NOTE:
This deck list is an exact copy of the deck that I built about a month ago. It was built using mostly cards that I already owned. This deck is a low to mid budget deck (relatively) and is still a work in progress.
BASIC STRATEGY:
The basic strategy behind this deck is relatively straight-forward. Get Marchesa, the Black Rose out with at least one modular creature and another artifact creature and start sacking to stack counters. Beat people down with your creatures or use one of the win conditions listed below. It is also fun to get counters on all of your creatures and then play cards like Blasphemous Act. This deck is not dependent or too concerned with using Marchesa's dethrone ability but it never hurts to secure other non-artifact creatures and add additional counters.
COMBOS & WIN CONDITIONS EXPLAINED
INFINTE MANA COMBO
Grand Architect + Pili-Pala
By tapping one blue to make Pila-Pala a blue creature until EOT, tapping Pila-Pala for 2 colorless mana and then using that colorless mana to activate Pila-Pala's effect you net 1 mana of any color to your mana pool.
WIN CONDITIONS
Cranial Plating is incredibly strong once you have built up counters on a modular creature and have an artifact creature (such as Etched Champion) that can make it through blockers. Especially with the ability to instant speed attach Cranial Plating using the 2 Black Mana attach activation.
Arcbound Ravager + Marionette Master
,
Arcbound Ravager + Flayer of the Hatebound
,
Flayer of the Hatebound + Saheeli Rai
,
Marionette Master + Saheeli Rai
Flayer of the Hatebound & Marionette Master are two great ways to continually ping your opponents for dmg during every turn once you acquire a sac-engine. Arcbound Ravager is one of the strongest sacrifice engines in this deck due to it having modular and gaining an additional counter from his effect. Saheeli Rai's (-) ability is broken with either Flayer of the Hatebound or Marionette Master on the field.
Triskelion is self explanatory. Dump modular counters on him and laugh.
Whispersilk Cloak I go back and forth with using this card. Shroud and unblockable may seem like a no-brainer but remember, shroud means you can't put modular counters on the creature. However, using this to protect a creature who is already huge and making him unblockable can win you games. Switching this card out for a more effective way of making creatures unblockable is a valid possibility to consider.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT:
As I stated in the beginning, this deck was built with a low to mid budget in mind using mostly cards that I already owned. I acknowledge that there are some cards that are either not ideal or could be replaced with a better version of an ability. A non-exhaustive list of some examples are given below:
Akoum Refuge Although this deck is not meant to be too concerned with dethrone, gaining one life with a land early in the game can be an annoyance.
Akroma's Memorial Not really necessary, probably a better sideboard card. Cheaper cards that give haste, trample or unblockable (depending on what you want more) are probably better alternatives. However, in longer, larger multiplayer games this card can be very strong.
Argentum Armor Not really necessary, probably a better sideboard card. Cheaper cards for removal or increased combat strength are probably better alternatives. However, in longer, larger multiplayer games this card can be useful.
Broodstar Not necessary but I will not remove it from the deck because it is my favorite card in all of MTG. I first learned the game by playing artifact decks and Broodstar was my favorite trump card back then.
I purposely did not add any more combos besides the one infinite mana combo. I mostly play casual with a group of friends and building decks that can combo for quick wins is not very fun. To increase the speed and chance of victory adding other combo artifact win conditions is merited.
