It would break pauper, but Shivan Reef would increase tempo over Swiftwater Cliffs.

+1 from me. With the majority of this combo being in Standard, even after the next rotation, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a return of Banishing Knack or Retraction Helix or something similar in the next Block :)

@N3XT: I actually have a player of Steam Vents I throw in when I am playing against competitive modern decks.

I love the versatility too! All the 0 cmc rocks could still help stall if your combo is interrupted. Still trying to find a backup combo piece for Zephyr Scribe. Everything else has at least 8 functional copies, so the scribe is your weakest link. Still a pretty strong chance (because he is only 1 card) and the 4 Taigam's Scheming helps.

@N3XT: Nettle Drone is a replacement for either end of the combo. He can replace either Zephyr Scribe or Elusive Spellfist.

@HoboTSH: Wow! Even better! I didn't see his second ability! And at $18, I have to pick this deck up. Infinete combos this reliable don't come by often as is, much less budget!

With such a low average CMC for the deck, why run 24 lands? It seems like you would probably be fine with 22 lands. Thoughts?

I like the new revision, but I honestly prefer Welding Jar over Darksteel Relic because on game 2 when your opponent has side-borded counter-magic, if they counter your artifact, you can put it back in your hand. The only real time you'll be playing the artifacts is when you're trying to combo off, and then if they try to destroy your artifact, you can instant speed bounce it to your hand with the Banishing Knack/Retraction Helix, let the removal fizzle, and replay your artifact.

@darleen: I originally did run just 22 lands but I wasn't always hitting as many lands as I needed to consistently get the combo off. With Taigam's Scheming I just throw the extra lands into the graveyard once I have enough. Testing was at 2 modern fnms. Where I did quite well for the deck being pauper. Nothing feels better than wrecking an $800 junk deck with a $20 pauper deck,

@N3XT: Honestly it is personal preference. The same logic can be used for Welding Jar, why sac it to regenerate an artifact if it can just be bounced and replayed? I prefer Darksteel Relic because it protects itself so I can drop it before they have enough mana to counter it leaving less up to chance imho.

hum... Grapeshot is banned in pauper (well, online pauper, but there is no official paper pauper list): http://archive.wizards.com/Magic/magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/feature/232

Or is this a modern budget deck?

The three lgs's I go to allow it for paper pauper but if it is as big of a deal I will drop the pauper tag from the name. I use the same deck for both modern and pauper save for a few cards that I rotate out.

Honestly i would swap out tormods crypt and darksteel relic for common level cards like bonesaw and spidersilk net and play this as a pauper deck

Grapeshot isn't pauper legal. And it was a pauper deck however it is more versatile and consistent as a budget modern deck.

Why isn't Grapeshot pauper legal?

Puresteel Paladin and use equipment instead add Hurkyl's Recall move away from infinite combo and into a storm style deck

I like the deck as is, for $16 it is a relatively consistent deck with fall backs and alternative combos.

MidgeRub. Grapeshot has been banned in online pauper by WotC. I don't know the exact reasons, but I think that the presence of several blue cantrips that are banned in Modern but not in pauper might have something to do with it.

@MidgeRub, Spinifex: I looked it up and it was due to storm being too powerful in the MTGO pauper scene.

@n8dog8freefood: Two things.

First: you realize a playset of the Puresteel Paladin alone costs more than this deck right? And Hurkyl's Recall costs $10 for a playset? This deck is meant to be extreme budget as that is its niche.

Second: I would like to hear your reasoning as to why your changes should be made. Just saying I should doesn't add to the discussion. From what I can see the combo you mentioned is only as consistent as the current one if not less because it doesn't look like there are any alternatives to Puresteel Paladin. Also recommending a creature to an izzet deck is an odd suggestion without recommending what to drop.

Thanks for your input and I welcome the discussion!

This looks like a really great idea. my one suggestion is to drop Herbal Poultice for Ornithopter. so then you could have a blocker if needed.

@Derpingotter: Ornithopter is a a creature and won't proc Elusive Spellfist or Zephyr Scribe.

If you have a little extra money and you don't need it to be extremely budget you could run monastery mentor and infinite combo off of like 70000000000000000000 infinitely combode prowess tokens

@Pyromancer999: Monastery Mentor is a nice idea but I feel like it is more of a win-more card. Also, since the tokens don't have haste they wouldn't be able to kill the turn they are played. Empty the Warrens I feel is just as effective but I don't like it personally for the same reason. The more chances you give your opponent to come back, the weaker the infinite combo is.

HOWEVER feel free to test/play it with Monastery Mentor and a more diverse land base as magic is a deckbuilding game and tweaking dekcs to fit you is part of the fun!

Replacing Swiftwater Cliffs with Shivan Reef wouldn't increase the cost by much(compared to fetches or shocks at least), but add a decent tempo increase.