Time Spiral Standard Metagame Analysis

TOP 8 DECKS from SPDC 1.07 - 2.03

= First Place
= Top 4
= Top 8

WU (3)
WW/u -
WU Aggro-Control -

UB (11)
UB Aggro-Control -
UB Control -
Five Dollar Kill -
UB Madness -
UB Aggro Madness -

BR (4)
BR Aggro-Control -
Jakdos (BR Aggro) -

RG (6)
Blood Graft -
RG Aggro -
Strength Tokens -

GW (3)
Gnarrly Beats -
GW Squad -

WB (11)
Orzhov Blink -
WB Aggro-Control -
Desert Harvest -
Orzhov Rebels -

UR (9)
Dragonaut Storm -
Izzet Blink -
UR Storm -
Burnt Fish -
UR Aggro-Control -

BG (1)
Janky Rock (BG Aggro-Control) -

RW (7)
Snowros -
RW Aggro -

GU (3)
UGAC Update -
Snapgraft -

MONO COLOR (6)
Blue Aggro -
Blue Aggro-Control -
LIL'red (Red Storm) -
WW -

3-5 COLOR (8)
I Hate Your Bouncelands (BRG Control) -
WUB Aggro-Control -
Parlor Tricks (UBR Control) -
GWB Good Stuff v2 -
UBR Madness -
BWur Control -

The three most prevalent decks, at least in terms of their reported appearances in SPDC Top 8 playoffs, are Orzhov Blink, Snowros, and Blood Graft. Let us not overlook, however, the success of BR Aggro-Control, some form of UR Storm, more aggressive Mono Blue builds, and certainly not least any number of UB archetypes, which are just as prevalent as WB builds, and just as successful. We'll take a look at each of these in turn.

SNOWROS
SpikeBoyM, SPDC 1.08, 1st place

7 Snow-Covered Plains
7 Snow-Covered Mountains
4 Terramorphic Expanse
4 Boros Garrison

4 Amrou Scout
3 Amrou Seeker
4 Benalish Calvary
2 Ivory Giant
4 Skyknight Legionnaire
4 Keldon Halberdier

4 Rift Bolt
4 Seal of Fire
4 Skred
2 Taste for Mayhem
3 Gelid Shackles

Sideboard
4 Stone Rain
4 Ronom Unicorn
3 Faith's Fetters
2 Ivory Giant
2 Subterranean Shambler

Polyjak: The earliest deck on our list is Snowros, which SpikeBoyM piloted to 1st place in SPDC 1.08. It has placed four more times since, but never taken first at another tourney.
Eegag: It's my opinion that Keldon Halberdier is one of the most important cards in the deck, alongside Amrou Scout. The essential plan of Snowros is to win with tempo; it's Spike's philosophy incarnate.
Polyjak: I play this deck a lot, but I don't understand what 'win with tempo' means. Because I'm dumb. I'm used to a more 'all-out' strategy with red and white, but this deck provides you with options and choices.
Eegag: You're not looking for outright card advantage and, while the Scout is card advantage of course, it also provides a tempo boost by bringing creatures in at the end of your opponent's turn or during the declare blockers phase. With the suspend creatures, you invest early for a big boost down the road.
Polyjak: I see. And a similar thing with Gelid Shackles: it's a limited Fetters, which you can 'activate' as mana/tempo allows to save yourself a few points of damage. It comes down early but adapts to the pace of play.
Eegag: Definitely. Shackles is fantastic in this deck. Also, Seal of Fire sits on the board waiting for the perfect moment. Spike uses Seal of Fire better than almost any player I have seen.
Polyjak: This deck doesn't like lifegain. Especially if it's blinking lifegain.
Eegag: Ha. What deck does like blinking lifegain? But I agree. Red decks, utilizing a philosophy of fire, are more susceptible to that threat. It really messes with the red player's strategy.
Polyjak: I'm not even sure what in the board could improve the matchup vs. Orzhov Blink. Stone Rain? Fetters? This deck had its greatest success before ioginy's marriage of Blind Hunter and Momentary Blink swept its first tourney.
Eegag: Very true. I think Stone Rain is supposed to come in to nuke Karoos, the Dimir Aqueducts, etc, to reduce their blue sources...
Polyjak: The future of this deck? Bleak.
Eegag: Ha. Actually, I think it emerges as one of the top two or three decks after Planar Chaos. There are many directions it could go... more Slivers, more Rebels, Whitemane Lion, Keldon Marauders...
Polyjak: Keldon Marauders, in my limited testing, have proven themselves to be quite aggressive and tempo-y. And Aven Riftwatcher, as a flying rebel, certainly has a place.
Eegag: Benalish Cavalry is the first creature to go, in my opinion. There are just better options now.
Polyjak: Indeed. But people hate flanking. And flanking hates people.
Eegag: That it does, but I think I'd rather have 5 damage for 1R or Whitemane Lion for some nasty swingy effects.
Polyjak: It will certainly be a deck to keep your eye on, as you say, because it does integrate so many strong PC cards so easily.
Eegag: Agreed. Unfortunately, it's major nemesis can do the same...

