I’ve been playing Storm for a couple of years now. The EPIC Storm (TES) is the deck I had the most experience with, and I did not feel comfortable playing Black Saga Storm, so I went with TES. In total, I went 6-3 in the Legacy RCQ for Top 64 and 11-2-1 in the main event, ending in 8th place. I had a very lucky run and played well when I needed to, and the RCQ gave me a lot of confidence in myself.

Decklist

The list I registered for the main event is a contemporary take on The EPIC Storm leaning on [[Gaea’s Will]] and [[Song of Creation]] alongside the classic [[Echo of Eons]] + [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] engine and the usual tutor suite of [[Beseech the Mirror]], [[Burning Wish]], and [[Gamble]].

There are a few choices in the list that I would like to explain:

1. Two copies of [[Spider-Punk]] in the sideboard: In my opinion, the three best options for the sideboard “flex” slots in TES are [[Spider-Punk]], [[Carpet of Flowers]], and [[Defense Grid]]. I ended up playing [[Spider-Punk]] for the following reasons:
   • Blue decks (Izzet Delver, Dimir Tempo, and UWx Control) often take out (most of) their removal for [[Spider-Punk]] post-board, so it should be as safe as [[Defense Grid]] once it is on the battlefield.
   • I was playing [[Thoughtseize]] over [[Defense Grid]] in the main deck since it’s more flexible.
   • [[Spider-Punk]] can’t be countered by [[Consign to Memory]] and [[Force of Negation]], which came up quite a bit.
   • [[Spider-Punk]], unlike [[Carpet of Flowers]], is helpful in other matchups (Blue combo, Prison).
2. 4 [[Scalding Tarn]] instead of an even fetchland split: I was trying to take a more patient approach in games (more often than not, I did not combo on turn one without protection or if I didn’t know my opponent’s deck) and I gained some value by pretending to be tempo in the first two turns of the game. Many games started by playing turn one [[Scalding Tarn]] and second turn [[Underground Sea]] into [[Brainstorm]], and I had some opponents tell me they kept [[Fatal Push]] on top while casting [[Ponder]] thinking I played a different deck. In the one game that a [[Pithing Needle]] naming [[Scalding Tarn]] was cast, I had the other two fetches in hand.
3. No [[Boomerang Basics]]: I lost my copies at home and no one had any to buy. I would’ve played three if I could.
4. [[Mindbreak Trap]]: Most of the time I did not play around [[Mindbreak Trap]] because I did not believe people would play it. I was lucky to not encounter any copies during my matches.

Leading Up to the Tournament

By day, I’m a hardware engineer, and we had a busy time at work, so I did not get a lot of reps leading up to the tournament. I felt like I needed an extra push, so I scheduled a tutoring session with Bryant. I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I made! I managed to learn so much in that one hour, and I couldn’t recommend it more if you’re looking to elevate your Storm game.

Key Lessons from the Tutoring Session

1. Drop the “oops” mentality. Not all hands are turn-one kills with protection, and there’s no need to mulligan aggressively. The important piece I was looking for was an action spell and having faith in my top-decks (one example is keeping a lot of two-lander hands with [[Brainstorm]] and [[Thoughtseize]] on the blind).
2. Visualize your winning game plan, but stay flexible. You should try to think of what a winning game plan looks like, but don’t get too deep into your own head. Start by thinking about what you’d like to draw next turn and go from there.
3. [[Gamble]] really is a gamble! Most of the time, I would either [[Gamble]] for [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] or [[Echo of Eons]] while having the other piece in hand, but you shouldn’t be afraid to [[Gamble]] for something else. Sometimes a line with probability is the better play than waiting.
4. Don’t get [[Tunnel Vision]]. Do not commit to a line when you cannot commit, and don’t get [[Tunnel Vision]] with the line you chose. Some examples: fetching early enough when you’re not sure what mana you want, or getting an unprotected hand from an [[Echo of Eons]] and going for it instead of waiting.

Preparation & Mindset

Staying hydrated and well-fed: I was in charge of food in our group, so everyone came to the venue with two sandwiches and a couple of bananas. I really believe that staying hydrated and eating non-fatty food (instead of the food the venue usually offers) really helps you stay sharp.

