Brief Brainstorm 009 — Predictions for GP Vegas + Grixis Control

Wilson keeps The Brainstorm Show alive in the month of June with a brief overview of his predictions for GP Vegas. Some are bold, some are obvious, and some are downright bizarre — we will know soon if he’s a real Nostradamus.

Check out this super fun Grixis Control list, too:

Grixis Control
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Young Pyromancer
3 Snapcaster Mage
2 Gurmag Angler
1 Liliana, the Last Hope

4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Gitaxian Probe
3 Cabal Therapy
2 Fatal Push
2 Lightning Bolt
1 Dismember
1 Counterspell
2 Kolaghan’s Command
4 Force of Will

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

SB
2 Blood Moon
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Forked Bolt
1 Marsh Casualties
1 Darkblast
1 Ancient Grudge
2 Pyroblast
2 Flusterstorm
1 Painful Truths
1 Garruk Relentless

Episode 031 — After the aTOPalypse

Hello, everybody and welcome back to another episode of The Brainstorm Show. In this episode we take on the recent banning of Sensei’s Divining Top, and cover which decks get better, which get worse, and where you probably want to be when the dust settles out.

Check out our latest brew, Natural Order BUG:

NO BUG
4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Tarmogoyf
1 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendilion Clique
2 Leovold, Emissary of Trest
1 Tireless Tracker
1 Progenitus

1 Jace, the Mindsculptor

4 Natural Order
3 Green Sun’s Zenith

4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Thoughtseize
3 Fatal Push
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Maelstrom Pulse

1 Dryad Arbor
1 Forest
1 Swamp
1 Island
2 Underground Sea
2 Tropical Island
1 Bayou
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Polluted Delta

SB:
1 Gaddock Teeg
4 Force of Will
1 Flusterstorm
3 Surgical Extraction
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
1 Reclamation Sage
2 True-Name Nemesis
1 Darkblast
1 Gurmag Angler

Episode 029 — Listener’s Choice

Hello faithful listeners of The Brainstorm Show! Apologies for the extended hiatus while we got back into the recording booth. In this episode we take on a bunch of questions that were generated from the Facebook community we have been building. Check us out at The Brainstorm Show Community Board.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebrainstormshow/

Special thanks to all the listeners who generated fun topics for us to discuss. We hope you enjoy!

Brief Brainstorm 007 — Deep Dive on BUG Standstill

Hello loyal listeners! As a treat for those who enjoy Standstill, Wilson goes solo for 45 minutes and takes you through the ins and outs of BUG Standstill. You can check out the latest list we have been testing and tuning below:

4 Deathrite Shaman
3 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendilion Clique
2 Leovold, Emissary of Trest
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

4 Brainstorm
3 Fatal Push
2 Counterspell
4 Abrupt Decay
4 Standstill
2 Toxic Deluge
1 Maelstrom Pulse
4 Force of Will

2 Underground Sea
2 Tropical Island
1 Bayou
1 Forest
1 Swamp
1 Island
3 Mishra’s Factory
2 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Lumbering Falls
3 Verdant Catacombs
4 Polluted Delta
2 Misty Rainforest

SB
1 Flusterstorm
2 Thoughtseize
1 Duress
3 Surgical Extraction
2 Diabolic Edict
2 Pithing Needle
1 Null Rod
1 Darkblast
1 True-name Nemesis
1 Tombstalker

Episode 028 — How to (Fatal) Push It Real Good in Legacy

Welcome back to The Brainstorm Show, ladies and gentlemen! Three big topics in this episode:
1. Fatal Push and its place in Legacy
2. Three decklists to get you started brewing with Fatal Push
3. The role of cantrips in Legacy and the question of color balance

Content Links:
Sean Brown’s “This Week in Legacy” column on MTG Goldfish
The Brainstorm Show’s Community Discussion Board

Decklists:

BUG Leovold Midrange
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Snapcaster Mage
2 Leovold, Emissary of Trest
1 True-name Nemesis
1 Gurmag Angler

2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
2 Fatal Push
4 Abrupt Decay
1 Spell Pierce
1 Counterspell
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Painful Truths
2 Ponder
2 Thoughtseize

4 Polluted Delta
3 Verdant Catacombs
2 Misty Rainforest
3 Underground Sea
2 Tropical Island
1 Bayou
1 Island
1 Forest
1 Swamp
2 Wasteland
1 Creeping Tar Pit

SB
2 Pithing Needle
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
1 Vendilion Clique
2 Diabolic Edict
1 Go for the Throat
3 Surgical Extraction
1 Garruk Relentless
2 Duress
2 Toxic Deluge

BUG Standstill
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendilion Clique
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

4 Brainstorm
3 Fatal Push
1 Spell Snare
2 Counterspell
4 Abrupt Decay
4 Standstill
2 Toxic Deluge
1 Maelstrom Pulse
4 Force of Will

