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Saheeli, Sublime Artificer + Divergent Transformations !

Get out a couple Servos and sacrifice them to Divergent Transformations to dig up Niv-Mizzet, Parun and Tandem Lookout to draw your deck, ping everyone to death, and finish them off with an Isochron Scepter combo. Because Niv-Mizzet and Tandem Lookout are the only creatures in the deck, you're guaranteed to get them via Divergent Transformations.

In doing this, every time you draw a card, Niv-Mizzet will deal 1 damage to any target, and if he deals damage to an opponent, you draw a card due to Tandem Lookout's Soulbond effect. This is not a may-- the combo will repeat until you deck yourself if you are not careful. You can end this combo, however! Simply direct the damage at an opponent's creature, planeswalker, or even Niv-Mizzet himself-- or yourself. This is important because you will not be able to kill the table with this combo alone-- but it will draw you into a finisher. So use this combo to eliminate the biggest threats at the table and then move into the a finisher.

Finishers in this deck revolve primarily around using the Dramatic Scepter combo with 2 or more mana rocks available (don't forget you can use Saheeli to turn one of your servos into a mana rock!) to cast an infinite number of spells. With Saheeli available, this allows you to amass an unlimited number of servos so you don't really need anything beyond that (except waiting a turn so they can all swing, but that's a worst-case scenario).

  • Isochron Scepter + Dramatic Reversal + Saheeli = infinite servos (all combos below imply Saheeli is active)
  • Isochron Scepter + Dramatic Reversal + Altar of the Brood = infinite mill as Altar triggers with each Servo entering the battlefield
  • Isochron Scepter + Dramatic Reversal + Ghirapur Aether Hub = infinite ping with infinite servos

Saheeli-less Scepter combos: - Isochron Scepter/Dramatic Reversal + Copy Artifact/Lightning Bolt - Copy the Scepter and imprint Lightning Bolt onto it. This will allow you to deal an unlimited amount of damage.

You can also put cards like Brainstorm, Swan Song, etc onto the copied Scepter.

I've been toying around with adding Jace, Wielder of Mysteries to have a win condition where infinite mana is not necessary and the Scepter combo can be skipped-- just draw out your deck with Niv-Mizzet and win.

I've also been considering adding Feldon's Cane to the deck-- cast it, copy it with Saheeli, and this way you'll be able to continue to ping people with Niv-Mizzet. Not sure if it's deterministic? I'm thinking of adding it anyway simply in case Niv-Mizzet or Tandem Lookout get milled/removed.

I chose these two as the Divergent combo pieces because they lead to a safer win. You can also run Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker and Pestermite as your combo, and I totally understand doing so-- it's a much cleaner win and would allow you to run fewer combo pieces in the deck-- I'm still potentially considering the combo myself. But I think Niv-Mizzet + Tandem Lookout opens you up to a safer win because it's a little more resilient to blowouts and gives you an alternate path into winning via Scepter combo.

I'm not sure. Kiki-Jiki + Pestermite might still be better. BUT! I don't have a Kiki-Jiki so this will do for now.

I'm kind of experimenting with this deck as I go. There are some cards I've found I really like in this deck, some cards I've found myself wanting in this deck, and some cards that are underperforming. I'll list my thoughts on those here.

Really like:

  • Pyroblast and Red Elemental Blast : I really just put these in to stop counterspells on turns where I'm trying to go off, but, surprise, blue is a popular color, which means these are 1-mana instant-speed planeswalker removers too. This deck really hates Narset, Parter of Veils , so this lets you get rid of her very easily.
  • Ashnod's Altar and Skullclamp : These let you sac some servos for value. Need more mana to get Divergent Transformations and Scepter combo going? Ashnod's Altar makes it easy. Need to draw cards? Skullclamp draws you all the cards. So very good.
  • Brainstorm : It's the only card that lets you get one of the creature combo pieces out of your hand and on your deck. Hardcasting Niv-Mizzet feels really bad, so put it on your library (shuffle it away with a fetchland if needed) and then cast Divergent Transformations. It also works in a Copy Scepter combo to draw out your deck.

Underperforming:

  • Thopter Spy Network : It's honestly too slow, so I'm removing it. If I have 4 mana open I'd really rather be going for Divergent. I put it in the deck because I thought it would be good in a more grindy game, but I'm just not so sure about it.
  • Rhystic Study : Same, really. It's just too expensive to cast, but it's genuinely such a good card that it's hard to just let go of. It's way better if the game becomes more grindy.
  • Thoughtcast : Yeah, it draws two cards, but it only feels good once you have enough servos out to make it cost less than 3. It DOES make for a great alternate Signature Spell though-- someone at my LGS runs it and just draws a ton of cards, dumps a ton of servos, and pings to death with Impact Tremors and Firebrand Archer .

Really wanting:

Yeah, I'm not running enemy fetches or Volcanic Island. I'm not really sure it's necessary and more importantly, I don't have them. But manafixing in this deck is pretty easy and I've not had any issue with it at all. My roots are settled in cEDH so my knee-jerk reaction was to add a bunch of all-color painlands like City of Brass , Mana Confluence , Tarnished Citadel , etc, but the lower life total in Oathbreaker made that seem risky, especially when creature aggro decks have more of a place in the format.

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Date added 5 years
Last updated 5 years
Exclude colors WBG
Legality

This deck is Oathbreaker legal.

Rarity (main - side)

3 - 0 Mythic Rares

17 - 0 Rares

10 - 0 Uncommons

18 - 0 Commons

Cards 60
Avg. CMC 1.98
Tokens Servo 1/1 C
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