Mono Blue Artifact (Post Rotation)
In an effort to stay ahead of the curve, I am working on a post rotation deck build. Currently this build uses some of the pieces of Mono Blue Storm, but without the critical mass of Paradoxical Outcome and Aetherflux Reservoir since they will be rotating out with the return of Ravnica. The overall idea of the deck is to flood the board with cheap, synergistic artifacts and then animate an army of them to go wide with a massive attack via The Antiquities War. In an effort to dig deep enough to hit plenty of artifacts and keep myself alive in the aggro match up, this deck runs a fair amount of life gain and scry to get through the early game. Overall, playtesting has been promising with this particular deck. Here is a breakdown of the card list:
LANDS (21):
Island x 17 - One of the most powerful cards in Magic. All kidding aside, just keeping a couple of these untapped on the battlefield allows me to bluff counterspell magic and lull my opponent into not taking some actions.
Zhalfirin Void x 4 - Scry and mana, hyper efficient. Since we are running 23 cards that are colorless, this rarely ever affects my game play, but the scry helps me to get to the artifacts and sagas I need.
CREATURES (19):
Artificer's Assistant x 3 - For one mana, I get a 1/1 flying beater (which is absolutely trival). The true power of this card is the scry ability I get for casting historic cards. I am running 32 cards that will proc that ability allowing me to scry. In essence, in an average game, if this is my turn one play, I can usually scry between 7-10 cards (or more) in most games. Being a 1/1 flyer, it is pretty innocuous, and most people don't waste removal on it. Additionally, in the later game, it serves as a chump blocker for things, buying me more time to achieve critical mass.
Diamond Mare x 4 - Being in one color, the blue spells I cast will help me gain life, which becomes relevant to the longer games. Additionally, it is a great early game blocker for X/1 creatures that aggro decks run, plus this dodges Chainwhirler which is becomes more relevant post rotation. Lastly, it becomes a target for The Antiquities War, which is the crux of this deck.
Voltaic Servant x 3 - Another 1/3 that makes a fantastic blocker in the early game against X/1 creatures that aggro decks might play, and as an added bonus, it allows me to untap an artifact at the end of my turn, which will allow me to keep a blocker up or great for a way to speed through the transformation of a Treasure Map
, generate 3 treasure tokens right before The Antiquities War goes off and get 3 more bodies on the field to attack with.
Sai, Master Thopterist x 3 - A 1/4 body, which dodges 3 damage removal spells (if they want to waste 2 removal spells on him, I'm fine with that trade), and it generates a slew of thopter tokens that when paired with The Antiquities War, becomes a massive aerial army. In a pinch, they can be sacrificed to dig even deeper for more answers or gas. Being a legendary, he also triggers the historic scry on the Artificer's Assistant, which is a nice touch.
Skilled Animator x 4 - Currently on the fence about 4 copies of this guy, I was thinking about trading one for the 4th Voltaic Servant to get my artifact count up higher. When he enters, he turns my lifeless artifacts into 5/5 blockers and attackers. That is tantamount to a turn 3 Steel Leaf Champion and since the artifact was likely on the board the turn before, it can swing in. This has so many targets, and helps keep pressure on my opponents to answer this threat.
Zahid, Djinn of the Lamp x 2 - My answer to Lyra Dawnbringer, as it is one of the only creatures that can fight against her favorably so. Additionally, with the number of artifacts this deck runs, I am always casting him for his discounted price of 4 mana. Being a legendary, it also triggers the historic scry on the Artificer's Assistant, which is a nice touch.
PLANESWALKERS (2):
Karn, Scion of Urza x 2 - This card is a powerhouse. It gives me card advantage, it creates guys (usually big ones because of all of the artifacts I run). This is the main deck back up plan if The Antiquities War is a bust.
ARTIFACTS (14):
Fountain of Renewal x 4 - The life gain off of this card is very relevant, as it buys us extra turns. It comes down early (Turn 1) and starts working right away. Or course it is a target for Skilled Animator or it adds to the artifact army created by The Antiquities War. In a bind, it can be sacrificed for card draw as well.
Navigator's Compass x2 - While the ability to mana fix is nice, the 3 life that is gain off of the ETB effect helps push the game longer in the aggro match up. Additionally, it is a target for Skilled Animator or it adds to the artifact army created by The Antiquities War.
Traveler's Amulet x3 - Aside from the Skilled Animator/The Antiquities War option, this card can help with mana or thin the deck out to be able to draw more gas. Post rotation, this may become 3 copies of Mox Amber which are currently in my Paradoxical Storm deck, however, I tend to think that this is the better option, but a zero cost artifact is great for Sai or Antiquities War.
Treasure Map
x 3 - The scry helps me dig deeper for the right answers and when it transforms, it makes 3 treasure tokens, allowing for an explosive turn or more bodies for The Antiquities War. In the later game, I can use the transformed side to sacrifice treasure tokens to draw more cards. One of my favorite combat tricks with this, is to swing in with one of Karn's Constructs while it is a 2/2 or 3/3, and before damage, scry/flip this making the Construct grow in power and toughness by 3 by generating 3 treasure token artifacts. Very often, it catches my opponent's off guard or they get hit for more damage then they expected to by not blocking the small Construct.
Tezzeret's Gatebreaker x 2 - The most expensive CMC card of the artifact package. This lets me get to Antiquities War faster, or draw more artifacts. And when Antiquities War goes critical, I can always sacrifice this to make my artifact army unblockable (excellent against token strategies).
ENCHANTMENTS (2):
The Antiquities War x 4 - This is the heart of the deck. When it comes down, it lets me dig for more artifacts for the army, then I do it again, and finally, my artifacts all become a living army allowing me to swing wide, over the top, and pretty much any way I want to do a massive amount of damage. I am usually swinging for at a minimum of 20 damage when this goes off and my best swing with it was 85 damage which is back breaking. Chaining these together over two turns can be crippling to opponents.
SIDEBOARD (15):
Chaos Wand x 2 - This little piece does everything else the artifacts in this deck does, and something else, it helps in the control matchup. The ability to steal spells from my opponent allows me to use their own counterspells, bounce spells, kill spells, draw spells, and pretty anything I want, against them. The ability to do this on their turn with their instant spells, makes it a powerful tool for the control matchup.
Karn, Scion of Urza x 1 - A back up copy of the powerful card, when I need to pump out attackers or dig through my deck deeper.
Negate x 4 - Counterspell magic for when I need to resolve The Antiquities War or anything else. It also helps to shut down the dreaded board wipes and even Settle the Wreckage.
River's Rebuke x 2 - Helps clear the path forward for an attacking artifact army. Resolving this is game ending.
Sentinel Totem x1 - Another artifact, and it lets me shut down graveyard shenanigans that I don't like.
Siren Stormtamer x 3 - I may up the count of this to 4, but it serves as additional protection for my creatures, and it helps shut down Settle the Wreckage.
Tezzeret, Artifice Master x 2 - Makes guys to protect himself, draws me cards (usually two an activation), and if he lives long enough, allows me to put my win conditions right onto the board. While the last option rarely happens, he does add some powerful flair to the deck.