3 Underground Sea
2 Tropical Island
1 Bayou
1 Forest
1 Swamp
4 Mishra’s Factory
2 Creeping Tar Pit
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Polluted Delta
2 Misty Rainforest

SB
1 Flusterstorm
3 Thoughtseize
3 Surgical Extraction
1 Murderous Cut
2 Diabolic Edict
1 Pithing Needle
1 Null Rod
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Massacre
1 Darkblast

BUG Delverless
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Nimble Mongoose
2 Leovold, Emissary of Trest
2 True-name Nemesis

4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
4 Abrupt Decay
2 Fatal Push
2 Thoughtseize
2 Spell Pierce

2 Verdant Catacombs
2 Scalding Tarn
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Flooded Strand
3 Underground Sea
3 Tropical Island
4 Wasteland

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

BUG CounterTop Control (by listener Christofer Vikstrom)
4 Deathrite Shaman
3 Snapcaster Mage
2 Leovold, Emissary of Trest
2 True-Name Nemesis

2 Ponder
4 Brainstorm
4 Sensei’s Divining Top
1 Counterspell
4 Abrupt Decay
4 Counterbalance
1 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Toxic Deluge
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Force of Will

1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Forest
1 Swamp
2 Island
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Polluted Delta
3 Tropical Island
3 Underground Sea
4 Verdant Catacombs

SB
2 Flusterstorm
4 Fatal Push
1 Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
1 Engineered Plague
1 Vendilion Clique
2 Krosan Grip
4 Leyline of the Void

Episode 027 — GP Louisville, a History

Welcome back to the Brainstorm Show. In this episode we talk about our results and experiences at GP Louisville. We also take on some important topics about our community, and recommit ourselves to innovating great decks for all players to enjoy. Below you can check out our Brainstorm Show lists for the GP:

Wilson and Phil’s Mentor Miracles
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Sensei’s Divining Top
4 Counterbalance
2 Counterspell
1 Spell Snare
4 Force of Will
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Terminus
2 Engineered Explosives

4 Monastery Mentor
3 Snapcaster Mage

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

SB:
1 Back to Basics
1 Containment Priest
2 Disenchant
1 Entreat the Angels
2 Flusterstorm
1 Mountain
3 Pyroblast
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Vendilion Clique

Paul’s Shardless BUG
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Abrupt Decay
4 Ancestral Vision
2 Hymn to Tourach
1 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Umezawa’s Jitte

4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Baleful Strix
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Shardless Agent
2 Leovold, Emissary of Trest

2 Wasteland
1 Creeping Tar Pit
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Polluted Delta
2 Misty Rainforest
1 Swamp
1 Forest
3 Underground Sea
2 Tropical Island
2 Bayou

SB:
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Disfigure
1 Thoughtseize
1 Duress
2 Hymn to Tourach
2 Toxic Deluge
2 Garruk Relentless
1 Pithing Needle

Brief Brainstorm 006 — Musings on Shardless vs. Miracles

Quick bit of extra content for all the loyal Brainstorm Show listeners out there. We received a donation from a friend of the show, and we fielded his questions about Shardless BUG vs. Miracles in this Brief Brainstorm. Enjoy!

Episode 026 — GP Chiba, Berenstain Bears, and Legacy Collected Company

Welcome back to The Brainstorm Show. We are excited to give our thoughts on the (surprising?) results from Legacy GP Chiba. Also in this episode: disappearing decklist/alternate timelines, a trademarked Wilson Hunter rant about Daze in ANT, and a spicy new brew. And we do mean brew… Feast your eyes:

4-Color Collected Company
Creatures (25)
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Spell Queller
2 Flickerwisp
4 True-name Nemesis
1 Eternal Witness
2 Vendilion Clique

Spells (14)
4 Brainstorm
3 Abrupt Decay
4 Collected Company
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Batterskull

Lands (21)
2 Scrubland
2 Savannah
1 Tropical Island
1 Underground Sea
1 Bayou
1 Tundra
4 Windswept Heath
4 Verdant Catacomb
3 Marsh Flats
1 Flooded Strand
1 Mana Confluence

SB
4 Meddling Mage
4 Sanctum Prelate
2 Reclamation Sage
3 Leyline of the Void
2 Force of Will

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

Special Feature — Interview with author/podcaster James Hsu

Welcome back to The Brainstorm Show! This episode we are very pleased to bring you an interview with author of “Magic: the Addiction” and host of the Humans of Magic podcast, James Hsu. We talk about his fresh take on Legacy podcasting, his experience writing a book about Magic, and his thoughts on Legacy past, present, and future.

Check out “Magic: the Addiction” here: https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Addiction-20-Year-Gaming-Journey/dp/1532963874

Check out the Humans of Magic podcast here: https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic

We hope you enjoy the discussion and James’ fantastic content!