*Desc Updated: Feb. 3, 2023*
Budget casual midrange Esper Artifacts featuring Urza, Chief Artificer. Budget upgrade of Iron Alliance Precon. The game plan here is simple, attack with Constructs, do combat damage to opponents to draw cards to find wincon combo pieces. Win with combat damage from Constructs, Commander damage from Urza helped by making Urza an artifact or assemble a wincon combo with Time Sieve. Gameplay can however be complex because there's many artifact interactions going on especially with Encroaching Mycosynth and many triggers to remember especially with Transplant Theorist, but that's what makes gameplay fun. Power level 6 with wincon combos, power level 5 without the combos.
Upgrading the Urza Precon
Urza Iron Alliance Precon can be a starting point base for building this deck. For $40-$45 you get more value from cards that are kept compared to if you would instead buy all the same cards as singles. Including lands, but not basic lands, more than 50 cards are kept from the precon with about 15 or so cards that would be fine to be interchanged from main deck cards.
Keep/Use:
- Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Liquimetal Torque
- Azorius Signet, Dimir Signet, Orzhov Signet
- Bident of Thassa, Skullclamp
- Cranial Plating, Swiftfoot Boots
- Baleful Strix, Etherium Sculptor, Armix, Filigree Thrasher
- Digsite Engineer, Losheel, Clockwork Scholar, Sai, Master Thopterist
- Thought Monitor, Austere Command
- Swords to Plowshares, Unbreakable Formation
- Command Tower, Exotic Orchard, Spire of Industry
- Path of Ancestry, Arcane Sanctum
- Ancient Den, Seat of the Synod, Vault of Whispers, Darksteel Citadel
- Mistvault Bridge, Razortide Bridge, Goldmire Bridge
- Sunken Hollow, Prairie Stream
- River of Tears, Ash Barrens, Evolving Wilds
Keep/Interchange:
- Sharuum the Hegemon, Thopter Spy Network, Thopter Shop
- Indomitable Archangel, Vedalken Humiliator, Tawnos, Solemn Survivor
- Steel Hellkite, Angel of the Ruins
- Myr Battlesphere, Sharding Sphinx, Chrome Courier
- Preordain, Vindicate, Despark
Starting with a base of $40-$45 for the precon it's very reasonable priced to make the rest of the upgrades. The expense of upgrades really comes from adding wincon combo pieces and tutors.
$20 Upgrade (Add --> Cut)
To get the most bang for your buck with upgrading here's a $20 upgrade to make 29 card upgrades. Making these upgrades to the precon will increase repeatable value from artifacts including lots more draw, adds a noninfinite combo to create Thopters, more ramp to cast Urza quicker, more 2-3 CMC artifact creatures, some counterspells, more evasion for Constructs and improve hand/graveyard interaction with artifacts. The mana curve of the precon is high at 3.5, these upgrades will reduce the mana curve while also adding Master Transmuter and Anrakyr the Traveller who can cheat artifacts onto the battlefield.
Sharuum the Hegemon, Alela, Artful Provocateur, Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle are fine cards, but they belong as Commanders of their own decks built around their strategies. Teshar is really not needed when adding Encroaching Mycosynth since then any creature in graveyard can be recurred many ways. If choosing to add Thopter Foundry + Sword of the Meek combo then also reduce the number of nonartifact card anthem effects since any anthem increase of power/toughness effect turns off this combo. Foundry can sac any artifact card anthem effect to then combo with Sword. Thought Vessel is a good mana rock, but not when using the graveyard as a resource with artifacts. At your Cleanup step being able to discard down to 7 cards in hand is very helpful with graveyard strategies and Wonder.
Overview
Construct beatdown with attack support from Wonder, Losheel, Clockwork Scholar, Vault of the Archangel, Steel Overseer and Their Name is Death. Repeatable draw support from Research Thief, Bident of Thassa and Reconnaissance Mission. Steel Overseer is a good creature anthem effect here because it doesn't stop Sword of the Meek + Thopter Foundry combo and it's also excellent with Unwinding Clock. There's many ways here to make Urza an artifact because this gives him menace making him a much better attacker and an easier source of Commander damage. Encroaching Mycosynth is powerful here because it makes all nonland permanents I control artifacts, not just on the battlefield, but also in my hand, library, graveyard and even Command Zone.
