Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on July 1, 2015, 11:33 p.m. by enpc
As the title says, Fabricate vs Trinket Mage - In a tutor vacuum (i.e. no Demonic Tutor, etc), which one is better in general (include play level - competitive / casual / midpoint)? After all, they both cost the same.
What are good niche cases for running a particular one over the other?
As for my opinion:
(background: Competitive/midpoint)
Personnally, I think Fabricate is the better choice. While Trinket Mage gives you a body, the limitations on the artifcats you can fetch makes it too narrow scope to be good.
I know the arguement can be made that you can flicker Trinket Mage, however in practice I can't actually see people doing this - it's a lot of effort for such little gain. And if you're playing something like a Deadeye Navigator, I feel like you should be trying to win the game, not dig for an Expedition Map because you already got your Sol Ring.
And yes, it does provide you a chump blocker however I think that if that's the main reasoning then your deck probably has a bigger problem (i.e. you might need more removal).
This is my evaluation, however I would love for others to throw theirs into the stirring pot. Let me know what you think.
ducttapedeckbox says... #4
I think it largely depends on what you're tutoring for.
July 1, 2015 11:44 p.m.
I run both in Azami at a competitive level. I prefer the Mage most of the time since I get card advantage from him. He also fetches me Sensei's, a combo piece, more often than not. Very specific case though. Mostly, fabricate is better.
July 2, 2015 12:34 a.m.
filledelanuit says... #6
I play Sen Triplets on a Competitive (but not quite a powerful as epoch's deck) level. I have found Trinket Mage to be stronger than Fabricate although most versions of my deck run both. If you're playing in some random game then the 2/2 chump blocker is very useful when you're trying to stay alive until you can cast a board wipe or combo out.
I think the choice between the two (if you choose to run only one) depends on the style of deck. If you're playing a slower control deck Trinket Mage can often mean an extra 5 or 10 life from chump blocking while Fabricate is nice to accelerate your combo out. Also Fabricate gets hit by Spell Pierce while Trinket Mage doesn't which is a valid concern.
July 2, 2015 2:08 a.m.
I use both in my Brago, King Eternal deck. Trinket Mage grabs Sol Ring, Mana Vault, Ancient Den and Seat of the Synod for four turns, and Fabricate grabs whatever else I need.
July 2, 2015 8:48 a.m.
Megalomania says... #8
I went with Fabricate in my deck. Unless you have a really good way and good reason to flicker Trinket Mage, the flexibility of Fabricate does it for me.
July 2, 2015 10:13 a.m.
Flickering is one thing, and I agree that it's generally a corner case with Deadeye Navigator (but not Restoration Angel), but with that said I think Trinket Mage's utility comes from being a creature. It can be nabbed with things like Summoner's Pact, for instance; it can be cast at instant speed with Prophet of Kruphix; it can be a part of a Birthing Pod chain; and it can be an invaluable chump-blocker like other posters have noted.
If your deck is all about artifacts then Fabricate is probably better. But you'll still be running Trinket Mage. And it'll still grab some of the best artifacts in all of EDH.
I run the mage but not fabricate in my Damia deck because 1) fabricate would give me access to Thran Dynamo and Birthing Pod, and those are good, but I'm happy to limit myself to things like Sol Ring, Expedition Map, and top; 2) I like have a creature. Chumping creatures is important (at least at my level of play) and I like getting value any way that I can.
I also really like having small permanents in a control deck that mainly relies on having lots of lands and powerful spells. It gives me options: to chump, to beat in if the board is stalled, something to chill with until I get my pod, etc.
July 2, 2015 11:32 a.m.
It depends on your deck concept. If you have a way of recycling ETBs, like using Riku of Two Reflections, Cackling Counterpart, Fated Infatuation, or the best of them, Venser, the Sojourner Trinket Mage can quickly replace the loss of flexibility with card advantage.
In the absence of building specifically to do that, though, Fabricate's flexibility is better.
NoPantsParade says... #2
If you're running some artifact combo deck, then probably Fabricate since it has more flexibility. But I played Trinket Mage in my Grixis Combo-Control EDH deck just for Skullclamp, Sol Ring, and Sensei's Divining Top. If you have something like Deadeye Navigator and/or a reanimator thing going on, like mine did, then Trinket Mage would be best.
But overall, Fabricate would be best just because it does more rather than getting you a 2/2 body on turn 3.
I think it ultimately comes down to what deck you're playing and its goals.
July 1, 2015 11:37 p.m. Edited.