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BMoor's Magic The Gathering Deck Garage
Mirrodin affinity deck 2.0
April 17 , 2009

> Hello buddy~
> I've read your topic at
> http://www.pojo.com/magic/deck%20garage/bmoor/2006/3-27.shtml
> and decided to adopt the idea in my new deck. I'd like to have your
> onion about it. Check this out:
>
> Lands (17)
> 1 Academy Ruins
> 4 Seat of the Synod (U)
> 4 Darksteel Citadel
> 4 Vault of Whispers (B)
> 4 Ancient Den (W)
>
> Creatures (23)
> 1 Memnarch
> 2 Vedalken Archmage
> 4 Broodstar
> 4 Ornithopter
> 4 Myr Enforcer
> 4 Arcbound Worker
> 4 Frogmite
>
> Artifacts (11)
> 1 Darksteel Forge
> 2 Aether Vail
> 4 Cranial Plating
> 4 Arther Spellbomb
>
> Instant (4)
> 4 Assert Authority
>
> Total: 55
>
> I was thinking about insert two cards in the deck:
> Akroma's Memorial and Lich's Mirror
> So.. What do you think? Is this an average deck? Any advise to improve
> it?
>
>
> Thanks for patience, Steve


It's kind of funny that you chose now to revamp the old Mirrodin machine, Steve, and especially considering that you chose White, Blue, and Black as the colors in which to work. We're currently experiencing a new gae of artifact power, courtesy of the white-blue-black Esper cards of Alara block.

But does Esper work with the artifacts of Mirrodin? They are from two different worlds, after all, and just like the XBox and the Playstation, theres no reason to expect them to be compatible with each other.

Indeed, Mirrodin, and your deck, is focused on getting something for practically nothing. Between Affinity for Artifacts and AEther Vial, you may go an entire game without spending a single mana on your creatures. Esper, by contrast, is slow and methodical, with cards like Puppet Conjurer, Sludge Strider, and Sanctum Gargoyle ekeing out advantages wherever possible as Esper works its way to the long game, where it can cast such finishers as Sharuum the Hegemon or Sphinx Sovereign.

Incidentally, this is why Akroma's Memorial or Lich's Mirror are of no use to you. Akroma's Memorial costs seven-- you want to have already won by then. Lich's Mirror will reset the game, but also set you back at zero lands while your opponent presumably still has whatever they killed you with the first time.

But there are a few tricks that Esper can teach you to bring the quick punches. The most obvious is Etherium Sculptor, who pretends all your artifacts have affinity. Ethersworn Canonist is an efficient 2/2 for two, who also does a great deal to slow opponents down. And of course Esperzoa is a brutally efficient flyer. It's no Broodstar, but when you've got so many ways to drop an artifact for free, does the 'Zoa really have a downside?

Of course, you're not all about getting the goods for cheap-- you're also about using your artifacts to power up Cranial Plating and Broodstar. The closest Esper has to that is Salvage Slasher, but he counts artifacts in the graveyard, not in play. So, he'd be good if you find yourself on the wrong end of one too many Shatterstorm or Fracturing Gusts.

The other tool you have from Esper is Master of Etherium. It doesn't have flying like Broodstar, and the 'Star has the potential to be cheaper, but the Master will always be as big as the 'Star-- unless of course you control them both, since the Master will give the 'Star +1/+1. That bonus for the rest of your Myr and Thopters may come in handy.

If you need to make some cuts to make room for all this, I would say that the first on the chopping block would be Vedalken Archmage-- especially if you intend to add Esperzoa. Next would be Darksteel Forge. If you're that worried about artifact kill, use Ritual of Restoration instead. You don't want to pay nine mana for anything.

And finally, since your land count is a bit low, you might try replacing Aether Spellbomb with Chromatic Star or Mind Stone.

Good luck upgrading your darksteel weaponry with etherium enhancements!

~BMoor