The goal here is the get Urza onto the battlefield no later than turn 5 to start creating Constructs. This is helped by 15 0-3 artifact creatures including artifact creature mana dorks who count twice for ramping into Urza and 10 mana rocks for ramp. Sai, Master Thopterist also helps to do this with Thopters. Digsite Engineer is slower, but all the low mana cost artifacts here make it another excellent Construct source. After Urza, I want to get a repeatable draw source online, that way each Construct when doing combat damage to opponent thanks to menace are drawing cards.
All the draw from Constructs doing combat damage to opponents helps to reach the end goal which is to assemble Sword of the Meek + Thopter Foundry + Time Sieve for extra turns/extra attacks with Constructs + Urza. Transplant Theorist and Unctus, Grand Metatect are loot engines here that don't rely on combat to draw. They also get artifacts into my graveyard for Anrakyr the Traveller and Silas Renn, Seeker Adept to cast. Theorist can even trigger to loot when I play an artifact land.
Another goal here is to assemble Sword of the Meek + Thopter Foundry + Skullclamp because this does everything for gameplay: creates artifact creatures with flying that pump Constructs, repeatable draw, sac outlet for artifacts and even life gain. Sword + Foundry combo is the linchpin here since adding a third card from many other options, Time Sieve, Transplant Theorist, Losheel, Clockwork Scholar can be game changing. Budget tutors Wishclaw Talisman, Whir of Invention, Tribute Mage help to find the artifacts for this combo. Many sac outlets that can sac an artifact at instant speed are here because of Wishclaw to repeatedly tutor without giving it to my opponents. Wishclaw is very powerful because of it's interaction with Master Transmuter as well as lots of ways to recur it after being saced.
More goals here are to abuse Master Transmuter bounce and Anrakyr the Traveller cast/cheat artifacts that have an ETB ability, Wishclaw Talisman, Ethersworn Sphinx cascade, change what Phyrexian Metamorph/Sculpting Steel are or just cheat powerful high mana cost artifacts onto the battlefield especially Bolas's Citadel and Spine of Ish Sah. Citadel is by far the best way here to get as many artifacts onto the battlefield to support/pump Constructs and Urza. There's many draw options to manipulate the top card of my library for Citadel to keep going especially Transplant Theorist. Citadel will use a ton of life, but there's lots of life gain here from Vault of the Archangel and Sword of the Meek + Thopter Foundry combo. Encroaching Mycosynth makes Transmuter and Anrakyr much better because it makes nonland permanents in my hand and graveyard artifacts.
Unwinding Clock is great as value untap support with Master Transmuter, Steel Overseer, Shimmer Myr with mana rocks/dorks and artifact lands, as well as overall defense, untapping Constructs to block against opponents counterattacks. Bridges and Power Depot are always ETB tapped artifact lands which Clock untaps. Transmuter with Clock and any one of four artifact lands, one of seven mana rocks, one of two mana dorks, that can make blue mana over the course of all player's turns can put all artifacts from my hand onto the battlefield or generate massive value from artifacts that have an ETB ability. This interaction is excellent with Phyrexian Metamorph/Sculpting Steel to change what these are on each player's turn.
Wincon Combos
Wincon combos increase the power level of any deck, but they aren't needed here to win. It takes a while in a game, but the end game goal is to assemble a wincon combo with artifacts. A combo might not be needed at all if Constructs or Urza do their job well, but as reach to win a game having a wincon combo or many can help gameplay.
Time Sieve is one of the most expensive price cards here because it's the enabler for extra turns. Sieve makes Sword of the Meek + Thopter Foundry combo infinite, but without it, Sword + Foundry is an excellent noninfinite combo to repeatedly create Thopters.
Interesting Interactions
- Sword of the Meek + Thopter Foundry + Skullclamp repeatable draw, repeatable Thopters, repeatable life gain as many times as mana I have available.
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Transplant Theorist + Sword of the Meek + Thopter Foundry repeatable loot as many times as mana I have available. Loot when Sword ETB and when a Thopter is created.
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Transplant Theorist + Bolas's Citadel to keep Citadel going since I can see the top card of my library before I choose to loot. If the card is a land, loot, if not continue Citadel. 55 artifacts here keep Citadel going.
