I wanted to create another modern-viable artifact focused deck, but with the twist that it is more tempo oriented as compared to the more well-known Affinity and Hardened Scales decks.
Ensoul Ethersworn is a Modern legal Tempo deck that utilizes Ethersworn Shieldmage, Ethersworn Canonist, Stoic Rebuttal, and Dispatch to slow down your opponent as you build up your board; with Wurmcoil Engine, Karn, the Great Creator or Batterskull to help if the game goes too long.
The win conditions mainly consist of Darksteel Citadel + Ensoul Artifact
or one of the following combinations: Court Homunculus + Ensoul Artifact
, Ensoul Artifact + Gingerbrute
, Ensoul Artifact + Hex Parasite
, Ensoul Artifact + Vault Skirge
, or Ensoul Artifact + Myr Servitor
depending on which 1-drop you choose to run from the maybeboard/sideboard. More midgame-focused win conditions include Master of Etherium, and Cranial Plating.
Should the game not start out in you favor, Porcelain Legionnaire and Vault Skirge were added in for their ability to slow down the enemy slightly (with Porcelain Legionnaire's First Strike against creature heavy decks and Vault Skirge's lifelink against any damage-oriented deck. These were also added due to their phyrexian mana that allows you to ignore your lack of mana color in those annoying games where you aren't getting the right lands. Just think of the phyrexian mana as an impromptu Shock Land!
Your initial hand ideally has a Glimmervoid, a Darksteel Citadel, an Ensoul Artifact, and your 1-drop of choice (Court Homunculus, Gingerbrute, Myr Servitor, Vault Skirge, or Hex Parasite from the sideboard). For that turn 2 5/5. The second-most ideal hand you can get is the same except you didn't manage to get your 1-drop. In this case, you are using the Darksteel Citadel + Ensoul Artifact
combo on turn 3 for the indestructable 5/5.
Vault Skirge may seem like an odd addition but the fact that its black mana requirement is phyrexian combined with the multi-color capability of Glimmervoid and Spire of Industry allows it to be easily added. You can also just imagine that juicy Ensoul Artifact + Vault Skirge
combo!
The 1-drop choices:
Court Homunculus is probably the least impressive of the options however it does give a little bit more potential power on turn 2 if you don't happen to have Ensoul Artifact. So long as you have at least one other artifact turn two, the Court Homunculus is more powerful than all except the Vault Skirge. The one other problem with Court Homunculus is that it requires a white mana, which can throw off your artifact logistics in the beginning (i.e. not being able to place a Darksteel Citadel as quickly as you may like.
Hex Parasite is in here mostly as a personal favorite. It isn't something many people expect to see whenever counters are involved (of any sort). Its ability to beef itself up for the turn off of the opponent's work spent into their Aether Vials, Walking Ballistas, Hangarback Walkers, Chalice of the Voids, Mazemind Tomes, Metallic Mimics, planeswalkers, +1/+1, or even -1/-1 counters is a pleasant surprise for you in somewhat niche looking-for-lethal situations. Because of its niche uses, I don't recommend running Hex Parasite in the main deck, but as a sideboard card it is a nice sub for whatever 1-drop you are using.
Myr Servitor is much more of a mid-late game 1-drop, which may sound weird at first, but in those long grindy games, having a couple of 1/1s that keep coming back during your upkeep can definitely draw out a couple of your opponent's removal cards just to get rid of these Myr, and that is assuming you don't manage to keep them alive with your Ethersworn Shieldmage!
The Gingerbrute is next and is my personal choice as a 1/1 just because its haste and ability to sneak by all creatures without haste for a mere 1 colorless definitely adds to the Tempo of the deck. Getting hit turn 1 is always a little bit of a shocker, but then getting hit by a 5/5 turn 2 and a 5/5 that can't be blocked turn 3 is definitely going to fluster anyone! For an added bonus, Gingerbrute basically acts as an anti-lightning-bolt-to-the-face later in the game by just sacing it! Combine that with Vault Skirge, and the sideboard Vedalken Outlanders and you are sure to be the bane of red players everywhere!
Vault Skirge is the last "1-drop" that I mention, and it is honestly such a good card that I had to splash the black in just for it! The reason this card is so good is because of the lifelink and the lack of flying creatures present in modern on a general basis, and even if you go against another flying monster you still have Dispatch, Ensoul Artifact, Cranial Plating, and Master of Ethereum to maintain control of the skies! More likely than not, you are going to be paying the 2 life for the phryexian black mana, but at the end of the day, it is the same as a shock land, except this investment can give you your life back and more with lifelink! Besides, life is just a resource, you might as well use it for something more productive that just serving as a target for your opponent...
