Thopter Spy Network

Enchantment

At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control an artifact, create a 1/1 colourless Thopter artifact creature token with flying.

Whenever one or more artifact creatures you control deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.

Discussion (43)

Argy on The Pioneer Blues

1 month ago

itsbuzzi thanks for the comments.

I go quite a bit into why I have stuck with Mono Blue, in the notes above, and I'm not interested in adding another colour.

Basically it will increase the chances of having the wrong mana, increase the chances of losing life, and increase the cost of this deck.

I've been playing a form of this deck since Magic Origins, so I know that it works well with one colour.

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I'm sure you know that with Aggro builds, two problems are:

1. Running out of cards.

2. Not getting final damage through.

That's where the four drops come in.

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I do appreciate you taking the time to playtest this deck. I'll have a play against yours, as well.

Did you Sideboard both decks? How did you Sideboard against this one? That will make my playtest better.

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If you look at my Under Consideration button I have tried both The Blackstaff of Waterdeep and Thopter Spy Network (which isn't male - it's a group of people).

As you noticed, I have enough four drops, so Thopter Spy Network couldn't find a place here.

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People are really excited about The Blackstaff of Waterdeep as it's a new card, but I think they might find it's not quite as good as it seems.

Of course I can only talk about how it works with this deck.

In the end these are that things with it that didn't work, for this build:

1. I think of the card as a three drop, because I have so many other things I want to do on Turns 1 and 2. My three drop slot is quite full, and Skilled Animator and Bring to Life proved more useful. Skilled Animator because it can make a 5/5, as opposed to a 4/4. Bring to Life because it adds +1/+1 counters, which can result in a 9/9 creature, when combined with the effects of Skilled Animator or Ensoul Artifact

2. While The Blackstaff of Waterdeep is quite useful in that it can be reused if the original Artifact it targets dies, Bring to Life is better with Darksteel Citadel , as the +1/+1 counters remain, if it is destroyed. The same can't be said for The Blackstaff of Waterdeep

3. Since The Blackstaff of Waterdeep is Legendary, it is one and done, as opposed to the other 3 drops mentioned.

4. The Blackstaff of Waterdeep can't be equipped for with Ghostfire Blade which is useful in my deck.

5. The Blackstaff of Waterdeep can't be used on the Thopter Tokens which are created with Whirler Rogue in my deck.

6. I have noticed a lot of Mystical Dispute in Pioneer Sideboards, and they don't get played for less with any of my other Artifacts. They do with The Blackstaff of Waterdeep

7. The Blackstaff of Waterdeep is a dreadful target for animation. It doesn't have Flying, it isn't Indestructible, and doesn't have the chance to be unblockable. You also can't play a second one without destroying the one you animated.

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Thanks for giving me things to think about. I appreciate it.

itsbuzzi on The Pioneer Blues

1 month ago

Seems like you're really into the Ensoul builds. I ran mine from Standard to Modern to Frontier for a week and now Pioneer. I think I landed on a pretty great deck here Jeskai Ensoul (PNR). Just played a mirror match against you, Game 1 was fun but quick in my favor and game 2 was fun where we kept gaining life until my creature got bigger and gained double strike from Boros Charm . Stubborn Denial does wonders against your main board removal.

I like the offset from Izzet to mono blue but you might consider Azorious for All That Glitters . You have a good mass of artifacts and Glitters can make any creature much larger than otherwise possible. Also Stubborn Denial is an amazing card in something like this. You may also like The Blackstaff of Waterdeep . It does the same as Animating Faerie for the same cost (cast and activate) but it recurring in case the target were to die and not as restrictive only targetting nontoken as opposed to noncreature like Faerie but doesn't come down with a body and is legendary.

I like Padeem, Consul of Innovation that's a cool card. I hate running 4 drops though in a deck this quick in the main which is why I run only 3. I may switch out Thopter Spy Network for Padeem though because he doesn't protect the artifact that may be on the field when he hits due to instant speed removal but he protects all the others unless he gets hit as well. Although Spy Network is harder to hit and makes a threat every turn Spy Network may be better that hurts sometimes. I don't run Whirler Rogue because I don't like the 4 drops but I can see where it shines by tapping down equipment that normally don't tap to make your guys unblockable.