Using free knowledge in the tournament: When I was at the top tables, my friends and I scoured tables in between matches to find out what everyone was playing. I also used Melee results from previous tournaments (for example, someone that played D&T last year is probably playing it again this year) and occasionally watched the stream. In addition, I’ve been watching people sideboarding closely. Most people put aside the cards they board out, and you can make an educated guess on what you are going to face in game two (for example, blue decks have 3–4 [[Consign to Memory]] in the sideboard, so if you see them board in five cards, they might not have a lot of hate pieces).

Have fun: If you saw me playing, I was always smiling and making jokes. I really enjoy meeting new players, and I was always chatty and happy. Always ask your opponent if they’re okay with chatting during the game, but keeping a cheery attitude helps your game in my opinion. It makes everything lighter and more fun!

Legacy Eternal Weekend Main Event

Round One – Bant Stiflenought

Game One:

My opponent opens with [[Island]] into [[Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student]] and [[Daze]]s my [[Thoughtseize]]. On turn two, I cast [[Beseech the Mirror]] into [[Gaea’s Will]] with protection, and when resolving [[Thoughtseize]] from the graveyard, they show me [[Doorkeeper Thrull]] and [[Tropical Island]].

For sideboarding, I expect cards like [[Collector Ouphe]] or [[Stony Silence]], [[Consign to Memory]], and [[Veil of Summer]].

Sideboarding: +1 [[Chain of Vapor]], +1 [[Into the Flood Maw]], +2 [[Boseiju, Who Endures]], +2 [[Spider-Punk]], -4 [[Brainstorm]], -1 [[Gamble]], -1 [[Mox Opal]]

Game Two:

I do not find any removal for their turn-two [[Stony Silence]] and die slowly to [[Nulldrifter]].

Game Three:

I play a protected [[Song of Creation]] on turn three and win with [[Approach of the Second Sun]]. I learned from Bryant’s videos to use the less dangerous line even if it might seem like showboating.

Round Two – Izzet Painter

Game One:

The game starts with [[Island]] into [[Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student]]. At some point, I consider cracking [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] to use [[Runehorn Hellkite]]’s ability while I have both [[Song of Creation]] and [[Gaea’s Will]] in hand, but I decide to wait until my opponent is threatening lethal. I end up activating it a couple of turns later, discarding two [[Force of Will]] from their hand. I naturally storm into [[Tendrils of Agony]] on the same turn.

Sideboarding: +1 [[Chain of Vapor]], +1 [[Into the Flood Maw]], +2 [[Boseiju, Who Endures]], +2 [[Spider-Punk]], -4 [[Brainstorm]], -1 [[Gamble]], -1 [[Mox Opal]]

Game Two:

I die on turn three to the Painter combo.

Game Three:

Game three turns out to be super long. We get to a point where I have five lands in play and my opponent has [[Magus of the Moon]], [[Painter’s Servant]], and a flipped [[Tamiyo, Seasoned Scholar]] on board. I have two [[Chrome Mox]], [[Echo of Eons]], and [[Runehorn Hellkite]] in hand. I hard-cast [[Runehorn Hellkite]], and my opponent, for some reason, counters it with [[Pyroblast]]. On the next turn, I cast a [[Chrome Mox]] that gets countered, cast a second Mox, and activate [[Runehorn Hellkite]]. They draw a hand with nothing, and I cast [[Gaea’s Will]] for lethal since my graveyard was stacked at that point.

Round Three – Doomsday

I know what my opponent is playing based on their Melee results (Top 16 last year with Doomsday).

Game One:

They cast [[Doomsday]] on turn three after countering my action spell and pass the turn. From their pile, I know they have [[Force of Will]] somewhere. I luckily draw [[Echo of Eons]] from the top, cast [[Veil of Summer]] (which gets countered), then resolve [[Echo of Eons]]. My new seven has six mana, [[Burning Wish]], and [[Beseech the Mirror]] while they are at eight life.

