Aetherworks Marvel Combo is a combo deck that attempts to use Aetherworks Marvel's activated ability to cast Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger as early as turn 4. Ulamog tends to end games very quickly after he resolves and is completely overpowered when cast at the deck's earliest possible time, turn 4. The remainder of the deck is an energy midrange shell that attempts to assemble Marvel with enough energy to activate its ability immediately, and which contains ways to buy time to accomplish this task and to win the game without ever casting Ulamog off of Marvel. This can, occasionally, include casting it from hand, if drawn. While there are other variations on Marvel decks, notably BUG Delirium and Bant Control, that have proven to be reasonably competitive takes on the archetype, this primer is primarily devoted to RUG/Temur Marvel, thus far the most successful take of them all.
History
Aetherworks Marvel was obviously powerful when initially spoiled as part of Kaladesh. At Pro Tour Kaladesh, it was heavily represented with decks that largely focused on finding Marvel and spinning it into Emrakul, the Promised End quickly. These decks underperformed as cards including Spell Queller proved very effective against it.
As the format matured, online player jabberwocki and others combined Marvel and Delirium to make decks that could Marvel into Emrakul or use Ishkanah, Grafwidow to stall until hardcasting Emrakul. These decks were so successful that they contributed to the subsequent banning of Emrakul.
With Aether Revolt and the banning of Emrakul, although Marvel into Ulamog was attempted, Copycat Combo proved more effective.
With Amonkhet and the banning of Felidar Guardian, Marvel proved to be a top tier contender, taking half of the top 8 at Pro Tour Amonkhet. Marvel's status was confirmed by winning GPs Santiago and Montreal while taking 3 of the top 8 spots in each. Subsequently, Marvel dominated and won GP Omaha and placed decks in the top 8 of GPs Manila and Amsterdam.
Card Choices
Aetherworks Marvel: The card that started it all. For the low price of six energy, one card, four mana, and a good luck ritual, you too can cast an unbeatable Eldrazi Titan on turn four in Standard. Play four.
Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger:The payoff for Marvel. Originally discarded from Kaladesh-era Marvel decks due to casting difficulties, a January 2017 ban of Emrakul from Standard left Ulamog as the premier Eldrazi Titan to be cast off of Marvel. You will develop the biggest love/hate relationship with Ulamog and you'll LIKE it. Builds vary on the exact number of Ulamog to play: some people play 2-3 in order to give themselves a realistic chance of getting turn-4 Ulamog while reducing the odds of drawing Ulamog, which is usually terrible; other people play the full four copies in order to maximize their chances of hitting Ulamog off of Marvel, regarding the -win% from a higher likelihood of drawing uncastable Ulamogs as an acceptable downside. This primer takes the latter position and strongly recommends four copies.
Attune with Aether: In tandem with Aether Hub, provides the best manabase in Standard, not close. For the relatively low price of playing a couple of Forests and green fastlands, you have an all-in-one tricolor mana fixer, Hub fuel, and one-third of a Marvel activation once your mana is fully online. Play four.
Harnessed Lightning: You don't need a lot of removal spells to handle business, just one really good one, and R&D delivered here, big time. This card is the closest thing we're going to get to a two-mana unconditional removal spell for quite some time, and it slots into this deck perfectly, so enjoy it while it's here. Play four.
Woodweaver's Puzzleknot: It looks like part of an unassuming draft-chaff cycle. In fairness, it is, but it's real good draft-chaff. The lifegain keeps aggro decks from getting underneath you, and the card conveniently pays for a Marvel activation all by itself. Some players have shaved on the fourth Puzzleknot on occasion because it can be underwhelming in the mirror and in your bad matchups, but your game 1 is so warped around Marvel, no matter how you build your deck, that you can't really afford to skimp on activation efficiency. Play four.
Rogue Refiner: It blocks, it attacks planeswalkers and control opponents pretty well, it makes two energy and oh yeah, it replaces itself with a card. Great deal for 3 mana. Tends to be a very "replacement-level" card; you'll probably cut some copies postboard in a lot of situations where Marvel activations aren't as paramount to your winning the game, since a cantripping 3/2 for 3 is a good "rate" but the random body doesn't actually advance your victory criterion all that much. However, in your combo-heavy game 1s, Refiner does everything you could ever realistically expect your 3-drop to do. Play four.
Whirler Virtuoso: In Standard seasons past, Virtuoso was the backup plan of a lot of energy-dependent combo decks, ranging from OG Marvel with Emrakul to 4c Copycat. Virtuoso's light has faded a bit since the last time Marvel was great; the format is significantly slower and the mirror comes down to Marvel spins much more frequently than Thopter-beats backup plans, especially given the emergence of Chandra, Flamecaller to combat aggressive decks, which has substantial splash damage against Virtuoso beats. Nonetheless, there will be times where you just don't draw that Marvel and you rip a Virtuoso with 1-2 dozen energy counters available and you'll be glad you had him. Plus, he does make half a Marvel activation by himself! This primer can't recommend the full four copies in good faith, although some people play four copies to great success. Definitely play at least one, and probably 2-3.
Servant of the Conduit: This guy compares pretty favorably to the likes of Sylvan Caryatid and Rattleclaw Mystic from recent seasons past. 2-mana rainbow dorks rarely get to be 2/2s as well; Servant can rumble with the format's early beaters a lot more effectively than you'd ever guess from looking at it. Marvel saves it from being a dead draw late like most dorks are, since the energy ETB trigger is 1/3 of an activation by itself. Still, Marvel doesn't utilize extra mana very well, since it's more of a "cheating" than "ramping" deck, and it's very easy to resolve Servant on 2 and play out a game where the extra mana didn't matter. This card is optional but a significant asset.
