Quicken in Storm
Modern forum
Posted on Feb. 25, 2014, 7:42 p.m. by m4ver1k
Anyone else running Quicken in storm? I feel like I'm the only one doing it. I've been using it to storm out off the backside of my opponents turn when the moment arises to make it easier on myself.
I basically spend 3/4 turns sculpting my hand, then storming out on the backside of my opponents turn on the end step after they've increased the storm count for me, somewhere between turn 4-6, saving my quicken for past in flames, then recasting it for grapeshot when I've hit my minimum quota.
The lack of prevalence elsewhere makes me question if there's a better way to do it, but it's saved me even against burn decks, where when they go for the final blow I can storm out on top of it at the last second.
I think the reason it doesn't see a lot of play else where is the classic balance of power/potential vs consistency. There's no denying the power of Quicken as you described, it lets you do something no other Storm deck can. The issue however is that it is asking a lot of the boardstate. hand, top deck, and conditions in order to make Quicken good, where as cantrip like Serum Visions is going to dig you further and help you win more often. It's not unlike how Fog is an extremely powerful and game winning card 5% of the time.
Would you rather have a very good card 5% of the time or a good card 95% of the time? Though I guess it really comes down to what you're cutting from the list.
February 25, 2014 8:42 p.m.
Stygian333 says... #4
I don't think Quicken is what you want to be doing because you're cutting off some of the main components of Storm. First, you want to play a lot of spells to get your storm count high, which usually consists of "going off" in one of your main phases because of the many sorcery speed cantrips like Serum Visions and Gitaxian Probe along with Grapeshot and the aforementioned Past in Flames . In my opinion, even if you can accelerate something for play at the end of their turn, I really don't see the point, as you basically fill your graveyard and set up the first few turns, then storm off.
February 25, 2014 8:46 p.m.
Here's a deck list. So far it's been pretty good to me. The sideboard is tailored to my meta, so disregard that part.
February 25, 2014 9:33 p.m.
You should be running Faithless Looting instead of Quicken It's just a lot better.
February 25, 2014 10:13 p.m.
Looting is only really good when you've got a turn 2 Ascension AND multiples of cards laying around, or when you're trying to go off and you wish to sculpt your hand better by pitching lands/PiF.
Outside of that, more recent lists started using Thought Scour because not only does it allow you to turn on Ascension easily, it replaces itself (net card advantage is +1, compared to -1 via Looting). Scour also allows you to obtain more information about your opponent, which allows for better Visions/Sleight choices. After that, Scouring self, with PiF lurking, is often "U, Instant, Draw 1 to 4 cards of value". Worst case, you tick your storm count up and hit two lands (worst case, you got a better Looting), and best cases are often drawing into some cheap spell and milling two spells (if PiF is in the mix, this nets you +3 cards, instead of +2 from Looting).
Quicken has been my cantrip of choice for the same reason it is yours; sometimes, going off in unusual situations is worth the hit to consistency. If you're good at Storm, it's already super redundant and consistent, often able to combo out on T4 with high frequency, with multiple paths to do it.
However, as you mentioned, Quicken let's you bum your opponent's storm count AND most of your deck is already at instant. The issue is that you sometimes need to quicken your cantrips to dig deep, but chances are, if you were going off anyways, you were either sitting on a hand of quite a few cantrips (which means Looting/Thought Scour's benefits aren't needed) OR you already have a past in flames around. Sometimes, Quicken allows you to combo out on T3 in response to removal, if only to instant-speed a Past in Flames with an active Gob. That scenario comes up quite often, and Quicken gives you a legitimate out to it that can increase your chances to combo on T3.
That doesn't mean Quicken is your best choice, however. In a discard heavy meta, Thought Scour is going to be infinitely more valuable because you can fill your GY so quickly. In slower creature based matchups, Looting gets better at hitting into your SB cards. Against combo and counterspell decks, Quicken creates a blowout.
Especially with the increase in number to Vendilion Cliques.
More importantly, the biggest deal with Storm is to practice, practice, practice. If anybody is telling you that Looting is just "better than quicken", they clearly haven't played the deck enough to realize that Looting is by far the weakest link in the deck. They may even go as far as to say Ravings is bad (gasp!), but Storm DEMANDS it's card advantage.
February 28, 2014 9:17 a.m.
zolphinus
Thanks for some validation at least. The other night even, I cast a turn 2 ascension, then turn 3 played a land and passed the turn. I don't like storming out with 3 lands, just in case. Quicken gives me the luxury of time, because I don't necessarily have to storm out on my turn. It can be out of no where. At any rate, on my opponents turn they cast Abrupt Decay on my ascension, and I actually stormed out on top of the Abrupt Decay altogether, activating the Ascension while doing so.
For Looting, yeah...I don't run that. I much prefer Ravings. Looting has it's place, but I don't like running it and quicken at the same time for sure.
February 28, 2014 12:54 p.m.
Question: does replicate ability works with storm? If so i think thats just storm best friend....
February 28, 2014 5:58 p.m.
Nope, because even though you pay the replicate cost, it counts as casting 1, then copying it instead of each copy being a casted spell.
Grimgrinner says... #2
Honestly it depends on the meta. I could see it being decent in more casual playgroups, but in competitive matches it seems like a waste of a deck slot, and a waste of a hand spot. Care to post a deck list and / or describe your meta?
February 25, 2014 8:37 p.m.