Breakfast at Urza's uses "eggs" to create mana by utilizing Krark-Clan Ironworks and a way to cheat them for free, or at a discount, onto the field through Etherium Sculptor or Cloud Key. With the card draw and the ability to spend almost nothing to get them onto the field, the deck can combo out and net enough mana to use sunrise effects to keep going or hard cast a win condition. With the ability to cast so many cards in a turn there is more than one option to end the game, either through hard casting a Emrakul, the Aeons Torn or one of the direct damage spells in Grapeshot or Banefire. Even with running the Tron lands, the deck has enough color fixing to essentially run anything necessary to combat an opponent.
How to play
I previously had a description of how to play the deck here but it has evolved enough that it became outdated and had some advice I would probably not recommend anymore. I felt that it would be better to just provide some general suggestions and for a more visual idea of how the deck functions you may look at the videos.
Once your combo is set up, the lands you have on the field become almost obsolete since the KCI engine generates more than enough mana to fuel you. BUT until you get your KCI out you are going to be at the mercy of the lands you have. Most versions of the deck play only 16 lands at the most. That means keeping 1 land hands to start the game is inherently risky. It puts you in a position of having to cycle your eggs in order to just draw another land and potentially setting you up in a position of being able to get KCI out but not having the right eggs to filter colored mana in order to sunrise. Getting stuck with a 1 land is not insurmountable but it's far from recommended.
I used to recommend keeping your eggs out on the field the first few turns in order to fuel the combo once a KCI actually gets online. That is still good advice if you can manage it. The reality is you will likely need to use some of them in order to draw cards. That is not a bad thing as long as they are used smartly and in a way that you leave yourself options. Once you have your combo online, well then go for it.
The deck will generally play out into two phases. The first phase is going to happen after you have your Etherium Sculptor and Krark-Clan Ironworks on the field but before your first sunrise. At this point in the game you should focus on drawing as much as you can but always be mindful of the amount of mana you are floating. Always leave yourself enough room to cast a Faith's Reward or Open the Vaults. Once you have reached a point that there is enough in your graveyard to recur, or you have reached a point that you can't go any further, cast your sunrise. This is the point to switch to the second phase and making mana with the Ironworks. You will likely have enough passive card draw in this process that you will find a win condition if you haven't already. Another sunrise is always possible at this point as well, but it's often not necessary.
Using the KCI to sacrifice itself or your Etherium Sculptor is something you will have to decide in nearly every game. Sometimes the extra mana is absolutely necessary. Other times it will just be a win more. Early game it is very tempting to sacrifice them and get the mana. Doing this when your opponent has mana open to respond means you are sticking your neck out. If they can exile your graveyard or counter your sunrise then you are pretty much done for. I generally make this decision depending on what I have in my hand. If I have two open the vaults in my hand and enough mana to cast it on the field the next turn without the KCI then I will go for it. If not then it's usually not going to be worth it to risk both of your main combo pieces.
A good place to start if you have never seen the deck played without sitting across from it. I just do 3 quick solitaire games with no distraction from an opponent. That memoricide comment should have been Surgical Extraction, I know.
This is a 2-1 game. Game 1 I only get 1 land after not using another mulligan. It came back to bite me and was stuck with one land through turn 3 so I just move on to the second game. Game 2 is a turn 4 win and game 3 is a turn 3 win after being able to put out a Sculptor on turn 1.
2-1 game and the only real interesting part in the match begins at game 3 at 11 minutes. For anybody who says the deck can't fight through hate can look at this game.
Card explanations
Engine
Etherium Sculptor: Allows the "eggs" to be cast for free or only cost 1 which nets you mana when they are then sacced to the Ironworks. The downside to the Sculptor is he's a creature and is therefore susceptible to all of the cheap removal in the format. The upside is that he comes out a turn earlier than the Cloud Key, which then allows the combo to potentially happen a turn earlier.
Cloud Key: The other option from the Sculptor and accomplishes the same thing. Costs 1 more to cast but does not have the drawback of being a creature.
Krark-Clan Ironworks: The card that really makes the deck tick. The 2 mana gain from saccing artifacts means the deck can float huge amounts of mana, allowing the eventual win cons.
Eggs
Conjurer's Bauble - Draw. That's it. Pay 1, Draw. These are mostly a deck thinner that usually will cost you nothing and is worth 2 mana when you need it. Run 4.
Chromatic Star - Probably the best Egg we have as far as versatility goes. Can be sacrificed to KCI and still net card draw. Converting colorless to white is invaluable. Run 4.
Chromatic Sphere - Slightly worse than Chromatic Star as it doesn't net a card when you sacrifice it to KCI. When it comes to color filtering, use these first. You might want to sac the stars to KCI for generating mana. Run 4.
Expedition Map - For looking for that final Tron Piece to go T3 Tron, or shuffling sunrises back into the deck. It also works to thin the deck in response to ETB-Draws after Sunrises. Most decks will not run these because they are a bad draw during the combo. Generally you don't want more than 2 if you are running them at all.
