I feel like this deck is at the point where anyone could drop the last three cards. But I'm not ready too.
I vote out Sphere of the Suns because I think Coalition Relic would be better here. But I think we need one or the other and I don't feel like forcing our hand on the difference in function. Basically, we need the fixing more than we need another set of fixing forcing the deck to get cut down.
So instead, I'll just add 2 Tree of Tales - We need every color, we want metalcraft.
Vote to finish off Pyromancy: While I really like the notion of bounce/toss the 'crusher, this deck already has too many moving parts.
-1 Arcbound Wanderer: I agree with the above assessment. Does a neat trick in the late game, but is not good to see early on.
Vote out Tezzeret's Gambit - We're kind of a cross between combo and control, I think tutors are stronger here than general card draw.
We now have a bunch of tutor effects, I think this frees us up to reduce some cards.
-2 Lux Cannon: We can tutor for it when we have the Energy Chambers and Clasps available to make it quickly usuable.
-2 Fist of the Suns: We only need one on the field, but I like the notion of a back-up in the deck.
I'm not sure Mox Opal is the acceleration/fixing this deck needs... But I'll refrain from voting it out for now because I'm also not sure what would be better.
I like Tez alongside all the Prisms, Chambers, and Fists. I think we could free up room if we run some tutors. ET or Fabricate would allow us to run fewer Fists and Cannons. Maybe cut something else too. For now, my main concern is that we have no early defensive activity.
-4 Hardened Scales : We only have means of taking advantage of this effect late game since we're not running early critters that utilize it. I think we need the room for a couple playsets worth of 1-3 drop critters.
+4 Etched Champion : Drops earlier than anything else and can stand in front of early threats.
We have enough counter tricks to negate the need for Suncrusher's second ability. I want to give that ability something to do too.
+2 Pyromancy so that we can bounce and toss the Suncrusher (mostly) at will. I say mostly, because it is looking like most of this deck will get cast fast, or be an alright random alternate (looking at Wanderer).
If you're used to duels, this is the place to start rethinking strategies and cards whose value changes when you're facing down more than one foe. Some of our members have put together guides for using each color in multiplayer. These guides are a great place to start looking at strengths, weaknesses, and theory on cards that scale with the size of your battlefield.
These threads will never get a Necro-Lock, you may respond to them after any amount of time.
Since you're not really focusing on land destruction. I think Plague Spores could be swapped out for something else. Flametongue Kavu is from your era and still a gold standard for removal attached to a threat. You could also run the newer Skinrender to do a similar job. If you choose to add creatures like these, then Backlash should probably get cut. It would have fewer targets and you'd have more bodies, so a regular kill spell like Doom Blade, Go for the Throat, or Murder would probably be better.
Browbeat should probably be cut. While I love it, the card is very unreliable and needs to be in a deck that really doesn't care about the outcome. Those are rare builds. I think this deck would benefit from a consistent effect. Harmonize or Solemn Simulacrum provide cards for you. Blightning is offensive card advantage that still burns someone in topdeck mode. Or just a good ol' burn spell like Lightning Bolt, Skullcrack, or Flame Javelin.
You're running a full playset of artifact removal between Hull Breach and Smash, so I assume you need dedicated answers. Consider Ancient Grudge or Beast Within. Both are instants, Grudge is cheap and reusable while Beast replaces any dangerous card with a more manageable 3/3 (shouldn't be a problem if you run Kavu or Skinrender).
Savage Lands and Jund Charm are nice variants that you could run alongside your current lands/charms if you wanted. (Also, I just like imagining that Darigaaz's caldera resided in a place called the Savage Lands.)
A
We can't just build the deck you want, we need a bit more info.
How do you want the deck to win? Should it kill with one or two big creatures? Do you want to run over the opponent with a lot of small creatures?
BG can go a lot of different routes as a color combo, from control to aggro. What would you prefer to do?
I vote out Sphere of the Suns because I think Coalition Relic would be better here. But I think we need one or the other and I don't feel like forcing our hand on the difference in function. Basically, we need the fixing more than we need another set of fixing forcing the deck to get cut down.
So instead, I'll just add 2 Tree of Tales - We need every color, we want metalcraft.
4 Suncrusher
4 Etched Oracle
4 Arcbound Wanderer (2 @ -1)
4 Etched Champion
Artifacts: 26
4 Fist of Suns (2 @ -2)
2 Blade of the Bloodchief
3 Mox Opal
4 Pentad Prism
4 Energy Chamber
2 Contagion Clasp
1 Lux Cannon
1 Magistrate's Scepter
2 Clock of Omens
3 Sphere of the Suns [1 @ -3]
2 Tezzeret the Seeker
Sorcery: 4
4 Fabricate (2 @ -1)
Lands: 24
11 Vault of Whispers
2 Tree of Tales
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Glimmervoid
3 Reflecting Pool
I hope so. I've got a clay... pot? Basin? It is wider than it is tall, but the rim is significantly narrower than the max circumference.
Anyway. I've got a lot of tea in this object. New Years celebration to y'all.
Unrelated note, Redwood resolves to post here at least once each month. Golden so far!
-1 Arcbound Wanderer: I agree with the above assessment. Does a neat trick in the late game, but is not good to see early on.
Vote out Tezzeret's Gambit - We're kind of a cross between combo and control, I think tutors are stronger here than general card draw.
