I build decks to be as competitive as possible within the constraints of my budget. My playgroup allows unlimited proxies under $20 and I'm willing to buy cards in the $20-$30 range, but rarely more than that.
I do not consider any strategy, card or style of play "unfun," because I think diversity is what makes this game great.
This is a combo-control deck. The general strategy is:
1) Ramp up mana fast. The mana is used to cast and use expensive tutors and card draw spells to assemble the combo pieces quickly. If a combo doesn't work out, having a lot of mana available is also crucial to the alternate win condition, animating and swinging with artifacts (preferably after an All is Dust or Akroma's Memorial).
2) Control and protect. The deck is slow as far as combo decks go, but there are a number of board disruption cards available that have little or no negative impact on the deck but will shut down or severely slow down opponents. A lot of the deck's resources are also geared towards protecting the combo pieces.
3) Combo. The primary combos are:
a) Karn + Mycosynth Lattice to turn opponent's lands into 0/0 creatures for 1 each.
b) Karn + Voltaic Construct + any artifact that taps for 3 for infinite mana and artifact untaps.
I know a lot of karn players sweat trying to get the big 3 (Crypt, Workshop and Candelabra) - and to be honest, you don't really need them. The other 97% of your deck's gotta carry you - and your list looks really solid.
I see you run some stack-y things, and that you don't run Storm Cauldron or Static Orb - have you tried them out and just don't dig them ?
Are most of your combo wins completed with Staff of Nin?
Two cards I'm trying out currently areJhoira's Toolbox and Liquimetal Coating, and I don't have enough feedback with this version of my deck to be able say if they're good or not.
Additionally, I picked up a chaos orb on the cheap at a SCG event - and I don't currently run O-Stone in my list, and each game I tell people that the Chaos orb is a proxy for my Oblivion Stone - but when it enters play, they can choose if they'd rather it be a Chaos Orb. I've never had it be an Oblivion Stone yet - and flipping a chaos orb takes me back to being a kid again. I strongly recommend it if you can get one cheap and you think your crew will go for it.
Wow, your Karn list is so much different than mine, it looks interesting.
My deck went from stax combo control, to Aggro/comboish?? Since nobody liked some of the stuff i played.(Uba Mask , Portcullis etc)
So i my deck does not really have a goal atm.
I felt Serum Tank was too slow, and that i could do other stuff with the mana.
1 Karn, Silver Golem
Key Combo Pieces
1 Illusionist's Bracers
1 Rings of Brighthearth
1 Heartstone
1 Voltaic Construct
1 Mycosynth Lattice
Mana Rocks
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Mind Stone
1 Grim Monolith
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Basalt Monolith
1 Palladium Myr
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Dreamstone Hedron
Ramp
1 Cloud Key
1 Semblance Anvil
1 Krark-Clan Ironworks
1 Blinkmoth Urn
Card Draw
1 Serum Tank
1 Memory Jar
1 Mind's Eye
1 Staff of Nin
Tutors & Sifting
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Expedition Map
1 Crystal Ball
1 Skyship Weatherlight
1 Kuldotha Forgemaster
1 Citanul Flute
1 Ring of Three Wishes
1 Planar Portal
1 Codex Shredder
1 Scarecrone
1 Myr Welder
1 Trading Post
Protection
1 Glaring Spotlight
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Witchbane Orb
1 Akroma's Memorial
1 Darksteel Forge
Taxes & Control
1 Meekstone
1 Defense Grid
1 Icy Manipulator
1 Lodestone Golem
1 Null Brooch
Spot Removal
1 Duplicant
1 Spine of Ish Sah
Board Wipes
1 Oblivion Stone
1 Nevinyrral's Disk
1 All Is Dust
Utility
1 Voltaic Key
1 Shimmer Myr
1 Sculpting Steel
1 Staff of Domination
1 Tawnos's Coffin
1 Unwinding Clock
1 Erratic Portal
1 Clock of Omens
1 Myr Turbine
1 Myr Battlesphere
Lands
1 Eye of Ugin
1 Maze of Ith
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Blasted Landscape
1 Blinkmoth Nexus
1 Blinkmoth Well
1 Buried Ruin
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Crystal Vein
1 Darksteel Citadel
1 Desert
1 Deserted Temple
1 Dread Statuary
1 Dust Bowl
1 Gargoyle Castle
1 Haunted Fengraf
1 High Market
1 Homeward Path
1 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
1 Miren, the Moaning Well
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Mystifying Maze
1 Petrified Field
1 Phyrexia's Core
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Scorched Ruins
1 Springjack Pasture
1 Strip Mine
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Temple of the False God
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Urza's Factory
1 Vesuva
1 Winding Canyons
1 Zoetic Cavern
I do not consider any strategy, card or style of play "unfun," because I think diversity is what makes this game great.
