My tournament report from the Northern Virginian Legacy Draft event! I opted to play a deck I am quite familiar with and understand — The EPIC Storm.

After Kadilak’s Dual Land Draft I decided I needed a new sideboarding plan. I decided that I needed “blasts” ([[Pyroblast]] and [[Red Elemental Blast]]) in the sideboard. Because of these changes, there wasn’t enough space in the sideboard for [[Orim’s Chant]]. I was thinking of options and looked back at old notes and thought, “Why not just switch the number of [[Orim’s Chant]] and [[Xantid Swarm]]!”

[[Orim’s Chant]] is a much stronger effect against control decks and when backed by [[Red Elemental Blast]] and [[Pyroblast]], it also acts as a pseudo [[Time Walk]] after an [[Empty the Warrens]] which is a huge deciding factor. For this reason, The EPIC Storm tends to be favored versus Landstill and Threshold in post-board games and a terrific reason to play TES over a deck like Belcher at the moment.

The trip begins with a message from Matt Abold (Bigbear102), “I’m driving my mom’s car down, be at Adam’s at 1pm or you’re not going.” Funnily enough, everyone is waiting at Adam Barnello’s playing Type 4 until 2:30pm when Matt eventually arrives.

We stop for food hours into the trip a combination ice-cream stand and a Subway (they’ll really build them anywhere). Matt ends up buying a chocolate covered banana for his meal, which we can’t get enough of — I opt for a Buffalo chicken sub. We’re driving on 81N for about roughly thirty minutes before we realize it and have to back-track down, an hour wasted! At this point we hit some terrible weather and a traffic jam.

During this time, I take TES out of my bag and start goldfishing. I quickly started getting frustrated at [[Plunge into Darkness]] (I’ve had a lot of problems with it as of late). Adam takes my binder and starts flipping through and says why not test a [[Tinder Wall]]. To which I say, “why not?” I open my first hand and it is a first turn kill because of [[Tinder Wall]] — it was meant to be. Every time I drew the copies of [[Tinder Wall]], I was always glad they weren’t [[Plunge into Darkness]]. I’m in.

We finally get to Virginia and call up Allen Sorensen (URABAHN) but he’s out to dinner, we decide to do the same. After dinner, we end up at Allen’s — it was a party all night. I got in some great trades and then tested my new list versus Brian Diefendorf (Ewokslayer) on Cephalid Breakfast (a deck I was very much worried about). it seemed like every game Brian opened a consistent turn two kill backed by [[Force of Will]]. I had enough and went to get some sleep down stairs next to Phil Stolze (Legacyplayer0) and Greg (Nantuko Shady) around 2AM — I knew I needed some sleep at some point if I wanted to do well in the event.

Northern Virginian Legacy Draft

Round One – Jordan with Blecher

Game One:

Not knowing what I’m up against, I decide to play it safe with a [[Xantid Swarm]] instead of going for it. Jordan was also casting [[Rite of Flame]] along with some [[Seething Song]] into a [[Goblin Charbelcher]].

Sideboarding: -2 [[Xantid Swarm]], + 1 [[Duress]], +1 [[Infernal Contract]]

Game Two:

I look at my opening hand of: [[Brainstorm]], [[Burning Wish]], [[Burning Wish]], [[Gemstone Mine]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and [[Infernal Tutor]]. I play [[Gemstone Mine]], go. Jordan barely makes six mana to cast [[Burning Wish]] into [[Empty the Warrens]]. I [[Brainstorm]] on the end-step. Untap, [[Burning Wish]] for [[Cave-In]], and get a concession from there.

Game Three:

Jordan casts [[Land Grant]] revealing [[Tinder Wall]], [[Simian Spirit Guide]], [[Seething Song]], [[Seething Song]], and [[Goblin Charbelcher]].

Round Two – Brian with GW Midrange

Game One:

Brian wins the die roll and starts off on [[Savannah]] into [[Birds of Paradise]]. I play land and pass the turn back with hopes of winning the game on the following turn. Brian’s next turn shocks me as a land with [[Elvish Spirit Guide]] cast an [[Ivory Mask]]! I get too caught up in being thrown off and begin down a convoluted path to win the game using [[Burning Wish]] into [[Tranquility]]. It ends up being a wild game where there ends up being four, actual four, copies of [[Diminishing Returns]] cast before the plan works. In hindsight, it could’ve been a lot safer to just cast a lethal [[Empty the Warrens]].

Sideboarding: -2 [[Xantid Swarm]], + 1 [[Duress]], +1 [[Infernal Contract]]

Game Two:

I keep an opening hand of: [[Infernal Tutor]], [[Infernal Tutor]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[City of Brass]], [[Chrome Mox]], [[Tinder Wall]], and [[Burning Wish]]. The opponent has the same exact start as the first game! I play [[City of Brass]], [[Chrome Mox]] (Imprint: [[Infernal Tutor]]), [[Burning Wish]], for [[Infernal Contract]]. Brian plays a land and [[Tarmogoyf]]. I draw [[Gemstone Mine]] and then cast [[Dark Ritual]] into [[Infernal Contract]]. Which draws [[Orim’s Chant]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Dark Ritual]], and [[Infernal Tutor]]! WOW! I now play [[Dark Ritual]] and [[Tinder Wall]], sacrifice [[Tinder Wall]], cast [[Infernal Tutor]] (Revealing: [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]]) (floating ), play both copies of [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]]. I now [[Infernal Tutor]] (sacrficing the [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]]s) for [[Ill-Gotten Gains]] and end up winning with a [[Tendrils of Agony]].

