pie chart

Kess, Thousand-Year Storm [Primer-ish]

Commander / EDH Combo Competitive Primer Storm UBR (Grixis)

olivebagel


Sideboard


Maybeboard

Artifact (1)


Kess storm/spellslinger deck, featuring Thousand-Year Storm. My earliest win was turn 4, but I've also played very fun long games. This deck provides a great mix of interaction, and raw burst power.

Control the board with removal spells and board wipes while cycling through your deck to find ramp and tutors.

My early mulligans prioritize cantrip effects, mana rocks and light removal.

casting Kess, Dissident Mage on turn 4 to recycle cantrips is a perfectly fine line if no other line to your storm turn presents itself.

This is the trickiest section of the game, that's only really solved by piloting the deck in a meta for a while. You have to be able to identify the threat level of other combo player, gauge how close the stompy deck is running over you, how much you can hold off the control player in addition to considering your best line to a successful storm turn. See lines of play below and learn to identify which is available to you and when its safe/not too late to reach for it.

There are a few flexible lines that can allow you to pop of a single turn win. Most of these are defined below by their single card engine. Not all of these engines are needed, but I've found that they all overlap well and can function with and with out each other.

The namesake of the deck, and the most fun, absolutely obnoxious line. With Thousand-Year Storm online, if you are allowed to untap, you should be making a push to win the game no matter what. It will not survive more than a turn. Plan out your cantrips, rituals and tutors wisely to start the storm chain. Common line would be something like Ponderx1, Frantic Searchx2 floating 3 mana, Increasing Ambitionx3 finding rituals and either Comet Storm or Torment of Hailfire depending on if you think red or black mana is more reliable. Another option is to tutor for an infinite mana loop, but this isnt necessary.

This chain will end with something like 7 copies of an x=200 Torment of Hailfire or Comet Storm

Rest in peace sweet child. You were taken from us too soon. May you live out your days in the back of my trade binder peacefully.

A tale of a time now lost Show

Bonus Round deserves its own section as a win condition in this deck. Though it is an all star in the two lines above, it can also win the game on its own. One interesting line I've run is Bonus Round, Mana Geyser into Increasing Vengeance,then Comet Storm for = a lot, and flash back Increasing Vengeance to win with 6 copies of an = a lot Comet Storm. "But Olivebagel, that's so magical Christmas land thats rediculous" well hypothetical critic, this deck runs enough tutors and cantrips that this line will sometimes present itself naturally, and it is an extremely viable way to close out a game and doesn't rely on any permanents.

This one is a classic. Cast Isochron Scepter imprinting Dramatic Reversal and net infinite mana as long as you have mana rocks that can tap for more than . After this is accomplished, you can cast any of Torrment of Hailfire, Comet Storm, Ral, Storm Conduit, Sentinel Tower, Aetherflux Reservoir or your favore storm card to close out the game.

Reiterate + Turnabout/Mana Geyser are very likely to net infinite mana.

After generating infinite mana (or near it), Reiterate can loop any spell, such as Lightning Bolt for a finisher as well as the storm finishers described above.

Talrand, Sky Summoner and Docent of Perfection   if you need to knock the power level down can sub in for cards of your choosing.

Doomsday or Demonic Consultation + Labratory Maniac.. these are their own archetypes respectively but I'd rather load up on redundancy for storming off and cycling.

Yawgmoth's Will - this card is nuts and exactly what this deck wants. If you have access to a copy, you absolutely should play it.

Ancient Excavation - this card is on thin ice for making the cut. When it is good, it is incredible and irreplaceable in the deck. But when its bad (which is infrequent) dear god its bad. If your hand size gets too low its a 4 mana faithless looting and that just really inst playable. I'm watching this card closely.

Bonus Round - This card is perfect for the deck, even on turns that don't involve a win. Especially with how many rituals in the deck, this card is an all star.

Comet Storm and Torment of Hailfire - These are the cards that end the game. I have found it necessary to include both due to sometimes only being able to generate massive Red or Black mana, but not both.

Finale of Promise and Mizzix's Mastery - war of the spark gave this deck a better version of what Mizzix's Mastery was trying to accomplish. I never have to cast my entire yard so the raw top end power of Finale made it replace Mizzix's Mastery in this version of the deck. Both are playable, but I don't think you need two copies of that effect and I believe finale is superior.

Increasing Vengeance & Reiterate - This card is flexible in the mid game and when paired with a large ritual can end the game, so it keeps evading a cut. I have my eyes on this ones performance as well.

Narset's Reversal - another war of the spark include. I'm really excited for its potential. This replaced a counter spell of some sort.

Notion Thief - The only creature in the deck is worth talking about. I feel this guy is just way too good to leave out of any deck that has and runs Windfall. Also with how often you hold up mana for interaction, it can be a great tempo play responding to someones huge burst of draw.

Paradox Engine - I just added this and I have high hopes for it, but no affirmation yet. Should be automatically amazing given the decks cycling ability and mana rock density. However, it is absolutely not needed for the deck to work.

Sentinel Tower & Ral, Storm Conduit - payoff cards for dramatic scepter combo. Sentinel Tower should be replaced with Aetherflux Reservoir. Still testing Ral. Main concern is that I doubt he will ever survive a turn cycle given my lack of blocking ability.

Cathartic Reunion & Tormenting Voice - These cards are interesting as they let us fill the grave yard, but also become incredibly strong when copied. Since the discard is labeled as an extra cost, you don't have to pay the discard when the spell is copied.

STAY TUNED I have plenty of fun stories just need to find the time to document them.

Suggestions

Updates Add

Comments

Attention! Complete Comment Tutorial! This annoying message will go away once you do!

Hi! Please consider becoming a supporter of TappedOut for $3/mo. Thanks!


Important! Formatting tipsComment Tutorialmarkdown syntax

Please login to comment

Casual

98% Competitive

Top Ranked
Date added 5 years
Last updated 3 years
Legality

This deck is Commander / EDH legal.

Rarity (main - side)

7 - 0 Mythic Rares

30 - 2 Rares

18 - 0 Uncommons

26 - 0 Commons

Cards 100
Avg. CMC 2.52
Tokens Bird 2/2 U, Drake 2/2 U, Frog Lizard 3/3 G, Human Wizard 1/1 U, Manifest 2/2 C
Folders Active Decks, Decks I Want To Build, EDH, Commander Ideas, EDH, OPD, Reference, Interesting, Commander, edh
Votes
Ignored suggestions
Shared with
Views