Terrarion - Fluff CMC1 eggs. Because 1 cmc eggs are good. You don't want too many as it has no immediate impact unless you have KCI. T1 Terrarion into T2 Land drop filter draw isn't bad either. But it's got nothing on the Chromatics.
Ichor Wellspring - This has to be the best Egg with KCI. 2 draws in one card is awesome. It's not as great when you're picking them up without KCI online though, as they don't do anything else. Run 4.
Prophetic Prism - Draws a card, converts mana, and can still be sacrificed to KCI (unlike the Chromatics) for 2. Run 4.
Mind Stone - The only real benefit of Mind Stone is that it ramps you. Later on as you combo out, with a surplus of mana, it can also be used to draw more cards as you go along.
Elsewhere Flask - Arguably the most plain Egg there is to use. Only real benefit would be that it can sacrifice itself so if you somehow manage to get Faith's Reward mana without KCI online, you can pitch these, get them back, draw more cards. I've personally never used to ability to turn my lands into plains as the other eggs provide enough conversion already.
Myr Retriever - Can be used as a pseudo extra egg for anything in your graveyard. This can be quite valuable to get an extra use out of an Ichor Wellspring. There is an extra mini-combo tied to these as well. When you have two with a KCI and a Sculptor you have infinite mana by casting and cycling each of them in and out of the graveyard.
Win Cons
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn: The main win condition of the deck. Essentially a game ender when it comes down on turn 3 or 4.
Grapeshot: An alternate win condition since the draw capability of the deck and most of the eggs costing nothing to cast means the deck reaches a 20+ storm relatively easily.
Banefire: A 20+ Banefire is more easily reached than the Grapeshot but the only drawback is that it could potentially get redirected to something such as Spellskite.
Sunrises
Open the Vaults: Your main ability to get the eggs back out of the graveyard. It has a high cost but also the added benefit of not having the same turn requirement to grab everything back out. If you happen to fizzle and aren't in immediate danger of dying, then this card will allow you to recover in another turn.
Faith's Reward: The secondary sunrise of the deck. It's much cheaper than OtV but it does have the same turn requirement to get everything back. This is the best one of the two to draw as long as you don't fizzle out and can keep going the same turn.
Other Cards
Mox Opal: Allows ramp and help in getting out the Ironworks early. It's worth 3 mana when sacced. Unfortunately it's also a Legendary, so include maybe 1-2 if at all.
Darksteel Citadel: These can be used to replace some or all of the non-Tron lands in the deck. The plus side is they can be tapped and then sacced to KCI to make 3 mana. Even though Open the Vaults does not recur lands, the Citadel is also an artifact which means it still comes back out. The downside is that you are now completely vulnerable to things like Stony Silence.
Fabricate: Gives you that much better of a chance to grab any piece that you might want, KCI most importantly.
Spine of Ish Sah: This is often a win more but it can also serve a very valuable role if the conditions are right. It can be extra destruction for hate and with a few Sculptors out the Spine can completely wipe out an opponents board. It's casting cost is reduced by the Sculptors and you receive 2 mana back when you sacrifice it to KCI.
Why play this?
The deck is exceptionally cheap. In fact, it's flat out on a budget level if you leave out the Mox Opal. For being as inexpensive as it is, the deck is still competitive. Even though the deck works off some of the same principles that the original Eggs did, emptying the deck and then using a finisher, the combo is not as complex to pull off and does not require that you reach the end of the deck to win the game. This means that the long turns people hated about Eggs are not as prominent and a win / loss is generally determined more quickly. If you like combo, drawing a ton of cards, and casting large spells the deck just might work for you.
Well, well the rumored tron eggs surfaces. I don't know how good it is since you basically have to sit there and hope you assemble tron in time and also without SS it's really hard to draw enough cards to ensure you go off. The list seems too focused on going off and doesn't pack anything to keep yourself from dying on T4 from an unmolested aggro deck.
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My love of lands knows no bounds.
Currently playing: GCasual 8-post R Casual Land Destruction UBRWG Legacy Dredge WGB Modern Melira Pod RUG EDH
Well, well the rumored tron eggs surfaces. I don't know how good it is since you basically have to sit there and hope you assemble tron in time and also without SS it's really hard to draw enough cards to ensure you go off. The list seems too focused on going off and doesn't pack anything to keep yourself from dying on T4 from an unmolested aggro deck.
First they came for the Cantrips, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Cantrip.
Then they came for the Artifacts, and I didn't speak up, because I was an Instant.
Then they came for the Rituals, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't really a Ritual.
Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.
Well, well the rumored tron eggs surfaces. I don't know how good it is since you basically have to sit there and hope you assemble tron in time and also without SS it's really hard to draw enough cards to ensure you go off. The list seems too focused on going off and doesn't pack anything to keep yourself from dying on T4 from an unmolested aggro deck.
This is incorrect. Putting Tron together isn't necessary for the deck to go off. If you manage to get a KCI online with enough draw, into either Open the Vaults or Faith's Reward, at which point it becomes difficult to fizzle.
