May 2017: UR STORM goes to GP KOBE 2017

UR STORM

Paeng Paeng

Main deck

4 Misty Rainforest

4 Scalding Tarn

3 Island

3 Spirebluff Canal

2 Steam Vents

1 Mountain     

4 Baral, Chief of Compliance

4 Pyromancer Ascension

3 Grapeshot

3 Past in Flames

1 Gifts Ungiven

4 Desperate Ritual

4 Manamorphose

4 Pyretic Ritual

4 Serum Vision

4 Sleight of Hand

4 Though scour

3 Faithless Looting

1 Peer Through Depths   

Side board

4 Lightning Bolt

3 Empty the Warrens

3 Blood Moon

2 Echoing Truth

2 Shatterstorm

1 Defense Grid    

My match ups.

Day one (6-3) (12-7)
Boros Burn 2-1
Eldrazi Tron 2-0
GW Counters Company 0-2
Baral Gifts 0-2
Jund 2-1
GW Counters Company 2-0
Elves 2-0
Grix Death shadow 1-2
GW Counter Company 2-0

Day two (4-2) (9-4)
GW Counter Company 2-0
Eldrazi Tron 2-0
Baral Gifts 0-2
Boros Burn 1-2
Bant Spirit 2-0
Affinity 2-0

Total (10-5) (21-11)     

RD1 Boros Burn

Burn decks cannot outrace a turn two 14 1/1 red goblins. Despite his best math effort, my goblins still get there.

RD 2 Eldrazi Tron

Game one, a turn four online Pyromancer Ascension was too fast for his aliens to handle.
Game two, a second turn Blood Moon sealed the game into my favor.

RD 3 GW Counters Company

Game one, he combo out a turn early than me. Game two, I drew bricks after a good seven cards. He finished me with his three card combo: Vizier + Druid + Ballista.

RD 4 Baral Gifts Storm

Among the 15 games that I had, this is the least I like. I mulled on both games. Game one, mulled to 5. Game two, four. GG.

RD 5 Jund

Although eight goblins tokens by turn two seems a little weak, against a hand full of discard spells, those brave little red souls somehow spelled win for me.

RD 6 GW Counters

Game one and on the draw, I kept this opening seven: fetch, island, 3 rituals, 1 Manamorphose and Baral. GW fetch into GW shockland into Noble were his first turn actions. I drew a PiF. Looked at his body language trying to pick for any sign that he has a Path to Exile in his hand or that he is on a counter spell BANT something deck. He seems ignoring me on my turn because he keeps on calculating with his fingers while looking at his hand. This is a clear sign that he is on GW Counter Company deck. I simply dropped a fetch and pass. He dropped a what seems to be a harmless druid in his turn, then pass. Fetched for a Steam Vents at the end of his turn. I untapped and drew my second Manamorphose. I put on the table my heavily played beta Island, tapped both lands for a ritual (3R / storm 1) into Manamorphose (Peer Through Depths) (2R 1U /2 storm). Bring down my Chief of Compliance (1R / 3 storm). Used my two remaining rituals (5R / 5 storm) before burning my last Manamorphose (land) off my hand (4R 2U/ 6 storm). Used Peer through Depths (4R 1U / 7 storm) finding my lone Gifts Ungiven. Decided to recycle everything first before presenting this pile to him: Past in Flames, Desperate Ritual, Pyretic Ritual and Grapeshot. “Next game” he said. Game two, he mulled to five. To make matter worse for him, he drew bricks.    

RD 7 Elves

Game one, he dropped everything he had by turn three. Then attacked me with everything he’s got by turn four, thus pinning me down to seven life points. That was his last interaction because Pyromancer Ascension went online the turn after that elven assault. Cantrips did a find the storm pieces I need which ended with a Grapeshot for storm lethal. Game two, he kept a hand full of hate: turn one Engineered for Zero. Turn two Rest in peace; and turn three Gaddock Teeg. I won the game by natural storm. He was at 18 life points when I did three Grapeshots. The first was at storm for five; then six and the last one was at seven storm.