Glimmer of Genius: Solid roleplayer in any nonaggressive deck. Glimmer is especially useful in game 1 as a "bridge" card when you've made some early plays but haven't found Marvel yet. It's a bit slow for aggressive matchups sometimes, but it's never dead, and provides some significant selection on top of being an instant-speed draw-2. Adding 2 energy is just cake. Some builds have opted for zero Glimmer, but they are pretty rare these days. This primer observes that zero copies of Glimmer can occasionally be correct, but recommends two copies by default, and the full playset if you are playing a more controlling take on Marvel.
Dynavolt Tower: This card has occasionally seen play as a 1-2 of in Marvel decks as an alternative energy outlet and generator, but even the more controlling builds of Marvel have tended not to play Towers in them this season, opting for Torrential Gearhulk instead. This primer concedes that the card may be interesting in a controlling Marvel build but recommends zero copies.
Chandra, Flamecaller: Chandra has spent most of her Standard life in relative obscurity, pushed out of the format by aggro decks with some form of resilience to her -X ability (Collected Company decks, followed by Smuggler's Copter/Heart of Kiran decks). However, the rise of Zombies -- an aggressive deck soft to her -X ability with good to great matchups against the aggressive decks resilient to Chandra -- has given Chandra a chance to shine. All Marvel decks play an "alternate hit" that costs around six mana and ends games quickly, in order to make their Marvel spins a greater threat to the opponent and in order to have a "hit" off Marvel that is realistically castable in a normal Magic game. Chandra does both these things, but she also complements Ulamog and Marvel very nicely. Her 0 ability is at its best in Marvel: you can pitch useless Ulamogs that you drew and try to get real cards, and when you have either a large energy supply or an energy sink, but not both, you can dig to the missing piece extremely efficiently. Chandra also headhunts rival planeswalkers pretty effectively, shoring up a weakness to resolved PWs in games where you don't have an early Ulamog. This primer absolutely recommends at least two maindeck copies, and endorses up to four.
Torrential Gearhulk: The "other" alternate win condition of choice. Gearhulk plays pretty well in Marvel builds that are willing to use their flex slots on instants to maximize its value. This primer prefers Chandra in the same slot, since they tend to compete for space in the deck, and since Chandra does so much for the deck, while Gearhulk tends to be more of a "value card" than an engine piece for Marvel. Gearhulk versions of Marvel tend to lean less on the actual combo with Marvel and try to play a more normal game; whether or not reducing the variance (bad and good) intrinsic in the Marvel strategy is worthwhile is an unresolved question. Marvel decks which choose to play Gearhulk tend to play 1-2 copies; this primer recommends zero.
Tireless Tracker: Tracker nearly always shows up in the Marvel sideboard, but has since made its way into the maindeck in some builds. Tracker is an excellent Plan B for a deck that is very resource-hungry and sometimes needs to draw a lot of lands to win. The format is also slowing down to the point where you can realistically draw Tracker against aggressive decks and have a chance. This primer makes no recommendations as to how many copies of Tracker to play in the maindeck, but recommends at least two copies, and possibly a full playset, in the entire 75 of every Marvel deck.
Chandra, Torch of Defiance: 4-mana Chandra has historically been an excellent alternate win condition in energy-combo decks, but has suffered to a significant extent from the rise of Zombies, since she cannot easily defend herself. She is also prone to occasional clunk in combination with Flamecaller, or with reactive cards, which are needed to play Torrential Gearhulk. This combination makes her difficult to play in the maindeck since one or the other six-drop is so essential to making Marvel as strong as it needs to be. With that said, she's an excellent threat against control decks, and she synergizes strategically with Flamecaller, in that one Chandra is good in the matchups where the other is bad, and vice versa: Flamecaller can be too clunky in the mirror and against control, where Torch of Defiance is great, while Torch of Defiance is inefficient against aggressive decks where Flamecaller shines. This primer recommends sideboarding her if you play her, and recommends 2-3 copies if so.
Magma Spray: Iffy in the maindeck unless you expect a lot of Mardu or Zombies. Great sideboard card. Play 2 sideboard, maindeck contingent on expected metagame but lean toward none.
Censor: The main alternative to Servant of the Conduit in Gearhulk versions of Marvel. Play 3-4 maindeck if you aren't playing Servant, since you need a turn-2 play of some kind. Recommend zero if you play Servant and don't play Gearhulk.
Dissenter's Deliverance: Maindecking one copy of this card isn't bad if you have the space, both to mise with Marvel (and possibly double-up with Gearhulk) and because its cycling cost is very easy to satisfy. Hard to recommend more than a couple if your metagame doesn't have a lot of Vehicles however.
Negate: Reasonable to maindeck right now, mandatory in the 75 somewhere. If you decide to maindeck, you can probably afford three copies in the 75; recommend limiting SB to two Negates whether or not you maindeck any copies.
Sweltering Suns/Radiant Flames: Maindecking a 3-mana sweeper is okay if you expect a lot of aggressive decks, or if you expect to be the controlling player in most of your matchups. This one is a true tossup overall, since Flames is a lot easier to cast, but Suns can be cast off Marvel; however, for the maindeck, Suns is the only reasonable choice due to cycling. Play two in your 75, maybe a third for the SB if you maindeck 1-2 copies.
Ceremonious Rejection: Brutally efficient in the mirror, but you almost never want to draw two copies. Rejection is an excellent fun-of for the board.
Manglehorn: Essential in the mirror match - even blowing up an opposing Puzzleknot or Clue token is acceptable since those two artifacts sacrifice for value if allowed to do so, but the main attraction lies in keeping your opponents off of Marvel for one turn even if it resolves. That gives you a chance to use an artifact removal spell to clean up the Marvel before it could do anything, or even steal it (more on that next). Manglehorn also gives you very good splash damage against Toolcraft Exemplar + Heart of Kiran decks. Play 2 in the board.
