I had a deck that uses Syndicate Trafficker, Tireless Tracker, Bloodbriar to smack face, Marionette Master and Ormendahl, Profane Prince as a finisher but the deck was too slow with those copters and tentacles flying around. I gave up on that deck until recently I saw the standard banlist. With the card like Inspiring Statuary and Fatal Push in the new set, I decided to rebuild the deck into an artifact cutthroat deck. Please bear with my poor English because I am not a native speaker.
The idea is to put some cheap artifacts/spells that either produces more artifact tokens or can sacrifice itself to give advantage on the first few turns, then have Marionette Master on the battlefield and sac as many artifacts as possible to deal lethal damage, or use Ormendahl, Profane Prince as a alternate win con. First I would like to mention that, there are many good white cards that work best with this deck, but I like G/B personally. I will discuss about the white cards too. The initial idea looks like this:
There are a lot of ways to create many artifact tokens, but the question is, Servo creature tokens or Clue tokens? There are pros and cons for each of them. Servo can be used to deal a little damage when there is no blocker, or chump block, or attack to threaten your opponent with Marionette Master on board, most importantly, Westvale Abbey. However, they are more fragile to boardwipe, especially with that "oh you got a lot of small creatures, lets -3/-3 and I get to cast a free spell" new card coming in AER. The cons for Clue tokens are obvious, they can't attack, block or sac for Westvale Abbey, however, they won't be easily removed, usually nobody wants to spot remove your clue token. They can be sac to draw card while you have a lot of mana floating, used to pump Tireless Tracker, do not need other sac engine while your Marionette Master come on board, or sac to Tamiyo's Journal to find the card you need. There is no real answer to which one is better here as they depends on what deck you play against.
I will discuss every card in the list here: Scrapheap Scrounger: A 3/2 body on turn 2. An artifact creature that can come back from graveyard. Can be sac for Syndicate Trafficker, Westvale Abbey. Can be used to improvise because it can't block anyway. Syndicate Trafficker: Best sac engine for artifacts, used to sac artifacts that can't sacrifice itself. Good chump blocker as it can gains indestructible and gets bigger. Tireless Tracker: One of the best green card in standard. Provides tons of Clue tokens if not removed. Guarantee a clue token if play on turn 4. gets bigger if sac Clue tokens. (if you don't need extra card, you can sac the clue to syndicate trafficker so that both get +1/+1 counter) Weaponcraft Enthusiast: Best tokens generator. It is like Hordeling Outburst in DTK. Provides two artifacts for improvise, chump block, Marionette Master, Syndicate Trafficker, or Westvale Abbey. Marionette Master: Needless to say. The win con of this deck. Your opponent will hard to come back if they do not remove it instantly. Could come out early if you have Inspiring Statuary on the board. Usually choose to put counters on it so that it deals a lot of damage when you sac artifacts. Unless you seriously need to chump block for few turns or Westvale Abbey is your last way to win, do not choose to create tokens. Herald of Anguish: Since this deck is to create many artifacts, this demon itself has improvise even when Inspiring Statuary is not on board. A 5/5 flyer usually for 3-4 mana, makes your opponent discard 1 card each turn, and use the artifacts you have to kill threat. Terrarion: Artifact that you can play on turn 1, can fix mana, can improvise, can draw a card after sacrifice. I don't know if there is any better card to play on turn 1. Servo Schematic: The card alone is 3 artifacts for Marionette Master. When it comes into play immediately you have two artifacts to sac or to improvise. Inspiring Statuary: The main reason of this card is to reduce the cost of Marionette Master, you could also play tireless tracker for 1 mana, and use the mana left to sac clue. More than one copy of this card on battlefield is redundant but it is still an artifact for you to sac. Tamiyo's Journal: A bit slow, but provides a lot of advantages than you thought in a long run. A free clue token every turn, and can sac three clue to look for the card you need, whether it is Marionette Master, Fatal Push or Westvale Abbey. Great thing is that your opponent has no idea what card you choose. If you already have a lot of Clue tokens on battlefield and your Marionette Master isn't counter, you know what I am saying. Fatal Push: One of the best removal in this set. With Evolving Wilds and Clue tokens, it shouldn't be hard to remove creature with 4cmc below. Grasp of Darkness: Considering it needs 2 black mana and can't reduce the cost by Inspiring Statuary, it is not very good comparing to Fatal Push. However, we need something to kill an indestructible creature. Blooming Marsh: Best dual lands in Standard. Hissing Quagmire: A good chump blocker, and can use to deal damage when you have nothing to do. Evolving Wilds: Usually I won't recommend this but there are not many great dual lands in the current Standard, and also, Fatal Push. Westvale Abbey: Alternate win con. Very hard to deal with. Ends the game alone if not removed. Spire of Industry: With that many artifacts in this deck, this is a land that can produce any color without enters the battlefield tapped. Better if you want to include white in this build. However, I do not recommend more than 3 copies because it is pain.
