MAY 2019: FLUSTERSTORM

Flusterstorm is coming to modern! Stormly speaking, should I be worried about it? No. Modern storm has the tools it needs to go against it. Here are some work around situations that I can think of.

A. Grapeshot – Flusterstorm – Remand Grapeshot – Grapeshot.

B. Flusterstorm vs. Flusterstorm.

C. Ramp mana – Past in Flames – Flusterstorm – flashback PIF – mana ramp again – dig Grapeshot from the library – shoot him with it. There will be times that you will end-up having two lethal Grapeshots. One, or both, off the library and the other in the graveyard.

D. Ramp mana – lethal Grapeshot – Flusterstorm – PIF – make sure you have well enough mana – recycle those rituals and cantrip – find the second copy of Grapeshot from the library – shoot him with Grapeshot from your hand – in case he has a Snapcaster Mage to Flusterstorm or another Flusterstorm at hand – shoot him with the first Grapeshot from the graveyard

E. Lethal storm count via two Grapeshots from the hand. It can also be a combination of from hand-graveyard or both from graveyard.

F. Pyromancer Ascension.

G. Gigadrowse (with replicate) his lands at the end of his turn the turn before you go off.

H. Grapeshot – Flusterstorm – Noxious Revival Grapeshot – cantrip – Grapeshot.

I. Counterflux.

J. Defense Grid.

K. Trickbind.

And if you are planning to splash a third color

L. White: Silence.

M. Black: discard spells. Inquisition of Kozilek is probably the best because most modern storm hate cards are below three casting cost.

N. Green: Autumn’s Will.  

You can use alternate win conditions.

O. flipping Thing in the Ice from its day light to night.

P. Storm Entity.

Q. Phoenices.

R. Young Pyromancer and/ or Monastery Mentor.

S. Madcap Experiment into Platinum Emperion or Platinum Angel.

T. Kiki-Jiki and Pestermite

So old friend, welcome to modern! I cannot wait to play against you again, Flusterstorm.

PAENG PAENG

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MAY 2019: URg CONTROL

UR CONTROL 

Paeng Paeng

4 Flooded Strand

4 Misty Rainforest

10 Islands

2 Steam Vents

1 Stomping Ground
1 Mountain

1 Field of Ruin
1 Ghost Quarter

4 Ancestral Vision

4 Opt

1 Wipe Away
1 Search for Azcanta / Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin

2 Blood Moon

3 Vedalken Shackles

3 Engineered Explosives

4 Relic of Progenitus

2 Anger of the Gods

2 Cryptic Command

2 Disallow

2 Negate

1 Abrade

1 Sphinx of Jwar Isle
4 Lightning Bolt

Sideboard
1 Vendilion Clique

2 Torpor Orb

2 Spellskite

2 Surgical Extraction

2 Ancient Grudge
1 Spell Pierce
1 Abrade
2 Dispel
2 Damping Sphere

Regran Open
Quezon City
14 April 2019
Humans 1-1
URw GST 1-2
Humans 2-0
Elves 1-2
UR Phnx 1-2
Mardu YP 1-2
Scapeshift 2-0
(2-4-1)  (9-9)

Mage Ring
Dasmarinas, Cavite
20 April 2019
Goryo 0-2
Wr Soul Sisters 1-1
UR Tempo 2-0
BW Eldrazi Taxes 2-0
(2-1-1)  (5-3)

MDP
Bicutan, Parañaque City
28 April 2019
Boros Burn 0-2
Grix DS 2-0
UW control 2-0
Spirits 2-1
(3-1)  (6-3)

Fast Effects
Pacita, Laguna
1 May 2019
Boros Burn 0-2
Dredge 1-1
Humans 2-1
BW tokens 1-2
(1-2-1)  (4-6)

Madcap Gaming
San Pedro, Laguna
11 May 2019
BG 2-1
GW Aggro 2-0
Goryo 2-1
Ad Naus 0-2
(3-1)  (6-4)

Notes

Main deck Blood Moon is great. There were games that Blood Moon single-handedly wins the game.

