Episode 040 — The Winners and Losers in the New World

Hello, and welcome back to another episode of The Brainstorm Show! In this episode we chop through all of the hot takes about the post-Deathrite format, and distill down a list of the big winners, the bad losers, and everything in between. PLUS, we unveil two patented Brainstorm Show lists: Grixis Faeries and Grixis Control. Check them out below:

The Brainstorm Show’s Grixis Faeries:
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Bitterblossom
4 Spellstutter Sprite
1 Vendilion Clique

4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
4 Stifle
3 Spell Pierce
1 Spell Snare
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Fatal Push

3 Underground Sea
3 Volcanic Island
4 Flooded Strand
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Wasteland

SB
1 Flusterstorm
3 Surgical Extraction
2 Thoughtseize
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
1 Gurmag Angler
3 Rough//Tumble
2 Diabolic Edict
1 Abrade
2 Pyroblast

The Brainstorm Show’s Post-Ban Grixis Control:
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder

2 Thoughtseize
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Spell Pierce
1 Counterspell
4 Force of Will

2 Lightning Bolt
2 Fatal Push
1 Diabolic Edict
3 Kolaghan’s Command
1 Blood Moon

2 Bitterblossom
4 Baleful Strix
3 Snapcaster Mage
2 Gurmag Angler
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

3 Island
2 Swamp
1 Mountain
4 Polluted Delta
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Bloodstained Mire
1 Underground Sea
1 Volcanic Island
1 Badlands

SB:
2 Blood Moon
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Flusterstorm
2 Spell Snare
1 Pyroblast
1 Red Elemental Blast
1 Hymn to Tourach
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Engineered Plague
1 Painful Truths
1 Vendilion Clique

Sideboard Mapping for Grixis Control:
RUG Delver
+2 Blood Moon
+1 Pyroblast
+1 Red Elemental Blast
+1 Flusterstorm
+1 Engineered Explosives
-2 Thoughtseize
-1 Counterspell
-2 Bitterblossom
-1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

BUG Delver
+2 Blood Moon
+2 Spell Snare
+1 Toxic Deluge
+1 Vendilion Clique
-2 Thoughtseize
-4 Force of Will

Miracles
+2 Spell Snare
+1 Pyroblast
+1 Red Elemental Blast
+1 Flusterstorm
+1 Hymn to Tourach
+1 Painful Truths
+1 Vendilion Clique
-1 Blood Moon
-2 Fatal Push
-1 Diabolic Edict
-4 Baleful Strix

UWx Stoneblade
+2 Spell Snare
+1 Pyroblast
+1 Red Elemental
+1 Hymn to Tourach
+1 Painful Truths
+1 V Clique
+1 Toxic Deluge
+1 Engineered Plague
-4 Baleful Strix
-1 Blood Moon
-2 Fatal Push
-2 Gurmag Angler

Grixis Control
+2 Spell Snare
+1 Flusterstorm
+1 Pyroblast
+1 Red Elemental
+1 Hymn to Tourach
+1 Painful Truths
+1 Vendilion Clique
-2 Fatal Push
-1 Diabolic Edict
-1 Blood Moon
-4 Force of Will

If they play TNN:
+1 Toxic Deluge
+1 Engineered Plague
-2 Lightning Bolt

D+T
+2 Spell Snare
+1 Toxic Deluge
+1 Engineered Explosives
+1 Engineered Plague
+1 Painful Truths
+1 Vendilion Clique
-2 Spell Pierce
-4 Force of Will
-1 Blood Moon

Elves
+1 Toxic Deluge
+1 Engineered Explosives
+1 Engineered Plague
+1 Vendilion Clique
+1 Flusterstorm
+1 Painful Truths
-1 Blood Moon
-1 Diabolic Edict
-4 Baleful Strix

Lands
+2 Blood Moon
+2 Surgical Extraction
+1 Flusterstorm
+1 Engineered Explosives
+1 Vendilion Clique
-1 Lightning Bolt
-2 Fatal Push
-4 Baleful Strix

4c Loam
+2 Blood Moon
+2 Spell Snare
+1 Engineered Explosives
+1 Painful Truths
+1 Toxic Deluge
-2 Inquisition of Kozilek
-2 Thoughtseize
-2 Lightning Bolt
-1 Counterspell