The deck has the benefit of going all in with drawing by just tossing its eggs into the yard rather than having to build up critical mass as its goal would be to land the Open the Vaults. Faith's Reward serves more as OtV #5-6.
I don't recall Nathan Holiday's eggs list running anything to keep it from dying on turn 4 either (please don't say Pyrite Spellbomb or Twincast), at least not maindeck. There's no reason this deck can't whip out its own Leylines, Blind Obediences, Silences, Echoing Truth's out of the sideboard if necessary.
As mentioned in the other Thread. How resiliant is this Deck to existing and postboarded hate?
Aether Spellbomb and you're Emrakul is just a Time Walk and creature Removal might hit Krark-Clan on the run so you're gameplan is kaputt.
I really like Emrakul, but I wouln't relay too much on him.
Once the deck gets going it pretty much goes infinite and you can cast a Grapeshot with infinite storm.
Emrakul simply adds another dimension to the deck to play around Leylines or whatever. I personally prefer to play the deck out and get to the infinite Grapeshot. The deck can easily draw itself after few iterations.
Once the deck gets going it pretty much goes infinite and you can cast a Grapeshot with infinite storm.
Emrakul simply adds another dimension to the deck to play around Leylines or whatever. I personally prefer to play the deck out and get to the infinite Grapeshot. The deck can easily draw itself after few iterations.
The only inconsistency in the deck is tutoring. Not finding an Ironworks really bites.
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First they came for the Cantrips, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Cantrip.
Then they came for the Artifacts, and I didn't speak up, because I was an Instant.
Then they came for the Rituals, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't really a Ritual.
Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.
The only inconsistency in the deck is tutoring. Not finding an Ironworks really bites.
Pretty much that. That's definitely an area that could get more exposure. All the good tutors for artifacts are in blue, Fabricate could serve up as KCI's #5/6. It actually curves out. Reshape is out of the question. Paying 6 to find KCI wont work.
Tutoring is definitely the one weakness to the deck right now. I would caution that it's unfair to denounce the deck in a way that would also equally have been relevant to the older Eggs. This is meant to be a alternate version and it's naturally going to have some of the same weaknesses the other Eggs had. The fact that the other Eggs was able to overcome those rather convincingly means it's possible for a variant to as well.
An example of this would be saying the deck is going "all in". The older eggs version was the very definition of "all in", just as almost any combo deck is. I would even venture so say that this deck enjoys some alternate win conditions that some other combo deck's don't simply because of the amount of mana that can be generated. The win cons that have been chosen are just the most efficient but are certainly not the only ones that could be utilized.
As a side note I've added to the primer and will continue to do so. If you try the deck and have anything to contribute or disagree on a point just let me know and I'll update or discuss it.
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Modern xWBreakfast at Urza'sxW UWGBantUWG GWRNaya ZooRWG
Hmmm...Cloud Key calling Sorcery would not only make Reshape cheaper but Open the Vaults as well
still, likely a bad play. My justification for running Reshape would be that the Urza lands can more than easily generate 6+ mana.
Also, I advocated it in the original eggs thread, will try here again. What do you guys think of Mindless Automaton?
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First they came for the Cantrips, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Cantrip.
Then they came for the Artifacts, and I didn't speak up, because I was an Instant.
Then they came for the Rituals, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't really a Ritual.
Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.
Considered Semblance Anvil? At that point all your eggs are free, as are the Wellsprings. The downside is that you give up one card to the imprint, but with the amount of draw, that shouldn't be a problem.
Also, as a kill condition, consider Banefire. With KCI out, getting to 21 mana is pretty trivial.
Considered Semblance Anvil? At that point all your eggs are free, as are the Wellsprings. The downside is that you give up one card to the imprint, but with the amount of draw, that shouldn't be a problem.
Also, as a kill condition, consider Banefire. With KCI out, getting to 21 mana is pretty trivial.
Problem is the recursion. When Cloud Key is returned via Faith's Reward/Open the Vaults, you do not need to exile a card to get the discount, whereas with Semblance Anvil, each time it returns, you may exile, and if you don't, you don't get any discounts.
Banefire is a surefire wincon. Just make sure there aren't any Spellskites around
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First they came for the Cantrips, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Cantrip.
Then they came for the Artifacts, and I didn't speak up, because I was an Instant.
Then they came for the Rituals, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't really a Ritual.
Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.
Considered Semblance Anvil? At that point all your eggs are free, as are the Wellsprings. The downside is that you give up one card to the imprint, but with the amount of draw, that shouldn't be a problem.
Also, as a kill condition, consider Banefire. With KCI out, getting to 21 mana is pretty trivial.
We tossed around Semblance Anvil as an option but like Juice pointed out the recursion could potentially be a problem. Also losing a piece out of your hand can make it harder to go off and more likely to fizzle the first attempt. Banefire is definitely a good option along with Grapeshot but either works. Banefire could pretty easily be maindecked and a Grapeshot in the sideboard since it's unlikely you would see a Spellskite until game 2 or 3.
