Still looking for that perfect New Year’s resolution?
How about this one: Solve a fresh new Magic puzzle from Possibility Storm right here on ChannelFireball every Monday. (There might even be the occasional prize opportunity in it for you—like there is this week!)
This week, the Possibility Storm team wants to see just how much Channel you can pump into a Fireball. Submit your solution at the link below by midnight tomorrow and find out later this week if you’ve won!

Come back each Monday for a new challenge, leave your best attempt in the comments, and come back on Wednesday to see the official solution.
Clever, clever—this winning line submitted by Justin Francis found a way to deal the most damage (2,363) without using Fireball at all!
Either way, all strong lines used the same general approach:
- Cast High Tide twice.
- Replace all colorless mana costs with life paid via Channel.
- Maximize the number of spells cast.
- Loop Man-o’-War with itself for as long as your blue mana supply will let you.
- Extract a tiny bit of extra damage by casting instants while Aetherflux Reservoir triggers are still on the stack, since the amount gained is equal to the spells cast as the trigger resolves. (Tricky!)
Without further ado, here’s Justin’s winning line:
-
- Cast High Tide, resolve it.
Storm count: 1
Lands untapped: Breeding Pool [4] Steam Vents untapped [3]
Life: 1 + Aetherflux trigger (1) = 2 - Cast Channel, resolve it.
Storm count: 2
Lands untapped: Breeding Pool [2] Steam Vents untapped [3]
Floating blue mana: 2
Life: 2 + Aetherflux trigger (2) = 4 - Cast Walking Ballista for X=1, don’t resolve it.
Life: 4 – 2 (mana from Channel) = 2
Storm count: 3
Lands untapped: Breeding Pool [2] Steam Vents untapped [3]
Floating blue mana: 2 - Cast Snapcaster Mage, resolve it, ETB targeting High Tide.
Life: 2 – 1 (mana from Channel) = 1
Storm count: 4
Lands untapped: Breeding Pool [2] Steam Vents untapped [3]
Floating blue mana: 1
Life: 1 + Aetherflux trigger (4) = 5 - Flashback High Tide (exiled), resolve it.
Storm count: 5
Lands untapped: Breeding Pool [2] Steam Vents untapped [3]
Floating blue mana: 0
Life: 5 + Aetherflux trigger (5) = 10~ Resolve Walking Ballista and its Aetherflux Reservoir trigger.
Life: 5 + Aetherflux trigger (5) = 15~ Tap five untapped lands for 14 blue mana and 1 red mana.
Floating blue mana: 14
Floating red mana: 1 - Cast Fireball targeting Beamsplitter Mage, for X=0, DON’T resolve it
Storm count: 6
Floating blue mana: 14
~ Put Beamsplitter Mage’s trigger on top of Aetherflux Reservoir’s, target Manowar with it - Cast Snap, targeting Beamsplitter Mage, DON’T resolve it
Life: 15 – 1 (mana from Channel) = 14
Storm count: 7
~ Put Beamsplitter Mage’s trigger on top of Aetherflux Reservoir’s, target Snapcaster Mage with it, resolve only the copy, and untap two Steam Vents
Lands untapped: Steam Vents [2]
Floating blue mana: 13 - Cast Rewind, targeting the original Fireball spell, resolve it, untapping four Breeding Pools
Life: 14 – 2 (mana from Channel) = 12
Storm Count: 8
Lands untapped: Steam Vents [2] Breeding Pool [4]
Floating blue mana: 11
Life: 12 + Aetherflux trigger (8) = 20~ Tap six untapped lands for 18 blue mana
Floating blue mana: 29 - Cast Snapcaster Mage, resolve it, ETB targeting Rewind
Life: 20 – 1 (mana from Channel) = 19
Storm Count: 9
Floating blue mana: 28
Life: 19 + Aetherflux trigger (9) = 28 - Flashback Rewind (exiled) on the Fireball copy, resolve it, untapping four Breeding Pools
