Show & Storm

[Islandswamp]

Hello everyone.

I'm new to Vintage, I play all my Magic on Magic Online. A few weeks ago, I sold some Legacy cards that I wasn't using, bought a set of power, and fell in love with Vintage.

I have played a Gush/Tendrils list that I downloaded, and a TPS deck as well.

I've also tried my hand at making my own deck. I was inspired by a post in here, and since that thread is very old, I decided to start this one.

The deck I made has most of the parts of a Storm deck, but uses Show and Tell as a way to get either Yawgmoth's Bargain, Griselbrand, or if  needed, Necropotence or Blightsteel Colossus.

This list is my most recent build, and it's worked ok so far. I haven't been playing Vintage long, and I think that some of my losses were pretty preventable.

1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
1 Black Lotus
4 Dark Ritual
1 Cabal Ritual
3 Underground Sea
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Polluted Delta
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Verdant Catacombs
3 Griselbrand
1 Yawgmoth's Bargain
1 Necropotence
1 Mind's Desire
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Ancestral Recall
4 Force of Will
1 Time Walk
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Lotus Petal
1 Brainstorm
4 Show and Tell
1 Ponder
1 Island
1 Swamp
1 Rebuild
3 Duress
3 Mental Misstep
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Tinker
1 Blightsteel Colossus

Sideboard
1 Steel Sabotage
1 Yixlid Jailer
3 Rebuild
1 Island
2 Flusterstorm
3 Tormod's Crypt
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Misdirection
1 Mindbreak Trap
1 Thoughtseize

First off, I built the sideboard by using a similar type of setup that my TPS deck had. The decks have a lot of similarities, and since I am not that experienced in the format yet, I felt this would be the safest bet.

I built the list to have a lot of disruptive cards, like the TPS deck. But, I wanted a deck that didn't fear Sphere effects as much. This deck can win just by resolving a Show and Tell, or a Tinker, and attacking with Griselbrand or Blightsteel Colossus. I played a match the other night where I won the first game with my opponent having a Sphere of Resistance on the table, a Chalice of the Void set at one, and a Null rod out. He was playing a deck that also had some counterspells, but I took one with a Duress the turn before going off with Show and Tell, landing Gris, riding it to victory.

I lost the next two games, but that was my fault. The deck gave me one more good run game three, and I made an awful error.

Anyway, if anyone has any opinions, or constructive criticisms, that would be great. I'm new to Vintage, as I said, and I'd like to know if this idea is worth the effort, or if I should just pack it in and play an established list.

One more thing, Necropotence feels so underwhelming so much of the time. It doesn't work as well in this list, I feel. And I'd like to work in another tutor, or more Preordains.

[KanaKaishou]

See:
http://www.themanadrain.com/index.php?topic=44291.0

This is an old idea (but, a very good one!)

[Islandswamp]

See:
http://www.themanadrain.com/index.php?topic=44291.0

This is an old idea (but, a very good one!)

Yeah, I saw that thread. I went to post a reply, and got a message saying "this thread is over x years old, are you sure you want to reply to it?"

So, I went with this.

Once I remembered you can Show and Tell a Yawgmoth's Bargain, I was hooked. I started building the deck right away.

The only problems that I've had, really, is that It seems to have some clunky draws sometimes. Like, too many high CMC bombs and no way to play them. I've been spoiled by Legacy, and shuffling away unwanted cards four times a game with Brainstorm  .

When I was playing last night, one match I decided to sideboard in such a way as to emphasize the control elements more, and less on the storm. That worked well, and I was able to win by attacking.

If Jace seems odd at all in the list, I understand. He is here as an alternate win-condition, but also to help in a control role. Also, as a second brainstorm, so I can put back a drawn Colossus if needed.

[Hrishi]

That was going to be my suggestion. I have messed around with something like this in the past, but I sometimes got some ridiculously clunky draws. You might want to consider increasing your library manipulation in order to fix your draws better? You could run 4 Preordains and cut some of the chaff from the list. I'm not convinced you need Jace since you have so many ways to win. There might be other spaces you can make in order to include 4 Preordains. As you said yourself, we only get 1 Brainstorm in Vintage, but 4 Preordains isn't too bad. Of course, it does not help your starting hand being clunky but at least you aren't at the mercy of your top deck.

[Islandswamp]

I just had a match where the deck did exactly what you want, and it was great. I was playing against a grixis control deck (i think, I won by turn two both times) so I had counterspells to fight through and everything.


I played without necropotence tonight also, I ran one preordain in it's place. I didn't play the preordain, but I didn't miss the Necro.

The other thing that happened, is griselbrand got stuck in my hand. I had no Show and Tell, and I was one mana shy from hard-casting it with two dark rituals. I mulled to 4 that game, so it was expected that I'd lose.

I would take an established deck to an event before I'd take this list in it's current incarnation. Ultimately, I fear that the deck isn't going to be consistent enough. It's too bad, too. I really enjoy it.

One more thing, through reading this forum, I've gained a lot of insight as to how decks and the meta have evolved over the years. I see posts speaking about draw7 spells aren't as safe a bet as they once were, because of cards like Mental Misstep means that your opponents are more likely to get free counterspells in their new hand of 7.

The premise of this deck was to replace those types of cards with griselbrand and show and tell.

I just don't want to end up playing a worse Oath deck.

[mmcgeach]

I had a some success with this deck a while back.  I decided the preordains were basically required so you didn't draw extra griselbrands.  

I'm not really sold on blightsteel in this list.  I'd probably go with a timetwister and preordains.

If control decks are a problem, you could try boseiju.  Probably with imperial seal to help find it.  

Edit: the old show & storm thread is here: http://www.themanadrain.com/index.php?topic=44327.0  (not the ritual-oath thread)