The win conditions can be pretty fluid in how many you want to run. Ses has been running only 1 Emrakul if I remember right and that's no big deal. I only ran 2 because I'd rather not dig through to the very end of the deck if you are unlucky and he's at the bottom.
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Modern xWBreakfast at Urza'sxW UWGBantUWG GWRNaya ZooRWG
The U splash is really only for Fabricate. It's a four-of in this deck because it's great at all points of the combo. Early game, get your missing combo piece. Mid-combo, get another key or a draw engine (Mindless Automaton). Games two and three, it can also retrieve pieces from the sideboard aka "toolbox of hate".
EDIT: What are your thoughts on Staff of Domination as a one-of? Silly or somewhat viable?
First they came for the Cantrips, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Cantrip.
Then they came for the Artifacts, and I didn't speak up, because I was an Instant.
Then they came for the Rituals, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't really a Ritual.
Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.
I know that this deck doesn't depend on assembling tron as much as tron does, but is running only 2 expedition maps a good choice?
I'd say that's exactly why it only runs two. It's nice and peachy having urzatron operational but it's certainly not a necessity. Running two allows the chance of constructing tron a greater likelihood than running zero, but at the same time, map isn't a real "egg". It can get you a card but you have to pay 2 more and even then you can't really even make a play off that, since it's a land.
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First they came for the Cantrips, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Cantrip.
Then they came for the Artifacts, and I didn't speak up, because I was an Instant.
Then they came for the Rituals, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't really a Ritual.
Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.
I know that this deck doesn't depend on assembling tron as much as tron does, but is running only 2 expedition maps a good choice?
It's kept at 2 simply because drawing it any time after turn 3 generally means it's only worth 2 mana to you and doesn't have the ability to replace itself in your hand. So it has declining benefits the further along the game goes and is almost useless the turn you are trying to combo out. Any other draw would be preferable on a combo turn. Keeping it at 2 limits it's negative impact while still allowing a bit more consistency.
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Modern xWBreakfast at Urza'sxW UWGBantUWG GWRNaya ZooRWG
Hmmm...Cloud Key calling Sorcery would not only make Reshape cheaper but Open the Vaults as well
still, likely a bad play. My justification for running Reshape would be that the Urza lands can more than easily generate 6+ mana.
Also, I advocated it in the original eggs thread, will try here again. What do you guys think of Mindless Automaton?
Mindless Automaton looks interesting, but for the cost of 4 mana, and 2 mana to draw a card, it seems a bit too much. To the point you could afford this (that is, when you're comboing off) it might be unnecessary. I don't know if we have enough fluff to be discarding things pre-combo as it looks more suited to pitching out those extra lands for more gas. At best it'll come down mid combo and keep your draws in check. Worth testing IMO.
The U splash is really only for Fabricate. It's a four-of in this deck because it's great at all points of the combo. Early game, get your missing combo piece. Mid-combo, get another key or a draw engine (Mindless Automaton). Games two and three, it can also retrieve pieces from the sideboard aka "toolbox of hate".
EDIT: What are your thoughts on Staff of Domination as a one-of? Silly or somewhat viable?
I like the singleton Mox Opal. It can contribute to dropping an early KCI, as well as net 3 mana, one of which colored per cycle.
Are you sure about running 15 lands? Without ramp, if you can't hit the KCI, you're stuck. I couldn't imagine the difference between that and 16 being THAT big, and I've been running 16, and it's worked out most of the time considering I sac very aggressively to draw into cards.
On SoD:
From the way I play the deck at least, as I'm sure there might actually be a way to juice it out, I never actually go infinite with mana. If I get to the bottom of the deck, that's just a Conjurer's Bauble loop into infinite Grapeshot already. Especially if you have a Cloud Key out. Not sure if sinking into Staff will work.
I know that this deck doesn't depend on assembling tron as much as tron does, but is running only 2 expedition maps a good choice?
Mostly because it doesn't really draw a card. When you get it it's good, and midcombo it works to thin your deck of lands as well as reshuffle Faith's Rewards and Open the Vaults back into the deck.
On another note, a card I have tried out in previous builds, and may pitch as a 1 or 2 of is Mind Stone. It's right on the curve for ramping into KCI on T3 so it's something to consider.
I guess that is true, but I know I was attempting to develop something like this a couple months ago and I found that I was usually constrained by my ability to generate mana. So having the tron assembled put me a lot farther ahead than I would otherwise be. Also, is only running 3 open the vaults a good choice? I know that they aren't as central to the deck as that kind of effect would be to old eggs, but seeing them definitely goes a long way to winning the game and having 4 makes the odds of that only that much better.
Edit: Yeah, I remember testing mind stone and liking it a lot.
Just did a quick playtest with that new build (I previously ran Gitaxian Probes over Silence).
Did a T3 combo out off the back of Silence with Tron Online, fizzled but got enough critical mass to cast Emrakul on the next turn.
