Damping Engine

Artifact

A player who controls more permanents than any other can't play lands or artifact, creature, or enchantment spells. That player may sacrifice a permanent to ignore this effect until end of turn.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (37)

BruhYouFarted on Damping Engine sac outlet?

1 year ago

With Damping Engine's 'sac to ignore' ability, can you activate it multiple times in the same turn, sacrificing multiple permanents, effectively making it a sudo-sac outlet? Not Gatherer nor Scryfall has any rulings on this.

CamraMaan on Who does Damping Engine affect?

2 years ago

The original Damping Engine card said it affects a player with more permanents than "any other [player]", but the Gatherer site says "each other player" as an update to the card text, but then below in a ruling goes back to saying "any other player"... so who does this affect?? In if it affects a player who controls more permanents than ANY player, then it should affect everyone but the player with the least permanents. But if it is supposed to be for a player with more than EACH player, then it should only affect the player with the most. So... help... please....?
And thank you! :)

hmhlund on Vadrok, Apex of Thunder

3 years ago

Vadrok looks really sweet and fresh! I’ve been brewing it after seeing your requested commanders video.

My comfort zone is green creatures, stompy, and overrun, so I might use this to branch into a stax/control style. It’d punish crazy ramp and board states, bringing them down to my level, white—style. Recurrable ones include Restore Balance , Smoke , AEther Barrier and Soul Barrier , and your Culling Scales . Some cost more than 3 but are still effective - Damping Engine , Portcullis , Noetic Scales , Incite Rebellion .

I guess from there, win by attacking? Or find a combo. It’s a case of decision paralysis atm, but it’ll be easier to shave down once I decide on a direction.

Ethan2003 on Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose. in testing for cEDH

3 years ago

Apotheosis616. Noted that I need mana rocks. I figured I could use a staxs approach to slow the game long enough to ether tutor my combo or used my mana doublers and ‘X’ spells. Though black has a hards time with that, artifact staxs cards could be used. Would cards like Uba Mask Ward of Bones Trinisphere Damping Engine work?

Cyfer on Ib Halfheart, Goblin Sac-tician [PRIMER]

4 years ago

Liquidbeaver

So I got to playtest and play with a few of the changes I made last night.

First thing's first: Experimental Frenzy , Ghirapur Orrery , and Gauntlet of Power out on the field together is absolutely nuts. Also had a Madblind Mountain for when I hit my third land like 8 cards down. Absolutely swimming in mana. I wasn't expecting Experimental Frenzy to perform as well as it did, even if I didn't have the Gauntlet it would still have been potent. Damping Engine resoundingly out for Mana Web . Sure, it was nice having the Engine to slow my opponents down a tad, and sac a mountain so that I could just Crucible of Worlds it right back, but I really would have preferred the Web when playing against Baral, Chief of Compliance . I took out Mycosynth Lattice , Goblin Welder , Treasure Nabber , Hellkite Tyrant , and Spine of Ish Sah , and didn't feel their presence missing at all. Shared Animosity was immediately removed by Ashen Rider

How do you feel about Chandra, Torch of Defiance ? I also really want to make a spot for Goblin Wizard but my deck is really starting to compete for spots, I don't feel like there are any dead cards 99% of the time, and I probably don't need him anyway.

Cyfer on Ib Halfheart, Goblin Sac-tician [PRIMER]

4 years ago

Wow, thanks for the huge reply. Let me work through this-

Treasure Nabber : so, I did in fact get this idea from an older version of your decklist and I've ran with it ever since. Essentially my deck has turned into IB/artifact tomfoolery as an alternate wincon. I have won quite a few games with the Mycosynth Lattice , Nabber, Blood Moon combo, because my playgroup is heavily non-basic dependent and nothing feels better than saccing my new-found artifact mountains I just stole. Goblin Trashmaster has also came in really clutch with the Lattice and so has Goblin Welder . Hellkite Tyrant also fits into this theme but I haven't had a chance to use it yet, it's my most recent addition to the deck. And of course Daretti, Scrap Savant ties it all nicely together, I've had her emblem out a few times, which is pretty much game winning with a Lattice on board. With all of that said, the Artifact theme in this deck is highly up for debate right now in my mind and people I've asked. I'm very much on the fence about keeping the Lattice and Nabber in myself, and if they go then Hellkite most definitely goes. Also Lattice+ Vandalblast has pulled me out of many lost games and turned them into resounding victories (I also used to run Shattering Spree ).

Goblin Goliath : He is not being used. I have been on the fence about putting him in for a while now. I don't really know what to remove, and he is a lot of mana to utilize if I want to use him (he'd be a fat removal target for my meta, so I'd have to use him ASAP). I definitely want him in though, he's a strong contender.