ANT
+2 Surgical Extraction
+2 Spell Snare
+1 Flusterstorm
+1 Hymn to Tourach
+1 Pyroblast
+1 Red Elemental Blast
+1 V Clique
+1 Painful Truths
-4 Baleful Strix
-1 Blood Moon
-2 Lightning Bolt
-2 Fatal Push
-1 Diabolic Edict

TES
+2 Spell Snare
+1 Hymn to Tourach
+1 Pyroblast
+1 Red Elemental Blast
+1 Flusterstorm
+1 V Clique
+1 Painful Truths
+1 Engineered Explosives
+1 Toxic Deluge
+1 Engineered Plague
-4 Baleful Strix
-1 Blood Moon
-2 Lightning Bolt
-2 Fatal Push
-1 Diabolic Edict
-1 Kolaghan’s Command

Sneak and Show
+1 Hymn to Tourach
+1 Pyroblast
+1 Red Elemental Blast
+1 Flusterstorm
+1 V Clique
+1 Painful Truths
-1 Blood Moon
-2 Bitterblossom
-2 Fatal Push
-1 Kolaghan’s Command

UB Reanimator
+2 Surgical Extraction
+2 Spell Snare
+1 Pyroblast
+1 Red Elemental Blast
+1 Flusterstorm
+1 V Clique
-1 Blood Moon
-2 Lightning Bolt
-2 Fatal Push
-3 K Command

RB Reanimator
+2 Surgical Extraction
+2 Spell Snare
+1 Flusterstorm
+1 V Clique
+1 Painful Truths
+1 Toxic Deluge
-1 Blood Moon
-2 Lightning Bolt
-2 Fatal Push
-3 K Command

Eldrazi
+2 Blood Moon
+2 Spell Snare
+1 Engineered Explosives
+1 Toxic Deluge
-2 Bitterblossom
-2 Lightning Bolt
-2 Inquisition of Kozilek

Mono Red Stompy
+1 Engineered Explosives
+1 Toxic Deluge
+1 V Clique
+2 Spell Snare
-1 Blood Moon
-4 Baleful Strix

Episode 025 — All the Parts of the Buffalo: SCG Baltimore, BR Reanimator, and more

In this episode we hit a wide range of topics, focused primarily around SCG Baltimore, where co-hosts Paul Michel and Phillip Braverman top 32ed and top 16ed respectively. Our lists can be found below, along with a spicy new brew (not ours) that popped up in the episode. Enjoy!

Phillip Braverman’s 13th Place Miracles Deck
Paul Michel’s 23rd Place BR Reanimator
Link to Miracle of Science page on The Source

Episode 023 — Alternate Universes

This week we talk about decks we might have played in alternate universes where Legacy bannings actually happened. We also present a brand new list for you to take to battle in THIS universe: MentorBlade, AKA “Bring the Hammer.” Check it out below.

MentorBlade
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Sensei’s Divining Top
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Counterbalance
4 Force of Will
4 Terminus

4 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Snapcaster Mage
4 Monastery Mentor

1 Umezawa’s Jitte
1 Batterskull

4 Island
2 Plains
2 Tundra
2 Volcanic Island
4 Flooded Strand
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Arid Mesa

SB:
1 Mountain
3 Pyroblast
2 Wear/Tear
2 Blood Moon
1 Vendilion Clique
2 Surgical Extraction
3 Flusterstorm
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
————————————
U/W/R Punishing Mentor
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Sensei’s Divining Top
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Punishing Fire
4 Counterbalance
2 Snapcaster Mage
4 Monastery Mentor
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Force of Will
2 Engineered Explosives

2 Island
1 Plains
1 Mountain
2 Tundra
2 Volcanic Island
4 Flooded Strand
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Arid Mesa
1 Cascade Bluffs
4 Grove of the Burnwillows

SB
3 Flusterstorm
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Vendilion Clique
3 Pyroblast
2 Pyroclasm
1 Path to Exile
2 Wear / Tear

Episode 022 — Miracles-Slayer Delver

Welcome back to The Brainstorm Show, listeners! This week we take the ceaseless chatter about Miracles bans head on by showing you how you can take a common archetype and rethink it to be more competitive against the “best deck in the format.” We built a BUG tempo deck, and in this episode we walk through the card choices and some of the popular matchups. Take a look at the list below and the sideboard plan for the common decks in the current metagame. Enjoy!

