Krark-Clan Ironworks, Ashnod's Altar, and Phyrexian Altar are amazing engine cards. Of the three, only Ironworks is legal in Modern so here we are!
Teshar has been a great fun-of so far. At first it looks like Scrap Trawler #5 but in play it has versatile options that aren't possible with only Trawler and/or Retriever! I may try to find room for a second copy!
Win Conditions:
- Pyrite Spellbomb - The classic Ironworks finisher
- Altar of the Brood - Mill all other players out
- Aetherflux Reservoir - Incidental lifegain turns into 50 damage
- The Antiquities War - Dig for artifacts twice then attack with them all
- Tezzeret the Seeker - Untap two artifacts then swing with them all next turn
- Servo Schematic - Can make infinite Servos
- Hangarback Walker - Can make infinite Thopters
- Normal Creature Attacks - Never underestimate Scrap Trawler's 3 power
I wanted a variety of win conditions to make sure the opponent can't stop us with a trump card. Most are artifacts so they can be tutored easily, the others are at least Historic to get a Scry. Some things I've planned around are:
- Graveyard hate like Rest in Peace is brutal but doesn't stop three ways to make 5/5 artifacts
- Lost Legacy / Surgical Extraction will take Ironworks away but can't also stop attacks. Reservoir may still be possible over multiple turns.
- Stony Silence is really harsh but doesn't stop Tezzeret or The Antiquities War beats
- Pithing Needle can only stop Spellbombs, Reservoir, Inventors' Fair, Buried Run, or Tezzeret.
- Leyline of Sanctity stops Pyrite Spellbomb and Reservoir but not mill or attacks.
- Suture Priest stops the Myr Retriever loop unless we have Reservoir
- Platinum Angel - bounce with Aether Spellbomb
- Solemnity + Phyrexian Unlife can't stop mill
- Emrakul stops mill but nothing else.
- Ensnaring Bridge stops attacks but nothing else.
- 'Infinite' life doesn't stop Mill or 'Infinite' Reservoir.
Filters / Tutors:
- Artificer's Assistant - Possibly my favorite Dominaria card, I have such an unreasonable fondness for this bird. Our Artifacts, Tezzerets, Teshar, and Antiquities War are all historic so it will Scry for us constantly and drastically cut down the number of unwanted lands drawn mid-combo. It's also adorable on that fancy perch with its little amulet and wand!
- Antiquities War - Digs 5 cards twice. Better than Glint-Nest Crane but the 1/3 Flier was a very difficult cut. (-2 Crane, +1 Assistant +1 Saga )
- Tezzeret - Can tutor any artifact in the deck, or two if we already have Ironworks.
- Whir of Invention - With Star and Opal it's easy to hit UUU mid-combo to get the last piece.
- Fabricate - One Opal is enough to cast this with Ironworks in play.
- Inventors' Fair - Sometimes hard to use without delaying the combo by a turn
With this much card selection we rarely fizzle. The 8 Tutors shuffle the cards put under our Library back up which is unfortunate anti-synergy but usually the tutor wins the game right away.
Mana Generators:
- Mox Opal +CCM
- Servo Schematic +CCCC
- Hangarback Walker +CC
- Star +C or -C+M
- All other CMC1 +C
- Darksteel Citadel +CC(C) once
Loads of cards that are mana positive fuel our tutors to secure the win.
Card Draw:
- Ichor Wellspring +2 cards, Mana Neutral
- Chromatic Star +1 Card, +1 Mana
- Either Spellbomb +1 Card, -2 Mana
Slightly low on card draw with only 10 cards but the 8 tutors make up for it.
Three good loops:
Ironworks + 2x Retriever + Altar
The classic Myr Retriever loop. Neutral on cards and mana but wins the game.
- Start with Ironworks, Retriever, and Altar in play and the other Retriever in hand.
- Sacrifice Retriever for CC.
- Play the other Retriever with CC, Altar mills 1.
- Sacrifice the Retriever in play for CC, get back the Retriever in the graveyard.
Ironworks + Scrap Trawler + Retriever + 2x Star
The mana payment window loop. +C (or -C+M), +1 card per iteration.
- Announce casting Star #2 from hand.
- Sacrifice Star/Retriever/Trawler for 6 mana then pay for Star #2 with 1 of it.
- Loads of Trawler triggers hit the stack at once returning everything you sacrificed to hand.
- Use 5 of the 6 mana to recast Trawler/Retriever and you're back where you started.
Ironworks + Teshar + Retriever (or Trawler) + Any artifact
Easy interchangable loop.
- Start with Ironworks and Teshar in play, Retriever (or Trawler) in graveyard, misc Artifact in hand.
- Play Artifact, reanimate Retriever via Teshar.
- Sacrifice Artifact, +CC.
- Sacrifice Retriever, get back Artifact. +CC profit
Possible Artifacts:
- Wellspring: +CC and +2 Cards.
- Chromatic Star: +CCC (or +CCM) and +1 Card.
- Spellbomb: +CCC or (+CC and +1 Card). Alternate with Star for access to bounce/shock.
- Servo Schematic: +CC and +2 Servo Tokens.
- Hangarback Walker: +CC and +1 Thopter Token.
- Mox Opal: +CCCCM
- Altar of the Brood: +CCC and 1 Mill.
- Aetherflux Reservoir: Mana Neutral, no gain on its own.
Maybeboard:
- 1x Etherium Sculptor - 'Ramp', makes Trawler chains highly mana positive.
- 1x Mind Stone - Ramp, Draw, Mana Positive with Ironworks.
- 1x Talisman of Progress - Like Mind Stone but trades '1,T,Sac:Draw' for UW pain mana.
- 1x Everflowing Chalice - Ramp, CMC0, Mana Positive with Ironworks.
- 1x Engineered Explosives - Silver Bullet, we can often get it to X=3 outside of Combo turn.
- Teshar #2 - Extremely powerful and consistent, might be worth a second copy.
- Greater Gargadon? - Secondary sacrifice outlet
