We’re back with another Storm Hands – Let’s dig in!

Game one on the play against Unknown:

Hand: Chrome Mox, Lotus Petal, Rite of Flame, Rite of Flame, Dark Ritual, Burning Wish and Burning Wish.

Would I keep this hand? Yes. If your opponent is playing blue, IF, there’s roughly a 40% chance that they have Force of Will AND a blue card. Seems like very good odds for some turn one Goblins.

How to play: Cast Chrome Mox (Imprint: Burning Wish), Lotus Petal, Rite of Flame, Rite of Flame, Dark Ritual, Burning Wish (retrieving Empty the Warrens) and make fourteen Goblins.

Game one on the draw against Unknown:

Hand: Ponder, Ponder, Brainstorm, Volcanic Island, Burning Wish, Rite of Flame and Polluted Delta.

Would I keep this hand? Yes. Very good against any fair deck that isn’t Death & Taxes.

How to play: Lead off with Volcanic Island into Ponder, to disguise as a tempo deck. Next turn, Brainstorm plus Polluted Delta and then likely Ponder.

Game one on the play against Death & Taxes:

Hand: Brainstorm, Chrome Mox, Bloodstained Mire, Gitaxian Probe, Lion’s Eye Diamond, Empty the Warrens and Ponder.

Would I keep this hand? Yes.

How to play: Search with Bloodstained Mire for Underground Sea (in case you draw a discard spell) and cast Brainstorm (Put Empty the Warrens on top). Chrome Mox (Imprint: Ponder), Lion’s Eye Diamond, Gitaxian Probe (in response, sacrifice Lion’s Eye Diamond for three red mana) and cast Empty the Warrens for ten Goblins.

Game two on the draw against Death & Taxes:

Hand: Burning Wish, Burning Wish, Infernal Tutor, Ponder, Brainstorm, Volcanic Island and Bloodstained Mire.

Would I keep this hand? Mulligan. This hand just doesn’t do anything, it loses to any of their hate creatures AND their mana denial.

Game two mulligan to six on the draw against Death & Taxes:

Hand: Chain of Vapor, Bloodstained Mire, Polluted Delta, Gitaxian Probe, Lion’s Eye Diamond and Rite of Flame.

Would I keep this hand? Yes.

How to play: This isn’t an ideal hand, but it has an answer to a hate creature and has mana protection because they’re fetch lands. I would keep.

Game one on the draw against Infect:

Hand: Brainstorm, Lotus Petal, Infernal Tutor, Duress, Dark Ritual, Bloodstained Mire and Empty the Warrens.

Would I keep this hand? Yes. This hand is interesting.

How to play: If you play Bloodstained Mire into Underground Sea and Duress, you open yourself up to Wasteland along with them finding counterspells on the next turn. If you don’t Duress you’re taking a chance on not dying turn two, I would probably not Duress. Then consider end of turn Brainstorm, as it saves a mana on the combo turn. The alternative is to Brainstorm on your main phase, see an extra card but have one less mana – tough choice. The rest of the turn involves Dark Ritual, Duress, Lion’s Eye Diamond, Infernal Tutor and either Ad Nauseam or Empty the Warrens.

Game two on the play against Infect:

Hand: Ponder, Underground Sea, Polluted Delta, Lotus Petal, Lion’s Eye Diamond, Dark Ritual and Rite of Flame.

Would I keep this hand? Yes.

How to play: Your Ponder here would ideally find disruption AND a Tutor effect, but it has all the mana you need. Risk versus reward.

Game one mulligan to five on the draw against Esper Deathblade:

Hand: Swamp, Bloodstained Mire, Ponder, Brainstorm and Duress.

Would I keep this hand? Yes. However, it’s not a hand I’d be happy with.

The game plan: They’re a slow deck, use that as a means to rebuilding your resources.

Game one on the play against Esper Deathblade:

Hand: Dark Ritual, Duress, Burning Wish, Rite of Flame, Lotus Petal, Polluted Delta and Cabal Therapy.

Would I keep this hand? Yes.

How to play: I would search for Swamp and cast Duress. Next turn, either attempt to make Goblins based on my draw step or Cabal Therapy them.

Game two on the draw against Esper Deathblade:

Hand: Gitaxian Probe, Cabal Therapy, Bayou, Lion’s Eye Diamond, Rite of Flame, Burning Wish and Chrome Mox.

Would I keep this hand? Yes.

How to play: You have the option of holding Gitaxian Probe into Cabal Therapy for your combo turn to enable more storm count for your Empty the Warrens, however, I almost always just jam it on turn one. The odds of critically messing up your opponents game is too good not to take the chance, you’ll likely have more than enough storm anyway.

If you’re interested in asking a question, use the contact form below with the subject line of “TES Mailbox” to submit your question!