Sideboarding: +2 [[Spider-Punk]], +1 [[Gamble]], -1 [[Mox Opal]]

Game Two:

We both go hellbent after a back and forth. They play [[Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student]] and flip it, going up to eight loyalty. I draw [[Burning Wish]] from the top, and my only out is casting [[Void Snare]] on Tamiyo. Next turn, they recast it and [[Brainstorm]]. A few turns later, they ultimate Tamiyo and cast [[Doomsday]] from their pile. I learn that they have eight Forces and [[Flusterstorm]] (they also asked me at some point what the storm count was, which was another indication).

Game Three:

A resolved [[Echo of Eons]] leaves them with a hand with no interaction, and I manage to win the match.

Round Four – Yawgmoth Combo

I was not aware that this deck even existed since I hardly play Modern, but it’s pretty good.

Game One:

I see [[Verdant Catacombs]] into [[Underground Mortuary]] and breathe a sigh of relief, then immediately miscount my mana when going into [[Gaea’s Will]]. Instead, I end up casting [[Beseech the Mirror]] into [[Song of Creation]], discarding [[Echo of Eons]] at the end step. They follow up with [[Agatha’s Soul Cauldron]] to exile my [[Echo of Eons]] and [[Green Sun’s Zenith]] into [[Outland Liberator]] to destroy [[Song of Creation]] and kill me with green creatures.

Sideboarding: +1 [[Chain of Vapor]], +1 [[Into the Flood Maw]], +2 [[Boseiju, Who Endures]], -4 [[Veil of Summer]]

My main concerns in this matchup are [[Collector Ouphe]], [[Force of Vigor]], and [[Agatha’s Soul Cauldron]]. I don’t really care about discard spells since I can always reset the hand with [[Echo of Eons]].

Game Two:

after only land drops from me, I cast [[Echo of Eons]] twice on turn three into lethal after they take [[Brainstorm]] with [[Gamble]] and leave me with [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] in hand on turn one. I was trying to think why they would do that — I guess they had [[Force of Vigor]] or [[Faerie Macabre]] in hand. I don’t see anything else new in their deck this game.

Game Three:

We get to a point where they have [[Young Wolf]], [[Yawgmoth, Thran Physician]], [[Grist, the Hunger Tide]], an Insect token, [[Delighted Halfling]], and [[Gaea’s Cradle]] on board. They fetch for [[Dryad Arbor]] and pass. Apparently, that means they have a DIY [[Yawgmoth’s Bargain]] on board, so I understand two things: (1) I need to win this turn, and (2) I probably can’t play around [[Mindbreak Trap]] since they can draw a lot of cards.

I cast [[Echo of Eons]] and they cast [[Endurance]] in response. I pass to second main to deplete their floating mana, and after casting [[Tendrils of Agony]], they realize [[Dryad Arbor]] has summoning sickness, so they cannot cast [[Veil of Summer]] and concede. I later learn that this deck’s win condition is [[Walking Ballista]], so they can’t play [[Collector Ouphe]], which is nice.

Round Five – Eldrazi Stompy

Game One:

I keep an okay hand ([[Brainstorm]], [[Thoughtseize]], two lands, [[Dark Ritual]], [[Burning Wish]], and an artifact). They play [[Eldrazi Linebreaker]] on turn one, and I’m not able to convert.

Sideboarding: +1 [[Chain of Vapor]], +1 [[Into the Flood Maw]], +2 [[Boseiju, Who Endures]], +2 [[Spider-Punk]], -1 [[Runehorn Hellkite]], -4 [[Veil of Summer]], -1 [[Thoughtseize]]

Game Two:

I cast [[Gaea’s Will]] for lethal [[Tendrils of Agony]] with no protection.

Game Three:

They mulligan to five and my hand is [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Chrome Mox]], [[Mox Opal]], [[Echo of Eons]], [[Dark Ritual]], and a land. I [[Echo of Eons]] for lethal on turn one after they play [[Eldrazi Temple]] and pass. I found out later they had [[Faerie Macabre]] in hand, but they had no window to exile [[Echo of Eons]] with it.