RD 8 Grix Death shadow

Discard + Stubborn Denial + UR Storm’s lack of spot removals for his Shadow at 5/5 black delve ugly fish kept me at bay during game three.

RD 9 GW Counter Company

Facing elimination, losing is not an option if I wish to partake in day two. Game three, life points for both players were 15 (him) and 8. On his table: Kessig Wolf Run + 8 other lands. Creatures: two 8/8 Knight of the Reliquary, dorks and a 5/5 Ooze. On my side, six blue red lands a Baral, and a graveyard that has Past in Flames, two Grapeshots, lands, a lot of cantrips and rituals. My hand (after drawing for the turn): Manamorphose, Past in Flames and an Echoing Truth. My first move was to return his Ooze to his hand. As expected he responded by eating the important spells (Past in Flames and Grapeshots) before going for the other instant and sorcery spells. After successfully bouncing his green nuisance, I mentally check the odds of me drawing that lone Grapeshot in the Library. I began my quest by firing Manamorphose (Empty the Warrens), then Past in Flames. Minutes had gone by and I am still not getting that lone Grapeshot. Until to such point that I ran out of cantrips but had a lot of floating R + 2 U + 21 storm count. Fortunately, my hand had three Empty the Warrens and the Echoing Truth that I used for his Scavenging Ooze still has the flashback effect from Past in Flames. I reused the said instant blue card to bounce his 8/8 knights then summoned goblin tokens. The first Empty The Warrens was 46 (storm 23), second ETW 48 (storm 24) and third 50 (storm 25). I prayed hard to storm god keranos that he will not be bestowed of in any form of mass removal. He Drew his top deck, took a deep breath before extending his hand congratulating me for making it to day two.

RD 10 GW Counter Company

The fourth GW Counter Company. Wow! They are really that common here. I won both games one and two at turn two. Grapeshot You. Flashback. Grapeshot you, again.

RD 11 Eldrazi Tron

Game one, turn one he dropped an Urza Tower. Turn two an Urza Mine. I simply bring down Baral on the table as a bait just in case he will have that natural tron into a Karn Liberated. “Please storm god keranos no natural online tron,” I prayed to storm god keranos. But the storm god was sleeping at that time because opponent just effortlessly dropped his Urza Plant and tapped all of them for …. an Endbringer. Yep. That was the end of his last turn for game one. Discount off Baral into Past in Flames into Grapeshot you. Game two, a second turn ritual into a Blood moon + him not getting the hate cards for my moon, I just simply slow roll for the win.

RD 12 Baral Gifts

His list is faster than mine. Both games, turn three win. Also, I believe that this kind of build has counter spells.

RD 13 Boros Burn

Game three, I get down to bolt range. I still needed like two more turns to set up my combo. Unfortunately, he top decked a Skullcrack thus sending me to the bottom fighting for the right to have a pro point.

RD 14 Bant Spirits

Game one, no Pyromancer Ascension and Baral.no problem. I won via natural storm count. Two Grapeshots, first storm for 8 and the other for 9, he was at 16 before I began counting. For game two, a second turn 14 goblin tokens + him not getting the mass removal, WIN.

RD 15 Affinity

Game one, he immediately scooped when I casted a Past in Flames with an online Pyromancer Ascension on the table. Game two, he had a Memnite, an Ornithopther, a Vault Skirge, a Signal Pest and a Mox Opal. I killed them all by turn two with a riual-morphose-cantrip-Grapeshot. He never get to activate his Mox and failed to get any land. I simply slow roll on the situation until cantrips helped me sculpt my hand getting that tenth Grand Prix Kobe victory!  

Although I did not do money finish, I am still happy. Ten GP wins is something I do not see every day. Not to mention netting another pro point to my name. ^_^

Thanks for reading! Until my next modern tournament with this deck!