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Bolas's Citadel + Vault of the Archangel with attacking Constructs gain back all life lost from Citadel plus more. Sword of the Meek + Thopter Foundry combo is another way to gain a lot of life.
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Master Transmuter + Wishclaw Talisman repeatable tutor. When Wishclaw activated is on the stack bounce it with Transmuter, then put Wishclaw right back onto the battlefield or any other artifact that's in my hand.
- Master Transmuter + Phyrexian Metamorph/Sculpting Steel repeatedly change what these are.
- Master Transmuter + Spine of Ish Sah repeatable removal of any permanent. Can be a slow wincon with Unwinding Clock by destroying opponent lands.
- Master Transmuter + Sphinx Summoner repeatable artifact creature tutor.
- Master Transmuter + Ethersworn Sphinx repeatable cascade.
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Master Transmuter + Midnight Clock repeatable wheel, when twelfth counter trigger of Clock is put on the stack bounce it/put right back onto the battlefield with Transmuter to avoid it from being exiled, but still get the shuffle/draw trigger. Any sac outlet that can sac an artifact at instant speed can replace Transmuter, but then Clock will be shuffled back into my library.
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Wishclaw Talisman + Anrakyr the Traveller/Silas Renn, Seeker Adept + Thopter Foundry can be a repeatable tutor. Any other sac outlet that can sac an artifact at instant speed can replace Foundry.
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Losheel, Clockwork Scholar + Thopter Foundry + Sword of the Meek create a Thopter and draw a card on each opponent's turn.
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Tawnos, Solemn Survivor + Encroaching Mycosynth + Unwinding Clock with two artifact mana sources create a Construct on each player's turn.
Nonbudget Card Upgrades to Increase Power Level
I don't recommend using Urza as Commander if you want a higher power level instead go with Breya, Etherium Shaper and her combo potential. There's good bones here for upgrading with a higher budget, but currently lower power level here because it's slow since the game plan is focused on combat. Doing combat damage to opponents to trigger draw effects to draw combo pieces. To increase the power level get away from combat and focus more on assembling combos with tutors. Don't use Constructs as attackers as much instead use them as sac fodder for value and use more repeatable draw that doesn't rely on combat.
The best way to increase the power level with the least amount of upgrades is to add low mana cost tutors. Some reasonable priced upgrades to make are: Diabolic Intent, Fabricate, Mystic Remora. Sword of the Meek + Thopter Foundry + Skullclamp is compact and does everything, making it easier to assemble can make gameplay better. By adding Urza, Lord High Artificer and/or Sensei's Divining Top and/or Krark-Clan Ironworks/Ashnod's Altar that's adding at least three more infinite wincon combos.
The manabase here is slow because very few dual lands always ETB untapped and lots of basic lands hurts color fixing. A reasonable upgrade is to add lands such as Battlebond lands, more Pain lands, Check lands and Slow lands. Ideally the manabase should be Rainbow lands, Fetch lands, ABUR Dual lands, Shock lands, Battlebond lands, Artifact lands, some utility lands and very few basic lands. First reasonable priced land upgrades to make can be more Rainbow lands: Glimmervoid, Reflecting Pool.
- Demonic Tutor, Vampiric Tutor, Diabolic Intent
- Enlightened Tutor, Fabricate
- Rhystic Study, Mystic Remora
- Urza, Lord High Artificer
- Sensei's Divining Top
- Esper Sentinel
- Krark-Clan Ironworks, Ashnod's Altar
- Darksteel Forge
- Walking Ballista
- Mox Opal, Lotus Petal
- Emry, Lurker of the Loch
- Mana Crypt, Mana Vault
- Teferi's Protection
- Mana Drain, Fierce Guardianship
- Cyclonic Rift, Anguished Unmaking
- Skrelv, Defector Mite, Hope of Ghirapur
- Glimmervoid, City of Brass, Mana Confluence, Reflecting Pool
- Flooded Strand, Polluted Delta, Marsh Flats, Scalding Tarn
- Raffine's Tower, Watery Grave, Hallowed Fountain, Godless Shrine
- Morphic Pool, Sea of Clouds, Vault of Champions
- Inventors' Fair, Academy Ruins, Urza's Saga
- Adarkar Wastes, Underground River