Major gripe, I had a Open the Vaults in hand which I could have casted but I needed another W. *Stares at Silence* I would have otherwise combo'd out right there instead of having to ship a turn to play Emrakul on my next.
I think the deck has to be really careful with removing eggs for other cards in the deck. The card draw is necessary to making the deck consistent. Getting cute with some fluff cards isn't going to move the deck to a better position whether that card could potentially provide some value or not. Having the card draw is what allows things like only running 3 OtV because the statistics will allow you a good chance of running into one of them. If you are going to cut out some card draw you are going to need to compensate by upping your chances of hitting other cards like the sunrises. I'd just advise to proceed with caution on removing too much in favor of other things.
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Another thing to be careful of while playing the deck would be to make sure you don't accidentally deck yourself out by Opening the Vaults or Faith's Rewarding into too many ETB-Draw effects. I've consistently found myself being very cautious about this, and making sure to set up my 2-4 Conjurer's Baubles at the base (just in case the opponent somehow has access to instant speed target player draws a card). The Bauble Storming for the win is where I'd like to be. Funnily enough Emrakul is more of a Plan B in case I can't combo off.
I'm running 2 Mind Stone over flask and I am seriously digging it! Accel early, cantrip late.
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First they came for the Cantrips, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Cantrip.
Then they came for the Artifacts, and I didn't speak up, because I was an Instant.
Then they came for the Rituals, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't really a Ritual.
Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.
I've messed with my deck a bit to include a couple of the things you guys have talked about. So far it's promising but I do want to play it some more and see if it had any consequences on how often the deck can fizzle. I like the Mox Opal and the Mind Stone. In just playing solitaire they have come in handy with keeping things rolling along and I think improve the deck's chances of getting online by at least turn 4. Here's where I am at right now though:
Banner compliments of Rivenor
What is Breakfast at Urza's?
Breakfast at Urza's uses "eggs" to create mana by utilizing Krark-Clan Ironworks and a way to cheat them for free, or at a discount, onto the field through Etherium Sculptor or Cloud Key. With the card draw and the ability to spend almost nothing to get them onto the field, the deck can combo out and net enough mana to use sunrise effects to keep going or hard cast a win condition. With the ability to cast so many cards in a turn there is more than one option to end the game, either through hard casting a Emrakul, the Aeons Torn or one of the direct damage spells in Grapeshot or Banefire. Even with running the Tron lands, the deck has enough color fixing to essentially run anything necessary to combat an opponent.
How to play
I previously had a description of how to play the deck here but it has evolved enough that it became outdated and had some advice I would probably not recommend anymore. I felt that it would be better to just provide some general suggestions and for a more visual idea of how the deck functions you may look at the videos.
Once your combo is set up, the lands you have on the field become almost obsolete since the KCI engine generates more than enough mana to fuel you. BUT until you get your KCI out you are going to be at the mercy of the lands you have. Most versions of the deck play only 16 lands at the most. That means keeping 1 land hands to start the game is inherently risky. It puts you in a position of having to cycle your eggs in order to just draw another land and potentially setting you up in a position of being able to get KCI out but not having the right eggs to filter colored mana in order to sunrise. Getting stuck with a 1 land is not insurmountable but it's far from recommended.
I used to recommend keeping your eggs out on the field the first few turns in order to fuel the combo once a KCI actually gets online. That is still good advice if you can manage it. The reality is you will likely need to use some of them in order to draw cards. That is not a bad thing as long as they are used smartly and in a way that you leave yourself options. Once you have your combo online, well then go for it.
The deck will generally play out into two phases. The first phase is going to happen after you have your Etherium Sculptor and Krark-Clan Ironworks on the field but before your first sunrise. At this point in the game you should focus on drawing as much as you can but always be mindful of the amount of mana you are floating. Always leave yourself enough room to cast a Faith's Reward or Open the Vaults. Once you have reached a point that there is enough in your graveyard to recur, or you have reached a point that you can't go any further, cast your sunrise. This is the point to switch to the second phase and making mana with the Ironworks. You will likely have enough passive card draw in this process that you will find a win condition if you haven't already. Another sunrise is always possible at this point as well, but it's often not necessary.
Using the KCI to sacrifice itself or your Etherium Sculptor is something you will have to decide in nearly every game. Sometimes the extra mana is absolutely necessary. Other times it will just be a win more. Early game it is very tempting to sacrifice them and get the mana. Doing this when your opponent has mana open to respond means you are sticking your neck out. If they can exile your graveyard or counter your sunrise then you are pretty much done for. I generally make this decision depending on what I have in my hand. If I have two open the vaults in my hand and enough mana to cast it on the field the next turn without the KCI then I will go for it. If not then it's usually not going to be worth it to risk both of your main combo pieces.
Videos
Don't Expect Perfect Play Here! I'm human!
3 Quick Solitaire games - http://youtu.be/VkcbN9jfHyI
A good place to start if you have never seen the deck played without sitting across from it. I just do 3 quick solitaire games with no distraction from an opponent. That memoricide comment should have been Surgical Extraction, I know.