This is a combo-control deck. The general strategy is:
1) Ramp up mana fast. The mana is used to cast and use expensive tutors and card draw spells to assemble the combo pieces quickly. If a combo doesn't work out, having a lot of mana available is also crucial to the alternate win condition, animating and swinging with artifacts (preferably after an All is Dust or Akroma's Memorial).
2) Control and protect. The deck is slow as far as combo decks go, but there are a number of board disruption cards available that have little or no negative impact on the deck but will shut down or severely slow down opponents. A lot of the deck's resources are also geared towards protecting the combo pieces.
3) Combo. The primary combos are:
a) Karn + Mycosynth Lattice to turn opponent's lands into 0/0 creatures for 1 each.
b) Karn + Voltaic Construct + any artifact that taps for 3 for infinite mana and artifact untaps.
There are also a lot of other combos involving Heartstone, Illusionist's Bracers, Rings of Brighthearth, and/or Voltaic Key, but the above game plan is usually superior unless you happen to draw into a different combo. Some examples:
Karn, Silver Golem + Voltaic Construct + Heartstone or Illusionist's Bracers + any artifact that taps for 2 = Infinite mana and untaps.
Karn, Silver Golem + Voltaic Key + Illusionist's Bracers + Any artifact that taps for 2 = Infinite mana and untaps.
Karn, Silver Golem + Illusionist's Bracers + Basalt Monolith or Grim Monolith = Infinite mana.
Rings of Brighthearth + Basalt Monlith = Infinite mana.
Rings of Brighthearth + Heartstone + Grim Monolith = Infinite mana.
Voltaic Key + Rings of Brighthearth + Scorched Ruins + Mycosynth Lattice = Infinite mana.
Clock of Omens + Illusionist's Bracers + Rings of Brighthearth + any artifact that taps for 3 = Infinite mana.
While I looked over a number of decklists while creating this deck, more of the inspiration came from the primer here than any other source.
Questions/comments/suggestions appreciated.
I know a lot of karn players sweat trying to get the big 3 (Crypt, Workshop and Candelabra) - and to be honest, you don't really need them. The other 97% of your deck's gotta carry you - and your list looks really solid.
I see you run some stack-y things, and that you don't run Storm Cauldron or Static Orb - have you tried them out and just don't dig them ?
Are most of your combo wins completed with Staff of Nin?
Two cards I'm trying out currently areJhoira's Toolbox and Liquimetal Coating, and I don't have enough feedback with this version of my deck to be able say if they're good or not.
Additionally, I picked up a chaos orb on the cheap at a SCG event - and I don't currently run O-Stone in my list, and each game I tell people that the Chaos orb is a proxy for my Oblivion Stone - but when it enters play, they can choose if they'd rather it be a Chaos Orb. I've never had it be an Oblivion Stone yet - and flipping a chaos orb takes me back to being a kid again. I strongly recommend it if you can get one cheap and you think your crew will go for it.
All of that aside, again - great list!
My deck went from stax combo control, to Aggro/comboish?? Since nobody liked some of the stuff i played.(Uba Mask , Portcullis etc)
So i my deck does not really have a goal atm.
I felt Serum Tank was too slow, and that i could do other stuff with the mana.
Im thinking of picking up an Staff of Domination.
this is my deck as it is now : http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/karn-is-not-impressed/
Who needs Colours?
My most played EDH deck:
X Kozilek, the Great Distortion
UBR Nekusar, the Mindrazer