The cards that are not in the list(doesn't mean they are not good, just not yet tested): Thraben Inspector: The best card if you going to add white. Gives a clue token, can be used to chump block or sac for Westvale. Angel of Invention: I would always use this to create two servo tokens. Gives two artifact creatures(it is getting repetitive to explain why we need artifact tokens for), a 2/1 flyer with vigilance and lifelink, pumps all your creatures. Noxious Gearhulk: It is an artifact creature. It can removes a creature and gains life. But the mana cost is a bit high and can't reduce cost by Inspiring Statuary. Could be put into sideboard. Sram's Expertise: Three Servo tokens and free cast Tireless Tracker? You know what is better? Three Servo tokens and free cast Inspiring Statuary. Declaration in Stone: Better removal than Grasp of Darkness where Delirium is in the format. You know what? You can even exile your useless creatures like Thraben Inspector or Weaponcraft Enthusiast to get Clue tokens. Just kidding :p. Stasis Snare: Not so great after the tentacle monster is banned. But still a great removal. Key to the City: Allows your 10/9 indestructible Syndicate Trafficker to be unblockable. Card filtering. Can sac when Marionette Master is out. Not a really solid card because smack face is not our play style here. Bloodbriar: Like I said, too slow. But if you love to go all the stompy way, this card can gets big very fast. The Gitrog Monster: This card has a very great synergy with Bloodbriar and Tireless Tracker. Great card advantages and also a 6/6 deathtouch body. Cultivator of Blades: I used to think this card is bad. But with Inspiring Statuary around, who knows? Bygone Bishop: Similar to Tireless Tracker, gives a lot of Clue tokens, especially this deck is filled with many 3cmc creatures. Zulaport Cutthroat: Do not underestimate that 1 damage. If you have a few of this on the battlefield, the game will end sooner than you think. It used to be my other deck's win con. However, if you want to play this card, it is better to stick to the Servo artifact creatures routine instead of Clue tokens. Battle at the Bridge: With so many artifacts to improvise, this card could be a good removal, especially the life gain is good against aggro deck. Renegade Rallier: The revolt is easy to achieve in this deck. Could have some good potential. I don't know. Hidden Stockpile: Same as above. Revolt is easy to trigger. Gives a lot of Servo tokens. But it is an enchantment so it could be useless when you can't trigger revolt. Winding Constrictor: Allows Trafficker and Tracker to grow faster, and Marionette Master to enters with four counters :D. Metallic Mimic: Allows all your servo creatures or human like Tracker and Master enter with extra +1/+1 counters. It is also an artifact. Implement of Malice/Implement of Ferocity: Cheap artifact that can sac itself.
This is just an idea that comes to my mind. I have not tested the deck. I might miss out some cards that I didn't discuss. Hope you all can help provide some suggestion to improve or feedback after you test the deck. I really want this to be competitive and becomes a Primer. Thank you.