Vicious Shadows : this is also a new addition. Boggart Shenanigans is great but I've never really made it work too well outside of like, two wins that I can recall. Shadows is expensive, but with Gauntlet of Power , Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx (which I can reliably grab with an Expedition Map , that cost is almost negligible, for a lot more disgusting effect. But like I said, new addition, I don't know if it is worth a crap or not yet. With the cost in mind, I do plan on running an Extraplanar Lens when I upgrade to Snow lands, alongside the Gauntlet and a Shrine to Nyx, high mana costs with very few lands aren't usually much of an issue. But if Shadows falls flat a few times I am definitely putting Shenanigans back in I think. The potential is just too high for both cards.

Raid Bombardment : So I used to run this one. I like it in theory a lot, and I want to find a spot to put it back in, I just haven't seen it with great results usually. Granted, that was with different playgroup then now, where typically me swinging with goblins means they die in vain, whereas I was much more likely to win with a Goblin Bombardment , which is my baby, and I have used with Shenanigans as well to win games.

Glacial Crevasses : it's been on my radar for a long time. It is 100% the next upgrade for my deck, I was just hesitant to spend so much on snow lands for a long time, since I am still not sold on how many I need exactly. Frankly I think I made a mistake holding off on this particular upgrade for so long (like I mentioned, I've been following this decklist for over a year now after I built my first iteration of IB).

Reverberate / Fork / Wild Ricochet : I love the idea, I really do, but I ran them in my deck for a long time and have hardly used them to any meaningful effect. Ricochet is never going back in, but Reverberate and Fork I want to keep/put in, I just noticed they were usually dead in hand. They're near the top of the list of card I'll put back in, it's just finding space for them. I've never drawn into a game winning combo with them unfortunately, but the theory behind keeping them is solid.

Reforge the Soul : I used to run it, then took it out because I just didn't utilize it enough. Memory Jar is one of my more recent upgrades and I am a big fan. I just put Reforge back in because of Vicious Shadows . Time will tell if I keep either, since Slate of Ancestry also usually ended up falling flat for me.

Ancient Tomb : is also scheduled for the next round of upgrades, thanks for the suggestion! Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle does work, and I think I will also be ordering a Bloodstained Mire with it as well.

Chandra, Fire Artisan : Love her, would highly recommend. Cards effects like Commune with Lava are awesome, and have usually always performed well in this deck. Added to that is the fact that I don't have to spend mana for that option past the first turn to cast her, and she is also another target that distracts from myself, and if I can ult her (I haven't been able to yet) then it's just icing on the cake.

Expedition Map : Yeah frankly I think this is kind of a bad pick too, thinking about it now. It's mainly just in there for Nykthos, since Nykthos is a little more critical now that my average curve has gone up a tad bit. Another mana rock would probably suit me better and more consistently. I know you mentioned a Mana Vault , but what else do you think? I am thinking Basalt Monolith , Gilded Lotus , or a Thran Dynamo . Leaning heavily towards the Monolith and Gilded Lotus. Granted, they're more expensive to get out than Vault, but the 4 cost associated with Vault kind of puts me off of it, idk.

Ghirapur Orrery : I think you have this mixed up with Vedalken Orrery . Ghirapur is super value for me, letting me sac two lands, then play those two lands with Crucible of Worlds , and I'm also frequently out of cards in hand. I'd be willing to remove it for a similar effect though, if I knew one that existed.

Curse of Opulence : I like it, great suggestion.

Rings of Brighthearth : I've wanted this card for ages and kept putting it off because of price, and now it's even more expensive. RIP. I do want to add it asap. Not sure what I would do with Sculpting Steel

Spine of Ish Sah : I want to change this but I can't justify it. It just combos with Welder too well. But Scour from Existence has been on my mind for a long time now solely for the exiling. Haphazard Bombardment seems awesome tbh, that might get picked up by me eventually.

I thought more about it, and you're right, I think Damping Engine is the superior option. It will probably be going in. How do you feel about Door of Destinies ?

Sundial of the Infinite : My meta runs a lot of board wipes, but tbh thinking about it, they don't often cast them on my turn, so this is probably largely useless for me.

Meekstone has always hindered me more than helped me, and not super useful in my meta, but I think it's high time Crawlspace made a return. Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs is actually insane, that may beat out Crawlspace for me. Wow.

Bottom line is I am heavily thinking about scrapping the heavy artifact theme and going with a more focused deck. I'm just hesitant because the cards in question have won me many games.

Liquidbeaver on Ib Halfheart, Goblin Sac-tician [PRIMER]

4 years ago

CyferHey! I took a look at your deck, and from what I can tell (as you said, I don't know your meta) I think you may just need to tweak your playstyle more than your deck. First off though, here is what I would switch up:

Creatures

Treasure Nabber : If you got this from my list, it was really just to troll my playgroup. It turned out they didn't have enough manarocks to be able to justify Nabber, and Lattice is expensive, and sets you up to fall victim to it yourself. If your meta has a lot of manarocks it may help, but this would be the first thing I cut.

