After getting completely blown out by Metalworker from a Daretti, Scrap Savant pilot, I was left with the itch to one day return the favor. However, as a philosophical choice, I am only trying to play with single color Commander decks. My question, is what the single best color to build an Metalworker (big colorless mana) deck around. Here is how I see the choices:
-Blue, lots of artifact tutors, but puts a bulls eye on your head
-Red, Goblin Welder fun, fireballs to dump the mana into, but no tutors
-Black, tutors, good mana doublers but can't interact with artifacts and enchantments.
-Green/White - Not really choices since I already have a mono-green deck, and white wants to play with equipment.
Yes, I'm building this deck to be completely cutthroat. So it's going to have Staff, Monolith, etc
[EDH] It's built to be a casual format and to a specific vision, and if you don't like the vision, there's nothing wrong with that, but it's not going to change to accommodate everyone. Big tent is not a goal.
Red is more reliant on artifacts, and thus, more likely to profit from him.
Red has Daretti and Welder, as well as Scrap Mastery for recursion. This will pale in comparison to white's quantity of recursion option though, but gains value in that it is straight to play, and cheaper.
Red also has Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient, which is fairly unique to the color, to have a second Rings of brighthearth. It also has a unique effect in Feldon of the Third Path and Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker.
Red has some tutoring, in Hoarding Dragon and Gamble, but its not great.
The power of Wheel of Fortune effects in this style of deck can not be underestimated though.
White has some tutoring, with Enlightened Tutor being the best option in color.
White will also have more options for "untap this dude" in order to use metalworker even more. That's probably overkill over the artifact options. White will have the most return/recursion effects.
White can also tutor for Skullclamp and make tokensoff ofartifactsfar more easily, which gives an extra boost of draw power.
So, each color adds a bit more of what the artifact suite can do already, so it mainly depends on what you want to do with it, and what you want more of.
You'll probably want to go blue. Red is fine, but if your firend is already playing Daretti then you are forced to either join him or go with something like Bosh, Iron Golem which is tough to swing in a cutthroat meta.
Blue gives you access to all sorts of good commanders, but Arcum Dagsson is obviously the objective "best" commander for a mono-blue artifact deck.
+1 for arcum dagsson and if you are running metal worker, combo it with voltaic construct for infinite mana. A litte bit of milling, then prosperity for the win
Blue probably has more consistent wins with it though.
The other day I pulled of T1: Mishra's workshop, metalworker. T2: reveal a handful of artifacts, cast staff of domination - game. I've done that with daretti and arcum before. Life is good if you have metalworker and either workshop or mana crypt in your opening hand.
-Blue, lots of artifact tutors, but puts a bulls eye on your head
-Red, Goblin Welder fun, fireballs to dump the mana into, but no tutors
-Black, tutors, good mana doublers but can't interact with artifacts and enchantments.
-Green/White - Not really choices since I already have a mono-green deck, and white wants to play with equipment.
Yes, I'm building this deck to be completely cutthroat. So it's going to have Staff, Monolith, etc
There's an awesome Primer here by TheTrueNub.
There is always the colorless Kozilek or Karn as well which are respectable but probably weaker to a lot of tactics.
Blue will probably be the strongest option here.
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[Modern] Allies
Red has Daretti and Welder, as well as Scrap Mastery for recursion. This will pale in comparison to white's quantity of recursion option though, but gains value in that it is straight to play, and cheaper.
Red also has Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient, which is fairly unique to the color, to have a second Rings of brighthearth. It also has a unique effect in Feldon of the Third Path and Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker.
Red has some tutoring, in Hoarding Dragon and Gamble, but its not great.
The power of Wheel of Fortune effects in this style of deck can not be underestimated though.
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White can have good artifact support as well (Auriok Salvagers, Salvage scout, Argivian Archaeologist, Razor Hippogriff) (Open the Vaults, Second Sunrise, Faith's Reward, Roar of Reclamation). You're more likely to go into baubles and durdle into combo though.
http://magiccards.info/query?q=c!w o:return o:artifact&v=card&s=cname
White has some tutoring, with Enlightened Tutor being the best option in color.
White will also have more options for "untap this dude" in order to use metalworker even more. That's probably overkill over the artifact options. White will have the most return/recursion effects.
White can also tutor for Skullclamp and make tokens off of artifacts far more easily, which gives an extra boost of draw power.
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Blue gives you better draw power, with things like Vedalken Archmage. There is unparalleled tutoring with fabricate, Artificer's Intuition, Master Transmuter and so on.
There is good recursion in Academy Ruins, Recall, Argivian Restoration, Reconstruction.
You also have extra artifact cost reducers, as well as Grand Architect, which is fairly unique to the color.
You also have great Cloning options, which can make for a lot of hilarious plays. (3 different copy effects in blue).
Blue also gives you March of the Machines shenanigans as a wincon, though Karn, Silver Golem can sub in other colors.
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So, each color adds a bit more of what the artifact suite can do already, so it mainly depends on what you want to do with it, and what you want more of.
Personally, I'd go red for single color.
Retired EDH - Tibor and Lumia | [PR]Nemata |Ramirez dePietro | [C]Edric | Riku | Jenara | Lazav | Heliod | Daxos | Roon | Kozilek
Blue gives you access to all sorts of good commanders, but Arcum Dagsson is obviously the objective "best" commander for a mono-blue artifact deck.
Jalira, Master Polymorphist | Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder | Bosh, Iron Golem | Ezuri, Renegade Leader
Brago, King Eternal | Oona, Queen of the Fae | Wort, Boggart Auntie | Wort, the Raidmother
Captain Sisay | Rhys, the Redeemed | Trostani, Selesnya's Voice | Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight | Obzedat, Ghost Council | Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind | Vorel of the Hull Clade
Uril, the Miststalker | Prossh, Skyraider of Kher | Nicol Bolas | Progenitus
Ghave, Guru of Spores | Zedruu the Greathearted | Damia, Sage of Stone | Riku of Two Reflections
Necromantic Team Building
The Care Bear Stare
The Strange Investigations of Dr. Circu (WIP)
Nevinyrral's Disk + Mycosynth lattice + Darksteel Forge = Endless board wipes of every permanent without indestructible your opponents have in play (i.e. GG)
Modern: URW Madcap Experiment
Pauper: MonoU Tempo Delver
My EDH Commanders:
Aminatou, The Fateshifter UBW
Azami, Lady of Scrolls U
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed B
Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG
Glissa, the Traitor BG
Arcum Dagsson U
An enigma as vexing as life itself.
My G Yisan, the Bard of Death G deck.
My BUGWR Hermit druid BUGWR deck.
Blue probably has more consistent wins with it though.
My G Yisan, the Bard of Death G deck.
My BUGWR Hermit druid BUGWR deck.