Storm is undoubtedly one of Magic the Gathering’s most broken mechanics. The keyword has a whole “Scale” named after it, where MTG head designer tracks what mechanics are most likely to reappear in future premier sets. Unsurprisingly, Storm is given a 10 and is therefore near the top of the list of mechanics that won’t get reprinted.
Yet, Tarkir: Dragonstorm utilized Storm as a cameo mechanic with the printing of Stormscale Scion. Stormscale Scion, despite featuring the busted mechanic, is a pretty tame card all things considered. As a six mana Dragon, Stormscale Scion isn’t the easiest to use.
Recently, though, Stormscale Scion started popping up in some Ruby Storm decklists in Modern. It doesn’t take much before you have an overwhelming battlefield presence with this card, so there’s certainly some appeal to playing it. Let’s take a closer look at the role Stormscale Scion plays in Ruby Storm.
A Home for Stormscale Scion
Traditional Ruby Storm decklists are focused on winning the game with Grapeshot after casting a boatload of spells. Ruby Medallion and Ral, Monsoon Mage make all of your spells cheaper, meaning your cards like Desperate Ritual and Manamorphose net you lots of mana.
This new variant of Ruby Storm borrows a lot of the same ideas. However, because Grapeshot builds require you to cast a ton of spells on the same turn to win, the deck utilizes Past in Flames alongside Wrenn’s Resolve and Reckless Impulse to churn through your library. This way, you can build up Storm count while digging for your one-of Grapeshot.
The Stormscale Scion variant, by contrast, uses none of those cards. This is because the goal isn’t to cast a flurry of spells on the same turn, but rather to cast a few spells and have enough mana to cast Stormscale Scion, which will often be enough to end the game with just a few copies in play.
As such, Stormscale Scion appears as a four-of, and rather than using Wrenn’s Resolve or Reckless Impulse, this decklist favors the more robust Stock Up. Stock Up lets you dig for Stormscale Scion and Rituals to help you power out the Dragon in short order. In some cases, you can find Song of Totentanz to enable a game winning attack the same turn.
Despite the fact that Stormscale Scion costs six mana, there are some benefits to playing this version of Ruby Storm. First of all, you are much less reliant on actually having Ruby Medallion or Ral, Monsoon Mage rolled up. Sometimes, casting three Rituals on turn three and then jamming Stormscale Scion will be enough to win.
Furthermore, you’re a little less vulnerable to hate pieces. Even if your opponent has Deafening Silence in play, casting a Ritual or Irencrag Feat into Stormscale Scion still puts 10 power on the board. There are obviously tradeoffs, most notably that you need to find Song of Totentanz to actually be able to win the same turn you cast Stormscale Scion. Nonetheless, the powerful Dragon warrants consideration at the very least.
The Reward for Playing Blue
The other major difference between this Ruby Storm decklist and more traditional decklists is that this one plays blue. We mentioned earlier that Stock Up was a big part of the equation, but it’s not the only benefit you get from adding another color.
In the maindeck, you also get access to Preordain and interactive elements, such as Remand. Sink into Stupor can come in handy, too, bouncing opposing hate pieces and setting up for your big turn.
Perhaps the biggest advantage you get from playing blue, though, comes from your sideboard options. At the top of the list, we have Consign to Memory. Since the printing of Ugin, Eye of the Storms, Eldrazi ramp is garnering a ton of support. Consign to Memory is an excellent tool to have access to in the matchup.
From there, Mystical Dispute and Teferi, Time Raveler make it much easier to resolve your cards unhindered. You’ll still find Orim’s Chant in the sideboard as a way to push through your Dragons in the face of disruption or mess with your Storm opponent’s turns, but the addition of blue mana is helpful, nonetheless.
Matchup Spread
With Eldrazi ramp on the rise, Ruby Storm definitely has some appeal as an archetype as a whole. Consign to Memory only makes the matchup better, but Ruby Storm is fast enough to get under many of the ramp payoffs in game one.
Versus Dimir Murktide, Thoughtseize and Counterspell can pose some problems. The nice thing, at least, is that Stock Up can refuel your hand nicely. Your opponent can strip you of Ruby Medallion, but once again, even putting four Dragons into play may be too much for your opponent to overcome.
You even have access to Spell Snare, which lines up perfectly versus Counterspell and Psychic Frog. Getting to counter Ruby Medallion in the Storm mirror can singlehandedly buy you a lot of time.
Boros Energy obviously has a lot of tools for the matchup, like Deafening Silence and Orim’s Chant. Backed up by pressure, these cards are a nuisance. Luckily, you’re gameplan is extremely fast in game one, and you have Brotherhood’s End lined up for games two and three.
Despite being slightly slower and more mana intensive, this build of Ruby Storm makes up for these flaws by being more resilient in some areas. It’s unclear if Stormscale Scion will be a long-term addition, but for now, it’s nice to see the powerful Dragon getting its due.