Brief Brainstorm 004 — Update on CounterTop DeMentor

Wilson brings our listeners a fresh look at the CounterTop DeMentor deck that we discussed in Episode 015. The current list is found below:

4 Deathrite Shaman
2 Snapcaster Mage
4 Monastery Mentor
1 Vendilion Clique

1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

4 Sensei’s Divining Top
4 Brainstorm
2 Ponder
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Counterbalance
2 Counterspell
4 Force of Will
1 Dimir Charm
1 Vindicate
1 Painful Truths

2 Underground Sea
2 Tundra
1 Scrubland
1 Tropical Island
2 Island
1 Plains
1 Swamp
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
2 Marsh Flats
1 Creeping Tar Pit

SB
3 Thoughtseize
1 Duress
1 Meddling Mage
1 Surgical Extraction
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Disenchant
1 Painful Truths
2 Zealous Persecution
2 Disfigure
1 Path to Exile

Brief Brainstorm 003 — Esper DeathMentor with Paul

In Brief Brainstorm 003, Paul talks about the deck he is bringing to SCG D.C. Here it is below and the Carsten Kotter article that spawned it:

Carsten Kotter Article

Creatures (10)
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Monastery Mentor
2 Snapcaster Mage

Spells (31)
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Dig Through Time
4 Force of Will
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Cabal Therapy
2 Counterspell
2 Spell Pierce

Lands (19)
3 Underground Sea
4 Tundra
1 Tropical Island
1 Creeping Tar Pit
4 Polluted Delta
4 Flooded Strand
2 Misty Rainforest

SB: 2 Disenchant
SB: 2 Zealous Persecution
SB: 2 Surgical Extraction
SB: 1 Cabal Therapy
SB: 1 Darkblast
SB: 1 Pithing Needle
SB: 4 Meddling Mage
SB: 2 Disfigure

 

Brief Brainstorm 002 — Wilson

Introducing the Brief Brainstorm! These will be short (5-10 minute) recordings where the hosts will share their thoughts on specific topics and answer listener questions/feedback. In this Brief Brainstorm, Wilson lets the listeners know what he has been testing in Legacy, answers some listener mail, and talks about decks as an extension of self.

Episode 012 — Legacy Misconceptions & Miracles Crushers

Welcome back to The Brainstorm Show! In Episode 012, we dispel with some common misconceptions about the Legacy format and offer up some sweet lists to slay the Miracles monster. Dig Through Time is here to stay for the next two months at least, so don’t be afraid to engage in some “if you can’t join them, beat them” warfare with us.

Lists & Helpful Links:

The Brainstorm Show’s Death and Taxes:
4 Mother of Runes
4 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Serra Avenger
1 Spirit of the Labyrinth
3 Flickerwisp
3 Vryn Wingmare
2 Brimaz, King of Oreskos

4 AEther Vial
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice

3 Karakas
4 Wastland
4 Rishadan Port
1 Cavern of Souls
2 Horizon Canopy
8 Plains

SB
4 Ethersworn Canonist
3 Rest in Peace
3 Holy Light
2 Armageddon
2 Path to Exile
1 Disenchant

The Brainstorm Show’s Manaless Dredge:
4 Golgari Thug
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Chancellor of the Annex
4 Bridge from Below
4 Ichorid
4 Nether Shadow
4 Shambling Shell
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Street Wraith
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Dread Return
3 Balustrade Spy
4 Phantasmagorian
1 Flayer of the Hatebound
4 Narcomoeba

SB
4 Force of Will
4 Disrupting Shoal
3 Whirlpool Rider
1 Ashen Rider
3 Faerie Macabre

The Brainstorm Show’s U/B Tezzerator:
4 Baleful Strix

4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas

1 Seat of the Synod
1 Island
1 Swamp
4 Ancient Tomb
3 City of Traitors
3 Darkslick Shores
3 Polluted Delta
4 Underground Sea
1 Academy Ruins
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

4 Chalice of the Void
3 Dimir Signet
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Sword of the Meek
3 Talisman of Dominance
2 Thopter Foundry
4 Force of Will
2 Thirst For Knowledge
2 Transmute Artifact
2 Toxic Deluge

SB
2 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Grafdigger’s Cage
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Pithing Needle
2 Trinisphere
2 Vendilion Clique
1 Toxic Deluge
3 Duress
1 Night of Soul’s Betrayal
1 The Abyss

The Brainstorm Show’s Infect:
4 Glistener Elf
4 Blighted Agent
4 Noble Hierarch

2 Misty Rainforest
2 Polluted Delta
2 Scalding Tarn
2 Flooded Strand
4 Tropical Island
4 Inkmoth Nexus
2 Pendelhaven

4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
2 Gitaxian Probe
4 Force of Will
4 Daze
4 Invigorate
2 Vines of the Vastwood
2 Berserk
1 Become Immense
1 Dig Through Time
1 Sylvan Library
1 Crop Rotation