Maindeck
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Nimble Mongoose
2 Vendilion Clique
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
4 Stifle
4 Abrupt Decay
2 Dismember
2 Spell Pierce
4 Wasteland
3 Underground Sea
3 Tropical Island
4 Polluted Delta
4 Verdant Catacombs

SB
2 Disfigure
2 Go for the Throat
2 Painful Truths
2 Winter Orb
1 Pithing Needle
1 Flusterstorm
3 Surgical Extraction
2 Thoughtseize

Sideboarding Guide
Miracles:
-2 Dismember, -2 Wasteland, -2 Daze
+2 Winter Orb, +1 Pithing Needle, +1 Flusterstorm, +2 Painful Truths

Shardless BUG:
-4 Force of Will, -2 Spell Pierce
+2 Go for the Throat, +2 Painful Truths, +2 Disfigure

Delver:
-4 Force of Will, -2 Spell Pierce
+2 Go for the Throat, +2 Painful Truths, +2 Disfigure

Eldrazi:
-4 Stifle
+2 Go for the Throat, +2 Thoughtseize

Storm:
-4 Abrupt Decay, -2 Dismember
+3 Surgical Extraction, +2 Thoughtseize, +1 Flusterstorm

Lands:
-4 Daze, -2 Dismember
+3 Surgical Extraction, +2 Winter Orb, +1 Pithing Needle

Death and Taxes:
-4 Stifle, -2 Pierce, -1 FoW
+2 Disfigure, +2 Go for the Throat, +2 Thoughtseize, +1 Pithing Needle

Sneak and Show:
-2 Abrupt Decay, -2 Dismember
+1 Flusterstorm, +2 Thoughtseize, +1 Pithing Needle

Infect:
-4 Force of Will, -2 Spell Pierce
+2 Go for the Throat, +2 Disfigure, +1 Pithing Needle, +1 Flusterstorm

Episode 017 — I, for One, Welcome Our Eldrazi Overlords! Plus a New Brew: ShardStill

In this episode, we:

1) Catch up with listener questions
2) Talk about Wilson’s SCG Philly experience and the Eldrazi metagame
3) Discuss the DeMentor deck and lessons learned from testing
4) Unveil our newest creation: ShardStill. Decklist below:

Creatures (18)
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Baleful Strix
4 Shardless Agent
2 Vendilion Clique

Spells (18)
4 Brainstorm
4 Abrupt Decay
4 Standstill
4 Force of Will
2 Umezawa’s Jitte

Lands (24)
4 Mishra’s Factory
1 Mutavault
2 Creeping Tar Pit
3 Underground Sea
3 Tropical Island
1 Bayou
1 Scrubland
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Polluted Delta
1 Misty Rainforest

Sideboard (15)
4 Meddling Mage
2 Thoughtseize
3 Leyline of the Void
2 Murderous Cut
2 Disfigure
2 Toxic Deluge

Episode 004 — Miracles

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Brainstorm Show. In this episode, we bring back Phil Braverman for his first episode as an official co-host! This week we give Miracles the same treatment we gave ANT, with deck building philosophy and two-way matchup analysis. If this show format appeals to you and you want us to continue doing these deep deck analyses, please let us know in the comments. Links to referenced decklists are including below. Enjoy the show!

Phil Braverman’s current list (March 2015)

4 Sensei’s Divining Top
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Counterbalance
2 Counterspell
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Councils Judgement
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Force of Will
4 Terminus
2 Entreat the Angels
3 Dig Through Time

2 Arid Mesa
4 Flooded Strand
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Island
2 Plains
3 Tundra
3 Volcanic Island

Sideboard
1 Pithing Needle
1 Spell Pierce
2 Flusterstorm
2 Pyroblast
1 Red Elemental Blast
1 Wear//Tear
2 Rest in Peace
2 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Batterskull
2 Blood Moon

Phil’s GPNJ Top 8 List (Stoneforge Miracles)
RiP/Helm Miracles
Joe Lossett’s Legendary Miracles
Philipp Schonneger’s Ponder Miracles
Jim Davis’ BUG Delver