My current list splashing green for everything wrong with Magic. Now including a little Tribute Mage package that's been stellar. Really revived the deck for me. Disrupt their gameplan and turn stuff sideways. Smuggler's Copter and Throne of the God-Pharaoh are the real payoffs in a deck full of durdly 1/x's.
DeckMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards | ||
---|---|---|
Artifact (6) 4 Smuggler's Copter 1 Throne of the God-Pharaoh 1 Thorn of Amethyst Artifact Creature (10) 3 Lodestone Golem 3 Walking Ballista 2 Myr Superion 1 Wurmcoil Engine 1 Phyrexian Revoker Creature (19) 4 Grand Architect 4 Chief Engineer 3 Tribute Mage 4 Faerie Seer 4 Sage of Epityr | Spell (6) 4 Once Upon a Time 2 Incubation // Incongruity Land (19) 6 Island 4 Waterlogged Grove 4 Botanical Sanctum 2 Yavimaya Coast 2 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds 1 Academy Ruins | Sideboard 1 Basilisk Collar 1 Grafdigger's Cage 1 Engineered Explosives 1 Torpor Orb 1 Damping Sphere 1 Spellskite 1 Sorcerous Spyglass 2 Trinket Mage 2 Wurmcoil Engine 4 Veil of Summer |
I spent a long time playing with the taxing one drops for this deck, but have now eschewed them entirely in favor of "Cantrip Creatures" to increase the likelihood of curving out in the way the deck needs to. When this deck doesnt line up its curve properly, it's just not doing anything powerful enough for Modern. Saccing the creatures you need to produce Mana and Crew triggers is also just very counterproductive a lot of the time, and i've seen much more success with Faerie Seer and Sage of Epityr than I ever did with Wanderer and friends. Together with Once Upon A Time and Tribute Mage, the deck becomes much more consistent at assembling its pieces and reaching its goal every game. It also allows some lands to be shaved. Incubation // Incongruity is another card I've been playing a few copies of since dipping into green, and with 29 very relevant hits for its first mode, and the occasional gamechanging removal spell on the backend, I've been impressed so far.
As far as the sideboard goes, Veil Of Summer is a messed up card, and this deck loves it. Does tremendous work against the Thoughtsieze/Fatal Push decks that Blue Steel normally struggles to beat, UW, Shadow, etc. The rest of the sideboard is just Wurmcoils for aggro, and targets for Tribute Mage that slot in against a lot of matchups nicely. Trinket Mage package has been okay so far, but the board is a little bloated with so many things going on.
A final note; I've been thoroughly unimpressed with Etherium Sculptor over the years. The third artificer just doesnt have what it takes a lot of the time, and his impact on the game is very low compared to Chief Engineer or Grand Architect. Loading up the deck with card selection to consistently reach the real payoffs of the deck at the right times has vastly improved the amount of explosive starts this deck thrives off of. The christmasland hands where Etherium Sculptor lets you dump your hand on turn 2 just arent worth all the realistic ones where he's a 1/2 you dont need. Going t1 dork, t2 Engineer + Copter, or t3 architect + payoff consistently every game is just going to win you more games of magic.
1
1
1
Also low cost artifacts like Hangarback Walker and the new Walking Ballista would be good additions...
1
Should be able to test in a few days against other decks.
Trying to find room for atleast one Filigree Familiar in the main...
1
But I think Trading Post can be great against non Stony Silence type control decks.
1
1
He argued that Ray was too narrow and Natural State hit gy hate in the form of artifacts and enchantments. Another point against Ray of Revelation was that it could require splashing "white". I've had it in the opener quite a few times aswell.
I looked at a few Legacy Dredge list and saw that they also didn't run Ray of Revelation either, but instead 3-4x Abrupt Decay, Chain of Vapor or Nature's Claim. All of which aren't recurrable, so I wonder if we should adapt the same approach...
Updated list, added 3x Natural State to sideboard and extra Lightning Axe (Scavenging Ooze is annoying...). Also adjusted the manabase again, too many times ended up with Dakmor Salvage as my only land in the opener and after mulligans; so I dropped one and added another fetchland. My plan is to fetch for Steam Vents game one, then fetch for Stomping Ground if I side in any green spells.
Dredgers/Free Creatures
4 Prized Amalgam
4 Bloodghast
4 Narcomoeba
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Golgari Thug
Sac-Engines
3 Greater Gargadon
2 Tymaret, the Murder King
Looters/Mill (10)
4 Faithless Looting
4 Insolent Neonate
2 Dream Twist
3 Dakmor Salvage
2 Wooded Foothills
2 Steam Vents
2 City of Brass
1 Blood Crypt
1 Mountain
1 Stomping Ground
Interaction/Dredger
1 Darkblast
Enchantements (4)
4 Bridge From Below
3 Natural State
3 Leyline of the Void
3 Lightning Axe
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Gnaw to the Bone
1 Ray of Revelation
1 Memory's Journey
2
Also, made a realization that we want minimum 10 looting effects. Not sure what the math is, but we always want one in the opener and its even better if we have two. I want to add two more Burning Inquiry, but don't know what to cut.
In looking at Legacy dredge (http://mtgtop8.com/event?e=12058&d=269173&f=LE) they play atleast 16 effects that allow them to loot or simply discard cards:
4 Careful Study
4 Faithless Looting
4 Lion's Eye Diamond
3-4 Putrid Imp
2-3 Breakthrough
Between Insolent Neonate, Faithless Looting and Burning Inquiry, I think we can simulate most of those effects.
Current list:
Dredgers/Free Creatures
4 Prized Amalgam
4 Bloodghast
4 Narcomoeba
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Golgari Thug
Sac-Engines
3 Greater Gargadon
2 Tymaret, the Murder King
Looters/Mill (10)
4 Faithless Looting
4 Insolent Neonate
2 Dream Twist
3 Dakmor Salvage
2 Wooded Foothills
2 Steam Vents
2 City of Brass
1 Blood Crypt
1 Mountain
1 Stomping Ground
Interaction/Dredger
1 Darkblast
Enchantements (4)
4 Bridge From Below
3 Duress
3 Leyline of the Void
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Ray of Revelation
2 Gnaw to the Bone
2 Lightning Axe
1 Memory's Journey
Edit: Added Dream Twist, needed another mill option that had flashback and was cheaper than Faithless Looting. Also adjusted mana base.
1
@MrIslands: I think I want to go back to the basic plan without Unburial Rites...Rites is just too slow. Going to try for a more aggressive build eliminating the need for blue. Insolent Neonate takes the place of Thought Scour. Neonate also triggers Bridge.
Dredgers/Free Creatures
4 Prized Amalgam
4 Bloodghast
4 Narcomoeba
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Golgari Thug
Enablers
4 Greater Gargadon
4 Insolent Neonate
2 Tymaret, the Murder King
4 Faithless Looting
2 Burning Inquiry
Lands (16)
4 Dakmor Salvage
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
2 City of Brass
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Stomping Ground
Enchantements (4)
4 Bridge From Below
3 Thoughtseize
3 Leyline of the Void
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Ray of Revelation
2 Gnaw to the Bone
2 Lightning Axe
1 Memory's Journey
1