Modern Deck Tech: Ruby Storm

In today's article, we'll go over a list that combines some old tools and some new ones. Ruby Storm dropped Izzet colors (and cards like Goblin Electromancer) and is now nearly all red. This version in particular plays a few white cards as well.

Ruby Medallion is the card that names this deck and why it exists at all. Its effect might seem simple: it discounts the cost of red spells by . But, in a deck that plays mostly red cards and that needs to manage mana really well, it is critical. Reckless Impulse and Wrenn's Resolve cost just 1 mana if you put Ruby in play, Glimpse the Impossible is a lot easier to play, and rituals create a lot more mana.

Another important detail is that this deck doesn't want to put just a single cheap spell in play per turn. Instead, the idea is to build a long chain. Each spell will draw or exile more cards, create mana, increase your Storm count, and set up lethal Grapeshots. It's an alternative to the old UR Storm.

In today's article, we'll explore the Ruby Storm list that a player called DarkShadow99 used to get to 9th place at the last MTGO Modern Challenge. This archetype is nothing new, but it is still one of the most interesting ways to play Storm nowadays, particularly because it is set on a pretty classic structure of rituals, card draw, and Grapeshot but also plays some recent pieces that make it more consistent.

This version plays a small white base: Elegant Parlor, Sacred Foundry, and fetch lands so that you can access sideboard cards like Orim's Chant, Prismatic Ending, and Wear // Tear. Obviously, this doesn't turn it into a weird Boros Control list. It does, however, give it better tools to fight against hate, small creatures, and other combos.

Ruby Storm used to play one copy of Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury in the sideboard, but it was banned very recently, just a week ago. Still, this card is not essential in this list, far from it. It was only used in a specific matchup, and that's why it only saw play as a single copy.

Here it is:

Discounts and Rituals

Besides Ruby Medallion, this list plays Ral, Monsoon Mage to discount costs. Ral is great because it discounts the cost of instants and sorceries, so, in a way, it's an extra copy of your main engine. At the same time, it comes with a 1/3 body that can become a planeswalker eventually. It is not the most solid part of the main game plan because it dies to removal, but, when it survives, it does help you set up long spell chains.

Desperate Ritual and Pyretic Ritual are the most straightforward rituals in this list. If you put one of your discounts in play, they both cost one red mana and create three, and that's the sort of exchange that makes Storm functional. Gaining two mana like this might not seem like a lot, but it is the fuel you need to get to the best Storm count, particularly when you factor in spells like Past in Flames, Flashback, and your many other card draw tools.

In this list, Manamorphose is a ritual, not a free spell, and it's great. It fixes your mana, draws a card, and increases your Storm count for no extra resources when this deck gets going. Because this list splashed some white cards, Manamorphose will also get you white mana in some situations.

Temporary Card Draw and the Graveyard

Modern red lists learned to draw cards in a very unique way, and Ruby Storm is one of the best examples of that. Reckless Impulse and Wrenn's Resolve are practically extra copies of one another in terms of how they work in this deck. They exile two cards and let you play them until the end of the next turn. Like so, you'll be able to get ahead in cards, which is critical. You'll also be able to set up your next turn, find a land drop, or the discount you need to keep going.

Glimpse the Impossible is a bit heavier, but it fits this game plan really well. It'll exile 3 cards and let you play them until the end of the turn, which definitely opens many possibilities, and, if you decide to not use any of them, you'll also get Eldrazi Spawn tokens. They're not part of your main game plan, but they can become mana in future turns and help you set up combos.

Valakut Awakening is a selection tool that also works as a land in emergencies. This matters a lot considering this deck needs lands to work but doesn't want to find too many of them when it starts to play the combos. In longer matches, returning a bad hand and drawing more cards can be exactly what you need.

Past in Flames is one of the most important cards in classic Storm lists and is still excellent in this version. When the graveyard is full of rituals, Manamorphose, and card advantage spells, Past in Flames turns it into an extension of your hand. You don't need to set up any complicated strategies to win with this list. All you need to do is recycle enough cards and mana with Past to find Grapeshot or Wish.

Flashback is an interesting addition precisely because it works as a smaller, more flexible version of this game plan. It gives Flashback to an instant or sorcery in your graveyard until the end of the turn, so you may get to reuse a ritual, a card draw tool, or even a Past in Flames that ended up in your graveyard too soon. It's not as powerful as your main piece, but it is another card that lets you use your graveyard as a resource.

Artist's Talent is a consistency tool. Its first level filters your hand whenever you cast a noncreature spell, as it discards dead cards and draws others. Its second level discounts the cost of your noncreature spells, so it's similar to Ruby Medallion and Ral, Monsoon Mage. Its third level can make Grapeshot an even better finisher, though you won't always get to this level in Modern.

Ending the Game

The most straightforward way to win is with Grapeshot. Like any Storm list, this one doesn't need each spell to be powerful by itself. All it really needs is that you set them up together until the final copy ends the game. Because of Ruby Medallion and the rituals, you'll often be able to play several spells in a single turn, particularly if Past in Flames is in the equation.

Wish makes this list more flexible. Because of it, you won't have to rely solely on the Grapeshot in the main deck. It allows you to access your sideboard, including the second copy of Grapeshot, another Past in Flames, or Empty the Warrens. Like so, your sideboard is not just a bunch of answers but also a real extension of your combo game plan.

Empty the Warrens is critical because you won't win every match through direct damage in one turn. If you're facing opponents that put pressure on your graveyard or that can only be beaten in other ways, creating several Goblin tokens might be a good idea. After all, if you do this, you'll force the opponent to answer your board immediately. It's not the main game plan, but it is a useful alternative when your opponent is prepared to face Grapeshot.

The white splash is a clear part of the sideboard. Orim's Chant is one of the best cards to protect your combo turns, as it prevents the opponent from playing spells when you're trying to win. It's also pretty great against other combos and aggro lists. It will buy you some time and give you the proper window to resolve your own game plan before they beat you.

Prismatic Ending is a pretty clean answer to cheap, problematic permanents. In Modern, that means hate pieces, small creatures, and enchantments and artifacts that disrupt your combo turns. Because this deck has access to white and eventually other colors through Manamorphose, this card is a lot more "real" than it would be in a fully Monored Storm list.

Brotherhood's End is pretty interesting for current Modern because it clears small creatures and also destroys cheap artifacts. Against decks like Boros Energy, Prowess, and Affinity, it's important to have a way to buy time with a board removal that interacts with different types of permanents.

Finally, Empty the Warrens is the last alternative win condition in this list. It punishes opponents that spend far too many resources on your Grapeshot or graveyard. With this card in play, any small sequence of spells can already create a board big enough to end the game in one or two attacks.

This deck makes me feel right at home. Each match with it is a puzzle that I must solve by setting up spells and praying my next card brings exactly what I want. It's fun like very few MTG decks are, and I believe everyone should try playing Storm at least once in their life.

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Thank you for reading, and see you next time!