The Shadowspear in the main is a sweet addition and when facing any sort of aggressive build I always side mine in. Compared to my build, however, yours seems a little slower with the enabler cards ( Ensoul Artifact , Animating Faerie , Skilled Animator being slightly more mana value than mine and the support cards you run being of 4 drop while mine run at 3 or less for the main. Adding in All That Glitters may make all the difference there and you'll have access to Settle the Wreckage in the side instead of Aetherspouts . That extra mana on the board wipe may make all the difference.

Sweet deck though I would consider taking a look at mine whenever you get the chance I have the entire deck laid out in the description and have been running this stuff for basically as long as it existed.

Omniscience_is_life on Galazeth Prismari

4 months ago

That would be

Mycosynth Wellspring , Seize the Spoils , Phyrexian Metamorph , Trail of Evidence , Pirate's Pillage , Saheeli, Sublime Artificer , Curse of Opulence , Blasphemous Act , Ghost Quarter / Field of Ruin , Mirrodin Besieged , Saheeli, the Gifted , Mystic Retrieval , Relic of Progenitus / Tormod's Crypt , Star of Extinction , Cyclonic Rift , Comet Storm , Chaos Warp , Loyal Apprentice , Thopter Spy Network , Sai, Master Thopterist , Hypersonic Dragon , Padeem, Consul of Innovation , Ravenform , Memnarch , Liquimetal Coating , Blatant Thievery , and Inspiring Statuary .

I did that with the following code:

[[mycosynth wellspring]], [[seize the spoils]], [[phyrexian Metamorph]], [[trail of evidence]], [[pirate's pillage]], [[saheeli, Sublime Artificer]], [[Curse of opulence]], [[Blasphemous act]], [[ghost quarter]]/[[field of ruin]], [[Mirrodin Besieged]], [[Saheeli the Gifted]], [[mystic retrieval]], [[relic of progenitus]]/[[tormod's crypt]], [[star of extinction]], [[cyclonic rift]], [[comet storm]], [[chaos warp]], [[Loyal apprentice]], [[thopter spy network]], [[Sai, Master Thopterist]], [[Hypersonic Dragon]], [[Padeem, Consul of Innovation]], [[Ravenform]], [[Memnarch]], [[liquimetal coating]], [[Blatant Thievery]], and [[Inspiring statuary]]

Hardhitta7 on Urza’s Pet Dragon

5 months ago

I’ve already got Thopter Spy Network and I agree Whirler Rogue is a cool card but I personally prefer Pia and Kiran Nalaar .

gavriel1136 on Urza’s Pet Dragon

5 months ago

I would recommend Thopter Spy Network and Whirler Rogue . The network will provide a steady supply of artifacts and occasional card draw. The rogue is easily one of my favorite cards in all of Magic. It instantly gives you two artifacts, and can let a huge hitter swing in. You can even politic, and use it to let an opponent swing at another opponent, since it doesn't specify you need to own the creature.

overheatedballs on Who Eats the World? Atog(atog)

8 months ago

I feel like this deck might benefit from some token generation--giving you something easy to sac: Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer, Hullbreacher, Thopter Spy Network, Dockside Extortionist, Tempt with Vengeance, Curse of Opulence, Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge, Pitiless Plunderer, Smothering Tithe, Revel in Riches, Brass's Bounty

abby315 on Sai & the Fly Guys

9 months ago

Looks like a fun deck! Maybe Thopter Spy Network is worth an include? It provides another source of steady Thopters and can draw you 3+ cards a combat in multiplayer!

Beebles on Malcolm, Siren of The Flying Dutchman | V-MID

9 months ago

Thanks abby315 for the upvote and the tips! There are some contenders there I think:

• Tezzeret, Artifice Master is a pretty good draw option with all the treasure, except that I'm not in a very good position to protect planeswalkers with this build, which is why I did not add it.
• I initially started out with Thopter Spy Network and a lot of other cards that create thopters, but I steered away from that idea. Now I have don't have any artifact creatures anymore, so there's not a lot of synergy with spy network.
• Dispatch is a solid removal option. I will consider that one!
• I'm not sure about Amphin Mutineer and Azure Fleet Admiral. They are a bit expensive mana-wise. Mutineer does not have evasion, so does not really synergize with malcolm without additional support. And with the admiral I have a similar issue as with planeswalker that this is not the kind of deck that can protect monarch very well I think.
• Vedalken Humiliator looks pretty fun. Could be strong with some of the pingers as well. Will consider that too.

Thanks for reaching out!