Confiscation Coup: Quickly proving to be a crucial mirror-breaker. Coup is the only realistic answer to a resolved Ulamog in the Marvel mirror, and it's more than just an answer - it can easily swing an entire game from unwinnable to unloseable. Coup also steals Marvel, which is awesome in tandem with Manglehorn, allowing you not only to take out an opposing Marvel before it can spin but also giving you an extra Marvel to start spinning yourself, making it that much harder for opponents to slog through your Marvels before they die to Ulamog. Coup is also not dead if the game shifts to everyone's Plan B, since stealing a big Tireless Tracker that's dominating the game is frequently the best response available. Coup is also a house against Winding Constrictor decks, and while that deck's metagame share has diminished (and while that deck wasn't a bad matchup anyway), having the extra sideboard bomb essentially for free is very nice. Play 2.
Splashes
Multiple Sultai and Bant versions of Marvel achieved 6-8 wins at Pro Tour Amonkhet. Decklists can be found here. This Bant Marvel deck achieved an MTGO competitive league 5-0.
Eric Froehlich discusses Brad Nelson's GP Omaha winning version here.
Having failed to communicate and get agreement from the thread author, I have replaced the OP with a primer for a later version of a related archetype. The bulk of the primer was created by scasseden here. - hoser2
Hello!
So I'm making a deck centered around the card aetherworks marvel. Was wondering if I could get some feedback on it. Basically there are four types of cards in this deck. the cyclers, to help look for what I need, the energy cards to help stack 6 energy before turn 4, The big eldrazi that we will use to aetherworks to summon, and of course the legendary artifact itself. So far i've played quite a number of games with it and I always seem to get to aetherworks, one time even having to cycle through 40 cards. While its obviously weak to aggro, I feel like the high health minions and lifegain artifacts and spells can keep it at bay until I finish the game quickly with ulamog or emrakul. So please, let me know any feedback you have even if its just liking the deck and any weaknesses it might have
How important have the lumbering falls been for you? You only need 4 mana and you have attune, I would cut the falls and go to 22 lands. I suggest either sage of shalia's claim, or aether theorist. Both generate energy and give you more early creatures to help with aggro, sage has 2 power to help kill stuff, and theorist has higher toughness and can help dig. Either one would help you
To be honest, they haven't been that helpful since i never seem to draw them that often anyways. I'll keep that in mind. And I really like the aether theorist choice since it could help scry if I have extra energy. thanks!
What about casting a Conduit of Ruin and using its ability in order to 'tutor' before activating Aetherworks Marvel? Could just be unnecessary if you're generating enough energy to activate the Marvel multiple times per game...
We were just discussing how we feel that aether theorist is better than the sage of shalia's claim. Also I would replace oblivion sower, either go bigger or with an enabler. I'd choose 2 more servant of the conduit, having 2 copies means you can't count in then early and mana dorks are worthless late. Would help with your consistency too
Based on my playtests, the deck plays kinda like modern Tron. They dig and ramp, but in this case, ramping energy counters. I would focus on winning on at least turn 5 consistently, so Conduit of Ruin and Oblivion Sower seems harder to cast, not to mention the deck runs about 21-22 lands only. I would go a couple of delirium Traverse the Ulvenwald and a copy of Mortuary Mire to get the milled Eldrazi and better hit with Marvel. Seems better value when milling with vessel or Contingency Plan. Also, the eldrazis need to be 7+cmc for Kozilek's Return.
Using hypergeometric mathematics*, you need about 14 "Emrakul" (or similar creature) in a deck to hit at least one with 80% success on the 6 cards revealed by Aetherworks Marvel (similar odds as CoCo, 2 hits on 6 cards with 25 creatures on 60 cards). With only 6, your chances are about 44%. That's the reason your Legendary Artifact does no Marvel. Your deck idea may be possible, but you have to get a much higher number of relevant hits for Aetherworks Marvel. And the more you play of that, the less you have to get the combo on-line. I'm pretty certain Aether Theorist should part of the equation, to get a higher hit probability. But the more you spend Energy to scry, the less you have to activate the Marvel. Go figure what's the solution, as there's a lot of nonbo to get the combo! Good Luck!
BTW, I brewed a Bant Evolution deck that will probably use Aetherworks Marvel (fetched with Thalia's Lancers, throught Eldritch Evolution ; so playing a single Marvel is the same as playing 8, with 3 Lancers and 4 Evolution) and Aether Theorist. It's not in the main deck for the moment, but it will probably be when I'm done testing the deck. You can look up the deck by following the link in my signature.
Getting up to that 14 hits without loading you deck with dead draws can be done by adding solid cards in the 4-6 CMC range, Gisela comes to mind, but there are plenty of good options without adding another color
There are switches to it, I will post later. However, anymore than 3 of each and I risk drawing both eldrazi. I grew tired of starting with both in hand. Vessel seems really bad in testing since it doesnt generate energy and when you mill eldrazi or hits, you cannot just rebuy them and play them. I added Nissa and Confiscation Coup. Added up to 23-24 lands. I am not sure I want to cut glassblower entirely. Running 4 conduit and 3 sages. Cut Sower. Added some architects, and a miser tireless tracker and multiform wonder; he does work!
Based on my playtests, the deck plays kinda like modern Tron. They dig and ramp, but in this case, ramping energy counters. I would focus on winning on at least turn 5 consistently, so Conduit of Ruin and Oblivion Sower seems harder to cast, not to mention the deck runs about 21-22 lands only. I would go a couple of delirium Traverse the Ulvenwald and a copy of Mortuary Mire to get the milled Eldrazi and better hit with Marvel. Seems better value when milling with vessel or Contingency Plan. Also, the eldrazis need to be 7+cmc for Kozilek's Return.
