GP: Columbus is coming fast and Cockatrice is surely aware of it! Newcomers testing their lists or veterans sharpening their skill, everyone seems to be there to give a challenge for this fourth edition of Infernal Tutoring.

For this week, the latest version of The EPIC Storm was used. It is, of course, available on the home page.

Situation #1 – TITI Twister

This match was my first encounter with a deck built around Thing in the Ice. Surprisingly, I lost my first game after the Awoken Horror flipped returning all my Goblins to my hand. I did however, notice a few things in the deck: Counterbalance, Back to Basics, Force of Will and a white splash.

I won the second game after sideboarding, noticeably using Void Snare on Ethersworn Canonist for the win and thus we begin the third game with my opponent on the play.

Sideboarding: -3 Chrome Mox, -2 Lotus Petal, -3 Ponder, +4 Abrupt Decay, +1 Bayou, +2 Thoughtseize, +1 Void Snare.

Luckily, my opponent mulligans to 5, while I keep a hand of Dark Ritual, Rite of Flame, Polluted Delta, Ad Nauseam, Abrupt Decay, Lion’s Eye Diamond and Duress. This hand is an automatic keep for me: protection to play on turn 1 and the possibility of casting a natural Ad Nauseam on turn 2 with 3 mana floating? Yes, please! I feel confident in drawing either a land, a Lotus Petal or even an extra Dark Ritual by my second turn.

The game opens with a suspended Ancestral Vision and pass. As hoped, I draw a second land in Volcanic Island. Using my Polluted Delta, I search for an Underground Sea and cast Duress revealing: Island, Scalding Tarn, Back to Basics and Force of Will.

Great! Force of Will is sent to the graveyard and I pass. Everything seems settled for my next turn until my opponent plays a top-decked Counterbalance. The win can’t be assured anymore, but the Counterbalance would require a great share of luck to prevent a win next turn. I draw a Burning Wish and decide to open my combo line with Lion’s Eye Diamond.

Lion’s Eye Diamond is the assurance policy here. It provides bonuses if resolved, but is by no means necessary for the win. I could recover if I lost it, however, I couldn’t say the same about losing Dark Ritual or Rite of Flame. At best, Lion’s Eye Diamond will show an irrelevant card for the Counterbalance and I’ll be able to combo freely. The okay scenario would reveal a land and counter the Lion’s Eye Diamond, but then not prevent the rituals and the Ad Nauseam and the worst that could happen would be a converted mana cost 1 revealed to prevent the rituals from being used at all.

Swords to Plowshares (!) is the revealed card.

EDITOR’S NOTE: You may click on the images to enlarge for better viewing.

As I know my opponent will draw a Swords to Plowshares next turn (not relevant in the game), I pass, expecting Back to Basics to be played. It comes down and I draw an Underground Sea for my third turn.

If I take for granted that, for once, my previous play was correct, how would you play this third turn?

Situation #2 -Lands

This scenario might be the easiest yet in this series, but probably the one that struck me the most too. We won the first game against Lands and sideboarded as the guide says:

+4 Abrupt Decay, +2 Hurkyl’s Recall, +1 Bayou, -4 Cabal Therapy, -2 Duress, -1 Empty the Warrens.

I have to mulligan to 6 and keep a hand of Polluted Delta, Infernal Tutor, Lotus Petal, Lotus Petal, Lion’s Eye Diamond, Brainstorm. In other words, one mana short for the Ad Nauseam. I’m confident that I can find the missing piece soon enough, especially with a Brainstorm in hand.

My opponent opens with a Wasteland and I draw a Ponder for my turn. I would rather not have a land destroyed yet, so I pass. My opponent decide to play the control game and lay down Rishadan Port, tapping my Polluted Delta on my second upkeep as I draw a Bloodstained Mire. I drop the land and pass, still waiting for more mana of any sort. Then I am met with a second Wasteland and this vicious play on my third upkeep:

What do you do with your Polluted Delta?

Situation #3:Elves

The third match actually happened in paper, against a friend playing on Elves. On the draw, I keep the following hand: Chrome Mox, Ponder, Brainstorm, Empty the Warrens, Lion’s Eye Diamond, Lotus Petal, Bloodstained Mire.

Despite Empty the Warrens and Chrome Mox, I believe this hand is keepable. I don’t think I’ve ever mulligan with Lion’s Eye Diamond and cantrips in hand. Depending on the draw, it would be possible to play the Lotus Petal or the Chrome Mox (imprint: Ponder) to play Brainstorm and shuffle away Empty the Warrens with the Bloodstained Mire. Unlike the previous cantrip issue I had in the last Infernal Tutoring, an Elves deck is very pressuring, trading the control aspect for speed. I do know I’ll die by turn 3 if I’m not doing anything.

My opponent plays a Deathrite Shaman played off a Bayou. To add to my confusion, I draw a second Ponder.

Multiple lines are now available. I have two Ponder and a fetchland as shuffle effect, Brainstorm to put a card to shuffle and three different initial mana source. Would it be the best plan, putting Empty the Warren on top, using Ponder to draw and sacrificing Lion’s Eye Diamond would put some Goblins too. This game will be won on a resource management / speed ratio.

How do you expect to win this game?

See you next time for the next Infernal Tutoring!