MODERN: FETCHLESS STORM

Blue-Red Fetchless Storm

Kick Engines MTG's Discord Online Modern Tournament

4 April 2021 

RD 1: Humans 2-1

RD 2: Grix Death's Shadow 2-0

RD 3: UW Thopter Combo 2-0

RD 4: Jund 1-2

RD 5: Esper Control 1-2

RD 6: UR Prowess 2-0

Q: Jund 2-1

S: Jund Death's Shadow 2-1

F: Jund 2-0

List. 

versus Humans

Game one: I was down to one when things started going my way. On my last upkeep, my hand was two rituals, Manamorphose, and an Opt. On my table: five blue-red lands and a couple of bears. The opponent had an army headed by Thalia, Guardian of Thraben. I drew for the turn, Unsubstantiate. I bounced the 2/1 white tax creature then Opt with high hopes that I will see either another Gifts Ungiven or Past in Flames or even a Grapeshot for reset purposes. I saw brick. Immediately brought it down and was gifted with a Repeal. I used it to bounce Kitesail Freeebooter which freed Gifts Ungiven and started cascading spells from there. The opponent had no answer and conceded once he saw the pile. 

Game two: The opponent had hates on-stick: two Meddling Mages naming Lightning Bolt and Goblin Electromancer, and two Kitesail Freebooters nabbing Abrade and ritual. My hand the entire game was: two Lightning Bolt, a golden goblin, and mana accels. 

Game three: On the play and saw this opening seven: three rituals, Manamorphose, Opt, Steam Vents, and an Empty the Warrens. Just one delay of land drop will tantamount to death. I pondered deeply on whether or not I will keep this very tempting seven. After like an eternity, I gave in to the temptation. 

The opponent opened the turn with a Leyline of the Void. My turn one: paid two life points for Steam Vents and pass. I cast the Opt on his end step and saw Shivan Reef. Pick it up untap my izzet shockland then draw for the turn, Goblin Electromancer. Dropped Shivan Reef into this sequence: ritual, morphose (drawing a bolt), electromancer, then the last two rituals. At this point - I had five storm count, five red mana floating, and the cards on my hand were an Empty the Warrens and a Lightning Bolt. I could bolt him and bring the storm count up to six then warrens for fourteen. Settled instead for twelve 1/1 goblins. My reasons: (i) twelve goblins and fourteen goblins have the same speed, and (ii) I was saving the Lightning Bolt as protection against Deputy of Detention, Echoing Truth or Detention Sphere-like spells. Win. 

versus Grix Death's Shadow

Game one: I called fourteen goblin tokens off the Empty the Warrens then pass the turn. On my upkeep, I checked our life points his at thirteen while mine was at eleven. He had two blockers, an Insectile Aberration and a Scourge of the Skyclaves. I drew for the turn, Repeal. Bounce one of his blockers and swung for lethal. Win. 

Game two: On my second to the last turn, first main phase, my hand had: Mystical Dispute, an Empty, and a Goblin Electromancer. I thought of calling four goblins, but my instinct says otherwise. So I only summoned the golden goblin and simply passed the turn. 

On my opponent's last turn, our life points were: him at fourteen and mine was at eight. We had the following on the table: him five blue-black lands only while I had two different bears, five blue-red lands (three of were open), an Aria of Flame with 2 counters on it. He started his last turn with a Kozilek's Return. I let it resolve and decided to save my counter spell for any of the following: Death's Shadow, Delver of Secrets, or Scourge of the Skyclaves. His next set of actions were fetchland into shockland (going down to eleven life points) into a 2/2 Death's Shadow.

I tried to deny its entry through Mystical Dispute (Aria of Flame got its third counter and his life point went down to eight) but was negated by Stubborn Denial. The black creature hit the table, checked his life total before shipping the turn. 

I untapped all my lands. Upkeep, checked the things on my table: five available blue-red lands, an Aria of Flame with three counters on it, and an Empty the Warrens on hand. I need two spells to win. Preferably a one-mana valued cantrip then Empty. A ritual or morphose will do too. I drew Desperate Ritual. Sweet! Win!  

Misplay: This was pointed out to me after the game by an audience. That one of my bears, Baral, Chief of Compliance, should not have had died when Kozilek's Return resolved for the latter only deals two and the former is 1/3.  

versus UW Urza Thopter Combo

Game one: He tapped all his mana for Urza, Lord High Artificer. I go off unmolested when I got my turn back. Past in Flames - Grapeshot (from hand) - flashbacked Remand sending Grapeshot back to hand - Grapeshot (same card). Win. 

Game two: On my last turn, our life points were: his at twenty-two and mine was at nineteen.  On our table, the opponent had four blue-white lands (all tapped out), a Sword of the Meek, and an Emry, Lurker of the Loch. While for my part, I had the following: An Aria of Flame with three counters and three lands. My hand after the draw was: two Manamorphoses and a Pieces of the Puzzle. 