4 Suncrusher
4 Etched Oracle
4 Arcbound Wanderer (2 @ -1)
4 Etched Champion
Artifacts: 23
4 Fist of Suns (2 @ -2)
2 Blade of the Bloodchief
3 Mox Opal
4 Pentad Prism
4 Energy Chamber
2 Contagion Clasp
1 Lux Cannon
1 Magistrate's Scepter
2 Clock of Omens
2 Tezzeret the Seeker
Sorcery: 7
4 Fabricate (2 @ -1)
3 Tezzeret's Gambit (2 @ -3)
Lands: 24
13 Vault of Whispers
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Glimmervoid
3 Reflecting Pool
-2 Lux Cannon: We can tutor for it when we have the Energy Chambers and Clasps available to make it quickly usuable.
-2 Fist of the Suns: We only need one on the field, but I like the notion of a back-up in the deck.
I'm not sure Mox Opal is the acceleration/fixing this deck needs... But I'll refrain from voting it out for now because I'm also not sure what would be better.
4 Suncrusher
4 Etched Oracle
4 Arcbound Wanderer
4 Etched Champion
Enchantments: 6
2 Pyromancy
Artifacts: 23
4 Fist of Suns (1 @ -2)
2 Blade of the Bloodchief
3 Mox Opal
4 Pentad Prism
4 Energy Chamber
2 Contagion Clasp
3 Lux Cannon (1 @ -2)
1 Magistrate's Scepter
2 Tezzeret the Seeker
Sorcery: 4
4 Fabricate
Lands: 24
13 Vault of Whispers
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Glimmervoid
3 Reflecting Pool
-4 Hardened Scales : We only have means of taking advantage of this effect late game since we're not running early critters that utilize it. I think we need the room for a couple playsets worth of 1-3 drop critters.
+4 Etched Champion : Drops earlier than anything else and can stand in front of early threats.
4 Suncrusher
4 Etched Oracle
4 Arcbound Wanderer
4 Etched Champion
Enchantments: 6
4 Hardened scales (2 @ -4)
2 Pyromancy
4 Fist of Suns
2 Blade of the Bloodchief
3 Mox Opal
4 Pentad Prism
4 Energy Chamber
2 Contagion Clasp
3 Lux Cannon
1 Magistrate's Scepter
2 Tezzeret the Seeker
Lands: 24
13 Vault of Whispers
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Glimmervoid
3 Reflecting Pool
+2 Pyromancy so that we can bounce and toss the Suncrusher (mostly) at will. I say mostly, because it is looking like most of this deck will get cast fast, or be an alright random alternate (looking at Wanderer).
4 Suncrusher
4 Etched Oracle
4 Arcbound Wanderer
Enchantments: 6
4 Hardened scales (1 @ -4)
2 Pyromancy
4 Fist of Suns
2 Blade of the Bloodchief
3 Mox Opal
4 Pentad Prism
4 Energy Chamber
2 Contagion Clasp
13 Vault of Whispers
4 Seat of Synod
4 Glimmervoid
3 Reflecting Pool
It looks likely that you'll lose before you can really get going.
Maybe run some sweepers to keep the ground clear in the early game?
I didn't, time to start taking that into account!
[dice=1]12[/dice]
1. Aafyre
2. kamakazi339
3. BlackVise
4. Pokerkingdave
5. Quilt
6. SwapGoTron
7. CalvinSchwa
8. GumgodMTG
9. BlackVise
10. CalvinSchwa
11. kamakazi339
12. GumgodMTG
Just run good tutors, or make sure Steel and Ironworks have secondary jobs. Generally not too hard in colorless.
If you're used to duels, this is the place to start rethinking strategies and cards whose value changes when you're facing down more than one foe. Some of our members have put together guides for using each color in multiplayer. These guides are a great place to start looking at strengths, weaknesses, and theory on cards that scale with the size of your battlefield.
These threads will never get a Necro-Lock, you may respond to them after any amount of time.
Artifice Multiplayer Cards and Strategies - Guide by CadaverousBl00m
Black Multiplayer Cards and Strategies - Guide by Prid3
Blue Multiplayer Cards and Strategies - Guide by Prid3
Green Multiplayer Cards and Strategies - Guide by Prid3
Red Multiplayer Cards and Strategies - Guide by Prid3
White Multiplayer Cards and Strategies - Guide by Prid3
Since you're not really focusing on land destruction. I think Plague Spores could be swapped out for something else. Flametongue Kavu is from your era and still a gold standard for removal attached to a threat. You could also run the newer Skinrender to do a similar job. If you choose to add creatures like these, then Backlash should probably get cut. It would have fewer targets and you'd have more bodies, so a regular kill spell like Doom Blade, Go for the Throat, or Murder would probably be better.
Browbeat should probably be cut. While I love it, the card is very unreliable and needs to be in a deck that really doesn't care about the outcome. Those are rare builds. I think this deck would benefit from a consistent effect. Harmonize or Solemn Simulacrum provide cards for you. Blightning is offensive card advantage that still burns someone in topdeck mode. Or just a good ol' burn spell like Lightning Bolt, Skullcrack, or Flame Javelin.
You're running a full playset of artifact removal between Hull Breach and Smash, so I assume you need dedicated answers. Consider Ancient Grudge or Beast Within. Both are instants, Grudge is cheap and reusable while Beast replaces any dangerous card with a more manageable 3/3 (shouldn't be a problem if you run Kavu or Skinrender).
Savage Lands and Jund Charm are nice variants that you could run alongside your current lands/charms if you wanted. (Also, I just like imagining that Darigaaz's caldera resided in a place called the Savage Lands.)