-Paeng Paeng

6214089146

MAY 2017: UR Storm

UR STORM

Paeng Paeng

Main deck

4 Misty Rainforest

4 Scalding Tarn

3 Island

3 Spirebluff Canal

2 Steam Vents

1 Mountain

4 Baral, Chief of Compliance

4 Desperate Ritual

4 Manamorphose

4 Pyretic Ritual

4 Pyromancer Ascension

4 Serum Vision

4 Sleight of Hand

4 Though scour

3 Faithless Looting

3 Grapeshot

3 Past in Flames

1 Gifts Ungiven

1 Peer Through Depths   

Side board

4 Lightning Bolt

3 Empty the Warrens

3 Blood Moon

2 Echoing Truth

2 Shatterstorm

1 Defense Grid  

Despite the Baral Gift Storm’s numerous success, I still opted the Pyromancer Ascension storm list as my deck for the upcoming Grand Prix modern (GP Kobe). As part of my preparation, here are my brief May 2017 tournament reports.

May 7

GPT at Friday Quest

Gabbys, Mandaluyong City

3-2

Abzan 1-2

Bant Eldrazi 0-2

Esper 2-0

Jund Shadow 2-1

Bant Spirits 2-1

Notes

versus Abzan

During game three, multiple discard spells + Scavenging Ooze + me not drawing the cards I needed = loss.

versus Bant Eldrazi

A second and third turn Though Knot-Seers, nabbing my rituals, were to much for my deck to handle. 

versus Esper

Esper (and other heavy control blue decks) has a slow clock. So for both games, I simply jammed all my spells until he runs out of counter spells. Past in Flames' flashback is king. 

versus Jund Shadow

Even though he had a handful of discard spells in dismembering my hand, unlike what happened in my first round, I topped deck Past in Flames which enabled me to recycle all those goodies from the graveyard.

versus Bant Spirits
Eidolon of Rhetoric is a house versus any kind of combo especially to those that loves to count spells in a turn. Good thing Echoing Truth was there to save me from my opponent's 1/4 white enchantment creature.

May 14

Super Modern Series

The Block 101

Boni, Mandaluyong

4-1-2

Rw chalice lock 2-0
Bant eldrazi 2-0
Scapeshift 2-0
Affinity id
Boros id
Q: affinity 2-0
S: ad naus 0-2     

Notes

versus RW Chalice lock

An online Ascension can (sometimes) negate Chalice of the Void. By the way fellow storm troopers who are reading this, always keep in mind that our spell does not automatically gets countered by their Chalice of the Voids because he needs to announce the Chalice trigger first before he can counter our spells. 

versus Ad Nauseam

Game one, I kept four fetches, 1 vents, 1 serum and 1 Peer Through Depth. I tanked for a minute. I was torn between my instinct (mulligan) and math. Instinct says "mull that hand because it lacks action", but my math says "five lands and four of which are fetches, it will surely thin your deck thus drawing more spells needed." I decided to side with math. Unfortunately, I received more lands from my next draw phases, I lose.

May 20

SCG Night hosted by R4 Hobby Shop

BCI Jupiter Makati
4-1-1

This is my last stop before departing for Grand Prix Kobe. The night before, I was contemplating if removing one Empty the Warrens, one Blood Moon and Defense Grid for one Surgical Extraction and two Leyline of Sanctity would be worthy. My storm instinct said otherwise, that I should stick to what I have because they can cover everything the meta has to give. Here are my match ups by the way.