I started the turn by casting one of the red-green cards. Aria deals four (twenty-two to eighteen). Manamorphose gifted me a bear. Dropped the bear then summoned the second morphose (got Sleight of Hand). Aria deals five (the opponent is now down to thirteen). Now to decide what color to float. I checked my hand: I saw blue cards (Pieces and Sleight). So, will it be blue-blue, red-blue, or red-red? 

I called two blue mana off the hybrid card. Brought Sleight of Hand (U left) down to the table. Aria of Flame deals six (he is now at seven life points). 

I was hoping for another cantrip spell but was momentarily sadden when I saw these: Steam Vents and Past in Flames. I checked my hand (Pieces of the Puzzle) and on my table, a bear. Immediately saw the connection. Picked the dual land over the engine. Dropped it. Paid two life points into Pieces of the Puzzle. Aria of Flame triggering for the last time dealing exactly seven damage for the win.  

versus Jund

Game one: I called a mob of goblins but was dealt single-handedly Maelstrom Pulse. I did not recover after that. 

Game two: If I am not mistaken, I won this game via Aria of Flame. I cannot remember the specific spells and their sequence. But what I can recall was that most of the spells were cantrip that fueled me to victory. 

Game three: I had ten goblin tokens on my fourth turn. He had a Plagued Engineer the turn after. From there, discard spells plus Liliana of the Veil's +1 discard ability controlled my hand.   

versus Esper

I lost this round in three games because the opponent was able to refill his hand at a faster rate, thanks to Teferi, Time Raveler, Teferi, Hero of Dominaria, and Jace, the Mind Sculptor. Not to mention these: Cryptic Command, Opt, and Snapcaster Mage. 

versus UR Prowess

Game one: The opponent had a hot start. Three one-drop 1/2 prowess red creatures plus two one-mana-valued red spells immediately ate thirteen off my life points in just two swings. On my last turn, I reap a bear off the library. I dropped my third land, Shivan Reef, then began surveying the opponent's table through my phone's screen and saw all cards were tapped. The coast is clear, but one thing is bothering me - that shipping back the turn to him would surely mean death. 

So I looked at my hand: Baral, Chief of Compliance, Island, Desperate Ritual, Manamorphose, Gifts Ungiven, Remand, and Opt; and thought of the possible routes.  

The first option: bear-ritual-morphose-gifts which probably will end up me praying hard to Keranos for a mana accelerant off the Manamorphose (that is from the gifts pile). The Second option is bear-ritual-morphose-Opt-gifts. Slightly better than the first because it digs a card or two if you decide to bottom it off Opt's scry. And the last option: bear-ritual-morphose-Opt (on the stack)-Remand-Remand draw-Baral draw then discard. Certainly, drawing three cards is better than the first two options. So I elected to go with option three.

Dropped the blue 1/3 bear into ritual into Manamorphose (2R 2U storm count is now three). Manamorphose bestowed a ritual. Sweet! Cast it and without passing the priority yet, Remanded it. Ritual returned to hand. Remand draw - then draw an extra card off the Baral trigger. The opponent, being a storm player as well, conceded after I presented the pile because he knows where it is going. Win. 

Game two: I summoned twelve goblin tokens. The opponent only had two lands throughout the game. I win in two swings. After the game, he told me that he had a Kozilek's Return in hand and was only lacking one more land. 

Quarters versus Jund   

Game one: The opponent tapped all lands at one point then pass the turn. I wasted no time cascading spells when I got back my turn for I know this is the only window I am going to have to go off without worrying about any in respond spot removals for my bear. Gifts Ungiven - pile - Grapeshot - Past in Flames - Grapeshot for the win.

Game two: The opponent had all the answers to every non-land permanent I put onto the table. A few turns after, I decided to go all-in for twelve goblin tokens with a bolt-on hand as protection in case a pulse shows up. Sadly, it was Plague Engineer who joined the party. I never recovered after that ordeal.

Game three: The opponent had fetch into shockland plus two Thoughtseizes on his early turns. So on my third turn (or fourth turn it was) I settled for only eight goblin tokens. As the game progressed, no Maelstrom Pulse at sight but there were two Tarmogoyfs and a Liliana of the Veil. I won in few swings.

Semis versus Jund Death's Shadow

I forgot how things went on games one and two. For game three, however, I still do - through Aria of Flame.

Finals versus Jund 

Game one: The opponent kept a hand of no disrupt spells nor spot removals for the bear. I had a turn three unmolested storm combo. Grapeshot - Past in Flames - recycled a few spells in the graveyard - Grapeshot. 

Game two: The opponent mulled to five. No discard spells nor a permanent removal in his opening five, Aria of Flame got me there. Win! 

Paeng_Paeng