Merfolk - http://youtu.be/OIMyODuy8xk
This is a 2-1 game. Game 1 I only get 1 land after not using another mulligan. It came back to bite me and was stuck with one land through turn 3 so I just move on to the second game. Game 2 is a turn 4 win and game 3 is a turn 3 win after being able to put out a Sculptor on turn 1.
Hatebears - http://youtu.be/mcxRvI7owOY
2-1 game and the only real interesting part in the match begins at game 3 at 11 minutes. For anybody who says the deck can't fight through hate can look at this game.
Card explanations
Engine
Etherium Sculptor: Allows the "eggs" to be cast for free or only cost 1 which nets you mana when they are then sacced to the Ironworks. The downside to the Sculptor is he's a creature and is therefore susceptible to all of the cheap removal in the format. The upside is that he comes out a turn earlier than the Cloud Key, which then allows the combo to potentially happen a turn earlier.
Cloud Key: The other option from the Sculptor and accomplishes the same thing. Costs 1 more to cast but does not have the drawback of being a creature.
Krark-Clan Ironworks: The card that really makes the deck tick. The 2 mana gain from saccing artifacts means the deck can float huge amounts of mana, allowing the eventual win cons.
Eggs
Conjurer's Bauble - Draw. That's it. Pay 1, Draw. These are mostly a deck thinner that usually will cost you nothing and is worth 2 mana when you need it. Run 4.
Chromatic Star - Probably the best Egg we have as far as versatility goes. Can be sacrificed to KCI and still net card draw. Converting colorless to white is invaluable. Run 4.
Chromatic Sphere - Slightly worse than Chromatic Star as it doesn't net a card when you sacrifice it to KCI. When it comes to color filtering, use these first. You might want to sac the stars to KCI for generating mana. Run 4.
Expedition Map - For looking for that final Tron Piece to go T3 Tron, or shuffling sunrises back into the deck. It also works to thin the deck in response to ETB-Draws after Sunrises. Most decks will not run these because they are a bad draw during the combo. Generally you don't want more than 2 if you are running them at all.
Terrarion - Fluff CMC1 eggs. Because 1 cmc eggs are good. You don't want too many as it has no immediate impact unless you have KCI. T1 Terrarion into T2 Land drop filter draw isn't bad either. But it's got nothing on the Chromatics.
Ichor Wellspring - This has to be the best Egg with KCI. 2 draws in one card is awesome. It's not as great when you're picking them up without KCI online though, as they don't do anything else. Run 4.
Prophetic Prism - Draws a card, converts mana, and can still be sacrificed to KCI (unlike the Chromatics) for 2. Run 4.
Mind Stone - The only real benefit of Mind Stone is that it ramps you. Later on as you combo out, with a surplus of mana, it can also be used to draw more cards as you go along.
Elsewhere Flask - Arguably the most plain Egg there is to use. Only real benefit would be that it can sacrifice itself so if you somehow manage to get Faith's Reward mana without KCI online, you can pitch these, get them back, draw more cards. I've personally never used to ability to turn my lands into plains as the other eggs provide enough conversion already.
Myr Retriever - Can be used as a pseudo extra egg for anything in your graveyard. This can be quite valuable to get an extra use out of an Ichor Wellspring. There is an extra mini-combo tied to these as well. When you have two with a KCI and a Sculptor you have infinite mana by casting and cycling each of them in and out of the graveyard.
Win Cons
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn: The main win condition of the deck. Essentially a game ender when it comes down on turn 3 or 4.
Grapeshot: An alternate win condition since the draw capability of the deck and most of the eggs costing nothing to cast means the deck reaches a 20+ storm relatively easily.
Banefire: A 20+ Banefire is more easily reached than the Grapeshot but the only drawback is that it could potentially get redirected to something such as Spellskite.
Sunrises
Open the Vaults: Your main ability to get the eggs back out of the graveyard. It has a high cost but also the added benefit of not having the same turn requirement to grab everything back out. If you happen to fizzle and aren't in immediate danger of dying, then this card will allow you to recover in another turn.
Faith's Reward: The secondary sunrise of the deck. It's much cheaper than OtV but it does have the same turn requirement to get everything back. This is the best one of the two to draw as long as you don't fizzle out and can keep going the same turn.
Other Cards
Mox Opal: Allows ramp and help in getting out the Ironworks early. It's worth 3 mana when sacced. Unfortunately it's also a Legendary, so include maybe 1-2 if at all.
Darksteel Citadel: These can be used to replace some or all of the non-Tron lands in the deck. The plus side is they can be tapped and then sacced to KCI to make 3 mana. Even though Open the Vaults does not recur lands, the Citadel is also an artifact which means it still comes back out. The downside is that you are now completely vulnerable to things like Stony Silence.
Fabricate: Gives you that much better of a chance to grab any piece that you might want, KCI most importantly.
