{"ops":[{"insert":"Kess Poison Storm"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThis is my attempt to build a casual bracket 3 manual storm deck, based on my experience with playing various storm decks in modern, pauper and cEDH.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Why "},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Kess, Dissident Mage"}},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":" ?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nBecause she doesn't matter! This deck doesn't need it's commander, just like cEDH kess back in 2019 often won without playing kess. \nThe main reason is just to have access to grixis colors without playing a \"build around\" commander. You could build this deck with RogSi (lol), Cormella, etc. But i like how kess is just there when i might need her, even if i rarely do need her.\n\nAlso. Inalla was my first precon and Kess was my first cEDH deck, before breach and thoracle. Good times.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Keeping it casual"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nIt's really not that difficult to build a \"bracket 3\" storm deck with just 3 gamechangers that can win fast (include 0 cmc mana rocks) or consistent (include GC tutors). My cEDH Ral deck can easily storm of turn 2, so by cutting just a few mana rocks, storming of turn 3-4 is pretty easy. But where's the fun in that?\n\nSelf imposed limitations to keep this deck casual:\n\nNo gamechangers. Nobody at a bracket 3 table wants to see you make a "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Gifts Ungiven"}},{"insert":" pile. Unfortunatly..."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"No free spells to increase the storm count: We only need to get to storm count 7-8, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Gitaxian Probe"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lava Dart"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mishra's Bauble"}},{"insert":" like cards would make that \"to easy\"."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Counterspells must be modal or have a synergy. More on this later"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"No backup wincons and infinite combo's. It's manual storm only, no cheating"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"If there's a \"worse\" equivalent of a spell, but that spell has flashback, i try to play the flashback spell. Example: "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Arcane Infusion"}},{"insert":" vs "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Peer Through Depths"}},{"insert":" "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"What is manual storm?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThe short awnser: An art.\n\nTo understand manual storm, we need to introduce it's more recent counterpart: combo storm.\n\nCombo storm is a kind of combo, usually consisting of 3 to 4 cards where the end result is a very large or infinite storm count. This is achieved by casting a few very specific cards over and over again. The most well known combo is probably "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lion's Eye Diamond"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Underworld Breach"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Brain Freeze"}},{"insert":". While not \"infinite\", you keep recasting LED and brain freeze fuels the escape costs. Yes, this is storm, but it's not in any way casual or, to me, enjoyable outside of cEDH\n\nManual storm is the opposite. It's the chaining of many "},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"different"},{"insert":" spells to increase the storm count. This is usually done with rituals and draw spells, fueled by cost reducers and extended with recursion. The fun and complexity lies in not knowing where you'll end up. Each draw, surveil or tutor will have you make multiple descisions figuring out the best way to squeeze out just a few more storm counts.\n\nThe problem with manual storm, and also the reason why combo storm is more popular, is that most storm wincons like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Grapeshot"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Brain Freeze"}},{"insert":" need a very large storm count to kill 3 players. There used to be a \"wincon\" that recuired a lower storm count, but "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Volcanic Awakening"}},{"insert":" isn't that casual. \n\nLuckily for us storm players, the printing of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Radstorm"}},{"insert":" made pauper's greatest storm deck, poison storm, a viable option in EDH.\n\nWhile this manual storming does still see play formats like pauper, modern and legacy, EDH has a preference for \"easy\" A + B + C combo's. These end the game a lot faster than manual storm, which brings me to the following disclaimer...\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Disclaimer: Are we dead yet?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nMe: \"Storm count 1\"\nMy playgroup: \"Are we dead yet?\"\n\nModern Gifts Storm (and other storm decks) have given manual storm a bad reputation by taking very long turns and then sometimes not even winning. To avoid this, it's important that you spend a lot of time playtesting (aka goldfishing) this deck to get a feel of how storm turns go and when to commit to \"storming off\".\n\nWhile not everyone will apreciate dying to poison storm, most people will respect you if you can handle your storm turn fast and with clear communication.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Winconditions"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThere's only one wincondition in this deck: \n\nGive your opponents a poison counter."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Get your storm count up to 8 (or less if you come across some proliferate effects or other poison spells)"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Cast "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Radstorm"}},{"insert":" to proliferate the poison counters to 10. "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nIts step 2 that we're most interested in, because that's the real challenge in playing this deck. But i'll go over each step in detail and provide some tips and tricks.