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Vault Skirge
Artifact Creature — Imp
( can be paid with either or 2 life)
Flying
Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)
DreadKhan on
Living Metal
4 weeks ago
Have you thought about using some 0 mana artifacts? Ornithopter will still have flying when they make it a creature. If you add Ornithopter, you could probably throw in Cranial Plating (it doesn't need Black, it just gets better with it), and that card also likes Vault Skirge, which sounds pretty sweet if you can make it big, it'll still have Flying and Lifelink. If you care about toughness a lot, there is also Nettlecyst, which I think just got a reprint. It's openly not very janky, but if you think you'll need cards there is also Thought Monitor, it's usually considered much better than Thoughtcast, but many want more than 4 of the effect.
Final thought, if you end up using 0 or 1 mana creatures, you can throw in stuff like Springleaf Drum or Moonsnare Prototype, some artifact decks use them for ramp.
DreadKhan on
Ob-Jank-ilis
1 month ago
A few janky ways to ramp/have a blocker is to use Thrulls like Blood Pet, Basal Thrull, and Blood Vassal, any of these offers a small body that can get out your Ob sooner if you aren't being pressed hard.
Not sure if you find it difficult to reach the long game, but have you thought about a cheap evasive lifelinker like Vault Skirge? Usually it goes with Cranial Plating, but in a deck like this it's a reasonable 1 drop that quickly makes up for it's life payment (either by attacking or blocking), and if it lasts until turn 3 you can start putting counters on it with Fight Rigging, which should actually matter after a turn or two. If it's not answered (and you cast Fight Rigging on turn 3) your Vault Skirge will have dealt 10 damage total on turn 5 (and gained you 10 life), if you can get your Ob out on time you only need them to tutor once to lose.
Very cool deck idea!
DreadKhan on
Red Affinity Burn
1 month ago
If you're going to run Cranial Plating in an Artifact deck, have you considered just eating the damage and running Vault Skirge? That with Cranial Plating is hilarious, and without it it's probably a solid 1 drop. I think I'd run Vault Skirge over Slash Panther, ymmv obviously, but if you have Panther vs Vault Skirge in your opener, it seems like it's usually better with an evasive lifelink 1 drop vs a 4 drop 4/2 haste. Must say that art is sick on the Panther!
If you're going to run Cranial Plating, I wonder if Ornithopter is better than Memnite, because it has the evasion? a 1/1 doesn't matter much in Legacy, it's the 0 mana creature that is attractive I suspect, so Ornithopter offers an evasive 0 drop creature that makes Cranial Plating a ton better.
Also a thought, but Nettlecyst also exists and comes in as a body? Hard to surprise people with that, but it's pretty hard for your deck to instant speed Attach a Cranial Plating, so I feel like x1 or x2 Nettlecyst might be worth testing.
DreadKhan on Phylactery lich: a Rule 0 …
3 months ago
I had a lot of fun using Phylactery Lich in my Artifacts deck, there are some pretty good black Artifact synergies like Syndicate Trafficker and Cranial Plating (especially worn by Vault Skirge or another Lifelinker) that worked fine in casual play. I also used Throne of Empires, Crown of Empires, and Scepter of Empires, which felt like a fun thing to be doing on the side that involved artifacts. They are small for a Commander effect requiring 3 cards, but you can use untap effects to an extent. You can also throw in tutors, there are even Transmute cards for those MVs in Black. I felt like the deck had a nice Vorthos thing going on, the Lich was hiring the Trafficker to find the Empires pieces so it could take over the world kinda thing. I liked to use artifact lands to make my Phylactery, but it was a huge non-bo that Darksteel Citadel didn't make Black, and in mono-Black you lose access to the Indestructible duals, a bit unfortunate your Lich isn't in Grixis or something.
multimedia on
Urza’s legion
3 months ago
Hey, good start on a budget with what you have so far. Command Tower is a budget staple land for multicolored Commander decks and Arcane Signet is a budget staple mana rock.
Ramos, Dragon Engine can only be played in a five color deck using it as Commander or another five color Commander. It's activated ability has all five mana symbols and those symbols count toward it's color identity. Urza's color identity is only three colors Esper (black, white, blue). Because Urza doesn't have red and green that's why Ramos can't be played with Urza as Commander.