I don't think you want traverse in this deck. You want the emrakul/ulamog on top of your deck not in your hand. I like the mortuary mire idea, though.
I would only run 2 or 3 Emrakuls at most and take out the Ulamogs. I'd probably run 2 or 3 of Rashmi, Eternities Crafter, then build from there. Running a couple of Panharmonicon and/or Decoction Module are possibilities. As it stands if you don't get a turtle or a crane out by turn 2 you won't see turn 4 against aggro decks. Contingency Plan is OK because it gets more card types in graveyard, I know Woodweaver's Puzzleknot gets 6 life but that only buys you maybe a turn and it takes up 2 of yours and vessel takes up turn 1 and 2 or turn 3 and gets you no life.
I don't quite prefer the energy creatures. It is too energy centric. Puzzleknots, Attune with Aether, Aether Hub is suffice in consistently provide 6 energy. Woodweaver's Puzzleknot offers 6 lifegain, that is great in buying time early turns.
The issues with playing Conduit or Oblivion Sower to boost the count are that this deck can't easily generate 6 mana and that anything costing less than 7 won't trigger Kozilek's Return. Emerge cheats around that. They provide 7+ cmc Eldrazi castable off fewer lands. Return will wipe out your dorks anyway, so there's no harm in using them as Emerge fodder.
I posted this because maybe someone else can see a way to make Emerge-Marvel work, but I don't like it so far. You're forced to use only creatures as enablers/dig in order to have enough Emerge fodder. The math is too demanding on needing 14 Eldrazi plus enough Emerge fodder plus energy generation plus ways to dig into Marvel. You are pulled towards too many resources at once, so the plan is flimsy and easy to disrupt. On the plus side, this deck isn't entirely dependent on resolving Marvel and doesn't need a 3-color manabase or color fixing. Or 14 10-drops.
Then again, maybe we don't need 14 fatties. Unlike CoCo, Marvel is repeatable. If you hit a Puzzleknot in the top 6, you can cast that for free and have a good shot of going off again next turn (+5-7 energy generated).
I think Vessel and Crane are the best ways to dig into Marvel. Crane digs 4 deep (almost as far), gives you a body to block with, and puts the Marvel or a Puzzleknot straight to your hand. Contingency Plan seems worse, since it doesn't put the card in hand (card disadvantage, 1 draw step lost), even if it can stack a fatty on top below it.
I think the problem is too much high end. Maybe Whirler Virtuoso instead of Ulamog and Aethertorch Renegade in place of Oblivion Sower, Panharmonicon and/or Decoction Modulein place of GlassBlower's Puzzle Knot. I think rather than making sure you hit a big creature with the Marvel, you are better off having creatures you can cast early that generate energy and defense then if you miss with the Marvel on first attempt, you can still play an energy generator off the Marvel and crank it again on the next turn. I'd also replace Sage of Shalia's Claim, either with Longtusk Cub as potential outlet for energy if you aren't seeing the Marvel or Glint-Nest Crane to help you search for the Marvel or a Panharmonicon or Decoction Module, since both of these are probably going to survive your playing a Kozilek's where the Sage will not.
In the Aether Temurge thread, Ishkanah, Grafwidow was mentioned. Ishkanah has a lot of synergy with this deck. First, delirium is easy-ish to achieve, especially if you're playing Vessel of Nascency. Then it creates a bunch of chump blockers that give you energy when they die (if aetherworks is out, of course). Token generation seems like a great way to stay alive, since things dying gives you energy. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be many good fabricate cards in our colors.
Speaking dying stuff (and delirium), Evolving Wilds is looking pretty good. It was mentioned in the OP, but it has synergy with the deck beyond mana-fixing. Of course, if you're only in two colors it may be more trouble than it's worth.
What does everyone think about Aethersquall Ancient? Does it have any place in this deck?
Also, no mention of Harnessed Lightning? That seems like a shoo-in if you're playing red.
In the Aether Temurge thread, Ishkanah, Grafwidow was mentioned. Ishkanah has a lot of synergy with this deck. First, delirium is easy-ish to achieve, especially if you're playing Vessel of Nascency. Then it creates a bunch of chump blockers that give you energy when they die (if aetherworks is out, of course). Token generation seems like a great way to stay alive, since things dying gives you energy. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be many good fabricate cards in our colors.
What does everyone think about Aethersquall Ancient? Does it have any place in this deck?
Also, no mention of Harnessed Lightning? That seems like a shoo-in if you're playing red.
It just seems there are so many better big things to be shooting for than the Ancient. It doesn't have an ETB or on cast triggered ability and you are using your energy stored up on the Marvel each turn, so there probably will not be enough energy for you to utilize the Ancient's bomb ability right away. I would rather just use Confiscation Coup since it is cheaper to cast and you get the best thing your opponent has on board.
If running red I think Harnessed Lightning and Whirler Virtuoso should probably both have a home. Mana fixing for Temur Marvel isn't a problem right now and RU or RG Marvel are also possibilities. Personally, I feel focus should be on early game and making sure you get to see the Marvel and that it goes off every turn after it hits battlefield rather than making sure you cast a game ender the first time you use it.