ORZHOV BLINK
ioginy, SPDC 1.11, 1st place

9 Plains
9 Swamp
2 Dimir Aqueduct
2 Azorius Chancery
4 Dimir Signet

4 Ravenous Rats
3 Shrieking Grotesque
3 Gutless Ghoul
2 Stinkweed Imp
4 Blind Hunter
4 Gravedigger

2 Grim Harvest
4 Last Gasp
4 Pillory of the Sleepless
4 Momentary Blink

Sideboard
4 Shred Memory
4 Guardian of the Guildpact
3 Faith's Fetters
2 Leave No Trace
2 Stinkweed Imp

Eegag: Orzhov has been, arguably, the top dog of Standard since the release of Guildpact. R&D gave black and white some insanely powerful and synergistic commons, and Time Spiral added a new weapon to the arsenal: Momentary Blink, turning already formidable CIP creatures into nightmares for the opposition. And, as the metagame developed, it was Orzhov Blink that gained popularity over the other possible Orzhov update, Rebels.
Polyjak: I think the record shows that Orzhov Blink got the job done.
Eegag: What, in your opinion, is the scariest element of the deck?
Polyjak: Well, as a die-hard red player, I hate the idea that the Blind Hunter can dodge my already futile removal and also retrigger the horrid lifegain piece, all for the low cost of 1W. Without Yamabushi's Flame, I am tossed around like a rag doll by the insane recursion and dodgery of Orzhov Blink.
Eegag: Right. Orzhov Blink forces the red player to rethink his strategy.
Polyjak: Thinking isn't my strong suit.
Eegag: You can't just burn things at will anymore. You have to wait and burn in response to Blink.
Polyjak: Waiting isn't my strong suit, either.
Eegag: That's why you play red, dude.
Polyjak: Orzhov was a natural place for Momentary Blink, because it already packed the scariest and most efficient CIP guys. BweeBwee invented an Izzet deck that also exploits Momentary Blink, but Orzhov has remained the most popular place for this strategy.
Eegag: Agreed. And forcing the blue splash proved to be an easy obstacle to overcome with the addition of Terramorphic Expanse.
Polyjak: So how do we beat this deck, if not with fire? Putting things in the graveyard isn't a final doom against black decks.
Eegag: I don't think fire is futile, but the entire red mindset must change. I also think we have seen, in the second half of this Time Spiral Standard season, a viable method of defeating Orzhov emerge: fast aggro builds, in the form of white weenies, Goblin swarms, or Saproling rushes.
Polyjak: Thank goodness WotC didn't put an efficient sweeper in black, or Orzhov would truly be unstoppable.
Eegag: Gnarrly Beats has a very strong game against Orzhov, and it was Me43698769837's White Weenie deck that seemed to first upstage Blink.
Polyjak: Indeed.
Eegag: What does the future of this deck hold?
Polyjak: Probably Whitemane Lion. In fact, that card alone may push Orzhov Blink back toward a more aggressive form.
Eegag: That's a good point. This seems to be the Lion's natural home.
Polyjak: Orzhov Blink won't go away, of course.
Eegag: But, it won't be so reliant on Blink itself.
Polyjak: There are also two new cards that may herald the rise of Orzhov Rebels: Blightspeaker and Aven Riftwatcher, both excellent cards.
Eegag: Yes. Orzhov Rebels didn't die off because it was bad, just because it was never played. These two cards might put the archetype back on the radar.
Polyjak: Until Blind Hunter leaves Standard, Orzhov will have a natural huge advantage because of the nature of its colors together (efficient creatures, lots of removal, graveyard control, board control, and life gain/drain).
Eegag: It has everything a deck could ask for, card advantage, tempo advantage, reach, resiliency, and consistency.
Polyjak: If you're planning on netdecking, this is a great first option for you.