If you want aggro with Urza lets look at the beginning of the mana curve first, cards spots of 0-3 CMC only then we can look at the higher end of the mana curve. The first changes to consider is to remove all the nonartifact creatures and then later determine if they are worth a spot in your deck because they have abilities that help artifacts or Urza. I think you'll find that you don't need any of these creatures because artifact creatures can take their places. If you want to be aggro with Urza then you want to utilize Urza's artifact creature affinity to cast Urza quicker. To do this consistently Urza wants 0-2 CMC artifact creatures and some 3 CMC artifact creatures more than the rest.
- Cut: Ramos, Dragon Engine
- Cut: Slither Blade, Triton Shorestalker, Fetid Imp, Neurok Familiar
- Cut: Parish-Blade Trainee, Gixian Skullflayer, Gryff Rider
- Cut: Naiad of Hidden Coves, Whispering Wizard, Cryptic Serpent
Some of these creatures may be added back in later, most likely not, but for now lets build the creature base with only artifact creatures. For making upgrades lets look at best cards here with Urza and build around them? Arcbound Ravager and Portal to Phyrexia are the two best cards here with Urza because they're artifacts and they're abilities are more powerful compared to most other cards here. Ravager brings the aggro, but if aggro doesn't do it and you need more reach to win the game then Portal can do that. Lets start with Ravager and what makes it better with Urza? Modular and you have some here, more one drops can help toward Urza's artifact creature affinity and Ravager.
- Add: Ornithopter, Vault Skirge, Arcbound Javelineer, Arcbound Mouser, Swooping Lookout
- Add: Steel Overseer, Baleful Strix, Triarch Praetorian, Malcator's Watcher
- Add: Silas Renn, Seeker Adept, Armix, Filigree Thrasher, Scrapyard Recombiner
Steel Overseer adds to the +1/+1 counter strategy, it's powerful but only for artifact creatures and if trying to be aggro it's a good reason to play very few nonartifact creatures. Silas Renn, Seeker Adept goes well with Arcbound Ravager since with Ravager you want to sac artifacts and Silas lets you cast an artifact from your graveyard. It's deathtouch combined with Urza's menace makes it a creature who opponent is not going to block and lose two or more creatures blocking it. Baleful Strix, Triarch Praetorian, Malcator's Watcher are two drop artifact creatures who fly and who draw when enter the battlefield (ETB) or dies.
Some artifacts here are worse than others.
- Cut: Veteran's Powerblade, Spellbook
- Cut: Journeyer's Kite, Pristine Talisman
- Cut: Reconstructed Thopter, Burnished Hart
Think about limiting the amount of nonartifact spells to just the better ones you have here?
- Cut: Involuntary Cooldown, Weakstone's Subjugation, Curse of Echoes
- Cut: Disfigure, Curate, Scatter Ray, Cancel
Equipment that increases the equipped creature's power equal to the amount of artifacts you control really ups the aggro since then any little artifact creature can become huge which combined with menace can make it a great attacker. I see Silver Myr and it's good here since counts twice for Urza, artifact creature affinity and ramp. Consider adding more artifact creature mana dorks who can make colored mana?
- Add: Cranial Plating, Nettlecyst
- Add: Ornithopter of Paradise, Gold Myr, Leaden Myr
The budget Signets can help for ramp as well as color fixing which is really needed because the manabase here is pretty much all basic lands. Arcane Signet is a staple budget mana rock for ramp in Commander. Chromatic Lantern is fine for color fixing, but you're going to want more than that.
- Add: Arcane Signet
- Add: Azorius Signet, Dimir Signet, Orzhov Signet
Some nonartifact creatures at the beginning of the mana curve can really help aggro and Urza.
Losheel, Clockwork Scholar is powerful with artifact creatures when attacking is what you want to be doing especially Constructs. Your artifact creatures don't take damage in combat meaning that opponents will have a difficult time choosing to block since their blockers might die, but your creatures will be fine. Losheel is also repeatable draw, once on each players turn when an artifact creature ETB you draw this includes when a Construct is created by Urza if you didn't have an artifact creature ETB before your end step.