Would anyone be interested in trying out a sultai list if I was able to post one after work tonight? I think sultai adds some interesting choices sense we are already going towards delerium a little bit with self mill cards like vessel and we are filling the deck with 8-14 big creatures, having one or two copies of ever after probably wouldn't be amiss
14 fatties seems to be a bit too much. 10 would suffice and you will have more slots to improve consistency. I have found my best list, 5/10 games turn 5/6 Emrakul or Ulamog that wins the game. The big fatties are supposed to win you games. Other slots focuses on digging, providing energy, sweepers. Ishkanah still the best in buying you some time and utilizes delirium and as emerge fodder to Elder-Deep Fiend.
All the maindeck fatties are theoretically castable for less than their main cost (Delirium / Emerge), so the deck isn't completely dependent on getting Marvel to work. Also, if Marvel hits no creatures but finds Puzzleknot, you can play that and go off again next turn. The 6 life is probably enough to buy you that extra turn.
I will post them once I completed my cards and have a real time game play. In the mean time, everyone should enjoy brewing while finding the right recipe for the deck.
As the format matured, online player jabberwocki and others combined Marvel and Delirium to make decks that could Marvel into Emrakul or use Ishkanah, Grafwidow to stall until hardcasting Emrakul. These decks were so successful that they contributed to the subsequent banning of Emrakul.
With Aether Revolt and the banning of Emrakul, although Marvel into Ulamog was attempted, Copycat Combo proved more effective.
With Amonkhet and the banning of Felidar Guardian, Marvel proved to be a top tier contender, taking half of the top 8 at Pro Tour Amonkhet. Marvel's status was confirmed by winning GPs Santiago and Montreal while taking 3 of the top 8 spots in each. Subsequently, Marvel dominated and won GP Omaha and placed decks in the top 8 of GPs Manila and Amsterdam.
Aetherworks Marvel: The card that started it all. For the low price of six energy, one card, four mana, and a good luck ritual, you too can cast an unbeatable Eldrazi Titan on turn four in Standard. Play four.
Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger: The payoff for Marvel. Originally discarded from Kaladesh-era Marvel decks due to casting difficulties, a January 2017 ban of Emrakul from Standard left Ulamog as the premier Eldrazi Titan to be cast off of Marvel. You will develop the biggest love/hate relationship with Ulamog and you'll LIKE it. Builds vary on the exact number of Ulamog to play: some people play 2-3 in order to give themselves a realistic chance of getting turn-4 Ulamog while reducing the odds of drawing Ulamog, which is usually terrible; other people play the full four copies in order to maximize their chances of hitting Ulamog off of Marvel, regarding the -win% from a higher likelihood of drawing uncastable Ulamogs as an acceptable downside. This primer takes the latter position and strongly recommends four copies.
Attune with Aether: In tandem with Aether Hub, provides the best manabase in Standard, not close. For the relatively low price of playing a couple of Forests and green fastlands, you have an all-in-one tricolor mana fixer, Hub fuel, and one-third of a Marvel activation once your mana is fully online. Play four.
Harnessed Lightning: You don't need a lot of removal spells to handle business, just one really good one, and R&D delivered here, big time. This card is the closest thing we're going to get to a two-mana unconditional removal spell for quite some time, and it slots into this deck perfectly, so enjoy it while it's here. Play four.
Woodweaver's Puzzleknot: It looks like part of an unassuming draft-chaff cycle. In fairness, it is, but it's real good draft-chaff. The lifegain keeps aggro decks from getting underneath you, and the card conveniently pays for a Marvel activation all by itself. Some players have shaved on the fourth Puzzleknot on occasion because it can be underwhelming in the mirror and in your bad matchups, but your game 1 is so warped around Marvel, no matter how you build your deck, that you can't really afford to skimp on activation efficiency. Play four.
Rogue Refiner: It blocks, it attacks planeswalkers and control opponents pretty well, it makes two energy and oh yeah, it replaces itself with a card. Great deal for 3 mana. Tends to be a very "replacement-level" card; you'll probably cut some copies postboard in a lot of situations where Marvel activations aren't as paramount to your winning the game, since a cantripping 3/2 for 3 is a good "rate" but the random body doesn't actually advance your victory criterion all that much. However, in your combo-heavy game 1s, Refiner does everything you could ever realistically expect your 3-drop to do. Play four.
Whirler Virtuoso: In Standard seasons past, Virtuoso was the backup plan of a lot of energy-dependent combo decks, ranging from OG Marvel with Emrakul to 4c Copycat. Virtuoso's light has faded a bit since the last time Marvel was great; the format is significantly slower and the mirror comes down to Marvel spins much more frequently than Thopter-beats backup plans, especially given the emergence of Chandra, Flamecaller to combat aggressive decks, which has substantial splash damage against Virtuoso beats. Nonetheless, there will be times where you just don't draw that Marvel and you rip a Virtuoso with 1-2 dozen energy counters available and you'll be glad you had him. Plus, he does make half a Marvel activation by himself! This primer can't recommend the full four copies in good faith, although some people play four copies to great success. Definitely play at least one, and probably 2-3.
Servant of the Conduit: This guy compares pretty favorably to the likes of Sylvan Caryatid and Rattleclaw Mystic from recent seasons past. 2-mana rainbow dorks rarely get to be 2/2s as well; Servant can rumble with the format's early beaters a lot more effectively than you'd ever guess from looking at it. Marvel saves it from being a dead draw late like most dorks are, since the energy ETB trigger is 1/3 of an activation by itself. Still, Marvel doesn't utilize extra mana very well, since it's more of a "cheating" than "ramping" deck, and it's very easy to resolve Servant on 2 and play out a game where the extra mana didn't matter. This card is optional but a significant asset.
