Artifact Big Deck - Let the Machines Take Over the Earth!

So yeah, going to thinking about an artifact based big deck after talking to Steve last night. The problem is, I didn't play back in the original Mirrodin, when all the good artifact enabling cards were printed. Anyone got some suggestions on cards I should include beyond the basics (Tezzerett, Masticore, etc).

I probably won't put this deck together till the next set is released, so feel free to take your time and think of good ideas!

Now, by Artifact Deck do you mean EVERY spell is an artifact? I can think of a couple of REALLY cool cards to use that aren't artifacts.

Leonin Abunas
Leonin Squire
Thirst for Knowledge
Trinket Mage
Qumulox
Assert Authority
Broodstar
Shrapnel Blast
Atog/Megatog

And a bunch more.

~Zuty

agreed on all of those... good looking out, Zuty, i think that's how he needs to think about this deck.

i just wrote out a list of non-artifact cards that would fit well in your deck. i can scan and email it to you if you want, Jim. what artifact cards you want are up to you.

Also, if you are willing to dish out the money for it, Guardian Beast would be a GREAT add.

Non-creature artifacts can be enchanted, destroyed, and you can't lose control of them. Nice. And a Shield of Kaldra on him doesn't hurt :3

~Zuty

Man, Leonin Abunas was such abeating in Mirrodin limited.

Slyphidine wrote:Man, Leonin Abunas was such abeating in Mirrodin limited.

i could NEVER get out from under it unless i had a Shrapnel Blast.

Trinket Mage and Leonin Squire can also prove to be a force to look out for.

I know W/U Trinket Blink was HUGE in paupers magic.

Trinket Mage for artifact land > Glassdust Hulk playing artifact land > Blink out the Mage to grab another artifact land
Leonin Squire bringing back spellbombs, artifact lands, and, my personal favorite, Court Homunculus (Ancient Den > Court Homunculus 2/2. Sounds good to me.)

~Zuty

Jim, check your email.

Forgemaster - WANT! GOD I LOVE MIRRODIN!

Yes I will sac my three 0-1 drops for a free DSC on turn 6 (or sooner).

~Zuty

I really like the idea of using artifacts to ramp up a ton of mana so I can abuse stuff like Myr Matrix. Going to need things like Coalition Relic, Dreamstone Hedron, Mind Stone, Thran Dynamo, etc. Any suggestions there?

Edit: I'm also going to need a Platinum Angel and a Darksteel Colossus.

redxxii wrote:I really like the idea of using artifacts to ramp up a ton of mana so I can abuse stuff like Myr Matrix. Going to need things like Coalition Relic, Dreamstone Hedron, Mind Stone, Thran Dynamo, etc. Any suggestions there?

Edit: I'm also going to need a Platinum Angel and a Darksteel Colossus.

Mana Screw? 1 to get 2 and with Krack's Thumb you up the chances. Mana Crypt would go along well with the Thumb also. If not the screw, then make your Unglued card Blacker Lotus.

Surprised you didn't mention Metalworker. Probably your best ramp. If you can find a way to keep adding +1/+1 counters, Workhorse ain't a bad pick either.

~Zuty

Sol Ring
Worn Powerstone
Basalt Monolith (can be part of an infinite mana combo with Karn and Votaic Construct... oops, that's my deck!)
Signets
Obelisks
Palladium Myr (from SOM. BTW, I love this guy!)
Maybe Diamond Kaleidoscope as a nice little defense/ramp strategy
Gilded Lotus
Everflowing Chalice
Mana Vault
Grim Monolith (hey big spender!)
Terrarion
Khalni Gem
Su-Chi and Cathodion (both of those work great with sac effects)

And something to ramp to and continue the shenanigans:

Altar of Shadows

If you're gonna go with Basalt/Grim Monolith, might as well see if you can dig up a Power Artifact. Infinite mana with either Monolith, and failing that, dropping two off the cost of an artifact's activated ability never hurts.
If you're going to go the route of animating artifacts (either selective or mass), Training Grounds might not hurt, as it'll do similar things.

Uniclonus wrote:If you're gonna go with Basalt/Grim Monolith, might as well see if you can dig up a Power Artifact. Infinite mana with either Monolith, and failing that, dropping two off the cost of an artifact's activated ability never hurts.
If you're going to go the route of animating artifacts (either selective or mass), Training Grounds might not hurt, as it'll do similar things.

Voltaic Construct can also help here if you animate the Monoliths. With Training Grounds in play you can even use animated versions of Sisay's Ring, its clone Ur-Golem's Eye, Sol Ring or Worn Powerstone to go for infinite colorless mana to pump into your Goblin Cannon.

~Zuty

redxxii wrote:I really like the idea of using artifacts to ramp up a ton of mana so I can abuse stuff like Myr Matrix. Going to need things like Coalition Relic, Dreamstone Hedron, Mind Stone, Thran Dynamo, etc. Any suggestions there?