BLOOD GRAFT
icarodx, SPDC 1.10, 1st place

9 Forest
9 Mountain
2 Gruul Turf

4 Simic Initiate
4 Scab-Clan Mauler
2 Silhana Ledgewalker
4 Aquastrand Spider
3 Ashcoat Bear
2 Martyr of Ashes
4 Nantuko Shaman

2 Wildsize
4 Seal of Fire
2 Shock
4 Rift Bolt
1 Aether Web
2 Galvanic Arc
2 Gather Courage

Sideboard
2 Galvanic Arc
2 Gather Courage
2 Rain of Embers
2 Silhana Ledgewalker
2 Thrive
3 Shielding Plax
2 Aether Web

Polyjak: Blood Graft is icarodx's pet deck, a constantly-evolving Gruul aggro build. It has placed repeatedly, and remains a presence at SPDC, but has only nabbed the gold medallion once, at SPDC 1.10. The very fact that it's constantly evolving shows that it has not yet 'arrived.' What are the greatest strengths of this deck, friend?
Eegag: I think it tosses a lot of the best parts of red and green into one deck: efficient creatures, burn, pump, even card drawing--an area that green is starting to expand into. The interaction between graft, bloodthirst, flash, and evasion can be quite synergistic, albeit a purely aggressive form of synergy. Blood Graft seems to lack to "tricks" of our previous two lists. How does it compete with the upper echelon?
Polyjak: I'm not completely sure, to be honest. It needs to get a fast, even explosive start, and continue dropping threats, forcing the opponent to play reactively. If the opponent needs to expend his mana on removal, he isn't able to produce his own threats.
Eegag: Exactly. This is where traditional "red" thinking finds its home, not Snowros. Attack and burn until they die. Sometimes, that can just overwhelm even the best of decks.
Polyjak: I can speak from my experience facing Blood Graft with my WW/u deck: big creatures outpace little creatures, despite the evasion. And with the amount of burn in Blood Graft, a strategy of Fortify is less potent than just beating with fat tramplers.
Eegag: Right. That's how Blood Graft manages to keep placing. Yet, inconsistency is its biggest weakness. Sometimes, the all-out aggro plan just falls through. And Blood Graft has nothing to fall back on: it's a very straightforward deck.
Polyjak: Looking into the future (or, the 'present'), Planar Chaos provides some new green all-stars that may fit into this deck. I'm thinking Uktabi Drake and Mire Boa here, mainly. Keldon Marauders may be another inclusion, especially followed up turn 3 by Wildsize. The new Gruul will be capable of some blistering fast damage.
Eegag: Planar Chaos contributes to this deck in a big way. Aggressive green dudes, like you said, such as Mire Boa or Uktabi Drake will make a definite impact. Aggression might be at the forefront of Blood Graft's new strategy, especially if it incorporates an "8 Giant Growth" plan, making it capable of surprising wins.
Polyjak: The deck could also exploit the relative absence of auras from the metagame right now and run Surging Might and Taste for Mayhem, which would intensify the fear factor of its most grueling beaters.
Eegag: Yes, those cards are also very swingy. I think these plans would almost necessitate upping the count to four Ledgewalkers.
Polyjak: Good idea.
Eegag: But, with pump and burn, this deck can certainly win from nowhere.
Polyjak: I'd also up the Skred count to 4, supplying the necessary snow lands of course.
Eegag: Skred is still amazing in Standard, there is no doubt. This deck has a way to go before it approaches the ideal build, but it has repeatedly shown promise in the Time Spiral Standard metagame.

UB AGGRO-CONTROL
rabon, SPDC 1.15, 1st place

13 Island
8 Swamp
3 Dimir Aqueduct

1 Coral Trickster
4 Errant Ephemeron
4 Spiketail Drakeling
1 Fathom Seer
4 Looter il-Kor

2 Boomerang
4 Consult the Necrosages
2 Convolute
4 Last Gasp
1 Dark Withering
4 Mindstab
4 Rune Snag
1 Snapback

Sideboard
1 Boomerang
1 Convolute
2 Disembowel
2 Repeal
3 Stinkweed Imp
4 Cancel
2 Snapback