Bye
Living End 2-1
GW Tron 0-2
Infect 2-0
Tron id
Q: Jund 2-1

Notes

vs. Living End

He had only three creatures in the yard when he did the Living End at the end of my turn, which killed me in two swings only. That was fast, I did not see that math coming. I won game two. Game three: passing my last turn would tantamount to a loss after having a bye start. I was down to two life points while he was still at fifteen. On my table I had Pyromancer Ascension (with one counter on it), Baral, and  three blue-red lands. My graveyard: fetches and Serum Vision, Desperate Ritual and Faithless Looting. And my hand: faithless, Manamorphose, Past in Flames and an Island. Before I could do anything, he immediately destroyed my red enchantment with his Beast Within. I drew for the turn, another Manamorphose. I tank for a minute pondering on what to fire first: Manamorphose or Faithless looting. I bring down Faithless first netting Serum Vision and a fetch. Now what to bin off the Faithless Looting  (hand: two Manamorphose, PIF, serum, fetch and island). I decided to throw PIF and the basic land. Dropped the fetch, cracked it for another basic land. Since he has no blockers, I attacked my Chief pinning him to 14 life points. Second main phase, I summoned the first Manamorphose giving me a Sleight of Hand (floating: 1R 1U / 2 untapped UR lands / 2 storm count). A new question arises, what is better being called first: Serum Visions or Sleight of Hand? Sleight then visions because with this combination, you'll be able to see five cards. Sleight of Hand (1R / 2 untapped UR lands / 3 storm count) saw Pyretic Ritual and a Grapeshot. I checked my hand, graveyard, floating mana, untapped lands and mentally storm count. At this point, between the two, Grapeshot is not the best pick, so i picked the other card and used it to increase my floating R mana (3R / 2 untapped UR lands / 4 storm count). Serum Visions (3R / 1 untapped UR land / 5 storm count) drawing another land but letting me peeked at these: Gifts Ungiven and Thought scour. I left them both on top leaving the gifts on the top most. Cast Manamorphose (2R 2U / 1 untapped UR land / 6 storm count) thus getting the blue 4cc instant, casts  it (1R / 1 untapped UR land / 7 storm count) into this pile: Desperate and Pyretic Rituals, Manamorphose and Peer Through Depths. He hand me a ritual and peer. Used peer (1R / 8 storm count) seeing one ritual among the five. Casts the remaining rituals from my hand (5R / 10 storm count) before flashbacking PIF. He did a little math and extends his hand. WIN

 

Round 3 vs GW Tron  Game one he had a third turn Karn Liberated. Game two, I kept a one land hand. Drew bricks in the succeeding turns. GG

vs. Infect
Blood Moon is superb. 

Quarter vs. Jund
Game one: he was drawing lands for five consecutive turns while I was drawing rituals after rituals. When a cantrip made it to my hand naturally, I used it and find a Past in Flames. Win.
Game two: Bob fueling his hand and Tarmogoyfs for the muscle was too much for my mob to handle.
Game three: I mulled twice keeping this hand: island, vision, ritual, manamorphose and ETW.  Scry: Pyromancer Ascension (sent to the bottom). Island into vision: Baral, Chief of Compliance scry: Mountain and PIF keep both on top with Mountain as the top most. Second turn, dropped Baral and pray hard he will not kill it. He did not, he just dropped Bob and pass. I tanked for a minue before summoning eight goblin tokens. I can hear people asking "why only that if he can flashback those for more tokens. My reason is this: if I did that and in his turn he has an Engineered Explosives or Anger of the Gods or Maelstrum Pulse, I will have a hard time to recover. I swing my eight, he blocked one pinning him to 13 life points. I attacked all 7 goblins on my next turn, he blocked one again getting him down to 7 life points. In his turn, he fetched (6 life points). In my turn, I managed to drew an Echoing Truth, bounced his blocker and swing all my creatures (including Chief of Compliance) for the win. 

Reflecting on the games I had from the month of May 2017, I think there's no need for me to change anything in my seventy-five. And if incase I will do change something, it will be one ETW for one Surgical Extraction.   

There you have it guys! Before ending this, I wish you all good luck in our upcoming Grand Prix Manila! Since I do not have any standard deck to play for the main event, I will be on the side event area. Thanks for reading! 

-Paeng Paeng