Life: 28 – 2 (mana from Channel) = 26
Storm Count: 10
Lands untapped: Breeding Pool [4]
Floating blue mana: 26
Life: 26 + Aetherflux trigger (10) = 36~ Resolve the original Snap from step 7 and its Aetherflux Reservoir trigger, untapping two Steam Vents
Lands untapped: Breeding Pool [4] Steam Vents [2]
Floating blue mana: 26
Life: 36 + Aetherflux trigger (10) = 46~ Resolve the Aetherflux Reservoir trigger from the original Fireball cast in step 6 (countered by Rewind)
Lands untapped: Breeding Pool [4] Steam Vents [2]
Floating blue mana: 26
Life: 46 + Aetherflux trigger (10) = 56~ Tap six untapped lands for 18 blue mana
Floating blue mana: 44 - Cast Baral’s Expertise, targeting Snapcaster Mage, Man-O’-War, and Walking Ballista, resolve it
Life: 56 – 3 (mana from Channel) = 53
Storm Count: 11
Floating blue mana: 42
Life: 53 + Aetherflux trigger (11) = 64 - Cast Beamsplitter Mage for free off Baral’s Expertise, resolve it
Storm Count: 12
Floating blue mana: 42
Life: 64 + Aetherflux trigger (12) = 76 - Cast Walking Ballista for X=1, resolve it
Life: 76 – 2 (mana from Channel) = 74
Storm Count: 13
Floating blue mana: 42
Life: 74 + Aetherflux trigger (13) = 87 - Cast Man-O’-War, resolve it, ETB targets Walking Ballista
Life: 87 – 2 (mana from Channel) = 85
Storm Count: 14
Floating blue mana: 41
Life: 74 + Aetherflux trigger (13) = 99 - Cast Walking Ballista for X=1, DON’T resolve it
Life: 99 – 2 (mana from Channel) = 97
Storm Count: 15
Floating blue mana: 41 - Cast Snapcaster Mage, resolve it, ETB targeting Snap
Life: 97 – 1 (mana from Channel) = 96
Storm Count: 16
Floating blue mana: 40
Life: 96 + Aetherflux trigger (16) = 112 - Flashback Snap (exiled), targeting Beamsplitter Mage, DON’T resolve it
Life: 112 – 1 (mana from Channel) = 111
Storm Count: 17
Floating blue mana: 39~ Put Beamsplitter Mage’s trigger on top of Aetherflux Reservoir’s, target Snapcaster Mage with it, resolve only the copy, and untap two Steam Vents
Lands untapped: Steam Vents [2]
Floating blue mana: 39 - Cast Snapcaster Mage, resolve it, ETB targets Baral’s Expertise
Life: 111 – 1 (mana from Channel) = 110
Storm Count: 18
Floating blue mana: 38
Life: 110 + Aetherflux trigger (18) = 128~ Resolve the original Snap from step 17 and its Aetherflux Reservoir trigger, untapping the other two Steam Vents
Lands untapped: Steam Vents [4]
Floating blue mana: 38
Life: 128 + Aetherflux trigger (18) = 146~ Resolve the Walking Ballista cast in step 15 and its Aetherflux Reservoir trigger
Life: 146 + Aetherflux trigger (18) = 164~ Tap four Steam Vents for 12 blue mana
Floating blue mana: 50 - Flashback Baral’s Expertise, targeting Walking Ballista, Manowar, and the opponent’s Sorcerous Spyglass, resolve it
Life: 164 – 3 (mana from Channel) = 161
Storm Count: 19
Floating blue mana: 48
Life: 161 + Aetherflux trigger (19) = 180 - Cast Beamsplitter Mage for free off Baral’s Expertise, resolve it
Storm Count: 20
Life: 180 + Aetherflux trigger (20) = 200 - Cast Walking Ballista for X=1
Life: 200 – 2 (mana from Channel) = 198
Storm Count: 21
Floating blue mana: 48
Life: 198 + Aetherflux trigger (21) = 219 - Cast Man-O’-War, resolve it, ETB targets itself
Life: 219 – 2 (mana from Channel) = 217
Storm Count: 22
Floating blue mana: 47
Life: 217 + Aetherflux trigger (22) = 239
- Cast High Tide, resolve it.
This creates a finite loop bounded only by how much blue mana we have, so let’s repeat it 46 more times.