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The idea is to put some cheap artifacts/spells that either produces more artifact tokens or can sacrifice itself to give advantage on the first few turns, then have Marionette Master on the battlefield and sac as many artifacts as possible to deal lethal damage, or use Ormendahl, Profane Prince as a alternate win con. First I would like to mention that, there are many good white cards that work best with this deck, but I like G/B personally. I will discuss about the white cards too. The initial idea looks like this:
4 Scrapheap Scrounger
4 Syndicate Trafficker
4 Weaponcraft Enthusiast
4 Tireless Tracker
4 Marionette Master
1 Herald of Anguish
4 Terrarion
4 Servo Schematic
3 Inspiring Statuary
1 Tamiyo's Journal
Instant/Sorcery(4)
3 Fatal Push
1 Grasp of Darkness
4 Blooming Marsh
3 Evolving Wilds
2 Hissing Quagmire
5 Swamp
4 Forest
2 Westvale Abbey
3 Spire of Industry
There are a lot of ways to create many artifact tokens, but the question is, Servo creature tokens or Clue tokens? There are pros and cons for each of them. Servo can be used to deal a little damage when there is no blocker, or chump block, or attack to threaten your opponent with Marionette Master on board, most importantly, Westvale Abbey. However, they are more fragile to boardwipe, especially with that "oh you got a lot of small creatures, lets -3/-3 and I get to cast a free spell" new card coming in AER. The cons for Clue tokens are obvious, they can't attack, block or sac for Westvale Abbey, however, they won't be easily removed, usually nobody wants to spot remove your clue token. They can be sac to draw card while you have a lot of mana floating, used to pump Tireless Tracker, do not need other sac engine while your Marionette Master come on board, or sac to Tamiyo's Journal to find the card you need. There is no real answer to which one is better here as they depends on what deck you play against.
I will discuss every card in the list here:
Scrapheap Scrounger: A 3/2 body on turn 2. An artifact creature that can come back from graveyard. Can be sac for Syndicate Trafficker, Westvale Abbey. Can be used to improvise because it can't block anyway.
Syndicate Trafficker: Best sac engine for artifacts, used to sac artifacts that can't sacrifice itself. Good chump blocker as it can gains indestructible and gets bigger.
Tireless Tracker: One of the best green card in standard. Provides tons of Clue tokens if not removed. Guarantee a clue token if play on turn 4. gets bigger if sac Clue tokens. (if you don't need extra card, you can sac the clue to syndicate trafficker so that both get +1/+1 counter)
Weaponcraft Enthusiast: Best tokens generator. It is like Hordeling Outburst in DTK. Provides two artifacts for improvise, chump block, Marionette Master, Syndicate Trafficker, or Westvale Abbey.
Marionette Master: Needless to say. The win con of this deck. Your opponent will hard to come back if they do not remove it instantly. Could come out early if you have Inspiring Statuary on the board. Usually choose to put counters on it so that it deals a lot of damage when you sac artifacts. Unless you seriously need to chump block for few turns or Westvale Abbey is your last way to win, do not choose to create tokens.
Herald of Anguish: Since this deck is to create many artifacts, this demon itself has improvise even when Inspiring Statuary is not on board. A 5/5 flyer usually for 3-4 mana, makes your opponent discard 1 card each turn, and use the artifacts you have to kill threat.
Terrarion: Artifact that you can play on turn 1, can fix mana, can improvise, can draw a card after sacrifice. I don't know if there is any better card to play on turn 1.
Servo Schematic: The card alone is 3 artifacts for Marionette Master. When it comes into play immediately you have two artifacts to sac or to improvise.
Inspiring Statuary: The main reason of this card is to reduce the cost of Marionette Master, you could also play tireless tracker for 1 mana, and use the mana left to sac clue. More than one copy of this card on battlefield is redundant but it is still an artifact for you to sac.
Tamiyo's Journal: A bit slow, but provides a lot of advantages than you thought in a long run. A free clue token every turn, and can sac three clue to look for the card you need, whether it is Marionette Master, Fatal Push or Westvale Abbey. Great thing is that your opponent has no idea what card you choose. If you already have a lot of Clue tokens on battlefield and your Marionette Master isn't counter, you know what I am saying.
