cast the second copy of [[Abrupt Decay]] on our own [[Lotus Petal]] (Storm 6 | ). While we maintain priority, sacrifice the [[Lotus Petal]] for .

We now have the required mana and Storm to justify this line, so cast the [[Galvanic Relay]] and rip seven new cards from the top rope. Our opponent is forced to either wipe our useless [[Carpet of Flowers]] from the board, or leave them in play (and potentially play [[Island]]s into them) so they can hold up interaction.


Bryant Cook

Bryant Cook

[[Ruination]]! I love it (maybe not for our Storm hero). I can’t help but wonder if [[Carpet of Flowers]] is what we actually want against Grixis Control due to [[Hidetsugu Consumes All]] — perhaps, it should just be [[Rite of Flame]].

As for the situation, you need to decide what you can and can’t afford to play around. Really, it comes down to a known [[Hidetsugu Consumes All]] looming against our only permanent mana sources or the possibility of a [[Force of Will]] effect in the opponent’s hand. If we decide to take the path of casting another [[Galvanic Relay]] this turn, we’re accepting potentially losing the game to [[Hidetsugu Consumes All]] (assuming that they have a fifth land drop). The alternative is using our [[Burning Wish]] for [[Echo of Eons]] and spinning the wheel but being cold to countermagic.

I would likely try to fish for some information first. If you think about what a living breathing person would do in a game three against The EPIC Storm, they would likely keep a hand that has either [[Force of Will]] or [[Force of Negation]]. This concerns me because the [[Dark Ritual]] being countered really weakens our plans. I would activate the [[Verdant Catacombs]] for [[Underground Sea]], cast [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] to show the opponent up front that we can still play [[Galvanic Relay]] if they use their countermagic on the [[Dark Ritual]].

Sacrifice the [[Lotus Petal]], cast [[Burning Wish]], hold priority and then sacrifice the [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] for . Assuming that the [[Burning Wish]] resolves, grab [[Thoughtseize]] and then cast it floating . There’s really only one play left to do now and that’s to play [[Galvanic Relay]]. There’s some discussion to be had if [[Rite of Flame]] is better than [[Thoughtseize]] here since it generates two more Storm by allowing you to play [[Wishclaw Talisman]]. That said, I value being able to get some additional information and potentially being able to discard the [[Hidetsugu Consumes All]] to protect my actually useless copies of [[Carpet of Flowers]].


Alex Poling

Alex Poling

I would use this turn as a setup turn to try and get some value to win on a future turn. I would lead off by playing [[Verdant Catacombs]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and [[Dark Ritual]] off the land. My goal is to play the long game here, so I would use a black from [[Dark Ritual]] and the [[Lotus Petal]] to cast [[Burning Wish]] for [[Galvanic Relay]]. If [[Burning Wish]] gets countered that’s fine and adds one more Storm. If it doesn’t get countered, then [[Galvanic Relay]] is in my hand and I would cast the [[Galvanic Relay]] from exile to setup the following turn to try and win or get enough Storm to cast the [[Galvanic Relay]] from my hand and keep chaining them.


Alex McKinley

Alex McKinley

Well, this is a spot where it certainly does not get better. The [[Carpet of Flowers]] and the [[Lotus Petal]] in play are likely to be destroyed (not that the [[Carpet of Flowers]] produce mana anyway). There is a maximum of seven mana available. One thing to be aware of here is that discarding the [[Burning Wish]] to [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] leaves us very vulnerable to [[Surgical Extraction]], given the [[Tendrils of Agony]] in exile this turn. The [[Galvanic Relay]] is still the best plan. I would play the land, [[Dark Ritual]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Burning Wish]] to find [[Echo of Eons]] (if it resolves), crack [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], cast [[Wishclaw Talisman]] and then [[Galvanic Relay]].


Grant Johnson

Grant Johnson

This situation is tough, especially against Grixis Control. Ideally, this line involves a whole lot of luck. We start by fetching either a black or red source with the [[Verdant Catacombs]] and playing the [[Dark Ritual]]. From there, we can [[Burning Wish]] for [[Echo of Eons]] and spin the wheel with floating in the hopes that we do not get messed up by a [[Force of Will]]. The rest of our play is determined by what we wheel into.


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