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Step 0: the setup"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThis deck only plays my favorite kind of ramp: cost reduction. When a spell costs 2U, that cost should reflect what you're getting for your 3 mana. Casting that spell for only U is usually very good and exactly what we need to chain multiple spells in our storm turn.\n\nThis deck runs 10 to 14 cards that make our instants and sorceries cheaper. Ideally, we want to drop one turn 2 and another one on a later turn, either our storm turn, or the turn before we plan to go of. I'll go over some notable cost reducers:\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mindsplice Apparatus"}},{"insert":": 4 mana is a lot, but it has flash, so cast this on the endstep before your turn to get that 1 reduction. The (obvious) synergy here is with the proliferate cards we run. Just getting this up to 2 will make most of our spells cost only 1 mana. Get it higher and a lot of flashback costs get closer to 1 or 2 mana. It's one of the best cards in the deck. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mystical Teachings"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Waterlogged Teachings // Inundated Archive"}},{"insert":" can find this.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mizzix of the Izmagnus"}},{"insert":" : Again, 4 mana is a lot, but this guy proliferates himself (herself?). Mizzix has a lot of niche interactions, like how casting "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Deep Analysis"}},{"insert":" for it's flashback cost is still a 4 mana spell. When you have 1 experience counter, cast a 2 cmc spell, and in response to mizzix trigger, cast another 2 cmc spell. This will trigger mizzix again, and you'll have 3 experience counters without having to cast a 3 cmc spell.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Catalyst Stone"}},{"insert":": flashback is expensive. Sadly (but fortunatly), kess doesn't give flashback. But many other cards do or have flashback. 2 mana for a 2 mana cost reduction will easily pay for itself and more.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Glamdring, Foe-hammer // Gleam of Death"}},{"insert":" : primarily included for the adventure part, which is pretty good. Then, this card kinda waits in exile as a back up cost reducer. If things go badly and people remove your cost reducer (which they should!!), you can cast this and equip it to kess.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ral, Monsoon Mage // Ral, Leyline Prodigy"}},{"insert":": I've considered cutting this card because it's too good. Don't be affraid to flip it before you've reached the 6 instant/sorcery casts needed to -8 him on the flip. We can proliferate him if needed. If you get him to -8, it's probably GG.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Storm-Kiln Artist"}},{"insert":": It's good, perhaps also to good, but i don't like it because it's not \"real\" cost reduction. I'll probably cut him for "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Geist of Saint Thalia"}},{"insert":". Card has a bad reputation and it's usually not a good idea to play turn 4 storm-kiln, pass...\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Step 1: the poisoning"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThe deck includes only 4 cards that can give poison counters. I've chosen to include only instants and sorceries that give each opponent a poison counter. No infect creatures, no "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tainted Strike"}},{"insert":" and no "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ichor Rats"}},{"insert":".\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Prologue to Phyresis"}},{"insert":": the best poisoner. Instant speed, easily tutorable, draws us a card. I've considered running only this one, but then why would we need black? If you like to yolo just prologue + radstorm, check out my "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/17755663/50_professor_zei_high_tide"},"insert":"izzet high tide deck"},{"insert":".\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Infectious Inquiry"}},{"insert":": the second best poisoner, mainly because it draws us cards.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vraska's Fall"}},{"insert":": the third best. I don't really care for the edict effect but it's instant speed. it's here to poison, i'd cast it into an empty board.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Phyresis Outbreak"}},{"insert":": the worst, but sometimes the best poisoner. The card gets worse the less proliferate effects i run, and when it's good, we're already close to winning.\n\nBesides just drawing one, it's always best to tutor for prologue. See additional tips for tutor chains.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Step 2: the storming"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Step 3: the proliferating"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Additional card discussion and tips"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Quiet Speculation"}},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":" piles and tutor chaining:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Teachings for a teachings:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThis refers to a concept in pauper teaching decks, where on endstep you cast "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mystical Teachings"}},{"insert":" to find another "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mystical Teachings"}},{"insert":" . This is mainly done for deck thining and to use up mana if you don't really need to find a specific card. In this deck however, assuming you've already poisoned, it's not always optimal to search "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Radstorm"}},{"insert":" on endstep with mystical teachings. This is a great giveaway that the end is near. By using "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mystical Teachings"}},{"insert":" to find "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Waterlogged Teachings // Inundated Archive"}},{"insert":" (or vice versa), you end up with a tutor in hand and a tutor in the graveyard. Depending on your recursion and cost reduction, this can be more mana efficient then just casting teachings twice during your storm turn. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"The counterspells:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nBesides "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Unwind"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rewind"}},{"insert":" , which are closer to rituals than counterspells, this deck runs modal counterspells. I really have to give credit here to Fykshyn over on moxfield for this idea. It's something my cEDH \"counters must be super efficient\" mindset wouldn't have easily considered without reading his "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://moxfield.com/decks/cG86ojh6MEuoj9aIzUUiKQ"},"insert":"great primer"},{"insert":". Check it out!\n\nThe modal counterspells: "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Confounding Riddle"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Confusticate and Bebother"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Supreme Will"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"You Find the Villains' Lair"}},{"insert":" \n\nAlso modal but currently not in the deck. worth considering tho: "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Amazing Acrobatics"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Brutal Expulsion"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Insidious Will"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Izzet Charm"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Soul Read"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Spellgyre"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Three Steps Ahead"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Urza's Rebuff"}},{"insert":" \n\nThe idea is that, these spells can be cast for their non-counterspell effect to keep the storm count going. If possible, we prefer the second mode to be a draw/loot/impulse effect and it appears that wotc is printing more of these effects each set. I try to keep them at 3 cmc with just one blue pip, but you can adjust these to your needs.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Whirlwind Denial"}},{"insert":": It's not as good as flusterstorm, but with cost reduction, it's pretty powerfull. It also doesn't need a target, so worst case, just cast it for U to up your storm count.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Other interaction:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nor lack thereoff....\n\nThe deck is very low on removal or proactive hate because there's just not that much stopping us. I play "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rule of Law"}},{"insert":" in some of my bracket 3 decks and i think more people should. But besides that, there's just not much that i care about.\n\nI brought a poison storm deck to the table, i wont hide behind "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Propaganda"}},{"insert":" or tutor for "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Toxic Deluge"}},{"insert":" so i can live a few more turns and storm off.\n\n\nWhat is (sometimes) included:\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cathartic Pyre"}},{"insert":" : same as counterspells, damage or card draw. (i want more of these effects!)\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Snap"}},{"insert":" : ah yes, \"removal\".\n\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Recursion:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nBesides the obvious "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Past in Flames"}},{"insert":" and Kess herself, there are some notable interactions with some of our recursion spells.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mission Briefing"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Inspiration from Beyond"}},{"insert":" don't target cards in your graveyard. Meaning, once it starts resolving, nobody can interact with what you're choosing.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kess, Dissident Mage"}},{"insert":" has a similar ruling. If you have priority and the spell you've just cast resolves, you can imediatly cast it again with kess. This is mainly only relevant with sorceries, because even if you don't have priority, you can cast an instant with kess in response to, for example, an exiling effect.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sorceress's Schemes"}},{"insert":": "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mystic Retrieval"}},{"insert":" that can also get an exiled flashback card back and it gives you a red mana? Nice. (note that a card getting flashback from past in flames no longer has flashback once it's exiled)\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"The manabase:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThe deck is surprisingly both red and blue hungry. A lot of storm strategies will heavily favor red due to it's rituals, but in this deck, not tapping correctly and missing a single blue or red mana at key moments will cost you the game. There's also multiple flashback costs with black.\n\nWhile i do enjoy a good budget brew, I chose a full fetch shock manabase for this deck. Call me lazy, but without mana rocks for color fixing, i didn't always enjoy this deck runnig a budget manabase. It's possible, see the linked primer over at the counterspells section. \n\nProxy a decent manabase even if your playgroup isn't proxy friendly! There's a difference between proxying a few fetch shocks and running proxy force of will in each deck. (end rant)\n"}]}