Glimmer of Genius: Solid roleplayer in any nonaggressive deck. Glimmer is especially useful in game 1 as a "bridge" card when you've made some early plays but haven't found Marvel yet. It's a bit slow for aggressive matchups sometimes, but it's never dead, and provides some significant selection on top of being an instant-speed draw-2. Adding 2 energy is just cake. Some builds have opted for zero Glimmer, but they are pretty rare these days. This primer observes that zero copies of Glimmer can occasionally be correct, but recommends two copies by default, and the full playset if you are playing a more controlling take on Marvel.
Dynavolt Tower: This card has occasionally seen play as a 1-2 of in Marvel decks as an alternative energy outlet and generator, but even the more controlling builds of Marvel have tended not to play Towers in them this season, opting for Torrential Gearhulk instead. This primer concedes that the card may be interesting in a controlling Marvel build but recommends zero copies.
Chandra, Flamecaller: Chandra has spent most of her Standard life in relative obscurity, pushed out of the format by aggro decks with some form of resilience to her -X ability (Collected Company decks, followed by Smuggler's Copter/Heart of Kiran decks). However, the rise of Zombies -- an aggressive deck soft to her -X ability with good to great matchups against the aggressive decks resilient to Chandra -- has given Chandra a chance to shine. All Marvel decks play an "alternate hit" that costs around six mana and ends games quickly, in order to make their Marvel spins a greater threat to the opponent and in order to have a "hit" off Marvel that is realistically castable in a normal Magic game. Chandra does both these things, but she also complements Ulamog and Marvel very nicely. Her 0 ability is at its best in Marvel: you can pitch useless Ulamogs that you drew and try to get real cards, and when you have either a large energy supply or an energy sink, but not both, you can dig to the missing piece extremely efficiently. Chandra also headhunts rival planeswalkers pretty effectively, shoring up a weakness to resolved PWs in games where you don't have an early Ulamog. This primer absolutely recommends at least two maindeck copies, and endorses up to four.
Torrential Gearhulk: The "other" alternate win condition of choice. Gearhulk plays pretty well in Marvel builds that are willing to use their flex slots on instants to maximize its value. This primer prefers Chandra in the same slot, since they tend to compete for space in the deck, and since Chandra does so much for the deck, while Gearhulk tends to be more of a "value card" than an engine piece for Marvel. Gearhulk versions of Marvel tend to lean less on the actual combo with Marvel and try to play a more normal game; whether or not reducing the variance (bad and good) intrinsic in the Marvel strategy is worthwhile is an unresolved question. Marvel decks which choose to play Gearhulk tend to play 1-2 copies; this primer recommends zero.
Tireless Tracker: Tracker nearly always shows up in the Marvel sideboard, but has since made its way into the maindeck in some builds. Tracker is an excellent Plan B for a deck that is very resource-hungry and sometimes needs to draw a lot of lands to win. The format is also slowing down to the point where you can realistically draw Tracker against aggressive decks and have a chance. This primer makes no recommendations as to how many copies of Tracker to play in the maindeck, but recommends at least two copies, and possibly a full playset, in the entire 75 of every Marvel deck.
Chandra, Torch of Defiance: 4-mana Chandra has historically been an excellent alternate win condition in energy-combo decks, but has suffered to a significant extent from the rise of Zombies, since she cannot easily defend herself. She is also prone to occasional clunk in combination with Flamecaller, or with reactive cards, which are needed to play Torrential Gearhulk. This combination makes her difficult to play in the maindeck since one or the other six-drop is so essential to making Marvel as strong as it needs to be. With that said, she's an excellent threat against control decks, and she synergizes strategically with Flamecaller, in that one Chandra is good in the matchups where the other is bad, and vice versa: Flamecaller can be too clunky in the mirror and against control, where Torch of Defiance is great, while Torch of Defiance is inefficient against aggressive decks where Flamecaller shines. This primer recommends sideboarding her if you play her, and recommends 2-3 copies if so.
Magma Spray: Iffy in the maindeck unless you expect a lot of Mardu or Zombies. Great sideboard card. Play 2 sideboard, maindeck contingent on expected metagame but lean toward none.
Censor: The main alternative to Servant of the Conduit in Gearhulk versions of Marvel. Play 3-4 maindeck if you aren't playing Servant, since you need a turn-2 play of some kind. Recommend zero if you play Servant and don't play Gearhulk.
Dissenter's Deliverance: Maindecking one copy of this card isn't bad if you have the space, both to mise with Marvel (and possibly double-up with Gearhulk) and because its cycling cost is very easy to satisfy. Hard to recommend more than a couple if your metagame doesn't have a lot of Vehicles however.
Negate: Reasonable to maindeck right now, mandatory in the 75 somewhere. If you decide to maindeck, you can probably afford three copies in the 75; recommend limiting SB to two Negates whether or not you maindeck any copies.
Sweltering Suns/Radiant Flames: Maindecking a 3-mana sweeper is okay if you expect a lot of aggressive decks, or if you expect to be the controlling player in most of your matchups. This one is a true tossup overall, since Flames is a lot easier to cast, but Suns can be cast off Marvel; however, for the maindeck, Suns is the only reasonable choice due to cycling. Play two in your 75, maybe a third for the SB if you maindeck 1-2 copies.
Ceremonious Rejection: Brutally efficient in the mirror, but you almost never want to draw two copies. Rejection is an excellent fun-of for the board.
Manglehorn: Essential in the mirror match - even blowing up an opposing Puzzleknot or Clue token is acceptable since those two artifacts sacrifice for value if allowed to do so, but the main attraction lies in keeping your opponents off of Marvel for one turn even if it resolves. That gives you a chance to use an artifact removal spell to clean up the Marvel before it could do anything, or even steal it (more on that next). Manglehorn also gives you very good splash damage against Toolcraft Exemplar + Heart of Kiran decks. Play 2 in the board.