Fatal Push: One of the best removal in this set. With Evolving Wilds and Clue tokens, it shouldn't be hard to remove creature with 4cmc below.
Grasp of Darkness: Considering it needs 2 black mana and can't reduce the cost by Inspiring Statuary, it is not very good comparing to Fatal Push. However, we need something to kill an indestructible creature.
Blooming Marsh: Best dual lands in Standard.
Hissing Quagmire: A good chump blocker, and can use to deal damage when you have nothing to do.
Evolving Wilds: Usually I won't recommend this but there are not many great dual lands in the current Standard, and also, Fatal Push.
Westvale Abbey: Alternate win con. Very hard to deal with. Ends the game alone if not removed.
Spire of Industry: With that many artifacts in this deck, this is a land that can produce any color without enters the battlefield tapped. Better if you want to include white in this build. However, I do not recommend more than 3 copies because it is pain.
The cards that are not in the list(doesn't mean they are not good, just not yet tested):
Thraben Inspector: The best card if you going to add white. Gives a clue token, can be used to chump block or sac for Westvale.
Angel of Invention: I would always use this to create two servo tokens. Gives two artifact creatures(it is getting repetitive to explain why we need artifact tokens for), a 2/1 flyer with vigilance and lifelink, pumps all your creatures.
Noxious Gearhulk: It is an artifact creature. It can removes a creature and gains life. But the mana cost is a bit high and can't reduce cost by Inspiring Statuary. Could be put into sideboard.
Sram's Expertise: Three Servo tokens and free cast Tireless Tracker? You know what is better? Three Servo tokens and free cast Inspiring Statuary.
Declaration in Stone: Better removal than Grasp of Darkness where Delirium is in the format. You know what? You can even exile your useless creatures like Thraben Inspector or Weaponcraft Enthusiast to get Clue tokens. Just kidding :p.
Stasis Snare: Not so great after the tentacle monster is banned. But still a great removal.
Key to the City: Allows your 10/9 indestructible Syndicate Trafficker to be unblockable. Card filtering. Can sac when Marionette Master is out. Not a really solid card because smack face is not our play style here.
Bloodbriar: Like I said, too slow. But if you love to go all the stompy way, this card can gets big very fast.
The Gitrog Monster: This card has a very great synergy with Bloodbriar and Tireless Tracker. Great card advantages and also a 6/6 deathtouch body.
Cultivator of Blades: I used to think this card is bad. But with Inspiring Statuary around, who knows?
Bygone Bishop: Similar to Tireless Tracker, gives a lot of Clue tokens, especially this deck is filled with many 3cmc creatures.
Zulaport Cutthroat: Do not underestimate that 1 damage. If you have a few of this on the battlefield, the game will end sooner than you think. It used to be my other deck's win con. However, if you want to play this card, it is better to stick to the Servo artifact creatures routine instead of Clue tokens.
Battle at the Bridge: With so many artifacts to improvise, this card could be a good removal, especially the life gain is good against aggro deck.
Renegade Rallier: The revolt is easy to achieve in this deck. Could have some good potential. I don't know.
Hidden Stockpile: Same as above. Revolt is easy to trigger. Gives a lot of Servo tokens. But it is an enchantment so it could be useless when you can't trigger revolt.
Winding Constrictor: Allows Trafficker and Tracker to grow faster, and Marionette Master to enters with four counters :D.
Metallic Mimic: Allows all your servo creatures or human like Tracker and Master enter with extra +1/+1 counters. It is also an artifact.
Implement of Malice/Implement of Ferocity: Cheap artifact that can sac itself.
This is just an idea that comes to my mind. I have not tested the deck. I might miss out some cards that I didn't discuss. Hope you all can help provide some suggestion to improve or feedback after you test the deck. I really want this to be competitive and becomes a Primer. Thank you.