Paradoxical Sonic Screwdriver

Commander / EDH* Artifact Budget Combo Competitive Infinite Combo Mono-Blue

toastySmorc

Instant (24)

• 1x Arcane Denial
• 1x Blue Sun's Zenith
• 1x Brain Freeze
• 1x Brainstorm
• 1x Counterspell
• 1x Cryptic Command
• 1x Daze
• 1x Dispel
• 1x Dramatic Reversal
• 1x Impulse
• 1x Mana Leak
• 1x Memory Lapse
• 1x Metallic Rebuke
• 1x Mystical Tutor
• 1x Negate
• 1x Pull from Tomorrow
• 1x Reality Shift
• 1x Spell Snare
• 1x Stifle
• 1x Stoic Rebuttal
• 1x Stroke of Genius
• 1x Swan Song
• 1x Thirst for Knowledge
• 1x Whir of Invention

Sorcery (8)

• 1x Compulsive Research
• 1x Fabricate
• 1x Gitaxian Probe
• 1x Merchant Scroll
• 1x Ponder
• 1x Preordain
• 1x Reconstruction
• 1x Thoughtcast

Artifact (22)

• 1x Aetherflux Reservoir
• 1x Ashnod's Altar
• 1x Basalt Monolith
• 1x Citanul Flute
• 1x Fellwar Stone
• 1x Gilded Lotus
• 1x Guardian Idol
• 1x Hedron Archive
• 1x Isochron Scepter
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Lotus Petal
• 1x Mana Vault
• 1x Mind Stone
• 1x Mox Amber
• 1x Paradox Engine
• 1x Prismatic Lens
• 1x Sensei's Divining Top
• 1x Sky Diamond
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Spine of Ish Sah
• 1x Thought Vessel
• 1x Thran Dynamo

Land (30)

• 1x Buried Ruin
• 1x Crystal Vein
• 1x Darksteel Citadel
• 1x Inventors' Fair
• 22x Island
• 1x Mishra's Factory
• 1x Saprazzan Skerry
• 1x Seat of the Synod
• 1x Svyelunite Temple

Commander (1)

Creature (15)

• 1x Hedron Crawler
• 1x Junk Diver
• 1x Lodestone Golem
• 1x Manakin
• 1x Memnite
• 1x Myr Retriever
• 1x Myr Sire
• 1x Ornithopter
• 1x Phyrexian Walker
• 1x Plague Myr
• 1x Scrap Trawler
• 1x Shield Sphere
• 1x Shimmer Myr
• 1x Silver Myr
• 1x Trinket Mage

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People don't know this, but Arcum is actually the Doctor in disguise. His staff is actually a sonic screwdriver...how else do you explain his ability to convert a Memnite into a Paradox Engine from another plane? Think guys.

This is a broke ass high school student's attempt at semi-cEDH. This aims to win on turn 4-5, using Arcum to fetch out the winning pieces. If Arcum is shut off, then the plane turns to tutoring up Paradox Engine and Isochron Scepter to win by the other infinite combo. The deck is only missing the expensive Moxen and Mana Crypt and Vaults. This is around 80% optimised, and can do very well in all but the most competitive playgroups.

Main Winning Line

Pre-requisite: You must have at least one artifact creature on the field and one in hand. You can use Trinket Mage to grab an ornithopter the turn before or something.

Find Paradox Engine. Cast artifact creature (let's say Phyrexian Walker). Sac to find Citanul Flute. Activate to find Memnite. Cast Memnite. Sac to find Gilded Lotus. Use Citanul Flute to find Ornithopter. Cast Ornithopter. Sac to find Thran Dynamo. Use Citanul Flute to find Myr Retriever and cast it. Use Citanul Flute to find Scrap Trawler and cast it.

Sacrifice Myr Retriever to find Ashnod's Altar. Sacrifice Scrap Trawler to Ashnod's Altar to bring back Myr Retriever. Play Myr Retriever to find Aetherflux Reservoir then sac to bring back Scrap Trawler. This can be recurred infinitely to gain infinite life.

Setting up a turn 3/4 kill

The starting hand DEFINITELY needs a mana dork. This will let you get out your Arcum on 3, maybe even 2, going forth to a turn 3/4 win. Cards like Mishra's Factory is useful because it's a land drop and a free artifact to sacrifice. Crystal Vein and Svyelunite Temple are good to accelerate out Arcum if you play them on turn 2, but needs you to have 2 castable artifact creatures in hand to get Arcum started.

Alternate Game Plan (kinda)

To be honest, this deck really does not have a plan B. You generally have commit to the main winning line, and there isn't a whole lot your opponent can do if they let Arcum resolve. If you suspect they have interaction, then look for Shimmer Myr at the first opportunity. If your opponent has stuff like a Damping Sphere, then you have to go for the Isochron Scepter + Paradox Engine win.

This deck doesnt really use lands other than to cast Arcum, so it is always a good idea to find a few counterspells before going off against a heavy control deck.

Updates

11/11/2018: Removed Walking Ballista in favour of Mana Vault. Vault gives me a path to a turn 2 Arcum Dagsson, and Ballista is just an alternate win con that doesn't seem to be relevant enough for its price.

Date added	5 years
Last updated	5 years
Key combos	Isochron Scepter + Paradox Engine
Legality	This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	3 - 0 Mythic Rares 20 - 0 Rares 26 - 0 Uncommons 29 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.26
Tokens	Bird 2/2 U, Manifest 2/2 C, Phyrexian Myr 1/1 C