SB
3 Flusterstorm
2 Krosan Grip
2 Spellskite
1 Sylvan Library
2 Grafdigger’s Cage
2 Hydroblast
1 Crop Rotation
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Karakas
———————————————————————————
Bryant Cook’s The Epic Storm Website

Episode 010 — Brewing with the Brainstorm Boys

Welcome back to another episode of The Brainstorm Show. In this episode, courtesy of Reddit user mpaw975, we discuss how we approach brewing in Legacy and introduce a sweet new deck idea: Mentor Tempo.

For some background on shells in Magic, which we use to frame part of our discussion, we would like to refer you to Legacy Breakfast’s episode on the topic and recommend their podcast as a very nice Legacy resource.


    Mentor Tempo

Creatures (13):
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Monastery Mentor
1 Gurmag Angler

Spells (28):
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Force of Will
4 Daze
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Spell Pierce
1 Murderous Cut
1 Dismember

Lands (19):
4 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
2 Misty Rainforest
3 Underground Sea
3 Tundra
1 Tropical Island
4 Wasteland

SB (15):
4 Meddling Mage
2 Cabal Therapy
2 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Zealous Persecution
1 Disenchant
1 Disfigure
1 Darkblast
1 Pithing Needle
1 Council’s Judgment

Episode 009 — Deck Dissections for SCG Worcester

Happy days! The Brainstorm Show is back in action. This episode, we talk SCG Worcester Top 8 decklists — what we liked, what we didn’t like, and what changes we would make. As always, we hope you enjoy and want to hear from you. Hit us up on Twitter and Facebook! Ideas for future episodes or deck discussions are always welcome. If you want to send in a decklist for us to talk about, we would also enjoy doing that! Have a great week, everyone.

Disclaimer: It’s not all puppies and rainbows during our discussion of the decks. Please do not take our comments as a criticism of the individuals in the Top 8 — in fact, we want to congratulate every one of them for battling through two days and 15 rounds of competitive Legacy. That is a major accomplishment! Our aim is to create discussion around card choices and deckbuilding, and we find being open and honest most conducive to this objective.

SCG Worcester Top 32 Decks

Episode 008 — Lands

Hello loyal listener-folk and welcome back! We do apologize for the long wait between episodes. We had a long series of technical issues and scheduling conflicts, but we are back on track and back to our old habits. This week we take on Lands, specifically RG Combo Lands. Enjoy and as always your feedback is welcome and appreciated. Also, follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook page!

The Brainstorm Show’s RG Combo Lands List:

Lands (34)
1 Forest
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Glacial Chasm
4 Grove of the Burnwillows
3 Maze of Ith
1 Misty Rainforest
4 Rishadan Port
2 Taiga
4 Thespian’s Stage
2 Tranquil Thicket
1 Verdant Catacombs
4 Wasteland
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
3 Dark Depths

Spells (26)
4 Mox Diamond
4 Exploration
2 Manabond
4 Crop Rotation
4 Punishing Fire
4 Gamble
4 Life from the Loam

Sideboard (15)
1 Chalice of the Void
4 Sphere of Resistance
2 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Zuran Orb
1 Ghost Quarter
4 Krosan Grip
1 Karakas
1 Dark Depths

 

Episode 007 — Legacy in the Land of the Rising Sun

Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back! This week the Brainstorm crew talks GP Kyoto. There were some crazy card choices and a metagame very different from the US’s or Europe’s showed up. Given the limited information Wizards released about the event, we did our best to go over what was popular, what dominated, and what was new. Please refer to the links below for the Top 8 decklists and a really quality SNL sketch.

GP Kyoto Top 8 Decklists

SNL’s Maine Justice

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

Episode 003 — The Good Side of Bad

After a short hiatus, Wilson and Paul are back to talk about the “bad” decks in Legacy and why you should not only be prepared for them but also appreciate them. Phillip “Tremaine” Braverman is off galavanting on a nude beach somewhere with his parents, so Wilson and I decided to have a little fun with this episode. Next week, expect Phil and Wilson to tell everyone how they approach Miracles, its matchups and how to play/combat it. For your reference, below you will find links to the most recent and highest placing finish of each deck that we discuss here. Hope you enjoy!

LED Dredge
Manaless Dredge
Belcher
Oops! All Spells
Big Zoo
Cheerios
Pox
MUD (Metalworker)
Burn
Tezzerator
Enchantress (G/W)
12-Post
Dragon Stompy