-
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 46| Storm Count: 23| Life: -2 + 23 = 260
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 45| Storm Count: 24| Life: -2 + 24 = 282
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 44| Storm Count: 25| Life: -2 + 25 = 305
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 43| Storm Count: 26| Life: -2 + 26 = 329
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 42| Storm Count: 27| Life: -2 + 27 = 354
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 41| Storm Count: 28| Life: -2 + 28 = 380
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 40| Storm Count: 29| Life: -2 + 29 = 407
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 39| Storm Count: 30| Life: -2 + 30 = 435
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 38| Storm Count: 31| Life: -2 + 31 = 464
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 37| Storm Count: 32| Life: -2 + 32 = 494
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 36| Storm Count: 33| Life: -2 + 33 = 525
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 35| Storm Count: 34| Life: -2 + 34 = 557
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 34| Storm Count: 35| Life: -2 + 35 = 590
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 33| Storm Count: 36| Life: -2 + 36 = 624
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 32| Storm Count: 37| Life: -2 + 37 = 659
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 31| Storm Count: 38| Life: -2 + 38 = 695
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 30| Storm Count: 39| Life: -2 + 39 = 732
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 29| Storm Count: 40| Life: -2 + 40 = 770
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 28| Storm Count: 41| Life: -2 + 41 = 809
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 27| Storm Count: 42| Life: -2 + 42 = 849
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 26| Storm Count: 43| Life: -2 + 43 = 890
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 25| Storm Count: 44| Life: -2 + 44 = 932
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 24| Storm Count: 45| Life: -2 + 45 = 975
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 23| Storm Count: 46| Life: -2 + 46 = 1019
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 22| Storm Count: 47| Life: -2 + 47 = 1064
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 21| Storm Count: 48| Life: -2 + 48 = 1110
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 20| Storm Count: 49| Life: -2 + 49 = 1157
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 19| Storm Count: 50| Life: -2 + 50 = 1205
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 18| Storm Count: 51| Life: -2 + 51 = 1254
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 17| Storm Count: 52| Life: -2 + 52 = 1304
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 16| Storm Count: 53| Life: -2 + 53 = 1355
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 15| Storm Count: 54| Life: -2 + 54 = 1407
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 14| Storm Count: 55| Life: -2 + 55 = 1460
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 13| Storm Count: 56| Life: -2 + 56 = 1514
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 12| Storm Count: 57| Life: -2 + 57 = 1569
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 11| Storm Count: 58| Life: -2 + 58 = 1625
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 10| Storm Count: 59| Life: -2 + 59 = 1682
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 9| Storm Count: 60| Life: -2 + 60 = 1740
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 8| Storm Count: 61| Life: -2 + 61 = 1799
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 7| Storm Count: 62| Life: -2 + 62 = 1859
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 6| Storm Count: 63| Life: -2 + 63 = 1920
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 5| Storm Count: 64| Life: -2 + 64 = 1982
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 4| Storm Count: 65| Life: -2 + 65 = 2045
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 3| Storm Count: 66| Life: -2 + 66 = 2109
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 2| Storm Count: 67| Life: -2 + 67 = 2174
- Man-O’-War loop | U Floating: 1| Storm Count: 68| Life: -2 + 68 = 2240
- Cast Man-O’War, resolve it, ETB targets Walking Ballista
Life: 2240 – 2 (mana from Channel) = 2238
Storm Count: 69
Floating blue mana: 0
Life: 2238 + Aetherflux trigger (69) = 2307 - Walking Ballista for X=13
Life: 2307 – 26 (mana from Channel) = 2281
Storm Count: 70
Floating blue mana: 1
Life: 2281 + Aetherflux trigger (70) = 2351 - Activate Aetherflux Reservoir 47 times to deal 47 x 50 = 2350 to the opponent
Damage dealt: 2350 - Activate Walking Ballista 13 times to deal 13 to the opponent
Total damage dealt: 2363
Normally, the puzzle will challenge you to find a way to win this turn, and Possibility Storm even holds 2-month competitive seasons for each new set that you can join via their Patreon. The Ravnica Allegiance season opens January 25th. Good luck!