Round Six – RUG Katara Tempo

I play against a great player who is on stream. I know their main deck has six “Force” effects between [[Force of Will]] and [[Force of Negation]], and then four [[Stifle]]. We get deck checked, and I receive a game loss because of an incorrect decklist (I submitted 61 cards, oops!).

Game Two:

They play [[Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student]] on turn one and [[Wasteland]] into [[Katara, Waterbending Master]] on turn two. I have a double-protected hand and beat their double [[Force of Will]] hand.

Sideboarding: +2 [[Spider-Punk]], -2 [[Brainstorm]]

Game Three:

I keep a slow hand, and they keep a one-land hand with all interaction. They end up going to discard multiple times after being [[Brainstorm]]-locked twice. At one point, my opponent finds their second land, plays [[Katara, Waterbending Master]], and passes the turn with six cards in hand. This is the time to go off since (1) my opponent has no access to [[Stifle]] and (2) I can probably beat three Forces given that I am up on cards.

On the next turn, my opponent Forces three of my spells. I end the turn by casting [[Burning Wish]] and discarding my hand with [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] to cast [[Galvanic Relay]] for 10 (a judge told me I cannot keep storm count using dice, and I lost storm count, so it was probably a bit more than that). I exile one [[Veil of Summer]] and multiple action spells, then pass. My opponent attacks, draws three with [[Katara, Waterbending Master]], and passes with two cards in hand. I cast [[Veil of Summer]] which they Force, and I proceed to cast [[Tendrils of Agony]] for lethal.

always write your storm count down! I got cocky and told my opponent that storm was enough, and after casting [[Tendrils of Agony]] (when I probably should have [[Gaea’s Will]]) they started counting my spells. Storm was 10 by their count anyway, so I still won.

Round Seven – Dimir Tempo

I really did not think I would get to this point, so I had a lot of fun talking to my opponent. He was not only a great player but a great person as well. I think that Dimir is the hardest tempo deck to play against because even though they do not have as fast a clock as Izzet Delver, they pack much more hate and [[Thoughtseize]] (my opponent played [[Hymn to Tourach]] even!).

Game One:

I cast [[Thoughtseize]] on turn one and see a hand with [[Brainstorm]] and no interaction or other cantrips, so I take it. I try going off on the next turn and again on turn four, but he has [[Force of Will]] both times.

Sideboarding: -4 [[Brainstorm]], +2 [[Boseiju, Who Endures]], +2 [[Spider-Punk]]

Game Two:

I [[Echo of Eons]] into a not very good hand, then [[Thoughtseize]] him, and end up losing to [[Dauthi Voidwalker]] plus [[Damping Sphere]]. One interesting point was that he cast [[Null Rod]] on turn two and I snap [[Boseiju, Who Endures]] it. In hindsight, since he had no pressure on board and he can’t discard [[Boseiju, Who Endures]], I should’ve waited.

In the picture below, I’m in the middle of casting [[Thoughtseize]] — what’s the play? In my hand: 2 [[Veil of Summer]], [[Echo of Eons]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Beseech the Mirror]], and [[Gamble]].

Round Eight – Doomsday

Game One:

I don’t remember much about game one.

Sideboarding: -1 [[Gamble]], -1 [[Mox Opal]], +2 [[Spider-Punk]]

Game Two:

I have a turn-one protected [[Spider-Punk]] into their hand that only has two [[Force of Negation]]. I am quite confident they have no way to interact with it once it is on the battlefield, so I take my time before comboing them out. I end up 7-1 on Day Two and in 14th place going into the later rounds!

Round Nine – Izzet Delver

Sideboarding: -4 [[Brainstorm]], +2 [[Boseiju, Who Endures]], +2 [[Spider-Punk]]

The downside of spending time on the top tables is that people already know what you play and mulligan accordingly. One point that I remember from these games is a situation where I had two lands and [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] in play, with [[Dark Ritual]], [[Gamble]], [[Echo of Eons]], and [[Beseech the Mirror]] in hand. There was no [[Beseech the Mirror]] line with protection available, and since my opponent didn’t put a lot of pressure on board, I assumed he had interaction.