Round Three – John with Dredge

Game One:

I play [[City of Brass]] and [[Tinder Wall]]. John has a strong start of [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Cephalid Coliseum]], and then cycles [[Street Wraith]]. This begins a whole lot of Dredge-ing and is ultimately left with 10 cards in the library and I deduce that two of them are [[Bridge from Below]]. John is very careful about passing priority. John doesn’t cast [[Cabal Therapy]] out of fear that I would just exile the [[Bridge from Below]]s. Instead a [[Dread Return]] targeting [[Flame-Kin Zealot]] is on the stack, I do the math and can live! I block with [[Tinder Wall]]. Fortunately for me, I draw [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] for turn! I play a pair of [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] into [[Infernal Tutor]] which prompts a concession.

Sideboarding: -2 [[Xantid Swarm]], –2 [[Simian Spirit Guide]], –1 [[Empty the Warrens]], +3 [[Pyroblast]], +2 [[Red Elemental Blast]]

Game Two:

John keeps a four card hand and then starts off with a [[Leyline of Sanctity]], [[Cephalid Coliseum]], and [[Breakthrough]]! My hand after the draw step is: [[City of Brass]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Simian Spirit Guide]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Infernal Tutor]], [[Burning Wish]], and [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]]. [[City of Brass]] tap it for [[Dark Ritual]], [[Simian Spirit Guide]] to cast [[Rite of Flame]], [[Infernal Tutor]] (Revealing: [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]]), [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Burning Wish]] for [[Ill-Gotten Gains]]. [[Ill-Gotten Gains]] back [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and [[Infernal Tutor]]. Cast them all again for [[Empty the Warrens]].

Round Four – Nick Wowelko with Belcher

Game One:

Nick casts [[Empty the Warrens]] for 14 [[Goblin Token]]s on the first turn. I am stuck with [[Burning Wish]] for [[Cave-In]] with no red card. Nick attacks on the second turn putting me down to six life. I draw a red card and cast [[Cave-In]], however, leaves me very low on life. Nick plays a [[Wild Cantor]] and eventually kills me with it.

Sideboarding: -2 [[Xantid Swarm]], + 1 [[Duress]], +1 [[Infernal Contract]]

Game Two:

Nick “combos-off” and walks into an [[Orim’s Chant]]. On my turn, I [[Empty the Warrens]] for 14 [[Goblin Token]]s.

Game Three:

Nick’s first turn is: [[Chrome Mox]] (Imprint: [[Dark Ritual]]), cast [[Dark Ritual]], remove [[Elvish Spirit Guide]], [[Goblin Charbelcher]], cast [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and sacrifice [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] to activate [[Goblin Charbelcher]]. Nick reveals [[Taiga]] as the first card! I look at my hand of [[Tinder Wall]], [[Burning Wish]], [[Lotus Petal]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Orim’s Chant]], [[City of Brass]], and [[Infernal Tutor]]. I draw [[Brainstorm]] for the turn. I play [[Tinder Wall]], sacrifice it to cast [[Burning Wish]] for [[Shattering Spree]]. At this point, play [[Lotus Petal]], [[Rite of Flame]], and then cast the [[Shattering Spree]] to kill both [[Goblin Charbelcher]] and [[Chrome Mox]]! We play “draw, go” for a few turns, until I cast a [[Duress]]. On the following turn, I manage to cast [[Ill-Gotten Gains]] into the win.

Round Five – Chris Coppola (Machinus) with RUG Threshold

Game One:

I am a little cautious of combo-ing off, I’m stuck on two lands on turn 5. I [[Brainstorm]], Chris in response casts [[Brainstorm]] and then plays [[Daze]] (I pay for it). Chris is now tapped out, I cast [[Chrome Mox]] (Imprint: [[Orim’s Chant]]) and then cast an [[Orim’s Chant]]. [[Force of Will]] counters my [[Orim’s Chant]], I play another [[Chrome Mox]] (Imprint: [[Dark Ritual]]) cast [[Dark Ritual]], Chris thinks for what seems like a long time. The [[Dark Ritual]] ultimately reolves, I then remove [[Simian Spirit Guide]], cast [[Empty the Warrens]] for 18 [[Goblin Token]]s!

Sideboarding: -3 [[Empty the Warrens]], -2 [[Tinder Wall]], +3 [[Pyroblast]], +2 [[Red Elemental Blast]]

Game Two:

We slowly sculpt our hands since Chris hasn’t established a clock to apply pressure, but then establishes “Counter-Top” ([[Counterbalance]] & [[Sensei’s Divining Top]]). I somehow manage to get a [[Xantid Swarm]] to resolve and then a [[Diminishing Returns]]. I unfortunately have to pass the turn due to the [[Counterbalance]] after drawing all artifact mana, [[Orim’s Chant]], and [[Tendrils of Agony]]. on Chris’s turn he activates [[Sensei’s Divining Top]], flops top, and then casts [[Pyroclasm]] to kill [[Xantid Swarm]]. On my next turn, I cast all my artifact mana (Storm 5), I cast [[Rite of Flame]], Chris chooses to not reveal for [[Counterbalance]], and then I cast [[Orim’s Chant]]. Chris plays a[[Force of Will]]. YES! That’s exactly What I needed! This puts Chris to an even 18 life and increases the Storm to 8! I then cast [[Tendrils of Agony]] (Storm 9).

Round Six – Jesse Hatfield (Mad Zur) with Cephalid Breakfast

Top Eight – Zohar Bhagat (Powergamer1003) with UWb Landstill

Game One:

Zohar mulligans to five. I cast [[Dark Ritual]], Zohar plays [[Force of Will]], I combo through it.

Sideboarding: -3 [[Empty the Warrens]], -2 [[Tinder Wall]], +3 [[Pyroblast]], +2 [[Red Elemental Blast]]

Game Two: