Modern Affinity Questions
Modern forum
Posted on Sept. 24, 2015, 9:17 a.m. by capriom85
I recently decided to build a Modern Affinity deck. Looked into how it functions and I'm pretty confident I'll be happy with my investment. I have a few questions about Affinity though...
Since it relies mostly on colorless mana, why does it not run the Urza lands? Are they not as efficient in play as they seem in theory?
Wurmcoil Engine is devastating to play against. Why don't any Affinity lists run them?
Is Ensoul Artifact viable at all in this deck?
Sword of Fire and Ice seems pretty legit attached to a 1/1 with flying and infect, doesn't it?
I always looking for ways to take a current deck and make it a different from the net deck lists so that's where a lot of these questions stem from. Thank you to all the experienced Affinity ladies and gentlemen (and others) in advance.
While you use colorless mana, you do not need a lot of it. Your are an aggressive deck whose most expensive card is 2 mana (or 3 for Master of Etherium).
Same as above.
Yes, but not the full playset.
Yes, except it requires 5 mana to do anything. Remember, you cannot spend a lot of mana as with 17 lands you are unlikely (and most of the time unwilling) to hit land number 3.
Please do not take the "netdeck lists" and "make them different". This is not the way to approach a tier 1 deck or deckbuilding in general.
"I see this deck archetype that has been continually optimized for years and I will ignore all that and build my own" - will always end up either a suboptimal deck and/or an entirely different deck archetype.
September 24, 2015 9:35 a.m.
GoldGhost012 says... #4
There's absolutely no reason to run Urza lands when you have no way of fetching them. To get them online consistently, you need to run 4 of each copy. That leaves you with 4 excess spots for the regular lands since Affinity generally doesn't run more than 16 lands.
Way too expensive. If you ever get up to 6 mana in a way that doesn't cycle a few Mox Opals, you better be well on your way to winning or you'll probably lose. Affinity doesn't have the greatest lategame. Besides, you'll usually want to use your mana on other things, like your topdecks and manland activations.
Absolutely. You have about 40 artifacts to put it on, so usually at least a couple can be found in the deck.
I guess, but especially lategame I'd rather have Cranial Plating. It drops a turn sooner and hits much, much harder.
September 24, 2015 9:38 a.m. Edited.
slovakattack says... #5
Affinity prizes speed and efficiency of threats over larger, more bombastic plays. Adding on to what Epochalyptik said, the Urza lands would not be very useful in an Affinity deck, as it's threats are designed to be dumped by T2-3, and it doesn't have a massive amount of draw. Getting 7 mana on T3-T4 is generally not worth as much as the benefit that Glimmervoid and Citadel provide- simply because by then, you've usually already dumped your hand.
As for Ensoul Artifact: It can be very good. I2 Ensoul onto Darksteel Citadel is just as nuts in Modern as it is in Standard. I've seen Affinity lists run 2 to great effect.
Sword of Fire and Ice is nice, but inefficient when compared to Cranial Plating, which will often just deal more damage for lesser cost.
Affinity is a 'count-to-20' deck, like Burn, Storm and Infect.
It sounds like you're looking for a slower, more deliberate deck to play. Why not try Legacy MUD? It seems to be your style.
September 24, 2015 9:49 a.m.
Thanks guys. Don't get me wrong, I love the fast play decks. I think I'll be happy with Affinity as is. Just don't have the modern experience you guys do and wanted legit answers to my questions. I was looking for the why behind most of these
September 24, 2015 9:58 a.m.
Coinman1863 says... #7
- Instead of engine (if you need a finisher), use Hangarback Walker as a variable threat in affinity as a one or two of as well because you can get multiple Archbound Ravager triggers and it can help Plating deal more damage when Walker dies.
I personally don't play affinity, so anyone correct me if this is incorrect.
September 24, 2015 10:05 a.m.
It could be good. Bit of a mana dump though - risky. Otherwise you get a 1/1 for 2 which is really meh.
September 24, 2015 10:27 a.m.
Urza lands are very hard to build around. G/R Tron dedicates a huge number of cards making them work. You can't splash a few of each and say "oops, I Urza'd." They don't work that way.
Wurmcoil Engine is pretty much the same story. Without the Urza lands there's no way that any modern deck will go that high on the mana curve, devastating or not. Without massive acceleration, CMC 4 is where modern ends.
The other cards I honestly don't know that much about.
September 24, 2015 10:30 a.m.
GoldGhost012 says... #10
Hangarback Walker is good because it has amazing synergy with basically every card in the deck, it can't be 2-for-1'd with just one kill spell or even one boardwipe, and it can get big fast, especially with Arcbound Ravager around. It can grow on its own and, even if played early, can leave an army behind.
September 24, 2015 11:03 a.m.
TheGodofNight says... #11
As to your questions:
Traditionally, most Affinity decks only run 16 mana. We use other artifacts to produce mana as we need it such as Mox Opal and Springleaf Drum. We run more creatures so that we can get a more aggressive posture, earlier in the game. With the Urza lands, you need one or two to get the bonus mana. A normal Affinity hand goes like this: T1: Darksteel Citadel, Mox opal, Ornithopter. Tap the Mox Opal, produce a mana and pay 2 life, play a Vault Skirge. Play another Mox Opal, sacrifice the tapped one. Tap the Citadel and the Opal to play Cranial plating. Next turn, equip the Cranial Plating to either creature and play another artifact and you have +6/+0 flyer ready to do some damage.
Wurmcoil Engine is a cool card, but it is far too slow in such a fast paced deck. It doesn't have evasion, and it can be blocked by tokens. Yes, it gives you two replacement tokens, but there are far better options, that are more efficient cost-wise, evasive, and aggressive.
Ensoul Artifact has seen play in several decklists. Many traditionalists avoid Ensoul Artifact as it is considered less efficient. For example, if you activate Inkmoth Nexus and enchant it, and then you swing with it and then end your turn, that enchantment falls off. The counters from Arcbound Ravager for example, do not fall off when it turns back into a land. To give another example of why it is less favored, T1 you play a creature. T2 you play your enchant, and then your opponent uses a removal spell on your enchanted creature. You are now out a creature, an enchantment, and an attack. So you are now behind 2 turns. The idea is that you want to get the most out of each play. Some folks have found it to be a good addition as a 1 or 2 of, or as a sideboard tech. It is playable, but some folks prefer other cards.
Sword of Fire and Ice vs Cranial Plating - Simply put, Cranial Plating is far more efficient and versatile than any sword. 2 mana cost and 1 mana equip. Also, you can equip it at instant speed for two black mana. So if your opponent is blocking your guy with the cranial plating, you can pay two swamps and move it to an unblocked creature. Just a far better choice than the swords.
Hope this helps.
September 24, 2015 2:30 p.m.
DeletedNow4ever says... #12
@ChiefBell not a mana sink if you use Ravager to get the counters on it. It should never be more than a 2 drop in Affinity.
Epochalyptik says... #2
Affinity is about speed and efficiency. The Urza lands are not played because Darksteel Citadel and Glimmervoid are more important. Affinity wants to hit hard before turn 3, and the Urza lands don't facilitate that.
Affinity is also about low cost, high impact plays. Wurmcoil Engine is not viable in an aggressive early-game strategy.
Cranial Plating>Sword of Fire and Ice
September 24, 2015 9:32 a.m.