Vedalken Shackles is love. Remember these things when you are using, or dealing, with this artifact. First, upon activation, it is important that the power of the creature is equal to, or less than, the number of islands the controller of the Vedalken Shackles has. Second, as long as Vedalken Shackles remains tapped, regardless if that creature's power becomes greater than the number of islands, Vedalken Shackles still have the control creature. And lastly, if the controlled creature happens to be a man-land (or a planeswalker); during the Vedalken Shackles controller's upkeep, the man-land ceases to be a creature and Vedalken Shackle's controller will keep the control of it.

There were times that I forgot to use his own creature as a blocker. When you get to control opponent's Death's Shadow through Vedalken Shackles, the black avatar creature will check your life total. And you have 13 or more life points, it dies. 

Blue cards: I love it when Disallow functions as Stifle. Modern's realm has a lot of activated and/ or trigger abilities and having a Stifle to stop them from resolving can sometimes be a game changer.  Ancestral Vision's draw power is gas!

Here are the adjustments that I did after two tournaments: First, I took out Azacanta and replaced it with Repeal. The flipped blue enchantment turned into a non basic land does not go well with Blood Moon. Second, I took out Ghost Quarter and Stomping Ground and replaced them with the third copy of Steam Vents and a Forest. Third, I swapped Spell Pierce for Venser, Shaper Savant.  

Torpor Orb is well positioned against today's meta because we have a lot of creatures that has comes into play trigger abilities.

The deck did not performed well against Boros Burn. Lightning Bolt spells are too fast for my defense to handle. However, I had this one wonderful close game against it: (it was my upkeep) life point total were him at 8 and (me) down to two. On my side of the table I had 13 lands out plus a Monastery Swiftspear being controlled by a Vedalken Shackles, Venser, and plus cards at hand: Wipe Away, Negate, a Disallow. On his side of the table he had the red eidolon, and 5 lands. I drew for the turn, an Engineered Explosives. I brought it down, gestured my hand for two, EE for two. He pointed to his revel enchantment but I tapped four mana (blue blue blue red) to avoid getting hit by it. Swiftspear gets a +1/+1 off the EE. 

I attacked both my creatures. He took all the damages (putting him at 4 life points). He drew for the turn and wasted no time of putting it on the table, Exquisite Firecraft. His red eidolon triggers putting him down to two as well. I activated EE, destroying his creature enchantment. Wipe Away my Venser and summoned the 2/2 human wizard again to bounce his uncounterable red spell back to hand. Win. 

Four pieces of Relic of Progenitus are there in the main deck because of the draw a card clause. But because there are decks right now that abuse their graveyards, the exile a card or the graveyards becomes a big bonus.

I gave the deck another adjustment. Main deck: -1 Abrade, 1 Flooded Strand, and -2 Negate for +2 Remand, +1 Cryptic Command and +1 Anger of the God. Remands substituted the Negates because one one reason, the former can deal with creatures while the latter cannot. And for the sideboard: 

1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Venser, Shaper Savant

1 Negate
2 Torpor Orb

2 Damping Sphere

2 Ceremonious Rejection
3 Dragon's Claw 

3 Ancient Grudge

Although Remand can counter creature spells and lets you draw a card, I think adding it into the mix is a huge mistake because the blue instant card did not really 'deal' with it. And in the long run, returning it back to his hand is not a good idea. Remand will not be in the 75 in my next tournament. 

I was just lucky when I went against a Goryo deck at Madcap because he failed to draw a Norishing Shoal. Bolt him for the win.

After five modern tournaments, my win-loss-draw so far is 11-9-3 (30-25). I'll try do better on my next set of modern tournaments with URg control.

Thank you very much for reading!

Tiyo Paeng
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