Assuming you start out with a 1/1 servo in play, you pay 1 sacrifice the servo to the Syndicate Trafficker to give it a +1/+1 counter and trigger the module again, so you can pay 1 and replace your servo.
Basically, Animation Module lets you pay 2 to make the Trafficker indestructible and get a +1/+1 counter. Plus an ETB and dies trigger, if you have somethingtoexploit that.
Preamble: Syndicate Trafficker is probably the Kaladesh card that most appeals to my typical deckbuilding strategies, and it's the card that has occupied more of my mental space than any other Kaladesh card.
Issue #1: The problem with coming up with combos for Syndicate Trafficker is that it's not a combo card. The combo you found with Animation Module is nifty, powerful, and potentially game-winning, but it still needs a third piece (another artifact to start the sacrifice chain), and then you need to protect all of those pieces while you're pouring mana into them. But that's far from a sure thing, and most egregiously, the combo is slow, even if you T1 the Module and T2 the Trafficker. It's almost guaranteed to get disrupted before you can sink all the mana into it that you need to sink. And then you have to actually swing with the Trafficker, after your opponent has already built his board. So, then you need additional cards to red rover the guy through for the win. IMO, not a great plan.
Issue #2: The Trafficker looks like he's most suited to be a tempo beatdown card, but there are two problems with that, as well: first, you need to keep mana open to use his ability reactively, otherwise your opponent is going to spot remove him in reaction to the ability and 2-for-1 you, and keeping mana open is a cardinal sin of tempo decks; second, there has never been a successful tempo deck built around just one card, it's always a cumulative effect of there being enough efficient creatures in the metagame. Might there be? Yeah, could be, but most likely they will all reduce the Trafficker to an incidental player rather than the star of the deck, so that kind of defeats the purpose of wondering how the Trafficker's ability might be maximized.
Issue #3: Control? Control. I really do believe that the answer is control. As I said before, this is a card that wants you to keep mana open. A 3/1 for 1B does not scream control, but then, that's why the indestructible is there. I think this guy is designed to sit there and eat your opponent's attackers while slowly getting bigger. You want to be feeding him stuff like Filigree Familiar, which is another control card. Long story short, the key here is that the Trafficker's ability is reactive, not aggressive. It's also a deterrent to keep your opponent from attacking you, attempting to remove the Trafficker, or attempting to remove any of your artifacts. So the question isn't really "what goes well with the Trafficker", but, "how can I most demoralize my opponent with the prospect of activating the Trafficker's ability effectively"?
I like Syndicate trafficker working with servo and thopters. Seems like Zulaport Cutthroat works well in this. I am not sure what colors to be in. I like Gryffs Boon on Trafficker sacrificing stuff to pump him and draining life. The classic "arictocrat" deck was Mardu. I'm just not sure red is strong enough for this to play out. If we go green we can make use of the thoptors and servos with Cryptolith Rites. Just thinking
I have been running a deck with this. It can win games at like a 40% ratio. So it isnt necessarily a spike deck - if that is what you are looking for. But it involves these interactions:
Big combo:
1 Syndicate Trafficker (obviously) 1 Animation Module (for servo and counter loop which is good on its own) 1 Cryptolith Rites (for more mana to continue the cycle) 1 Olivia, Mobilized for War (to give everything haste and counter interaction) 1 Ovalchase Daredevil (to make this an infinite cycle )
Notice most these are good on their own and have synergy without every piece being there.
You could build this with a grixis package with Whirler Virtuoso combos as well or build it with Verdurous Gearhulk and mass pump token build like i did. Same is true for token pump mardu build as well. Its a fun deck. The best part is seeing you opponents face when you pull it off which is actually pretty often.
Deck tips if going jund:
1 Night Market Lookout (is awesome with the Rite) 1 Quicksmith Genius (is awesome for looting and finding your pieces especially with Ovalchase) 1 Flayer Drone (for extra beats) 1 Reckless Fireweaver (is also some extra synergy)
Assuming you start out with a 1/1 servo in play, you pay 1 sacrifice the servo to the Syndicate Trafficker to give it a +1/+1 counter and trigger the module again, so you can pay 1 and replace your servo.
Basically, Animation Module lets you pay 2 to make the Trafficker indestructible and get a +1/+1 counter. Plus an ETB and dies trigger, if you have something to exploit that.
Another good synergy is Syndicate Trafficker + Tireless Tracker.
Tracker spits out lots of clue token artifacts for the Trafficker to eat, and if you sacrifice a clue to make your Trafficker indestructible, you Tracker still gets the +1/+1 counter from sacrificing a clue.
This guy has a lot of potential to be a good engine piece. What else is he good with?
Issue #1: The problem with coming up with combos for Syndicate Trafficker is that it's not a combo card. The combo you found with Animation Module is nifty, powerful, and potentially game-winning, but it still needs a third piece (another artifact to start the sacrifice chain), and then you need to protect all of those pieces while you're pouring mana into them. But that's far from a sure thing, and most egregiously, the combo is slow, even if you T1 the Module and T2 the Trafficker. It's almost guaranteed to get disrupted before you can sink all the mana into it that you need to sink. And then you have to actually swing with the Trafficker, after your opponent has already built his board. So, then you need additional cards to red rover the guy through for the win. IMO, not a great plan.
Issue #2: The Trafficker looks like he's most suited to be a tempo beatdown card, but there are two problems with that, as well: first, you need to keep mana open to use his ability reactively, otherwise your opponent is going to spot remove him in reaction to the ability and 2-for-1 you, and keeping mana open is a cardinal sin of tempo decks; second, there has never been a successful tempo deck built around just one card, it's always a cumulative effect of there being enough efficient creatures in the metagame. Might there be? Yeah, could be, but most likely they will all reduce the Trafficker to an incidental player rather than the star of the deck, so that kind of defeats the purpose of wondering how the Trafficker's ability might be maximized.
Issue #3: Control? Control. I really do believe that the answer is control. As I said before, this is a card that wants you to keep mana open. A 3/1 for 1B does not scream control, but then, that's why the indestructible is there. I think this guy is designed to sit there and eat your opponent's attackers while slowly getting bigger. You want to be feeding him stuff like Filigree Familiar, which is another control card. Long story short, the key here is that the Trafficker's ability is reactive, not aggressive. It's also a deterrent to keep your opponent from attacking you, attempting to remove the Trafficker, or attempting to remove any of your artifacts. So the question isn't really "what goes well with the Trafficker", but, "how can I most demoralize my opponent with the prospect of activating the Trafficker's ability effectively"?
Big combo:
1 Syndicate Trafficker (obviously) 1 Animation Module (for servo and counter loop which is good on its own) 1 Cryptolith Rites (for more mana to continue the cycle) 1 Olivia, Mobilized for War (to give everything haste and counter interaction) 1 Ovalchase Daredevil (to make this an infinite cycle )
Notice most these are good on their own and have synergy without every piece being there.
You could build this with a grixis package with Whirler Virtuoso combos as well or build it with Verdurous Gearhulk and mass pump token build like i did. Same is true for token pump mardu build as well. Its a fun deck. The best part is seeing you opponents face when you pull it off which is actually pretty often.
Deck tips if going jund:
1 Night Market Lookout (is awesome with the Rite) 1 Quicksmith Genius (is awesome for looting and finding your pieces especially with Ovalchase) 1 Flayer Drone (for extra beats) 1 Reckless Fireweaver (is also some extra synergy)