Eegag: UB Aggro-Control is an archetype that has gone through many incarnations since Time Spiral's release. There is no clear best approach to the color combination, but the cards choices are often similar: Errant Ephemeron, Looter il-Kor, Last Gasp, Rune Snag, and some discard. What puts rabon's build over the top?
Polyjak: The Drakeling isn't a common sight, is it? Nor Mindstab? Those two stand out to me on first glance as being more unique to his build. This is a more control-heavy aggro-control build, clearly.
Eegag: Mindstab stood out to me as well: it is a fantastic card but lacks a home in Standard. Perhaps this is it.
Polyjak: I'm glad to see Consult the Necrosages, which is one of my favorite guild cards. It seems quite potent.
Eegag: The amount of discard in this deck makes it scary. Scary to the Blink builds that operate with a lot of cards in hand, both Izzet and Orzhov.
Polyjak: Scary to the combo decks that filter for key pieces.
Eegag: Exactly. I think you are right on the money, here. Discard made this deck a surprise contender.
Polyjak: And yet it packs aggressive, evasive creatures as well, Spiketail most notable. It has a considerable body on a limited Mana Leak.
Eegag: Right. Also in rabon's list are a fair numer of 1-ofs. However, I actually like his choices. 1 Coral Trickster and 1 Fathom Seer don't seem that bad to me. Yet the primary beaters, Ephemeron, Drakeling, and Looter are all evasive. That is definitely important.
Polyjak: This deck differs from the 'UB Madness' archetype how?
Eegag: It's more controlling. UB Madness decks, escpecially icarodx's build from earlier in the season, were very aggressive. This has counters and discard and bounce.
Polyjak: How will PC change this deck?
Eegag: Well, it's important to note that rabon himself pointed out some poor card choices: Convolute over Cancel and the lack of Terramorphic Expanse come to mind. So I think there is a lot of room for expansion in this deck. Blue gets a few new morph dudes that you can throw in as 1-ofs to further confuse the opponent.
Polyjak: Confusion is good. That's a good word to describe how I feel right now. Anyway, I think it's quite interesting to note that UB decks are as successful as WB decks. We've spent a lot of hot air complaining about Orzhov, but we should really consider Dimir to be just as deadly.
Eegag: That was a surprising statistic to me. But it just keeps showing up... I think we dismiss it because there isn't one build dominating.
Polyjak: Sneaky, mutable, ever-changing: the secret of the Dimir.

P.S: It's also worth noting that this build does not include Dimir Infiltrator, which is a very common staple of UB aggro-control decks.

MONO BLUE BEATS
KingRitz, SPDC 1.16, 1st place

19 Snow-Covered Island

4 Martyr of Frost
4 Drifter il-Dal
3 Viscerid Deepwalker
4 Krovikan Mist
4 Looter il-Kor
4 Errant Ephemeron
3 Coral Trickster
4 Fathom Seer

4 Remove Soul
4 Rune Snag
3 Compulsive Research

Sideboard
4 Boomerang
4 Minister of Impediments
4 Spiketail Drakeling
3 Petrahydrox

Polyjak: Blue Beats is a deck that came out of nowhere to take SPDC 1.16, an event oddly populated by mono-color decks.
Eegag: Yes, this was during my three week absence from PDC events and the digital world altogether, so I unfortunately missed this development. However, I have given the deck a bit of thought. I think there was a mono-blue aggro deck that had success in Classic before this ... perhaps it served as inspiration. What creatures do you see as the most important to the deck?
Polyjak: Well, blue's new thing seems to be utility creatures that provide the player with lots of options, morph creatures that play tricks (such as Fathom Seer), and delayed gratification beaters (Ephemeron and Deepwalker) which help the player save mana for counters.
Eegag: ...and there is efficiency in these creatures that blue hasn't seen before.
Polyjak: Exactly.
Eegag: Plus, the illusion tribal subtheme gives the deck some added punch.
Polyjak: Yes. There was actually a more dedicated illusion deck present at SPDC 1.16, but it didn't fare as well. I'm surprised that this deck did as well as it did with only 19 lands. That is low by any color's standards, especially blue!
Eegag: That jumped out at me, too. I know that, in some of my test builds of post-PC Blue Beats, 19 seemed to be too small of a number. But, being able to run only 19 lands improves the deck's threat density greatly. Plus, there are only 11 non-creature spells. That is amazing for a blue deck.
Polyjak: Yes, this is really an anomaly in all ways, which serves to illustrate the new hat blue has donned so far in Time Spiral block. And Planar Chaos will continue the trend of 'strangifying' blue.
Eegag: Piracy Charm gives this mono-color deck some utility it doesn't currently possess. Additionally, there is a new, aggressive illusion: Gossamer Phantasm.
Polyjak: I remember hearing someone in the PDC channel of MTGO talking about illusions. We don't need any more 2-drop illusions, he said. What we need is a new 1-drop illusion. However, as far as 2-drop illusions go, the Phantasm is a good one.
Eegag: We take what we can get here in the land of commons.
Polyjak: Word. I guess, depending on the direction mono-blue wants to go, Planar Chaos will affect it in different ways. But MUC is definitely not on the horizon.
Eegag: I concur. MUC is not a plausible archetype in Standard. Blue Beats is the way to go, for now. This deck, and one we have yet to talk about, are the two new developments that Time Spiral alone has made possible.

