AKA Izzet Artifacts
Play carefully, countering your opponent's spells and protecting your own, until you can resolve an Illusory angel or SDE. Ensoul+Ornithopter happens every now and again too.
CREATURES / ARTIFACTS
Ornithopter - A staple of the deck. In a hand where you have Illusory Angel you would want to save this card until later. With Ensoul Artifact, provided you have a Dissolve or Negate, try to play this ASAP.
Generator Servant - Play this guy ASAP to guarantee a bit of mana later. Works fantastically with Scuttling Doom Engine by providing haste the turn it comes out.
Scuttling Doom Engine - A 6 cost that, when it comes out, guarantees damage. Doom blade? 6 damage to the face. Banishing Light? Shrapnel Blast, 6 to the face, 5 to the face.This spell hurts? your opponent when you can resolve it.
Illusory Angel
- 4/4 flyer with the downside that you can only cast it if you cast another spell that turn. With only 3 in the deck you can be pretty sure that you'll be able to cast it on turn 5 or 6, and even if you have an Ornithopter in your opening hand you can play it turn 3 or 4.
SPELLS
Ensoul Artifact - Best to play ASAP on either a Ornithopter or Darksteel Citadel. Turn 2 is the best play, as it can't be countered, but after that you might want to devote some resources to keeping it in play. Negate comes in handy here.
Magma Jet - Can straight up destroy lower power creatures, and help you set up your next two draws in case you're not getting what you need. A great 2 for 1 instant.
Negate - You want this or Dissolve in your opening hand. So good at stopping the odd Hero's Downfall or planeswalker.
Shrapnel Blast - With lots of Ornithopters on the field this card can get really good. With an Ensouled Ornithopter, it becomes better (Swing with Ornithopter, Sac after damage). With a Scuttling Doom Engine, you're talking about 11 damage for 2 mana at instant speed.
Dissolve
- A better Cancel, and I would argue a better version of Dissipate.
Cyclonic Rift - Only 2 in the deck because you only need this late game if they have built up a board presence, or in case they have Banishing Lights. IN other situations it can work as a one off bounce just to buy you an extra turn.
LANDS
Darksteel Citadel - Another great card to use with Ensoul Artifact. Turn 2 indestructible 5/5 creature is nothing to laugh at. Also works well with Shrapnel Blast in a tough spot.
Island - Deck includes Blue cards
Mountain - Deck includes Red cards
Shivan Reef - A way to make sure I have the manabase for my spells. I would use Shocklands as well as these, but they rotate out and they are out of my price range.
Temple of Epiphany
- Playing Temples turn 1 is the only way to play Temples. It ensures mana turn 2 in a deck that doesn't necessarily need mana turn 1.
SIDEBOARD
Polymorphist's Jest - I would argue the greatest response to beatdown aggro ever printed. Considering using
Turn to Frog
instead, but as of now this seems to be doing the job just fine.
Skullcrack - Great against lifegain, stops Sphinx's Revelation from being too much of a blowout, and can do the last 3 damage if you are in a twist.
Phyrexian Revoker - One of the best defenses against Planeswalkers and those pesky Elvish Mystics. You want to keep this card until a threat presents itself; you want to play it in response to something, not to prevent something.
Voyage's End
- Going against big creatures with big costs makes me switch the Magma Jets in the mainboard with these. Handy to set up your next turn and give yourself a little time while disrupting your opponent.
Anger of the Gods - My creatures will, at some point, have more than 3 toughness in the game. Against aggro or white weenies this card is invaluable as long as your dudes can stay alive.