Confiscation Coup: Quickly proving to be a crucial mirror-breaker. Coup is the only realistic answer to a resolved Ulamog in the Marvel mirror, and it's more than just an answer - it can easily swing an entire game from unwinnable to unloseable. Coup also steals Marvel, which is awesome in tandem with Manglehorn, allowing you not only to take out an opposing Marvel before it can spin but also giving you an extra Marvel to start spinning yourself, making it that much harder for opponents to slog through your Marvels before they die to Ulamog. Coup is also not dead if the game shifts to everyone's Plan B, since stealing a big Tireless Tracker that's dominating the game is frequently the best response available. Coup is also a house against Winding Constrictor decks, and while that deck's metagame share has diminished (and while that deck wasn't a bad matchup anyway), having the extra sideboard bomb essentially for free is very nice. Play 2.
This Bant Marvel deck achieved an MTGO competitive league 5-0.
So I'm making a deck centered around the card aetherworks marvel. Was wondering if I could get some feedback on it. Basically there are four types of cards in this deck. the cyclers, to help look for what I need, the energy cards to help stack 6 energy before turn 4, The big eldrazi that we will use to aetherworks to summon, and of course the legendary artifact itself. So far i've played quite a number of games with it and I always seem to get to aetherworks, one time even having to cycle through 40 cards. While its obviously weak to aggro, I feel like the high health minions and lifegain artifacts and spells can keep it at bay until I finish the game quickly with ulamog or emrakul. So please, let me know any feedback you have even if its just liking the deck and any weaknesses it might have
Thanks!
4 Aetherworks Marvel
4 emrakul, the promised end
4 Glint-nest Crane
4 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
2 Lumbering Falls
4 Thriving Turtle
4 Woodweaver's Puzzleknot
4 Botanical Sanctum
3 Evolving Wilds Alt 21
2 Contingency Plan
6 Forest KLD
4 Attune with Aether
5 Island
2 Pulse of murasa
4 Vessel of Nascency
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UGr Aetherworks
6 Forest
6 Island
4 Aether Hub
4 Botanic Sanctum
1 Mountain
Creatures (22)
4 Thriving Turtle
4 Aether Theorist
4 Sage of Shalia's Claim
3 Ulamog, The Ceaseless Hunger
3 Emrakul, The Promised End
2 Oblivion Sower
2 Servant of the Conduit
4 Attune with Aether
4 Glassblower's Puzzle knot
4 Aetherworks Marvel
3 Kozilek's Return
2 Contingency Plan
3 Aether Meltdown
3 Woodweaver's Puzzleknot
2 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Negate
2 Appetite for the Unnatural
1 Dispel
1 Kozilek's Return
1 Confiscation Coup
Opinions/Suggestions/Questions?
We were just discussing how we feel that aether theorist is better than the sage of shalia's claim. Also I would replace oblivion sower, either go bigger or with an enabler. I'd choose 2 more servant of the conduit, having 2 copies means you can't count in then early and mana dorks are worthless late. Would help with your consistency too
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Based on my playtests, the deck plays kinda like modern Tron. They dig and ramp, but in this case, ramping energy counters. I would focus on winning on at least turn 5 consistently, so Conduit of Ruin and Oblivion Sower seems harder to cast, not to mention the deck runs about 21-22 lands only. I would go a couple of delirium Traverse the Ulvenwald and a copy of Mortuary Mire to get the milled Eldrazi and better hit with Marvel. Seems better value when milling with vessel or Contingency Plan. Also, the eldrazis need to be 7+cmc for Kozilek's Return.
Modern : RG Titan Shift RG | RG Revolt Zoo RG | RG Ponza RG | RGW Naya Burn RGW
Legacy : RG Belcher RG
* you all can be Frank Karsten with this calculator : http://stattrek.com/m/online-calculator/hypergeometric.aspx
BTW, I brewed a Bant Evolution deck that will probably use Aetherworks Marvel (fetched with Thalia's Lancers, throught Eldritch Evolution ; so playing a single Marvel is the same as playing 8, with 3 Lancers and 4 Evolution) and Aether Theorist. It's not in the main deck for the moment, but it will probably be when I'm done testing the deck. You can look up the deck by following the link in my signature.
1st, GP Toronto Sunday Super Series 2016 : Ally Company RWBG
Top 8, PPTQ Shadows over Innistrad : Boros Humans WR.
Use a hypergeometric calculator for your deckbuilding maths,
and use TopDecked to manage your decks and collection on your Apple or Android device.
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Standard: Mardu Planeswalkers
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4 Thriving Turtle
4 Attune with Aether
4 Servant of the Conduit
4 Aether Theorist - I think definitely this card anyway
4 Glint-Nest Crane
4 Aetherworks Marvel
Work from there. You can run blossoming defense, negate, Aether Meltdown in the sideboard
I would only run 2 or 3 Emrakuls at most and take out the Ulamogs. I'd probably run 2 or 3 of Rashmi, Eternities Crafter, then build from there. Running a couple of Panharmonicon and/or Decoction Module are possibilities. As it stands if you don't get a turtle or a crane out by turn 2 you won't see turn 4 against aggro decks. Contingency Plan is OK because it gets more card types in graveyard, I know Woodweaver's Puzzleknot gets 6 life but that only buys you maybe a turn and it takes up 2 of yours and vessel takes up turn 1 and 2 or turn 3 and gets you no life.
I don't quite prefer the energy creatures. It is too energy centric. Puzzleknots, Attune with Aether, Aether Hub is suffice in consistently provide 6 energy. Woodweaver's Puzzleknot offers 6 lifegain, that is great in buying time early turns.