BR AGGRO-CONTROL
Death_Knight05, SPDC 2.02, 1st place

11 Swamp
11 Mountain

1 Gravedigger
3 Gutless Ghoul
4 Keldon Halberdier
2 Pit Keeper
3 Ravenous Rats
4 Skulking Knight
3 Stinkweed Imp

4 Rift Bolt
4 Volcanic Hammer
4 Stone Rain
4 Last Gasp
1 Strangling Soot
1 Seal of Fire

Sideboard
1 Stinkweed Imp
1 Thoughtpicker Witch
2 Cry of Contrition
4 Rain of Embers
3 Mindstab
2 Shred Memory
2 Grim Harvest

Polyjak: Rakdos doesn't appear as often as some other decks, but when it does, it goes far. With four appearances in the top 8, and three first place finishes, it ranks right up there with Orzhov and Dimir in terms of success rates. This begs the question: why isn't it played more? And another question: why is it so good?
Eegag: It's another color combo, like UB, that doesn't have one, central build. Yet, pieces are there, for sure. Red has some good burn options at the moment, and black has some amazing utility creatures.
Polyjak: If you'll notice, Orzhov, Dimir, and Rakdos all partake of one shared color: black. Having a monopoly on the graveyard certainly doesn't hurt this ebony hegemony.
Eegag: And, the depth of black's creatures, right now, is amazing. They have creatures that do everything. Gravedigger and Pit Keeper, Ravenous Rats, Gutless Ghoul, Stinky, Thoughtpicker Witch ...
Polyjak: Good point. I never really considered that. Even the Syphon-Mage is good, which is more than can be said about the other colors' horrible spellshapers.
Eegag: Definitely. Combining black with any color gives good results. It's likely the best all-around color in Standard. Pair black's utility with red's reach and speed, and you have a formidable deck.
Polyjak: This particular build includes Skulking Knight, which is a card with major potential. I haven't seen it much, but it certainly increases the threat density of this build.
Eegag: Three mana for a 3/3 flanker is superb. Plus, most cards that target it will kill it anyway. Rift Bolt, Last Gasp... It even avoids Pillory and Fetters.
Polyjak: On paper it's a 3/3. It functions in combat like a 4/4. But it's a 3/1 when it comes to removal.
Eegag: It is certainly underused.
Polyjak: Another notable element of this deck is the maindecked Stone Rain. That seems to be a very smart call. The Karoos are almost universally seen, even in aggro builds.
Eegag: Perhaps this is in response to an increase in three color decks, like I Hate Your Bouncelands and Parlor Tricks. And many two color builds are even splashing for a third color.
Polyjak: Whereas rabon's UB deck exploited discard, which is an underused strategy, this deck employs land denial, another strategy which hasn't seen much play. I think one reason for that is because players tend to take LD too far. It doesn't need to occur in a dedicated LD deck to be effective. And there aren't amazing power finishers in BR right now, so an all-out control deck is going to be less successful.
Eegag: Good point. What are other cards, specifically that you like? Since you have taken BR to victory before...
Polyjak: Well, Skulking Knight is quite aggressive and I'd love to put him in the Jakdos update. Stinkweed is also quite excellent, and has been for his entire tenure in Standard. The Halberdier draws removal a lot, but for good reason: he is a game-breaker.
Eegag: What is your opinion on Chilling Shade? Is it too slow?
Polyjak: Chilling Shade has the potential to be devistating, but requires a great deal of mana investment. He may make his way back into Rakdos with the infusion of PC into the meta, however, as black and red gain a few new efficient guys, for instance Keldon Marauders.
Eegag: That card is going to make a big impact, I think. We have mentioned it for several decks so far.
Polyjak: Agreed. It's the model of efficiency, and that's something red isn't accustomed to. I'm also noticing that Grim Harvest has been moved to the sideboard. Not to mention that Strangling Soot, a very efficient card, is only a 1-of. That makes sense, however, in a deck full of burn. Soot is more useful in UB decks that splash red just to access its flashback ability.
Eegag: Death_Knight05's deck seems a bit faster than Jakdos.
Polyjak: Which is ironic, considering I considered Jakdos to be aggro, and he's calling his aggro-control.
Eegag: It's not as mana hungry, with no Harvest maindeck and only one Soot. Your creature base was quicker but, overall, his strategy has speed that yours didn't.
Polyjak: I also want to mention that this deck did not have to play its final matchup to claim 1st place, as BweeBwee needed to leave before the finals. Who knows what would have happened if that match had been played. I wonder how this deck would fare against Desert Harvest, a WB combo-control deck that abuses Grim Harvest and Martyr of Sands.
Eegag: It would have been interesting. I am curious to see the future of this deck.
Polyjak: It looks promising!

