LIST
CHANGES
My last Legacy update was before the great banning of Deathrite Shaman and Gitaxian Probe so there are quite a few changes to the maindeck. These changes though have been pretty standardized over the past few months through lots of effort and testing from the storm community hivemind besides 1-2 flex slots. We are somewhat slower deck now without Probe so we have upped the discard spells to at least 7 and also have to run the full set of Preordains. As for the 2 flex slots in the deck I have chosen to include the 2nd Past in Flames and a Rain of Filth. I have typically been skeptical of running more Past in Flames but now without Deathrite we can draw one later and still get value unlike before. This also plays well with early kills where we naturally draw it and have a tutor as well. The other flex slot I have is the Rain of Filth which I have been a big fan of for a while and now without Probe having another ritual that helps threshold is even more important. Another Popular option that is also good is to include the 4th Duress as the 8th discard main but I prefer it in the sideboard.
As for the Sideboard now that we have lost some of our speed and ability to Empty for a 10+ goblins on turn 1-2 reliably the “sideboard into TES” strategy of 3 Chrome Mox plus second Ad Nauseum isn’t where we really want to be for all of the fast non blue decks. I still have 2 Mox in the board but (as will also be shown below in the sideboarding portion below) they are primarily there for against death and taxes as I have been very unhappy with Dread of Night and Massacre. They also have the side benefit of being flexible enough to come in for a couple other match ups such as lands where we lose from loss of speed and mana denial mainly and also against super fast combo where we are very unfavored and are better off to play into the “belcher” style higher variance role (plus even on the draw against . Also, with miracles and stoneblade being decently popular Decay is definitely needed, plus having access to a Xantid Swarm is nice for Sneak and Show which can be difficult now. Finally, with what probably sticks out the most in the sideboard is the single Daze. This is a piece of technology borrowed from Kai Sawatari, who has championed the card for a while in ANT. I have chosen to include this as another card for against Death and Taxes and Burn to let us use a cantrip to set up while still being able to counter a turn 1 or 2 play. Plus has the extra range to enable this sequence against Chalice of the Void Decks when we are on the play.
MATCHUPS
Grixis Control
IN: 2 Flusterstorm, 1 Empty the Warrens
OUT: 1 Cabal ritual, 1 Lotus Petal, 1 Past in Flames
Miracles
IN: 2 Abrupt Decay, 1 Duress
OUT: 1 Lotus Petal, 1 Cabal Ritual, 1 Past in Flames
Stoneblade
IN: 2 Abrupt Decay, 1 Duress
OUT: 1 Lotus Petal, 1 Cabal Ritual, 1 Past in Flames
Death’s Shadow
IN: 1 Empty the Warrens
OUT: 1 Ad Nauseum
Grixis Delver
IN: 1 Empty the Warrens
OUT: 1 Ad Nauseum
Eldrazi
IN: 3 Echoing Truth, 2 Hurkyl’s Recall, 1 Empty the Warrens (on the Play 1 Daze) (on the draw 2 Chrome Mox)
OUT: 2 Duress, 1 Past in Flames, 1 Dark Petion, 1 Rain of Filth, 1 Preordain (on the play 2nd Preordain) (on the draw 1 Swamp, 3rd Duress)
Moon Stompy
IN: 3 Echoing Truth, 2 Hurkyl’s Recall, 1 Empty the Warrens (on the Play 1 Daze) (on the draw 2 Chrome Mox)
OUT: 2 Duress, 1 Past in Flames, 1 Dark Petion, 1 Rain of Filth, 1 Preordain (on the play 2nd Preordain) (on the draw 1 Bayou, 3rd Duress)
Death and Taxes
IN: 2 Chrome Mox, 3 Echoing Truth, 1 Empty the Warrens, 1 Daze
OUT: 1 Island, 3 Duress, 1 Past in Flames, 1 Dark Petition, 1 Preordain
Sneak and Show
IN: 2 Flusterstorm, 1 Xantid Swarm
OUT: 1 Swamp, 1 Rain of Filth, 1 Dark Petition
Storm
IN: 2 Flusterstorm
OUT: 1 Swamp, 1 Rain of Filth
BR Reanimator
IN: 2 Flusterstorm, 2 Chrome Mox (on the play 1 Daze)
OUT: 1 Rain of Filth, 1 Swamp, 1 preordain, 1 Past in Flames (on the play 2nd Preordain)
Burn
IN: 2 Chrome Mox, 1 Empty the Warrens, 1 Daze, 3 Echoing Truth
OUT: 1 Past in Flames, 1 Ad Nauseum, 3 Duress, 1 Swamp, 1 Rain of Filth