Interaction package
In early versions of paradox storm, this was always the weakness of this deck. However,this is no longer the case.
Our counterspell package is fairly standard. We devote a relatively modest 8 slots to this effect as counterspells are not great with Paradox Engine. Nonetheless we play the ones best suited to our aggressive gameplan
Force of Will; Pact of Negation; Mental Misstep; Swan Song; Flusterstorm; Spell Pierce; Pyroblast and Mana Drain
Our spot removal package is also small, but contains the three best possible spells.
Chain of Vapor; Nature's Claim; Abrupt Decay
Where this package shines is its trio of one sided board wipes. While all grixis decks can play these cards they cannot utilize them as effectively as we can, since they cannot match our concentration of ramp (Green Boii!). Rift and blast also function as reasonably costed spot removal spells. This allows us to slow the table without having to sacrafice our own board position.
Cyclonic Rift; Vandalblast; Fire Covenant
Our last two slots have various other functions within the deck but also do good work as interaction pieces that target the current meta wonderfully
Notion Thief; Tormod's Crypt
In total this amounts to 16 slots for interaction, which is very respectable. However, since we have all the best recursion spells at our disposal, and many of our interaction pieces check multiple boxes, the cost of our interaction package is minimal (deckslot wise), while our ability to play the long game is much better than what our numbers would suggest.
What this affords us is the ability to play reactively and proactively at the same time. In other words, we can disrupt the table while also getting ourselves in a position to end the game.
Flex spots
I always strive to create "meta free" decks. All this means is that my decks try to run as many objectively powerful cards as possible that can deal effectively with a blind meta. This is why you never see cards like Trickbind in my lists. It is far to narrow and specific to a handful of stratgies. However, as your playgroup adapts to your gameplan adjustments will be needed. Here are the cards least essential to the deck:
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
: I have a soft spot in my heart for baby Jace. With that being said he is usually the worst recursion in the deck. If we can get him down early and make him stick hes incredible the following turns. Otherwise hes slow and clunky.
Talisman of Indulgence: Our worst 2 mana rock alot of the time. I don't love this card but its faster than a signet and we need a fairly high density of rocks.
Vandalblast: In the right meta, this card is flat out devastating. However, not every deck needs this effect.
Gemstone Caverns: I love this card as it enables explosive starts, but its clearly the first cut when basic lands matter.
Llanowar Elves: Our worst 1 drop dork is still really good and one can justify running more, but if you must trim your dork count, hes the one to go.
Merchant Scroll: Our worst tutor. Its working well for me now but its hardly essential.
Winds of Change: This is my spice include. It is great on an ad naus turn and makes Notion Thief wins efficient enough to occassionally serve as our Plan A. Outside of those two roles it is as close to a dead card as this deck runs unless your ballsy enough to cast this turn 1 to disrupt everyones carefully chosen hands. Truly red at its finest...
Notion Thief: Another favorite of mine, but hardly essential. He's better for us than most decks because we can get him out earlier than anyone else (on average) and he improves our wheels significantly. For main phase ad naus purists, Thief is chunky and needs to go.
The other 90 are mistakes to cut in my estimation for any reason besides budget.
You are proably thinking Astral Cornucopia...bruh? No dead cards? Please...
Cornicopia is great. Y'all crazy! 0cc for naus. Free untap for engine. Easily activated0 chromatic lantern, with double counter upside. This is probaby the one deck where this card is not a hot pile of garbage. Getting to 3 mana on turn 2 then using a counterspell or removal on your opponents turn or simply top deck tutor at end step to win the game the following turn is lit.
The ultimate adaptive combo deck
The defining feature of Paradox storm is balance. There is not a metric it does poorly and there are several where it is the best. This allows unprecidented versatility:
When Barbechenue piloted the deck in the cEDH tourney, Barbe leaned on experience as a midrange/stax player and played paradox storm like a control deck. Using its recursion to double up on removal spells Barbe simply outanswered the table and had some truly epic Vandalblasts. Proof is located here() and here() Barbe did not cast ad nauseam a single time in the tourney and made top 16 with less interaction than we currently have.
Sigi has played the deck since it was first created and he plays it like a traditional storm deck, and is having success against a variety of different matchups.
I play the deck as a fast combo deck with a storm finisher and have found it to be one of the fastest combo decks in the format.
With some of the more recent changes, a person can play any of the above strategies with this deck and have success. The reason is perfect balance. This deck can win off a main phase ad nauseam as good as any deck after mono black Sidisi. This is still true even with a fatter curve (1.68) than early versions (Yes dark petition is that good) because we have such a high concentration of main phase ad naus tech to get us to the required 3-5 post Naus mana we need to end the game. We can steal everyone elses resources with Notion Thief+any of our wheels better than any deck in the format. We abuse yawgwin like a red headed stepchild hooker. We can assemble dramatic scepter faster than any other deck (on average) due to our unparalleled ramp and tutorpackage. We can play a slow reactive gameplan and then storm off with paradox engine when the time is right. We have answers for everything and no one effect can shut us down. It is the lovechild of focused and layered combo. It is the truth.
Another reason for the versatility of this deck is that unlike its Arcum and Sissay counterparts, Thrasios Paradox Storm plays no "dead cards." Even our win conditions (Tormod's Crypt & Aetherflux reserviour) have standalone value and every card in the deck serves multiple roles.
As I have outlined earlier, we have a ton of flexibility in how we fill out the last 5 or so slots. For instance, If you are in a Blood Pod/Raz Reanimator/creature heavy meta you can slot in cheap board wipes and like Pyroclasm Toxic Deluge in addition to Fire Covenant and Cyclonic Rift to repeatedly blow out the table with little to no consequence for our own gameplan. If you are dealing with alot of instant speed disruption, you could supplement the core counterspell package with Dispel, Red Elemental Blast, and Delay or even better play more cantrips to have more control over your topdeck (xerox stuff goes here). Rule of Law and Null Rod effects got you dow? Slot in cards like Natural State and Into the Roil. In a meta where racing is the best policy, up that turn 1 ramp Boii and add some Waste Not for good measure. We have nothing but powerful and aggressively costed options at our disposal. You literally cannot go wrong. There is not a meta that exists, where Paradox storm won't be one of the more powerful decks. Play this deck already...Shit!...If you end up hating it, you will have nothing but good (and eternally $==>valuable) cards to play in your other decks. No downside, all upside. Good night...