Modern : RG Titan Shift RG | RG Revolt Zoo RG | RG Ponza RG | RGW Naya Burn RGW
Legacy : RG Belcher RG
The issues with playing Conduit or Oblivion Sower to boost the count are that this deck can't easily generate 6 mana and that anything costing less than 7 won't trigger Kozilek's Return. Emerge cheats around that. They provide 7+ cmc Eldrazi castable off fewer lands. Return will wipe out your dorks anyway, so there's no harm in using them as Emerge fodder.
4 Thriving Turtle
4 Aether Theorist
4 Glint-Nest Crane
4 Aethertorch Renegade
4 Wretched Gryff
4 Elder Deep-Fiend
3 Emrakul, the Promised End
3 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
4 Aetherworks Marvel
3 Kozilek's Return
//Lands: 23
4 Aether Hub
19 blue&red lands
I posted this because maybe someone else can see a way to make Emerge-Marvel work, but I don't like it so far. You're forced to use only creatures as enablers/dig in order to have enough Emerge fodder. The math is too demanding on needing 14 Eldrazi plus enough Emerge fodder plus energy generation plus ways to dig into Marvel. You are pulled towards too many resources at once, so the plan is flimsy and easy to disrupt. On the plus side, this deck isn't entirely dependent on resolving Marvel and doesn't need a 3-color manabase or color fixing. Or 14 10-drops.
Then again, maybe we don't need 14 fatties. Unlike CoCo, Marvel is repeatable. If you hit a Puzzleknot in the top 6, you can cast that for free and have a good shot of going off again next turn (+5-7 energy generated).
4 Attune with Aether
4 Thriving Turtle
4 Glassblower's Puzzleknot
4 Woodweaver's Puzzleknot
4 Vessel of Nascency
4 Glint-Nest Crane
//Engine: 7
4 Aetherworks Marvel
3 Kozilek's Return
4 Emrakul, the Promised End
3 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
//Lands: 22
4 Aether Hub
1 Mountain
17 other lands
I think Vessel and Crane are the best ways to dig into Marvel. Crane digs 4 deep (almost as far), gives you a body to block with, and puts the Marvel or a Puzzleknot straight to your hand. Contingency Plan seems worse, since it doesn't put the card in hand (card disadvantage, 1 draw step lost), even if it can stack a fatty on top below it.
I absolutely love your inclusion of Kozilek's Return
I think the problem is too much high end. Maybe Whirler Virtuoso instead of Ulamog and Aethertorch Renegade in place of Oblivion Sower, Panharmonicon and/or Decoction Modulein place of GlassBlower's Puzzle Knot. I think rather than making sure you hit a big creature with the Marvel, you are better off having creatures you can cast early that generate energy and defense then if you miss with the Marvel on first attempt, you can still play an energy generator off the Marvel and crank it again on the next turn. I'd also replace Sage of Shalia's Claim, either with Longtusk Cub as potential outlet for energy if you aren't seeing the Marvel or Glint-Nest Crane to help you search for the Marvel or a Panharmonicon or Decoction Module, since both of these are probably going to survive your playing a Kozilek's where the Sage will not.
I'd really like to find a place for Rashmi, Eternities Crafter or Confiscation Coup in the main board, but I think Contingency Plan is probably the better way to go. I do think Blossoming Defense needs a place in sideboard if you go more low end creature base like this as well.
Speaking dying stuff (and delirium), Evolving Wilds is looking pretty good. It was mentioned in the OP, but it has synergy with the deck beyond mana-fixing. Of course, if you're only in two colors it may be more trouble than it's worth.
What does everyone think about Aethersquall Ancient? Does it have any place in this deck?
Also, no mention of Harnessed Lightning? That seems like a shoo-in if you're playing red.
It just seems there are so many better big things to be shooting for than the Ancient. It doesn't have an ETB or on cast triggered ability and you are using your energy stored up on the Marvel each turn, so there probably will not be enough energy for you to utilize the Ancient's bomb ability right away. I would rather just use Confiscation Coup since it is cheaper to cast and you get the best thing your opponent has on board.
If running red I think Harnessed Lightning and Whirler Virtuoso should probably both have a home. Mana fixing for Temur Marvel isn't a problem right now and RU or RG Marvel are also possibilities. Personally, I feel focus should be on early game and making sure you get to see the Marvel and that it goes off every turn after it hits battlefield rather than making sure you cast a game ender the first time you use it.
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Modern : RG Titan Shift RG | RG Revolt Zoo RG | RG Ponza RG | RGW Naya Burn RGW
Legacy : RG Belcher RG
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Modern : RG Titan Shift RG | RG Revolt Zoo RG | RG Ponza RG | RGW Naya Burn RGW
Legacy : RG Belcher RG
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4 Thriving Turtle
4 Aether Theorist
4 Glint-Nest Crane
4 Elder Deep-Fiend
4 Emrakul, the Promised End
//Spells: 18
3 Attune with Aether
3 Vessel of Nascency
4 Woodweaver's Puzzleknot
4 Kozilek's Return
4 Aetherworks Marvel
4 Aether Hub
4 Botanical Sanctum
4 Spirebluff Canal
4 Evolving Wilds
1 Mountain
2 Island
3 Forest
2 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
3 Harnessed Lightning
2 Aether Meltdown
2 Confiscation Coup
3 Dispel
2 Natural State
3 Filigree Familiar
All the maindeck fatties are theoretically castable for less than their main cost (Delirium / Emerge), so the deck isn't completely dependent on getting Marvel to work. Also, if Marvel hits no creatures but finds Puzzleknot, you can play that and go off again next turn. The 6 life is probably enough to buy you that extra turn.
Modern : RG Titan Shift RG | RG Revolt Zoo RG | RG Ponza RG | RGW Naya Burn RGW
Legacy : RG Belcher RG