Blinkmoth Urn!!!!
Krark-Clan Ironworks!!!!
Dross Scorpion!!!!

i'm really starting to like this idea, Jim! i wish i had thought of it... back in old Mirrodin block, i had (and still have) some crazy decks where i had to assemble some insane contraption that created an infinite loop. for example, what i liked to call the Iron Cross:

Soul Foundry imprinting Ornithopter
Dross Scorpion
Krark-Clan Ironworks
Disciple of the Vault or Goblin Cannon

figure it out.

plus this will divert all of your new set fanboy ejaculations to this deck, and won't crowd your flagship Big Deck.

I threw this deck together Saturday morning, then made some adjustments over the day with Steve's help. I ended up bumping up my land count to 80, but outside that it works as intended. It's really fun to play and has a lot of synergy with itself (tons of mini-combos and interactions), but I need to find a way to make it more resistant to mass artifact hate (Disk, Shatter Storm, Fracturing Gust, etc).

Thanks again for the help, Steve!

redxxii wrote:I threw this deck together Saturday morning, then made some adjustments over the day with Steve's help. I ended up bumping up my land count to 80, but outside that it works as intended. It's really fun to play and has a lot of synergy with itself (tons of mini-combos and interactions), but I need to find a way to make it more resistant to mass artifact hate (Disk, Shatter Storm, Fracturing Gust, etc).

Thanks again for the help, Steve!

Protection and Shroud/SS won't save them, so best bet is a counter. Unless there is a Ghostway for Artifacts ... And there isn't.

~Zuty

EDIT: Oh duh ... Indestructible! Elspeth, Darksteel Foundry, and Guardian Beast.

So, I got to play some multiplayer games tonight, and the deck seemed to run pretty well. My only real (huge) issue was the deck is a dog to mass-artifact hate... John...

After seeing the deck running tonight, any got any suggestions? I would especially appreciate any advice to deal with mass-artifact hate.

redxxii wrote:After seeing the deck running tonight, any got any suggestions? I would especially appreciate any advice to deal with mass-artifact hate.

Like I said above your post, not many options. You can either have counters to deal with them or make your stuff Indestructible. Shroud/SS, bouncing, blinking, protection, etc. won't help vs. mass removal.

Some good counters that go with your theme:

Wizard Replica - It's like a Spiketail, only there is a payment to the counter.
Assert Authority - It's Dissipate for 5UU, but can go down to a CC of UU if you have 5 artifacts. Shouldn't be a problem.
Override - Better then most counter at this cost, but it's not as great as Circular Logic and Rethink. Goes with your theme and can prove to be useful.
Stoic Rebuttal - Should almost always be a Counterspell.

You can also mass-resurrect your goodies:

Roar of Reclamation
Second Sunrise
Open the Vaults

Those all allow your opponents to do the same and they are rather expensive. Second Sunrise is probably the best out of the three as you'd do it after the Shatterstorm cleared your board. Roar and Vaults have their place also, but if you want your stuff back that just got wiped out by a Shatterstorm or the like, Sunrise is your best option.

Again, Indestructible works wonders. You have Darksteel Forge which is expensive, but protects itself and all your other goodies. Elspeth REALLY helps; activate last ability, never need to worry about Shatterstorm for that game even when Elspeth goes bye-bye. And, if you fell like looking for it and dropping the dough, Guardian Beast is a nice grab too.

~Zuty

I "Second" Sunrise

As for surviving mass artifact hate, I'll say a few things:

1.) You got pretty close to taking the game. If John W. hadn't comboed out, you would have been in a pretty good condition.
2.) I don't think pure mass artifact destruction is particularly threatening to anyone else except you. While that ostensibly sucks to be you, it also means that decks that run it are prone to be weaker, and thus taken care of by the "metagame." Keep in mind, that's just for pure mass artifact destruction. Disk, Deed, Akroma's Vengeance, etc. are all still particularly crippling for you.

Remember, when John O. Shatterstormed, sure you lost your board, but no one else really lost anything of significance. Even losing a Vedalken Orrery is not a huge loss.

Here's some advice for surviving mass hate: don't overcommit. Even moreso than other decks, if you drop your hand, you're probably going to lose out. If you combine a more conservative approach with some well-timed counterspells, indestructible effects, and recursion, you should have a good chance.

Slyphidine wrote:Here's some advice for surviving mass hate: don't overcommit. Even moreso than other decks, if you drop your hand, you're probably going to lose out. If you combine a more conservative approach with some well-timed counterspells, indestructible effects, and recursion, you should have a good chance.

i definitely agree with this. in addition, and as always, repeatable draw engines really keep you in the game. Big Decks thrive on having a full hand. once you dip below 3 or 4 cards, many times you can slip into non-threat territory.

oh, and don't shuffle your goddamned hand into your library again.

How do you deal with non-destruction artifact disruption? Like:

Hurkyl's Recall
Rebuild
Kataki, War's Wage
Furnace Dragon

Do you just use counters or do you not see it enough to care?

~Zuty

Have you added Spine of Ish Sah? I'm looking at adding it to my combo big deck, but I think yours has some great ways to abuse it (Welder, Tinker, Time Sieve, Blinkmoth Urn).