I've made a version of this deck a while back and have been playing it a while but I just added it to here. The biggest problem I came across was people using Tragic Slip in the new zombie decks that have started to show up and making Blightsteel Colossus unuseable, so I started to run a lot of protection in my deck like Faith's Shield and Apostle's Blessing, which also let my crush haunted humans because none of their creatures could block when I attacked.

@shawning I don't know if it will help you or not, but I've been haveing tremendous success with Master Craftsmen, which is a very similar deck that I built. Take a look at it if you want and maybe you'll get an idea or two. I run far more blue counter magic than you do, and it helps a lot.

@charr I had the same problem with Tragic Slip. Mental Misstep works perfectly, and I always keep one in my hand, just for that reason.

Yea I've tried to work counter magic in twice now, however, due to the amount of humans in my meta vs the lack of black except like 1 or 2 guys I just dropped the counters. Quite honestly I don't mind if someone dumps all their counters on my Shape Anew or removal on my Blightsteel Colossus. The first objective is to basically drop threat after threat. The Shape Anew combo was always for lolz for me. :) I did actually take a peek at your Master Craftsmen though and I do like the counters...tis just a space thing :) Thanks guys!

What about Seachrome Coast's and/or Evolving Wilds as better fixing, and maybe 1/2 Inkmoth Nexus as another sacrifice target?

@Zalfrezi I already run 4 early lands in the 2 colors I care about for pre-side and post-side. Honestly fetch lands would help a TON but not tapped :( The Inkmoth Nexus idea has been tossed around a lot...some people use this method. I honestly already have more targets than I need on the table usually. I think if I used Inkmoth Nexus I'd use it game one in combination with Tempered Steel as another win condition. However, if I wanted ot use it as a sacrifice target I'd almost have to count them as a non-land card and the deck already has like 8 cards waiting to find room lol! :)

true, the colossus is pretty fragile in the current metagame with all sorts of things like Sever the Bloodline, Tragic Slip, Revoke Existence etc

I beat your deck in playtesting with Naya Podblade of Tool. Good fight though...

@Zalfrezi this is true :) However, I only see Tragic Slip really in main boards. After game one I usually don't play the Blightsteel Colossus...he and the combo get sided out for tokens.

@aeonstoremyliver :) I haven't played a pod deck in a LONG time...twould be fun to have a match with each of us playing our decks since obviously neither of us can play the opposing deck as well as we play our mains. By the way love the screen name lol...

I have some sneakers in there...hehe. Thanks! Emrakul, the Aeons Torn was the inspiration. I used to drink alot...lol.

Lol I read it a few times and chuckled so I figured it deserved props. :P

Thanks!

Thinking about running this at my FNM tomorrow after I tried a plethora of decks as potentials. Standard is so volatile right now. Thinking about even dropping the Tempered Steel out of the main deck and moving the Intangible Virtue into the main board to free up 4 more sideboard slots to squeeze in some Purify the Grave and perhaps some Surgical Extraction. Ugh.

I ran my Master Craftsmen last week at FNM and did pretty well. People, at least in my meta, weren't expecting a Scars based Shape Anew/Blightsteel Colossus deck. The biggest thing to watch out for is Tragic Slip hitting your Blightsteel. If you are planning on making Blightsteel the win con, you have to have some Mental Misstep to protect him. If he's just a scare tactic, and you are planning on running just a beater Golem deck, then don't worry about it. Wing Splicer + Flying Golem tokens worked very well against alot of the decks playing currently.

Also, I like Intangible Virtue vs Tempered Steel for the vigilence, but giving Blightsteel Colossus the extra +2/+2 is awesome, and if you have 2x of that or 1x and a Master Splicer, it's another answer to Tragic Slip.

I would drop 2x Elspeth Tirel and 2x Hero of Bladehold from your sideboard for the Surgical Extraction and Purify the Grave. They are very useful with the current meta.

@cryptichorror thanks buddy :) Mainly Blightsteel Colossus is just a scare tactic. Most people in my meta side the Tragic Slip. I do think I'm going to drop the Tempered Steel out and move the Intangible Virtue into the main deck siding in the Surgical Extraction and Purify the Grave like I wanted to. I may try to find room for the Mental Misstep in the main as well because it is SO good right now!

Yea. Mental Misstep has saved my butt several times.

As a second note, I know you've talked about it before, and you've said you weren't taking the deck this direction, but just wanted to voice again how awesome Venser, the Sojourner is in this deck. a. He can bounce a splicer, giving you a free golem each turn. b. He can make Blightsteel Unblockable. c. He can bounce Blightsteel after it attacks, untapping it and giving it a chance to block the next turn. If you end up working Mental Misstep in, he can also bounce an island if you tap out, giving you the mana for Mental Misstep during your opponent's turn.

If he doesn't feel right to you, cool. Just telling you from experience that he has won me many games in this deck. Synergies aboud!! Haha.

I love this deck build! I have a very similar deck that focuses more on just the Shape Anew / Blightsteel but doesn't run any of the Splicers.

I am considering adjusting mine to use the Splicers and use it in a Vintage tournament I am signed up for next month. I haven't competed in a vintage tournament in a long time and have no idea what to expect, so I wanted to ask you advise on how I could turn this deck into one more suited for vintage. What cards would you put in if you didn't have to concern with keeping it standard? What cards do you think are a must to compete in vintage?

Thanks!

This archetype is going to get ten times better with AVR. I'm expecting to see more play against this pretty soon.

Minister SO MUCH BOUNCE!

hah, so true :) Just got excited.

I just realized that another way to "cheat out" the Blightsteel Colossus is to use Descendants' Path along with the Splicers. I realize it is FAR slower than Shape Anew, but it does have a couple of advantages:

1. Although Descendants' Path could be countered, the actual placing of the Blightsteel Colossus in play can not be.
2. Descendants' Path can cheat out the Splicers as well.

Cloudshift is good in this deck in order to:

1. Protect your Blightsteel Colossus from incoming Oblivion Ring, Beast Within and other "targeted" effects.
2. Protect your Splicers from targeted effect, and untap them, and generate an extra golem token.

Blightsteel is inderstructible so Beast Within will do nothing to him.

Also oblivion ring goes on the stack you cast Cloudshift, sending him out to exile. Before the spell finishes resolving he comes back in then oblivion ring resolves and they target your blightsteel who just took a trip for no reason.

Also Descendants' Path says it allows you to cast a creature sharing the same type for no mana. Since he is still technically cast, he can be countered with any of blues counter spell suite.

Not trying to rain on your parade just alerting you. Let me know if I am mistaken though.

Still love the deck though shawning.

Still love the deck

Incorrect. When you use [Cloudshift] on Blightsteel, it is exiled and comes back as a new creature, therefore, fizzling any targeted spell cast before Cloudshift.

Amazing deck +1

and if i would kill him by Revoke Existence

or Fiend Hunter