[Discussion/Question] Opening hand strategy - Shortbus Gifts

[Dante]

So it's round 1 of a tournament and you're opponent is playing first.  You've got a Gifts deck like the one Ben Kowal just won SCG Chicago with.  Your opponent's deck is unknown.

Your opening hand is:

2 x Underground Sea
Duress
Sol Ring
Brainstorm
Mana Drain
Gifts Ungiven

Your oppenent plays Polluted Delta and passes the turn.  You draw a second Brainstorm.

What is your play on your turn and why? Obviously you plan an Underground and then...

1. Duress your opponent - this will find out what he's playing as well as the obviously powerful effect of Duress.  But will he brainstorm?

2. Brainstorm right away

3. Pass the turn, brainstorm at the appropriate time during their turn

4. Play the Sol Ring so that on your next turn, barring wasteland, you'll have drain mana up AND mana to gifts at the end of their turn if there is nothing juicy to Drain.

Bill

[Outlaw]

I have been playing the deck for quite awhile, only a few tourneys after Andy handed me the deck list and told me to play it.  Personally I would open with the duress, it has the most potent effect because then you know how to play your cards in the following turns.  If they do respond with a brainstorm, theres the chance that they will also find three great cards off the storm and proceed to have you take something of significance, a first turn duress allows you to control their game by crossing off cards that they play (I really hope you write down their hand!). 

[Machinus]

Since they laid a Delta and passed without any action, it is likely they are playing a drain deck. In this position, they will have drain mana up first, and they will have to do something at the end of their second turn since you will lay a land and pass. In this position, you definitely don't want to lay sol ring since you want to cast sol and gifts off drain mana. If all you had was two lands, it might be a good idea to brainstorm at EOT to find another source, but with the sol, you can afford to play duress and take their counter or 3cc broken/draw spell.

[Klep]

I agree with Outlaw and Machinus.  The Duress is the strongest play.  Playing Sol Ring isn't very good because though it would allow you to Gifts sooner, it won't allow you to do so sooner than your Drain would, so you can afford to wait a bit to play it.  In addition, you don't have a red source yet, and you probably want to have the option of Recoup open when you Gifts, another reason to allow delaying it.  Brainstorm would be nice, but you still have a turn or so before you need to find more land, and you can Brainstorm at the end of their second turn if they don't play anything you need to Drain.

Duress, on the other hand, provides a tangible benefit right now in letting you see what they're playing and stunting their development by taking an important spell. Your opponent might Brainstorm, but even then you've defused the potential for Brainstorming and shuffling away dead cards as he now has to break his fetch first in order to Brainstorm away cards he's protecting, which also sets him back.

[Dante]

I would also Duress - I thought it was a pretty simple decision, but wanted to see everyone's responses....more than likely, you're up against a drain deck, but keep TPS in mind too.

Let's try Scenario 2.  New opponent, game 1, you have no idea what he's playing.  You win the die roll and play first.

Your opening hand is:

2 x Fetchland
Duress
2 x Mana Drain
1 x Thirst for Knowledge
1 x Off-color Mox (emerald or pearl)

You crack a fetch for a first turn Duress and see:

Fetchland
Forbidden Orchard
3 x Oath of Druids
Duress
Mana Drain

Obviously taking an Oath is silly because they will duress you next turn, leaving 1 Mana Drain for 2 Oaths.  This situation actually came up during game 1 of Round 2 vs an Oath deck.  I took the Duress because I could mana drain two Oaths and with the Thirst and whatever else I draw hopefully draw into another Counter/Duress.

[Machinus]

I think taking duress is the right play. This leaves them with no turn 1 play, and they don't know you have two drains. They will oath, you drain and you get to TfK (don't lay the mox!) next turn with drain mana still up. By the time they get to the 3rd Oath, you should have something serious going with your deck.

[Outlaw]

I think taking duress is the right play. This leaves them with no turn 1 play, and they don't know you have two drains. They will oath, you drain and you get to TfK (don't lay the mox!) next turn with drain mana still up. By the time they get to the 3rd Oath, you should have something serious going with your deck.

I'll second that, its obviously the best course to take.  You'll hopefully end up outdrawing them completely, the +2 CA off thirst should pull you a brainstorm or another piece of counter magic, putting you in considerable position.

[Klep]

Once again, I agree. This is a much more trivial decision than the first.  Worst case scenario is that they draw a Mox and can play an Oath turn 1, but you can't stop that no matter what you take.

[Hi-Val]

Duress also gets weaker as the game goes on. It's like this:

T1: You want to cast Duress or Brainstorm
T2: You want to Mana Drain something cool
T3: You want to cast Sol Ring, Thirst or Gifts
T4: Profit!

The only time when you can fit Duress in is the first turn, since that's the only time you have mana to spare. Casting Brainstorm is gravy and all, but it may or may not find you something to take out an opponent's threat while Duress will definitely do that. Also, you seem to have enough card draw already and might want to save the Brainstorm so that you can drop Sol and Brainstorm on the third turn if you don't find that other land. Duress will have eased some of the pressure in that case.