I didn't realize taking in and understanding a vast format like Extended would be as hard as it is. Since my return to Magic, I have focused mainly on Standard as it is my favorite format due to the small card pool and being able to know as much as possible about it. I think it is safe to say if I was asked randomly on the street what the best decks in T2 were, I could not only list all of them -ranging from the top decks, to the current meta call, to the rogue builds - but I could also name about 90 percent of the cards in the decks.

This type of knowledge comes from my constant study and my lack of interest in other constructed formats. I haven't got into Extended, Legacy or Vintage much mainly because I do not have the resources to build a competitive deck in these formats. I was able to amass the needed guards for T2 from drafting and this is not an option for getting fetchlands or chase rares like Orim's Chant, Vindicate, Pernicious Deed or any of the other power cards. But don't think I have anything against the older formats, I do find them interesting when reading tournament recaps and articles on the new tech, I just haven't felt like it was worth focusing on these formats when I most likely can't amass a deck to take to an event.

So why the change of heart? Well, Pro Tour Hollywood is coming up (and by coming up, I mean in about six months) and the PTQs for the event are Extended. This means it is time for me to shift my primary focus from working on decks in Standard to Extended so I can have something to write about and hopefully piece together a competitive deck. Does this mean I am going to trade away all of my T2 staples? Definitely not, but I hope to borrow the cards I need from a friend or slowly trade for some cards I need.

So for the last couple of days I have began taking in as much Extended tech as possible. I have a small understanding of the strong decks in the format, but I do not know more than half of the best decks (estimation). The obvious decks I am aware of are : Chase Rare.dec, Rock/Tooth n Nail, Rock, No Stick, Tron builds, Affinity, Ideal, multiple forms of aggro, Counterbalance control/combo decks, TEPS, Loam, Dredge and maybe some others that I can't recall. I know a solid amount of the cards in these decks and their plans of attack, but I have not played as much Extended as I would like so I can't comment on any matches.

Of these decks, I have been thinking where I should start in testing and what deck I'd be better suited to play. I prefer control overall so I can see myself putting together a Counterbalance/Top + something else type of deck, but in the meantime I have messed around with the only Extended deck I actually have the cards to make. That deck would be this version of Goblin Storm. Here is the list I've got going.

Extended Goblin Storm

4 Mogg Fanatic

4 Skirk Prospector

4 Goblin Piledriver

4 Mogg War Marshal

4 Goblin Warchief

4 Rite of Flame

4 Seething Song

4 Empty the Warrens

4 Fecundity

2 Grapeshot

2 Desperate Ritual

4 Wooded Foothills

4 Stomping Ground

2 Karplusan Forest

9 Mountain

1 Forest

Sideboard

4 Pithing Needle

4 Tormod's Crypt

4 Krosan Grip

2 Grapeshot

1 Desperate Ritual

I saw a deck tech video about this deck a while back and realized it was pretty easy to make as I was able to trade for Piledrivers pretty easily and had the Stomping Grounds from T2 Gruul. This left the fetchlands, Fecundity and some other uncommons and commons that I already had or was able to get cheaply. I coughed up up the cash for the lands, and traded for the goblin cards at Grand Prix Columbus and had the deck made. It was nice to have an Extended deck when my friends wanted to play another format as I don't want to be the guy that only plays T2, though I'd prefer to.

What I like about the deck is that it has two different options to win and can go off very quickly. Not only can I aggro out with Goblins, but I have the option of comboing out very early, running through my deck with Prospector, Fecundity, mass of Goblins from Warrens and then storming up a game-winning Grapeshot. The main thing I like about the deck is that it is fun to play and I sometimes want to have a good time while playing Magic (and nothing is more fun than cycling through my entire deck and doing complex storm and mana math while my opponent waits to die).

Obviously the deck has a lot of weaknesses, but against a meta of mid-range decks, Goblin Storm can do pretty well. The deck can win before Ideal goes off, can combo out despite a hand full of counterspells (unless of course Counterbalance has a 2cc card on top to use on every copy of Grapeshot), and can drop a few goblins to set up a mini-storm to win close matches. The sideboard also does well against No-Stick and Counterbalance/Top. I am not sure about the last three cards, right now I have the spots filled with more pieces to win via storm.

A resolved Fecundity is great not only for the option to go off, but also to supply a solid chunk of card advantage. With two of these in play I don't care if my opponent kills my creatures as I soon crush them in card advantage and can storm out. I am going to do some steady testing this coming week to see if the deck can do any good in the current environment, but I did play a full match against a UR Scepter/Counterbalance/Top control deck last night.

Game 1: I have a sweet hand on the play. Turn one, Mountain, Mogg Fanatic. Turn two, Desperate Ritual, Seething Song, Goblin War Chief, Goblin Piledriver, Mogg War Marshall. Swing for a lot. Unfortunately, my opponent had a turn two Pyroclasm that left me with a 1/1. However, I ping him to three or so before my opponent is forced to kill it after stalling with a Scepter with a Dawn Charm imprinted. I keep attacking with a Skirk Prospector to make him tap out until I build up a storm hand with a Grapeshot to finish him off.

Game 2: I bring in Needles and Krosan Grips and take out four Mogg Fanatics and four Goblin War Chiefs. The game is slow and long though I landed some early Needles naming Scepter and Top while I drop some early goblins that do a few damage then die. I manage to kill off a Teferi with a large Grapeshot and eventually stick three copies of Fecundity. He sweeps my board twice getting me a lot of cards. I end up with a hand full of storm stuff and a Prospector then finally take out a Counterbalance with Krosan Grip, he reveals a land in response and he was left with just two lands untapped after playing a second Teferi (which I think was a misplay). I go off and finally find my first of four copies of Empty the Warrens as my 19th card left in my deck, which allows me to storm out plenty of goblins to keep my combo going and I finish him with a Grapeshot of 17 leaving me with two cards in my library.

Overall, an intense match as whenever I play Extended I think a lot more than in Standard as I am not sure what my opponent might do next. I will eventually get some solid testing in with this deck and most likely switch to a blue deck once I get crushed by the current meta. Until then, let me know what you think of my take of the Goblin Storm and give me any pointers you can think of.

On another note, check out my column (which will hopefully turn into a weekly column) on the opinion page of The Sun (a paper in Yuma, Arizona that I am a content editor for).

Column

Let me know what you think and feel free to comment on the paper's Web site.

Thanks for reading,

Nick Miller

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