I [[Gamble]] for [[Echo of Eons]] and present two [[Echo of Eons]] back-to-back that both get hit by [[Force of Will]]. In hindsight, I should’ve [[Gamble]]’d for [[Runehorn Hellkite]]. My thought process with that line was that playing [[Dark Ritual]] before [[Gamble]] gives the impression that [[Gamble]] should be countered, and gambling for [[Runehorn Hellkite]] and discarding [[Dark Ritual]] leaves me with nothing. Looking back on it, I would [[Gamble]] for the Dragon 100% of the time.

Round Ten – Death & Taxes

I have a good guess what my opponent is playing, and revealing [[Yorion, Sky Nomad]] as their companion confirms it.

Game One:

Sideboarding: -4 [[Veil of Summer]], -1 [[Mox Opal]], +1 [[Chain of Vapor]], +1 [[Into the Flood Maw]], +2 [[Boseiju, Who Endures]], +1 [[Empty the Warrens]]

Game Two:

My opponent keeps a slow hand with [[Deafening Silence]] on turn one. When he responds to his hand by saying, “I have to keep this,” I feel good about keeping a hand with [[Boseiju, Who Endures]] and a tutor. I channel [[Boseiju, Who Endures]] using [[Lotus Petal]] after he targets it with [[Skyclave Apparition]], and cast [[Gaea’s Will]] the next turn. My line is exposed to [[Faerie Macabre]] but I am willing to take that risk with an 80-card deck (he ends up having only one in the sideboard).

Round Eleven – Black Saga Storm

Game One:

My opponent starts with [[Swamp]] and [[Candy Trail]], so I have an idea of what they’re on. I play [[Thoughtseize]] off of [[Underground Sea]] (hoping to give the impression that I’m Dimir Tempo) and discard a tutor. The next turn, they commit to playing [[Wishclaw Talisman]] with no floating mana — they have two lands in play, cast [[Dark Ritual]], crack [[Candy Trail]], and pass the turn. My guess is that they did not play the Talisman earlier fearing [[Daze]]. Anyway, I play [[Song of Creation]] the following turn for an [[Approach of the Second Sun]] kill.

Sideboarding: No changes

Game Two:

They keep seven and turn-one me.

Game Three:

I keep a five-card hand with [[Echo of Eons]], two [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Dark Ritual]], and a land, and win either on turn one or turn two.

Round Twelve – Dimir Cloudpost

My opponent is on stream, so I know they play [[Disruptor Flute]] in the main and no [[Chalice of the Void]], six Forces, [[Tishana’s Tidebinder]], and [[Hullbreacher]] in the sideboard. A post by Vlalutscher on the Storm Discord about this matchup stays in my head.

Game One:

I keep a hand with an [[Echo of Eons]] line and protection. They play [[Ancient Tomb]] and pass. I [[Thoughtseize]] and see [[Force of Will]] plus a blue card, but for some reason I take [[Dismember]]. I cast [[Veil of Summer]] which gets Forced and then cast [[Echo of Eons]]. My only out in the new hand that has protection is casting [[Gamble]] for a lethal spell. I cast [[Veil of Summer]] (which gets Forced), cast [[Dark Ritual]], and my opponent casts [[Disruptor Flute]] in response naming [[Beseech the Mirror]]. I [[Gamble]] for [[Tendrils of Agony]] with two cards in hand (if I had thought harder on the line, I would’ve had one extra card in hand) and hit for lethal! Better lucky than good.

Sideboarding: -4 [[Brainstorm]], -1 [[Mox Opal]], -1 [[Gamble]], +1 [[Chain of Vapor]], +1 [[Into the Flood Maw]], +2 [[Boseiju, Who Endures]], +2 [[Spider-Punk]]

Game Two:

I keep the following seven: two [[Lotus Petal]], two [[Veil of Summer]], [[Echo of Eons]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and [[Badlands]]. My opponent plays a tapped [[Soporific Springs]] and passes. I draw [[Dark Ritual]], play [[Badlands]], cast two [[Lotus Petal]] into [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]]. My opponent casts [[Force of Will]] and I [[Veil of Summer]] in response and draw [[Burning Wish]]. I change plans and grab [[Empty the Warrens]] for 16 Goblins. My opponent kept a [[Tishana’s Tidebinder]] plus [[Force of Will]] hand thinking it would be enough. I am very, very lucky this match — it’s probably the worst one for me and my opponent is a very good player!

