Ok, So I'd thought I would post some opening hands today and walk through the decision tree on how to play them.
First Hand
2x Faithless Looting, 2x Manamorphose, Past in Flames, Pyromancer Ascension, Mountain.
My line of play with this hand would be as follows:
Turn 1 Play Mountain, then Faithless Looting. Draw Desperate Ritual and Reforge the Soul, then discard Past in Flames and Reforge the Soul.
Turn 2 Draw Mountain. Play Mountain, followed by Manamorphose, drawing Mountain, then play Pyromancer Ascension.
Turn 3 Draw Pyromancer Ascension. Play Mountain, followed by Desperate Ritual, Manamorphose (1 counter on PA), drawing Mountain (/SC 2). Play Faithless Looting (2 counters on PA, now active/SC 3), drawing Desperate Ritual and Desperate Ravings, discarding Desperate Ravings and Mountain. Play Desperate Ritual (/SC 4), then flashback Past in Flames (SC 5). From your graveyard, play Desperate Ritual (/SC 6), Manamorphose (8x/SC 7), Drawing Pyretic Ritual and Burning Vengeance. Play Pyretic Ritual (12x/SC 8), then your second Pyromancer Ascension (SC 9) and Burning Vengeance (SC 10). Now flashback Reforge the Soul (/SC 11/2 life lost). Copy Reforge the Soul with the active Pyromancer Ascension. Draw 2x Locket of Yesterdays, Pyretic Ritual, Faithless Looting, Desperate Ravings, Burning Vengeance and Mountain. Play Pyretic Ritual (/SC 12/1 counter on 2nd PA), then discard the hand as the second Reforge the Soul resolves. Draw 2x Mountain, Manamorphose, Grapeshot, Reforge the Soul, Pyretic Ritual and Faithless Looting. Cast Faithless Looting (SC 13/2nd PA is active), drawing Mountain and Locket of Yesterdays, then discarding 2xMountain. Play Locket of Yesterdays (SC 14), then Pyretic Ritual (12x/SC 15), then Manamorphose (17x/SC 17), drawing Burning Vengeance, Past in Flames, and Tormenting Voice. Cast Grapeshot, with 19 copies placed on the stack (2 from PAs, 17 from Storm) for the kill.
Some important facts. In the example above, I saw 36 cards off the top of my deck. I had plenty of redundancy, and I was immune to soft counters after the 3rd card I played in the turn I went off on.
Second Hand
3x Mountain, 2x Desperate Ritual, Pyretic Ritual, Reforge the Soul
Turn 1 Play Mountain.
Turn 2 Draw Pyromancer Ascension. Play Mountain. Cast Pyromancer Ascension.
Turn 3 Draw Desperate Ravings. Play Mountain. Cast all your rituals, followed by Reforge the Soul, discarding the rest of the hand (1 counter on PA). Draw Mountain, Tormenting Voice, 2x Locket of Yesterdays, Reforge the Soul, Pyromancer Ascension, Burning Vengeance. Cast Locket of Yesterdays.
Turn 4 Draw Past in Flames. Play Mountain. Cast Tormenting Voice (SC 1), discarding Reforge the Soul, drawing Faithless Looting and Desperate Ravings. cast Desperate Ravings, drawing Mountain and Pyretic Ritual, discarding Pyromancer Ascension (PA active/SC 2). Cast Pyretic Ritual (/SC 3), Past in Flames, then flashback Desperate Ritual and Pyretic Ritual (12x/SC 6). Then Burning Vengeance, Locket of Yesterdays, then a flashbacked Reforge the Soul (/SC 9/2 Dmg), copied once. Discard the rest of your hand, draw 7, playing the one Desperate Ritual (10x/SC 10), then discard and draw Desperate Ravings, Burning Vengeance, Pyretic Ritual, Reforge the Soul, 3x Mountain. Cast Burning Vengeance (9x/SC 11), Pyretic Ritual (14x/SC12), and Reforge the Soul (12x/SC13), discarding and drawing 7, discarding them and drawing 7 more. Flashback Past in Flames and 4 ritual for the kill from Burning Vengeance.
In this second example, 49 cards seen on turn 4. Again, Reforge the Soul was an MVP here. Do NOT underestimate what this card can do for you.
Third Hand
3x Mountain, Desperate Ritual, Faithless Looting, Reforge the Soul, and Desperate Ravings.
Turn 1 Play Mountain. Cast Faithless Looting, drawing Pyretic Ritual, Burning Vengeance, discarding Mountain and Reforge the Soul.
Turn 2 Draw Reforge the Soul. Play Mountain. Cast Desperate Ritual, then Burning Vengeance.
Turn 3 Draw another Reforge the Soul. Miracle cast Reforge the Soul, discarding your remaining 3 cards in your hand. Draw 2x Mountain, Desperate Ritual, Burning Vengeance, Pyretic Ritual, Pyromancer Ascension, and Locket of Yesterdays. Play Mountain, then cast Locket of Yesterdays.
Turn 4 Draw Past in Flames. Play Mountain, then cast Pyromancer Ascension, followed by both rituals (/activating PA/SC 3), Past in Flames (SC 4). Flashback Pyretic Ritual (/SC 5/2 dmg), cast the remaining Burning Vengeance in your hand (SC 6), flashback 3 rituals, Past in Flames and Reforge the Soul for a total 22 dmg from Burning Vengeance.
Now it's your turn!
First Hand
Past in Flames, Mountain, Tormenting Voice, Manamorphose, Grapeshot, Locket of Yesterdays, and Mountain.
Would you keep this hand?
Second Hand
Past in Flames, Mountain, Desperate Ravings, Tormenting Voice, Pyromancer Ascension, Faithless Looting, and Pyretic Ritual.
Would you keep this hand?
Third Hand
Locket of Yesterdays, Desperate Ritual, Mountain, Past in Flames, Mountain, Faithless Looting, and Burning Vengeance.
Would you keep this hand?