Deck Strategy:
Early Game:
The early game focus is on setting up your mana base and establishing card advantage. Cards like Puresteel Paladin and Stoneforge Mystic are crucial here. Puresteel Paladin allows you to draw cards when equipment ETBs, helping you dig deeper into your deck for combo pieces. Stoneforge Mystic tutors for equipment cards, including the all-important Colossus Hammer.
Equipping Colossus Hammer:
The centerpiece of the deck, Colossus Hammer, is what enables your creatures to become massive threats. Ideally, you want to cheat it into play as early as possible. Sigarda's Aid allows you to cast Colossus Hammer at instant speed, catching opponents off guard. Forge Anew offers another method to put Colossus Hammer into play from your graveyard, potentially allowing for explosive turns.
Protecting Your Threats:
While equipping Colossus Hammer, it's essential to protect your creatures from removal spells and other threats. Cards like Esper Sentinel act as deterrents, punishing opponents for casting non-creature spells. Shadowspear can strip away opponents' hexproof and indestructible abilities, making them vulnerable to removal.
Mana Acceleration:
Springleaf Drum provides additional mana acceleration, allowing you to cast your spells ahead of curve. This is crucial for deploying threats quickly and overwhelming opponents before they can stabilize.
Urza's Saga Synergy:
Urza's Saga is a versatile land that can fetch artifacts and generate tokens. In this deck, it primarily searches for equipment cards like Colossus Hammer and Shadowspear. The tokens it creates can also provide additional bodies to equip, increasing your threat density.
Alternate Win Conditions:
While Colossus Hammer is the primary win condition, the deck includes alternate ways to close out games. Kaldra Compleat provides a resilient, indestructible threat that can quickly end games if equipped.
Sideboard
Against Aggro Decks (e.g., Burn, Zoo, Humans):
Out: 2 Forge Anew, 1 Kaldra Compleat, 1 Lavaspur Boots, 1 Shadowspear.
In: 3 Solitude, 2 Damping Sphere.
Explanation: Solitude provides removal for key threats, and Damping Sphere slows down aggressive decks that rely on casting multiple spells per turn.
Against Control Decks (e.g., UW Control, Jeskai Control):
Out: 4 Ornithopter, 3 Springleaf Drum.
In: 3 Failure / Comply, 1 Pithing Needle, 1 The Reality Chip, 2 Damping Sphere.
Explanation: Failure / Comply helps counter their key spells or reuse your own, Pithing Needle can shut down problematic planeswalkers or utility lands, The Reality Chip provides additional card advantage, and Damping Sphere slows down their mana production.
Against Combo Decks (e.g., Storm, Ad Nauseam):
Out: 2 Forge Anew, 1 Shadowspear, 2 Steelshaper's Gift.
In: 3 Damping Sphere, 2 Sanctifier en-Vec.
Explanation: Damping Sphere slows down their mana production, and Sanctifier en-Vec exiles cards from graveyards, weakening potential combo pieces.
Against Midrange Decks (e.g., Jund, Gruul Midrange):
Out: 2 Forge Anew, 1 Kaldra Compleat, 1 Lavaspur Boots, 1 Shadowspear.
In: 3 Solitude, 1 Grafdigger's Cage, 1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth.
Explanation: Solitude deals with their threats, Grafdigger's Cage disrupts graveyard strategies, and Kozilek, Butcher of Truth provides a powerful threat and card advantage.
Against Ramp Decks (e.g., Tron, Amulet Titan):
Out: 4 Ornithopter, 3 Springleaf Drum.
In: 3 Damping Sphere, 1 Pithing Needle, 3 Solitude.
Explanation: Damping Sphere slows down their mana production, Pithing Needle can shut down problematic lands or artifacts, and Solitude deals with their threats efficiently.
Conclusion:
The 4 Colossus Hammer Modern deck is a powerful and explosive archetype that can catch opponents off guard with its ability to produce massive threats early in the game. By leveraging efficient mana acceleration, powerful equipment cards, and protective measures, this deck aims to overwhelm opponents and secure victory before they have a chance to respond effectively. With careful play and strategic sideboarding, it can hold its own against a variety of matchups in the Modern format.
