About Izzet "Artifacts" or whatever
Standard forum
Posted on Aug. 24, 2014, 2:03 a.m. by BoromirOfGondor
There has a massive influx of these "Izzet Artifact" decks since M15, and it's boggling my mind. The deck is terrible. Why are people playing it up so much? I have multiple people who play it at my local FNM, and they get crushed every week. I have literally never lost a match against it online or in person (playing multiple decks and archetypes), and this is the same with many people I know.
I know we are close to rotation, but I need an answer. Why are people playing this over Mono-Blue or RDW, both of which are much better aggressive strategies?
There are other rather potent possibilities with this archetype, as well. Ensoul Artifact makes Ornithopter into a scary early threat. Springleaf Drum , Generator Servant , and Chief Engineer can help the deck ramp out threats like Scuttling Doom Engine and Soul of New Phyrexia early. Finally, Shrapnel Blast can put the nail in the coffin.
August 24, 2014 2:30 a.m.
TurboFagoot says... #4
The problem is when people like this guy above me try to play heavily synergy based decks in a Thoughtseize format.
Their plan also amounts to "deal 5 damage by spending 2-3 cards!" when they could just cast Polukranos or Desecration Demon lol
August 24, 2014 2:42 a.m.
Quadsimotto says... #5
I think it has the potential to be a winner... We will see what Kahns brings us in artifacts. I dont plan on playing it because after all the testing i have done with post rotation decks ill be running something in MONO White soldiers or MONO green stompish.
August 24, 2014 5:21 a.m.
The deck I've noticed gets built wrong in a lot of cases. As others in this thread pointed out, a lot of the times players just set themselves up to get two-for-one'd, all for the sake of doing something cool and flashy.
It's really easy to play more than two colors. Green seems like it'd be the reason you'd want to play the deck in the first place. Chord of Calling off Ornithopter s and Elvish Mystic s to churn out any large creature in any color seems like it'd be better than trying to play Soul of New Phyrexia on turn four.
August 24, 2014 7:03 a.m.
It's really good if it's opening hand involves a Darksteel Citadel, Ensoul Artifact, and a blue mana source. So it's great 15% of the time!
August 24, 2014 9:03 a.m.
That's when you hit the with Devour Flesh and watch their eyes well up with tears as they realize they just wasted their whole turn and lost a land in the process.
August 24, 2014 10:11 a.m.
Dalektable says... #9
It's a fun deck to play, it's a very synergistic deck in a standard full of "Well, these cards are good let's put them into a deck" decks. It appeals to a certain group of players, the timmy's as stated above, who don't want to play MUD or RDW because net decking isn't a thing every player wants to do. It is an innovative deck, fun to run, and I don't think those playing it expect to take down the meta with it. At least they shouldn't.
I don't play the deck, either, so I am unbiased on the deck I am just stating why the deck is appealing to some players.
August 24, 2014 10:36 a.m.
Arorsthrar says... #10
I think it's because most of the people may have had but draws the first few times the played it, or when they goldfished the consistently killed before Turn 5 (but what deck can't kill T5 when gold fishing). In addition, people have this tendency to assume just because something is good in Modern they can run it in Standard. Ornithopter is exactly this. There have been many decks that run Ornithopter just to cast Illusory Angels and whatnot and people talking about Mono Blue Tempo/Flyers destroying their FNMs. In truth, drawing an Ornithopter most of the times is Like mulliganing. Finally, people like to assume they discovered the T1 Ornithopter, T2 Ensoul Artifact , T3 Generator Servant , T4 Scuttling Doom Engine into turn 5 Shrapnel Blast for "turn 5 unblockable 11 DAMAGE!"
I feel things like this is always going to happen when any Modern or Legacy playable card gets reprinted.
August 24, 2014 11:25 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #11
Very well put, Dalektable.
I built the deck, I run it, and I enjoy playing it. I don't play it to win, but to have fun. What interested me the most is that it was something different (at least when I began piecing my deck together, but now there are hundreds of variations). I wouldn't bring it to a tournament if I wanted to win.
Honestly though, the pieces in the deck are strong individually, but don't necessarily work well together. Here we have an early game play that lends itself pretty well to the mono-blue weenies deck that has been floating around, while Scuttles is better suited in a green/x deck. I've been playing around with him in a U/G shell with Chasm Skulker which is a blast to play and set off.
August 25, 2014 9:40 a.m.
ChrisHansonBiomancin says... #12
I would tend to agree that it's not a great archetype. It needs certain cards to win and quite a few of them, and it isn't particularly hard to stop the synergies either. There are a lot of bad cards in the deck. That said, I have seen one decent version at my shop that drops a lot of the jankyness for more control elements.
August 26, 2014 1:49 a.m.
The deck works, in concept and in theory. I have it built and have been playing it. As of right now, in the hands of a competent player, the deck is functionable.
Its just missing......something. An effective R/U, post rotation card draw engine primarily. A R/U or Mono U Artifact based Planeswalker (I dream of Bolas sending Tezzeret in the upcoming block) After that, the deck becomes top tier very quickly. As of right now we are limited to trying to run Thassa, God of the Sea / Temple of Epiphany / Dissolve to try and scry out bad draws. current meta is to aggro for Divination to make a difference, and Izzet Charm fails more then it works, not to mention is rotating.
I have been leaning away from the straight netbuilds out there right now, but keeping the base concept the same. Ornithopter + Ensoul Artifact is a 2nd turn flyer, swinging for 5. Instant concern. Darksteel Citadel + Ensoul Artifact is a 2nd turn Indestructible 5/5 land, again concerning.
Generator Servant + Juggernaut is a 3rd turn swinging 5/3, 4th turn swinging followed by Shrapnel Blast
And of course, the glory card of the deck. Scuttling Doom Engine this guy, + Generator Servant / Chief Engineer / Springleaf Drum + Shrapnel Blast ends games by turn 4/5.
/story the deck will be a top tier. It just needs that last little push. I have faith in it, and I will continue to run it.
TurboFagoot says... #2
People just like the idea of making a Darksteel Citadel a 5/5, it appeals to the Timmies. These are people who just want to do something wacky and different rather than win.
I could never do that, but that's why.
August 24, 2014 2:13 a.m.