DRAGONAUT STORM
Karakusk, SPDC 2.03, 1st place

7 Island
7 Mountain
4 Izzet Boilerworks
4 Terramorphic Expanse

4 Wee Dragonauts
4 Coal Stoker
3 Fathom Seer

4 Empty the Warrens
4 Rift Bolt
4 Rite of Flame
4 Surging Flame
4 Seething Song
4 Sleight of Hand
3 Compulsive Research

Sideboard
4 Seal of Fire
4 Cancel
4 Errant Ephemeron
3 Rain of Embers

Eegag: Red and blue storm decks are the other new addition to the Standard metagame made possible entirely by the infusion of Time Spiral. Fast, deadly, and increasingly consistent, UR Storm has been appearing more and more in the elimination rounds, finally taking first in SPDC 2.03.
Polyjak: The evolution of storm has included many versions, some mono-red like hurriboy's LIL'red, and others lacking Wee Dragonauts.
Eegag: It seems as though the consensus is that the version with WeeDs is the most deadly.
Polyjak: Unchecked Dragonauts alone can destroy the unwary while the storm player digs for what he needs. I think that, overall, Wee Dragonauts haven't been given a fair shake in Standard. I'm glad they have a deck to be utterly ridiculous in.
Eegag: I know, in SPDC 2.03, an unchecked Dragonaut hit me for 9 and cost me the game. I had the ground game covered, but WeeDs gave him the advantage
Polyjak: This storm deck has speed AND power, thanks to the synergy in the storm/combo strategy with the triggered ability on the Izzet faeries.
Eegag: It has reached a level of consistency I hadn't thought possible for a Standard pauper combo deck. It's even more deadly than Ire of Kaminari last season.
Polyjak: Interesting comparison. It seems Wizards has latched onto Izzet as the wacky spell-slinging combo deck guild, and they've certainly done well in designing cards that maintain that image. Anyway, what are the best inroads for disrupting this monstrosity?
Eegag: Castigate is probably the number one answer. Close behind that is Subterranean Shambler. BweeBwee used it to really solidify his matchup against Gnarrly Beats and storm combo decks.
Polyjak: But Shambler is so slow... it was my last chance against this deck at SPDC 2.03 and it just wasn't enough.
Eegag: I brought it in from the sideboard, too, when I faced Karakusk in SPDC 2.03 T4. You're right, it isn't enough. If you beat the goblins, then Dragonauts kills you alongside a decent suite of burn.
Polyjak: I suppose Martyr of Ashes or Rain of Embers are other sweepers that can take out the goblin hordes. But that still doesn't deal with the Dragonauts. So far we've mentioned white, black, and red cards to answer this problem. Perhaps there's a 3-color anti-storm deck there?
Eegag: Perhaps, but I don't think this deck is popular enough to dictate a specific anti-storm deck... yet. Though, we certainly haven't seen the last of it.
Polyjak: This particular version is lethal. I notice Karakusk is not running Grapeshot. Any thoughts? I had my butt handed to me on game earlier on in the tournament by that spell.
Eegag: This build has the perfect balance of draw, mana acceleration, burn, and the combo card. I don't think Grapeshot is necessary... its superfluous.
Polyjak: Do I dare ask what Planar Chaos brings to the fold?
Eegag: I have tried to ponder that question, and I come up blank. Simian Spirit Guide would give it speed, but there are better options right now. The Spirit Guide doesn't add to the storm count, and the current build is fast enough as is.
Polyjak: This is a deck that will continue to show up with minor tweaks, but this certainly does seem to be a very potent mix of cards. The metagame will have to move in reaction against it before storm players really needs to consider new options.