Spine of Ish Sah: This is often a win more but it can also serve a very valuable role if the conditions are right. It can be extra destruction for hate and with a few Sculptors out the Spine can completely wipe out an opponents board. It's casting cost is reduced by the Sculptors and you receive 2 mana back when you sacrifice it to KCI.
Why play this?
Matchups
Decklists
ContraEgo 4-0 decklist 1/8/14
3 Plains
4 Urza's Mine
4 Urza's Power Plant
4 Urza's Tower
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
4 Etherium Sculptor
1 Banefire
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Chromatic Star
4 Conjurer's Bauble
4 Elsewhere Flask
1 Expedition Map
2 Fabricate
1 Faith's Reward
4 Ichor Wellspring
4 Krark-Clan Ironworks
4 Open the Vaults
4 Prophetic Prism
1 Spine of Ish Sah
1 Defense Grid
1 Disenchant
1 Grapeshot
4 Leyline of Sanctity
2 Nihil Spellbomb
3 Oblivion Ring
3 Pithing Needle
Modern
xWBreakfast at Urza'sxW
UWGBantUWG
GWRNaya ZooRWG
Currently playing:
GCasual 8-post
R Casual Land Destruction
UBRWG Legacy Dredge
WGB Modern Melira Pod
RUG EDH
depending on your meta, you can always mainboard things like Ensnaring Bridge or Oblivion Stone
This is incorrect. Putting Tron together isn't necessary for the deck to go off. If you manage to get a KCI online with enough draw, into either Open the Vaults or Faith's Reward, at which point it becomes difficult to fizzle.
The deck has the benefit of going all in with drawing by just tossing its eggs into the yard rather than having to build up critical mass as its goal would be to land the Open the Vaults. Faith's Reward serves more as OtV #5-6.
I don't recall Nathan Holiday's eggs list running anything to keep it from dying on turn 4 either (please don't say Pyrite Spellbomb or Twincast), at least not maindeck. There's no reason this deck can't whip out its own Leylines, Blind Obediences, Silences, Echoing Truth's out of the sideboard if necessary.
Aether Spellbomb and you're Emrakul is just a Time Walk and creature Removal might hit Krark-Clan on the run so you're gameplan is kaputt.
I really like Emrakul, but I wouln't relay too much on him.
Once the deck gets going it pretty much goes infinite and you can cast a Grapeshot with infinite storm.
Emrakul simply adds another dimension to the deck to play around Leylines or whatever. I personally prefer to play the deck out and get to the infinite Grapeshot. The deck can easily draw itself after few iterations.
The only inconsistency in the deck is tutoring. Not finding an Ironworks really bites.
Pretty much that. That's definitely an area that could get more exposure. All the good tutors for artifacts are in blue, Fabricate could serve up as KCI's #5/6. It actually curves out. Reshape is out of the question. Paying 6 to find KCI wont work.
An example of this would be saying the deck is going "all in". The older eggs version was the very definition of "all in", just as almost any combo deck is. I would even venture so say that this deck enjoys some alternate win conditions that some other combo deck's don't simply because of the amount of mana that can be generated. The win cons that have been chosen are just the most efficient but are certainly not the only ones that could be utilized.
As a side note I've added to the primer and will continue to do so. If you try the deck and have anything to contribute or disagree on a point just let me know and I'll update or discuss it.
Modern
xWBreakfast at Urza'sxW
UWGBantUWG
GWRNaya ZooRWG
still, likely a bad play. My justification for running Reshape would be that the Urza lands can more than easily generate 6+ mana.
Also, I advocated it in the original eggs thread, will try here again. What do you guys think of Mindless Automaton?
Also, as a kill condition, consider Banefire. With KCI out, getting to 21 mana is pretty trivial.
Problem is the recursion. When Cloud Key is returned via Faith's Reward/Open the Vaults, you do not need to exile a card to get the discount, whereas with Semblance Anvil, each time it returns, you may exile, and if you don't, you don't get any discounts.
Banefire is a surefire wincon. Just make sure there aren't any Spellskites around
We tossed around Semblance Anvil as an option but like Juice pointed out the recursion could potentially be a problem. Also losing a piece out of your hand can make it harder to go off and more likely to fizzle the first attempt. Banefire is definitely a good option along with Grapeshot but either works. Banefire could pretty easily be maindecked and a Grapeshot in the sideboard since it's unlikely you would see a Spellskite until game 2 or 3.
The win conditions can be pretty fluid in how many you want to run. Ses has been running only 1 Emrakul if I remember right and that's no big deal. I only ran 2 because I'd rather not dig through to the very end of the deck if you are unlucky and he's at the bottom.
