With less that one month until Grand Prix Birmingham it is time to start thinking only in terms of Modern, so today I’m going to focus on the best combo option that we have access to right now, UR Storm.

With the release of Baral, Chief of Compliance this deck has become more solid, because now we have access to up 8 Goblin Electromancer effects in the deck, which means that we are less susceptible to removal, and making any of these cost reducing creatures on turn 2 allows us to go off quite reliably on turn 3. First of all let’s take a look at the list:

Main Deck

4 Baral, Chief of Compliance

4 Goblin Electromancer

4 Desperate Ritual

1 Empty the Warrens

4 Gifts Ungiven

3 Grapeshot

4 Manamorphose

2 Past in Flames

4 Pyretic Ritual

4 Remand

4 Serum Visions

4 Sleight of Hand

4 Scalding Tarn

1 Mountain

3 Flooded Strand

4 Spirebluff Canal

3 Steam Vents

3 Island

Sideboard

2 Dismember

3 Dispel

1 Echoing Truth

2 Empty the Warrens

4 Lightning Bolt

2 Pieces of the Puzzle

1 Shattering Spree

The main plan is to play one of our cost reducers on turn 2; turn 3 cast Gifts Ungiven for Desperate Ritual, Pyretic Ritual, Manamorphose and Past in Flames, so you can win on turn 4.

Now I’m going to go through every match up to see how to sideboard.

Grixis Shadow (And other variants)

Out: 4 Remand, 1 Gifts Ungiven, 1 Past in Flames, 2 Sleight Of Hand

In: 2 Empty the Warrens, 4 Lightning Bolt, 2 Pieces of the Puzzle

Eldrazi Tron

Out: 2 Sleight, 2 Gifts, 1 Past In Flames

In: 2 Pieces of the Puzzle, 2 Empty the Warrens, 1 Shattering Spree

Dismember might look sweet, but interruption is not our game plan. We would prefer to have answers for the Chalice of the Void on turn 2 as that is the only problematic card in this matchup.

Company: Abzan/Bant/Vizier

Out: 4 Remand, 1 Gifts Ungiven, 1 Past In Flames 1 Empty the Warrens 1 Sleight of Hand

In: 2 Dismember, 4 Lightning Bolt, 2 Pieces of the Puzzle

Storm

Out: 4 Remand, 1 Empty the Warrens, 2 Sleight of Hand, 1 Gifts Ungiven, 1 Past in Flames

In: 4 Lightning Bolt, 3 Dispel, 2 Pieces of the Puzzle

You might think Remand is awesome here, but post board games the plan is kill their cost reducing dude, so needing only 1 mana over 2  to interact seems better and trading my Dispels with his/her remands is awesome.

Burn

Out: 4 Remand, 2 Sleight of Hand, 2 Gifts Ungiven, 1 Past in Flames

In: 4 Lightning Bolt, 2 Empty the Warrens, 3 Dispel

Affinity

Out: 4 Remand, 1 Past in Flames, 1 Gifts Ungiven, 1 Sleight of Hand, 1 Empty the Warrens

In: 4 Lightning Bolt, 2 Dismember, 1 Echoing Truth, 1 Shattering Spree

Dredge

Out: 1 Empty the Warrens, 1 Past In Flames

In: 2 Pieces of the Puzzle

Living End

Out: 1 Past in Flames 1 Sleight of Hand

In: 2 Empty the Warrens

Elves

Out: 4 Remand, 1 Empty the Warrens, 1 Past in flames

In: 4 Lightning Bolt, 2 Dismember

Titanshift/Scapeshift 

Out: 1 Gifts Ungiven, 1 Past in Flames

In: 2 Pieces of the Puzzle

If they run Slaughter Games out of their sideboard change one Sleight of Hand and one Gifts Ungiven for 2 Empty the Warrens.

Jeskai (UW/Esper Control)

Out: 4 Remand 1 Past in Flames, 1 Gifts Ungiven, 2 Sleight of Hand

In: 3 Dispel, 2 Pieces of the Puzzle, 2 Empty the Warrens

The plan is to kill them faster with Empty the Warrens or just going in to late game and generating a big storm count with 2 Grapeshot with the help of the Pieces of the Puzzle.

Eldrazi  & Taxes

Out: 4 Remand, 2 Gifts Ungiven 1 Past in Flames, 1 Sleight of Hand

In: 4 Lightning Bolt, 2 Dismember, 2 Empty the Warrens

Abzan/Jund

Out: 1 Past in Flames, 4 Remand

In: 2 Pieces of the Puzzle, 2 Empty the Warrens 1 Echoing Truth (For their Scavenging Ooze, Leylines etc)

Merfolk

Out: 4 Remand 1 Past in Flames, 1 Gifts Ungiven 1 Sleight of Hand

In: 4 Lightning Bolt, 3 Dispel (Or 2 Dismember 1 Dispel if they run white)

Bogles

Out: 4 Remand, 1 Past in Flames

In: 1 Echoing Truth, 4 Lightning Bolt (For Gaddock Teeg)

Sun Moon/Blue Moon/Skred Red

Out: 2 Gifts Ungiven, 1 Grapeshot, 1 Past in Flames (If they run white leyline), 1 Sleight of Hand

In: 2 Emptythe Warrens, 1 Echoing Truth, and  1 Dispel (If they run blue) or Pieces of the Puzzle if they are Red White or Mono Red.

RG Ponza (Land Destruction Deck)

Out: 1 Past in Flames, 1 Sleight of Hand, 1 Empty the Warrens (They run bonfire)

In: 1 Echoing Truth (to combat Trinisphere) 2 Pieces of the Puzzle

Lightning Bolt is not good enough in this matchup because you can only kill the Arbor Elves.

Lantern Control

Out: 1 Past in Flames, 4 Remand, 1-2 Gifts Ungiven

In: 1 Echoing Truth, 2 Empty the Warrens, 1 Shattering spree, 2 Pieces of the Puzzle

Ad Nauseum

Out:, 2 Gifts Ungiven, 1 Past in Flames, 1-2 Grapeshot, 1-2 Sleight of Hand

In: 3 Dispel, 2 Empty the Warrens, 1 Echoing Truth

Feel free to ask if you any doubt about the deck or the game plans in the comments below.  If you are planning to play it, test it, play as much as you can before the tournament to ensure you never fail when you are going off!