Purpose of each card listed:
Academy Ruins
: Makes it so you can't deck out. Also allows you to grab artifacts from grave in response to
Surgical Extraction
.
Arcbound Ravager
: Free Sac outlet. Also beater.
Buried Ruin
: Same as
Academy Ruins
.
Chromatic Star
: Combo piece, draw, and is a 1 drop. Combos well with
Time Sieve
,
Sai, Master Thopterist
and
Thopter Foundry
.
Fiery Islet
: Basically a RU
Horizon Canopy
. Draws, and also you need red blue a lot.
Glimmervoid
: Artifact deck plays this because it's great. Also allows you to hard cast
Thopter Foundry
and
Time Sieve
.
Goblin Engineer
: People say this card is underwhelming. That's just wrong. This card combos really well with
Chromatic Star
, and even harder with
Ichor Wellspring
. (1 R for draw 2 every turn) It can also yank cards out of the graveyard in response to
Surgical Extraction
.
Ichor Wellspring
: God tier card. Combos with
Goblin Engineer
,
Time Sieve
,
Sai, Master Thopterist
,
Arcbound Ravager
,
Thopter Foundry
, big oof.
Mind Stone
: Mana ramping, and draw power.
Mox Opal
: Artifact deck, fast mana. Also shenanigans with
Arcbound Ravager
and
Scrap Trawler
.
Myr Retriever
: Infinite combo with
Scrap Trawler
,
Sai, Master Thopterist
,
Sword of the Meek
, and
Time Sieve
.
Sai, Master Thopterist
: Combos hard with
Urza, Lord High Artificer
and is also draw power. Has infinite combo with
Myr Retriever
,
Scrap Trawler
,
Time Sieve
, and
Sword of the Meek
for infinite turns.
Scrap Trawler
: Graveyard recursion. Also infinite combo.
Snow-Covered Mountain
: It's cooler than regular
Mountain
.
Snow-Covered Island
: It's cooler than regular
Island
.
Spire of Industry
: Basically another
Glimmervoid
.
Sword of the Meek
: Multiple infinite combos.
Thopter Foundry
: Multiple infinite combos.
Time Sieve
: Infinite combo, plus extra turns for added strength. Combos with
Sai, Master Thopterist
, and
Sword of the Meek
.
Urza, Lord High Artificer
: Literally a better
Krark-Clan Ironworks
.
Whir of Invention
: Added consistency. Plus you can make a ton of blue mana very easily.
Cards I don't play and why:
Darksteel Citadel
: Tempted to play it, but unsure where to put it, and what I would give up in it's place.
Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge
: Passive would be wasted. Uptick is useless, and I have enough graveyard recursion already.
Ensnaring Bridge
: I tested this. The issue is that this deck is constantly drawing cards, which makes Ensnaring Bridge not work anymore. If I were to stop drawing cards, then that gives my opponent more opportunity to kill the Bridge, and then me.
Pithing Needle
: Could be in sideboard, and I might put it there. But right now I can't think of anything that would be a threat before I could kill them.
Mishra's Bauble
: Was in the original build. Was underwhelming and slow.
Nihil Spellbomb
: I might put this in the side.
Relic of Progenitus
: Huge no. You need your graveyard, and a single draw is not worth your graveyard.
Terrarion
: The fact it comes into play tapped is a bit of a deal breaker, since I can't tap it for mana with Urza like I can with
Chromatic Star
.
Chromatic Sphere
: Same reason as Terrarion, but the other way.
Damping Sphere
: Tempted to put this in, but it does hurt my own deck quite a bit, so I'm hesitant.
More
Sword of the Meek
: Too bricky, and I only need 1 to infinite combo.
Ghirapur AEther Grid
: I'm tapping all my artifacts for mana, and there's no reason to side this in grindy matchups, since in those, I can just grind out thopters off Sai or Foundry.
Karn, Scion of Urza
: Can't protect him, and his +1 can actually damage the deck, if I banish a Sword of the Meek.
Cards that this deck does not like:
Path to Exile
: Not that bad if I have a Foundry in hand, since I can just tap everything for mana before Urza is gone.
Stony Silence
: Stops the combo, but it doesn't stop the mana or the draw power. I can just dig for my out.
Surgical Extraction
: Probably the biggest counter to this deck, which is why I want to put some serious side hate in for this card. Only way to combat it is to use Academy Ruins, Goblin Engineer, or Buried Ruin on the targeted card.
Nature's Claim
: Not that bad honestly. Most of my artifacts have grave effects, and most of the time it doesn't matter what you destroy.
Narset, Parter of Veils
: Actually hurts a lot. Not much I can really do except try and shoot her down with Goblin Engineer, Thopter tokens, or Ravager.
Ashiok, Dream Render
: Hurts Whir of Invention quite a bit, but the graveyard hate really hurts.
Leyline of the Void
: Stops my graveyard recursion, and forces me to answer it before I can do anything.
Rest in Peace
: Same as Leyline of the Void.