Modern
xWBreakfast at Urza'sxW
UWGBantUWG
GWRNaya ZooRWG
3 Adarkar Wastes
4 Urza's Mine
4 Urza's Power Plant
4 Urza's Tower
Artifact (33)
4 Cloud Key
4 Krark-Clan Ironworks
4 Chromatic Star
4 Chromatic Sphere
2 Conjurer's Bauble
4 Ichor Wellspring
4 Prophetic Prism
2 Terrarion
2 Elsewhere Flask
2 Expedition Map
1 Mox Opal
1 Grapeshot
3 Open the Vaults
4 Fabricate
Instant (2)
2 Faith's Reward
Creature (2)
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
1 Mindless Automaton
3 Defense Grid
3 Pithing Needle
3 Seal of Primordium (or 3 Sylvok Replica)
3 Echoing Truth
3 Ensnaring Bridge
The U splash is really only for Fabricate. It's a four-of in this deck because it's great at all points of the combo. Early game, get your missing combo piece. Mid-combo, get another key or a draw engine (Mindless Automaton). Games two and three, it can also retrieve pieces from the sideboard aka "toolbox of hate".
EDIT: What are your thoughts on Staff of Domination as a one-of? Silly or somewhat viable?
UWRasputin DreamweaverUW
UWBSen TripletsUWB
I'd say that's exactly why it only runs two. It's nice and peachy having urzatron operational but it's certainly not a necessity. Running two allows the chance of constructing tron a greater likelihood than running zero, but at the same time, map isn't a real "egg". It can get you a card but you have to pay 2 more and even then you can't really even make a play off that, since it's a land.
It's kept at 2 simply because drawing it any time after turn 3 generally means it's only worth 2 mana to you and doesn't have the ability to replace itself in your hand. So it has declining benefits the further along the game goes and is almost useless the turn you are trying to combo out. Any other draw would be preferable on a combo turn. Keeping it at 2 limits it's negative impact while still allowing a bit more consistency.
Modern
xWBreakfast at Urza'sxW
UWGBantUWG
GWRNaya ZooRWG
Mindless Automaton looks interesting, but for the cost of 4 mana, and 2 mana to draw a card, it seems a bit too much. To the point you could afford this (that is, when you're comboing off) it might be unnecessary. I don't know if we have enough fluff to be discarding things pre-combo as it looks more suited to pitching out those extra lands for more gas. At best it'll come down mid combo and keep your draws in check. Worth testing IMO.
I like the singleton Mox Opal. It can contribute to dropping an early KCI, as well as net 3 mana, one of which colored per cycle.
Are you sure about running 15 lands? Without ramp, if you can't hit the KCI, you're stuck. I couldn't imagine the difference between that and 16 being THAT big, and I've been running 16, and it's worked out most of the time considering I sac very aggressively to draw into cards.
On SoD:
From the way I play the deck at least, as I'm sure there might actually be a way to juice it out, I never actually go infinite with mana. If I get to the bottom of the deck, that's just a Conjurer's Bauble loop into infinite Grapeshot already. Especially if you have a Cloud Key out. Not sure if sinking into Staff will work.
Mostly because it doesn't really draw a card. When you get it it's good, and midcombo it works to thin your deck of lands as well as reshuffle Faith's Rewards and Open the Vaults back into the deck.
On another note, a card I have tried out in previous builds, and may pitch as a 1 or 2 of is Mind Stone. It's right on the curve for ramping into KCI on T3 so it's something to consider.
Here's my current list:
4 Urza's Mine
4 Urza's Tower
4 Urza's Power Plant
4 Plains
Engine [8]:
4 Krark-Clan Ironworks
4 Cloud Key
4 Open the Vaults
2 Faith's Reward
Back-up [2]:
2 Silence
Win-Con [2]:
1 Emrakul, The Aeons Torn
1 Grapeshot
CMC-1 Eggs [16]:
4 Chromatic Star
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Conjurer's Bauble
2 Terrarion
2 Expedition Map
4 Ichor Wellspring
4 Prophetic Prism
2 Elsewhere Flask
My current standing on playtests:
T3 - 4
T4 - 9
T5 - 2
Fizzle - 5
Edit: Yeah, I remember testing mind stone and liking it a lot.
UWRasputin DreamweaverUW
UWBSen TripletsUWB
Did a T3 combo out off the back of Silence with Tron Online, fizzled but got enough critical mass to cast Emrakul on the next turn.
Major gripe, I had a Open the Vaults in hand which I could have casted but I needed another W. *Stares at Silence* I would have otherwise combo'd out right there instead of having to ship a turn to play Emrakul on my next.
Modern
xWBreakfast at Urza'sxW
UWGBantUWG
GWRNaya ZooRWG
4 Urza's Mine
4 Urza's Power Plant
4 Urza's Tower
4 Plains
1 Mox Opal
Engine
4 Cloud Key
4 Krark-Clan Ironworks
3 Open The Vaults
2 Faith's Reward
Eggs
4 Chromatic Star
4 Chromatic Sphere
3 Conjurer's Bauble
2 Expedition Map
2 Terrarion
1 Elsewhere Flask
4 Ichor Wellspring
4 Prophetic Prism
2 Mind Stone
2 Gitaxian Probe
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
1 Banefire
Modern
xWBreakfast at Urza'sxW
UWGBantUWG
GWRNaya ZooRWG