Round Thirteen – Dimir Reanimator

I don’t remember much about these games. My main takeaway is that my opponent’s body language gives me the impression that he does not have [[Force of Will]] in game two, so I go for an unprotected line and get rewarded.

Sideboarding: -2 [[Brainstorm]], +2 [[Spider-Punk]]

Round Fourteen – Intentional Draw

We do the math and are pretty confident that I will Top 8 if I intentionally draw, but waiting those 50–60 minutes for the Top 8 announcement is excruciating. I end up getting the 8th seed! Another friend who came with me to the event also manages to Top 8, so I borrow his foil [[Tendrils of Agony]] for the playoff. For a little while, I might have the most expensive Legacy Storm deck in the room!

Quarterfinals – Affinity

I play in the quarterfinals against an Affinity deck that ends up winning the event. I have no experience playing open decklists with a combo deck, and I think I should’ve changed the way I played my games and which hands I kept. I would love to know what your thought process is when playing with open decklists (what hands do you keep or mulligan, and when do you shove versus wait?).

This matchup is extremely hard — they have four [[Chalice of the Void]], four [[Force of Will]], and graveyard hate in the main deck plus a fast clock with [[Urza’s Saga]] / [[Pinnacle Emissary]]. In addition, they have four [[Consign to Memory]] and two [[Force of Negation]] post-board.

Game One:

They cast turn-one [[Pithing Needle]] naming [[Scalding Tarn]]. Luckily, I have the other two fetches in hand. I try to shove an early protected win fearing [[Chalice of the Void]], but they keep a hand with double [[Force of Will]] plus double [[Sink into Stupor]].

Sideboarding: -4 [[Brainstorm]], -1 [[Gamble]], -1 [[Mox Opal]], +1 [[Chain of Vapor]], +1 [[Into the Flood Maw]], +2 [[Boseiju, Who Endures]], +2 [[Spider-Punk]]

Game Two:

Game two has a key decision point. My opponent casts [[Emry, Lurker of the Loch]], milling [[Chalice of the Void]], and passes. I bounce Emry end of turn, planning to take it with [[Thoughtseize]] next turn. When I [[Thoughtseize]] him, I see [[Emry, Lurker of the Loch]], a land, a blue card, [[Force of Will]], and [[Force of Negation]] with three mana already on board and end up taking [[Force of Will]]. My reasoning is that I cannot beat [[Chalice of the Void]] plus a counterspell in a reasonable time and my only out is drawing [[Spider-Punk]], which cannot be countered by [[Force of Negation]] and can be protected with [[Veil of Summer]].

I draw [[Spider-Punk]] two turns later when he has [[Chalice of the Void]] on zero on board. I cast [[Dark Ritual]] into [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and with the [[Chalice of the Void]] trigger on the stack he tries to bounce [[Spider-Punk]] with [[Sink into Stupor]]. I respond with [[Veil of Summer]]. I flash back [[Echo of Eons]] with three black mana floating and four tutors in exile, and draw a new seven with five lands, [[Runehorn Hellkite]], and a bounce spell. I play a surveil land and surveil an [[Echo of Eons]] to the graveyard, but I don’t have the mana to cast it!

I don’t think I should’ve kept blue mana open there because the only blue card I have left in the deck is [[Echo of Eons]], but it is a really funny (and slightly painful) way to end the tournament.

Closing & General Thoughts

The experience was super fun. I met really nice people, made new friends, had some cool lines (like holding priority when casting three instants with [[Song of Creation]] on board, then discarding my hand with [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] with all the triggers on the stack) and overall had a blast playing Magic. If you can, I highly recommend going to Eternal Weekend.

Much appreciation for the Storm community on Discord for hyping me up and for all the help along the way. This run was a mix of tight play, some mistakes to learn from, a lot of lucky top-decks, and a whole lot of [[Storm]] counts. I’m already looking forward to the next big event!