Sai, Master Thopterist can be a repeatable source of artifact creatures, Thopters, to be attackers or sac fodder. Emry, Lurker of the Loch is like Silas Renn, Seeker Adept more ways to cast artifacts from your graveyard is good with Arcbound Ravager and other sac outlets.
That's it for this comment, but if you're still interested I'll give advice about the high end of the mana curve here to take more advantage of aggro into mid game and Portal to Phyrexia late game as well as some budget land options for the manabase. Would you like more advice?
Good luck with your deck.
veritablecvn on Do I Need Eight Loci …
3 months ago
I would drop the 4x Vault of Whispers for 4x Expedition Maps while leaving the rest of your mana base alone. The reason behind this is that your only black mana pips are the phyrexian pips in Vault Skirge so I see it as wanting to cast it early as a blocker with paying the life and the Expedition Maps allow you to go grab whatever land you need based on how your starting hand and first few draws lead the game.
DarksteelIsland on
Indestructible Visions
6 months ago
Thank you for the feedback! Yes this deck was built for 2HG and will probably never see a local FNM game. As you said, the speed and counters are just not there. These are all great suggestions and I've never seen half of the cards you linked.
I do like Vault Skirge I see it working very well and becoming a huge threat early on. And a recurring problem with 4 in the deck.
A full set of Swan Song's definitely belong on the side board. The 2/2 they would create would not be a problem to deal with I do not believe.
Master of Etherium will replace the Weathered Sentinels.
Blinkmoth Urn + Treasure Vault + Vault Skirge + Cranial Plating would be devastating mid-late game. At the very least potentially double your life.
I will playtest with these suggestions and post an update at a later date!
DreadKhan on
Indestructible Visions
6 months ago
Master of Etherium is a nice good generic Affinity card, as are Thoughtcast and Thought Monitor. Over Buried Ruin you might look at Treasure Vault, it's an artifact land that can make a bunch of artifacts for something like Nettlecyst or Cranial Plating.
I assume the Sol Rings are for THG, because I'm very sure it's banned in Legacy for being completely busted. There really isn't anything else as good you can substitute other than Ancient Tomb, which can kill you, but people definitely run for it's power. There are also Springleaf Drum and Moonsnare Prototype, which can ramp turn 1.
Not sure if it's truly relevant other than as bad 3 mana ramp, but Mirrormade exists. It's harder to cast than Copy Enchantment, but it can copy an Artifact if you want, which is pretty good value sometimes, copying a Land is funny.
In the event of a mirror match, you might like having access to Ravenform to remove opposing bodies that are indestructible or regenerate, it can also hit pesky artifacts, probably worth a look at for a sideboard.
This is going to sound a bit crazy, but you should consider Vault Skirge in here, making a 5/5 flying lifelink is very good vs some decks, and it also plays nice with Cranial Plating. I usually just cast it for the 2 life on turn 1 and try to get a Cranial Plating on it ASAP in my Affinity deck, it has won me plenty of tough games.
I wonder if the Blinkmoth Urns are too slow? I guess THG they make more sense, but if you want to play 1v1 Legacy, you should keep in mind how fast decks tend to be, as this deck packs essentially nothing to spoke an opponent's wheel. I'm not sure you could really fit in counters, but they are great in Legacy if your not going all-in on speed. Of particular interest, cheap/low mana counters can let you protect your indestructible creatures from Exile effects like Swords to Plowshares or edicts like Innocent Blood or Smallpox, these kinds of effects definitely see play in Legacy. I guess in THG you might have a partner packing the protection? I think you either want more creatures or some protection for your bodies. Some counters that are popular include Spell Pierce, Dispel, Swan Song and Flusterstorm, as well as free ones like Force of Will obviously. Good old Counterspell sounds good in theory, but it can be impossible to hold up UU to protect stuff, because getting out a 5/5 is time sensitive, too late and it won't be big enough, too early and the control player can just remove/counter your stuff and win later on.
Cool deck idea!
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