I've seen so many janky Retraction Helix combo decks, so I thought I should try to have my fun with this janky archetype. I'm combining the Retraction Helix combo with the Workshop Assistant combo. The deck is not good at all, but it's pretty fun.
The first combo is Battered Golem + Retraction Helix + Golem Foundry / Reckless Fireweaver + any 0 mana artifact which in this deck means Etherium Sculptor and any of the 12 1 cmc artifacts.
The second combo is Ashnod's Altar + 2x Workshop Assistant + Golem Foundry / Reckless Fireweaver + Etherium Sculptor.
Since they both have so many cards in common, are almost entirely searchable with Drift of Phantasms and Muddle the Mixture and both synergize with similar cards, I thought it would be fun to combine them.
4x Lens of Clarity 4x Brainstorm 4x Ponder 3x Portent (15 total) are all 1 cmc ways to have some insight to the cards on top of your deck.
4x Drift of Phantasms 4x Muddle the Mixture 4x Ponder 3x Portent 4x Renegade Map 3x Traveler's Amulet 1x Ash Barrens (23 total) are all ways to shuffle your deck.
This allows you to see a lot of cards very efficiently.
Drift of Phantasms and Muddle the Mixture give you flexibility in which combo to go for without leaving you with dead combo pieces in hand. Also, Muddle the Mixture can protect your combo
(or life total), and Drift of Phantasms is a great blocker against many decks.
If one combo gets interacted with, it is easy to assemble the other combo instead.
Workshop Assistant is weak to grave hate, and Retraction Helix is weak to creature removal. Pick the combo wisely for each game. If playing against a lot of creature removal like most boros decks or decks with black, sideboarding may just be getting rid of the Retraction Helix combo, to go all in on Workshop Assistant
On game 1, if possible play 1 combo without revealing the other. They will not expect 2 different combos requiring different interaction to counter, and may make sideboarding errors.
12 lands might seem like not much, but it is more than enough for this deck. with an average cmc of 1.98, and 4x Renegade Map 3x Traveler's Amulet 4x Ponder 3x Portent 4x Brainstorm 3x Thoughtcast 4x Lens of Clarity
All of the land tutor's help avoid land flooding late game, and the topdeck shenanigans help also, so this is actually one of the most consistent decks.
Workshop Assistant can also recur plenty of cards, such as Etherium Sculptor, Golem Foundry, Ashnod's Altar, Battered Golem and various other artifacts.
The sideboard is fun. Plains can easily be tutored with a number of cards, and all of the circle of protections can be tutored for with Muddle the Mixture. Dispel is a great card against most decks. If there is some creature removal that it doesn't protect, it's always easy to just combo with Workshop Assistant instead. Of course then there is Relic of Progenitus. Imagine how disrespectful it would be to sideboard it in against a graveyard deck, and just use it to combo instead of exiling their grave. It's just an amazing card for artifact decks.
The maindeck has practically no interaction, while the sideboard is only interaction. The difference between game 1 and 2 is significant. Game 1 is a bit weak, this deck just tries to win on turn 5 (4 with good luck, 6 or 7 with bad luck). Most decks will be either too fast or able to stop the combo, but this deck can definitely steal some games from a lot of decks. Game 2 is a bit better. Instead of racing to the combo win on turn 5 it tries to get a circle of protection in the right color by turn 4 or 5. Those are enough to stay alive and Dispel is a great card for most other threats. While leaving mana open every turn for circle, eventually the deck will combo at it's leisure.