Are you running the Goblin Goliath from your maybeboard? If not, definitely do that! It is very, very strong.

Enchantments

Vicious Shadows : I've never really liked this card, especially since I was always trying to stay so low to the ground, run as lean as possible on lands, and be able to rebuild after wipes. Maybe a Boggart Shenanigans in it's place? It won't hit as hard, but it will be a lot easier to get down, and can still be used politically.

Raid Bombardment is one of my core cards, and has won me a huge number of games. You don't get a lot of combat steps (for many reasons), so you have to make each one hit as hard as possible!

I would also considered switching to Snow-Lands (price should drop a lot with Modern Horizon printing) and getting Glacial Crevasses . It is seriously strong, and has saved my ass and helped stall until I could rebuild a number of times.

Instants

Fork Reverberate : I originally wasn't too keen on these, but added them almost on a whim, and I have been very happy with them so far. Being able to protect a cast of Blasphemous Act or doubling a Price of Progress or Goblin War Strike is huge.

Sorceries

Reforge the Soul : Honestly something I would like to revisit is having more wheels. I definitely like Memory Jar the most out of all of them, but Wheel of Fate / Wheel of Fortune and Reforge are something I want to try again. It's been a long time since I had Fortune in the deck.

Lands

Only suggestion is Ancient Tomb , the recent reprint dropped the price significantly. I especially your Valakut.

Planeswalkers

No issues here. Are you liking the Chandra?

Artifacts

Based on what you are already running, I think this is where you could have the most impact.

Expedition Map : I don't think this is as good unless we can recur it a lot.

Gauntlet of Power : Not a bad include, especially for the little buff, and would help rebuild more quickly after wipes, or more safely sac a few more mountains without losing mana output.

Ghirapur Orrery : I ran this for a long time, and ultimately ended up removing it because of just how rarely it would actually help me. My biggest struggle is having cards in hand AT ALL, not wishing I could cast something on someone else's turn. Maybe you have more luck with it than I did.

A few more mana rocks would help with safely saccing lands or rebuilding after a wipe. Crypt is costly, but maybe Mana Vault , or one of the plethora of 3 cost ones? Alternatively, Treasonous Ogre can be fantastic, and generates mana at instant speed! Maybe even Curse of Opulence

Rings of Brighthearth : I wish this wasn't as expensive, because I seriously get a lot of use out of this. A backup to Illusionist's Bracers that also hits a lot of things bracers can't is really, really nice. Maybe a Sculpting Steel if you don't want to drop that much on the Rings?

Spine of Ish Sah : I ran this, as well as the 7 cost instant version, for a very long time. This is a very hard slot to fill, and I wouldn't say I've ever been completely settled on the non-artifact removal portion. Chaos Warp is obviously a staple, and I've even tested Haphazard Bombardment for some non-enchantment hate, but I'm hoping Modern Horizons will get us some red or colorless stuff to work with.

As far as the list of other artifacts you are considering:

Ward of Bones : I'm leery of most non-Goblin cards over 5 mana, but this seems good if you can get a bit more ramp in the deck (mana rocks mostly).

Smokestack : I tried this at one point and that fact that it is symmetrical ended up being too hard to fight out from underneath. I would be more apt to run a Mana Web (which I am actively trying to get back in the deck) for disruption, and a form of protection on my turn. The number of spells I cast on opponent's turn is like... two (fork/reverb).

Damping Engine I would run this before I would run Ward. It's better in almost every way I think.

Ruination : Strictly a playgroup thing. My choice to go with "mass land dysfunction" instead of destruction was for in game politics, and also personal preference.

Sundial of the Infinite : What things would you want Sundial to help with?

As far as other protection based artifact suggestions, I would say Meekstone and Crawlspace would be my first picks. I also enjoyed Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs for this purpose, and he is protecting a mountain pass, perfect!

That's all I can think of for now. Let me know what you think!

Cyfer on Ib Halfheart, Goblin Sac-tician [PRIMER]

4 years ago

Hey @Liquidebeaver. I was here like, a year ago building my own IB deck but then I came across yours and found a ton of great cards and ended up going with a lot of them. I have made a ton of changes to the decklist I started with, but it still looks pretty similar to yours in a lot of ways. You don't know my meta, but the issue I'm having right now is I just feel a little too slow, and if I get knocked down from an explosion, it takes a lot of time to catch back up (depending on the circumstances of course). Now this is mostly meta-specific, I know, but I'm trying to fit some cards in that will help with that. How do you think cards like Ward of Bones , Smokestack , Damping Engine , Ruination , and Sundial of the Infinite fit into IB? http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/25-05-19-ib-halfheart/?cb=1558808303 here is my list for reference but I don't expect you to go in and look at it, it's there just in case. I've said it here before, but huge fan, IB is my favorite commander, even when I was playing with my un-upgraded kind of jank version of him. You put a lot of work into this and it reflects!