Kess EDH

Commander / EDH Competitive Storm UBR (Grixis)

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Instant (29)

• 1x Ad Nauseam
• 1x Blink of an Eye
• 1x Brainstorm
• 1x Cabal Ritual
• 1x Chain of Vapor
• 1x Counterspell
• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Dark Ritual
• 1x Dispel
• 1x Dramatic Reversal
• 1x Flusterstorm
• 1x Force of Negation
• 1x Force of Will
• 1x Frantic Search
• 1x High Tide
• 1x Hurkyl's Recall
• 1x Impulse
• 1x Intuition
• 1x Mana Drain
• 1x Mental Misstep
• 1x Mystical Tutor
• 1x Pact of Negation
• 1x Paradoxical Outcome
• 1x Pyroblast
• 1x Snap
• 1x Spell Snare
• 1x Swan Song
• 1x Vampiric Tutor
• 1x Winds of Rebuke

Creature (3)

• 1x Baral, Chief of Compliance
• 1x Dark Confidant
• 1x Notion Thief

Planeswalker (1)

• 1x Dack Fayden

Land (28)

• 1x Arid Mesa
• 1x Badlands
• 1x Bloodstained Mire
• 1x City of Brass
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Fiery Islet
• 1x Flooded Strand
• 1x Mana Confluence
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Misty Rainforest
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Scalding Tarn
• 9x Snow-Covered Island
• 1x Snow-Covered Swamp
• 1x Steam Vents
• 1x Underground Sea
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Volcanic Island
• 1x Watery Grave
• 1x Wooded Foothills

Sorcery (18)

• 1x By Force
• 1x Dark Petition
• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Faithless Looting
• 1x Gamble
• 1x Gitaxian Probe
• 1x Imperial Seal
• 1x Mind's Desire
• 1x Ponder
• 1x Preordain
• 1x Pyroclasm
• 1x Rolling Earthquake
• 1x Serum Visions
• 1x Sleight of Hand
• 1x Toxic Deluge
• 1x Wheel of Fortune
• 1x Windfall
• 1x Yawgmoth's Will

Commander (1)

Artifact (18)

• 1x Aetherflux Reservoir
• 1x Chrome Mox
• 1x Cursed Totem
• 1x Dimir Signet
• 1x Everflowing Chalice
• 1x Fellwar Stone
• 1x Grim Monolith
• 1x Isochron Scepter
• 1x Lion's Eye Diamond
• 1x Lotus Petal
• 1x Mana Crypt
• 1x Mana Vault
• 1x Mox Diamond
• 1x Mox Opal
• 1x Sensei's Divining Top
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Talisman of Creativity
• 1x Talisman of Dominance

Enchantment (2)

• 1x Copy Artifact
• 1x Mystic Remora

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Hello everyone! This is a list I've been working on for about a year and a half now. It was originally based on the Laboratory Maniacs' list (from YouTube), but it has since changed significantly. It is a powerful storm list that I enjoy playing tremendously. Below is my (best attempt) at an explanation. Please leave your comments/suggestions.

WIN CONDITION

The win condition of this deck is pretty simple: Aetherflux Reservoir . Previously, I ran a Doomsday / Demonic Consultation / Laboratory Maniac package as a backup, but I abandoned this. There were too many games during which these cards were simply dead in my hand. Currently, there are no backup win conditions outside Kess, Dissident Mage beats (which never happens). However, this is not typically a problem; I lost more games due to the dead cards from the backup package than I have lost due to the lack thereof.

The first thing I need to go off with Aetherflux Reservoir is cards. This is most simply achieved through a resolved ad nauseum on the end step before my turn. If this isn't possible, flashing in Notion Thief on the end step and following it with a Wheel of Fortune or Windfall on my turn works about as well. Timetwister would be ideal, but I don't have that much money. Fast mana through moxes and the like fuels the necessary storm afterward.

The easiest way to get enough storm count to kill with Aetherflux Reservoir is with the Dramatic Reversal + Isochron Scepter combo. However, Dramatic Reversal is frequently used as a ritual effect. In this case, I generally don't have trouble casting enough spells, especially using Chain of Vapor to bounce moxen and Yawgmoth's Will to cast spells from the graveyard. Copy Artifact , which is usually meant to copy rocks in the early game, may copy Aetherflux Reservoir in an emergency in order to gain more life from less storm.

INTERACTION

Counterspells, obviously, are included not only to defend combos but also to disrupt opposing combos. Bounce spells like Blink of an Eye or Cyclonic Rift help deal with things like Thorn of Amethyst or Arcane Laboratory , especially in conjunction with spell-doubling from Kess, Dissident Mage . Hurkyl's Recall is most often used to build storm, but may be useful against some opponents as well.

Currently, I play in a elf- and hatebear-style meta. Thus, I have included Toxic Deluge , Pyroclasm and Rolling Earthquake . In a less creature-heavy meta, only two may be better; they can be fetched with the tutors in the deck. Hydroblast is meant for a Najeela, the Blade-Blossom list that has been killing me recently. I consider this the easiest flex-slot.

I have been impressed with Cursed Totem : it completely shuts down any deck with dorks. I highly advise running it.

MANA BASE

I play all OG duels in Grixis-colors, as well as the blue shocks. This allows me to run all of the fetch lands in my colors, including the ones like Arid Mesa which only touch one. As with many decks with three or more colors, I run Command Tower , Mana Confluence and City of Brass to round out my fixing. The single basic swamp is meant to be fetched when facing a deck likely to play Blood Moon .

Due to the high island-count, High Tide is an especially powerful ritual. Frantic Search and Snap only enhance this interaction. I considered running Candelabra of Tawnos , but without High Tide there is simply too little upside.

With regard to artifacts, I run all legal moxen outside Mox Amber . I don't run Mox Amber because it requires my general to also be on the field, and frequently this is not the case. I also only run the blue-touching signets, due to the highly blue-skewed mana base. This is also why I run Talisman of Dominance and not Talisman of Indulgence . Fellwar Stone frequently touches at least blue or black, if not both, at a 4-person table. Finally, Sol Ring , Grim Monolith , Mana Crypt and the others work as further fast-mana.

Baral, Chief of Compliance is included as a cost-reducer, and occasionally allows card selection with his looting ability.

CARD SELECTION

I am running Ponder , Preordain , Brainstorm and Impulse as part of a Xerox-style package (I recommend at least the first three for all blue decks). Serum Visions and Sleight of Hand are good as well, although I have not been as impressed with them (especially Serum Visions ).

Dark Confidant is a full-on boss, especially if I can land it turn-one. Dack Fayden is a close second, especially because it can double as interaction and ramp by stealing opposing rocks. One of my favorite things to do (though it is rather rare, because its often more trouble than its worth) is double Dack with Notion Thief .

Date added	5 years
Last updated	5 years
Key combos	Dramatic Reversal + Isochron Scepter
Legality	This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	11 - 0 Mythic Rares 46 - 0 Rares 12 - 0 Uncommons 21 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	1.82
Tokens	Bird 2/2 U, Emblem Dack Fayden