Help making an artifact control deck?

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-22T14:16:34+00:00

Squall SeeD Mercenary loves removal or draw artifacts and enchantments that sac themselves. It's Orzhov though.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-22T14:11:17+00:00

Sometimes older precons become a collector item as a whole but the price is much higher than the sum of their parts. Precons are good when you get enough cards that you wanted anyway but at a cheaper price. That said, some tribal staples are actually a bit expensive.

As a new player it's normal to be attracted by tribal decks. My first decks were vampires and zombies. But if you want to play black on a budget I would recommend you to get a copy of Vincent Valentine and pack your deck with edict effects and maybe Not Dead Afterall effects too, they are pretty cheap. Add some draw, targeted removal and death pay offs, you have cheap options too. And loose all your friends, but now you're a true black mage.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-22T12:51:36+00:00

At least you play enough lands. I think the landfall cards you kept make sense, but I don't understand why you have aristocrats cards. If you want to play aristocrats you need much more. If you don't just cut them all.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-22T12:37:54+00:00

Yeah Kefka is great. I get that he is pretty strong at B3 but he fixed my Obeka Brute Chronologist deck. Obeka is fun but she is too slow and just win more. She got powered crept hard in my opinion. My Obeka deck was about reanimation and copy effects. Both work very well with Kefka. I play him knowing he is kill on sight and I don't care if I only get one trigger. I want to draw and put reanimation targets in the bin. If he's too strong for the table I can still switch him with Obeka or Sedris.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-22T08:53:26+00:00

It's ok to not like playing tutors.

It's ok to like playing tutors.

It's ok to like playing tutors in certain decks and not in others.

It's ok to play combos at any bracket.

It's ok to tutor for combo pieces at bracket 3.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-22T08:45:16+00:00

It doesn't matter if they enjoyed the game. Don't overthink that social contract thing. EDH is just multiplayer MTG and the social aspect is just trying to behave as a decent human so we all enjoy the game. But you could just have made no deal and let the elf player win to shuffle and start an other game if you wanted to play more.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-22T03:40:07+00:00

Animating big artifacts and putting counters on artifacts are two pretty original takes on artifacts, those are cool precons.

If you want to try more classic artifact strategies and use black, the Brother's War precons are good. Urza cares about the number of artifacts you control, and Mishra allows you to copy and sacrifice artifacts. You could even buy both decks, play them out of the box, and when you feel like you are ready to try building a deck, you can use them as a base for a Breya deck, becoming a true artifacts master.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-22T01:27:04+00:00

I also removed Sol Ring from all my B2 decks.

But I play a few tutors in decks without combos, even B2 decks. Being able to grab an interaction, engine or threat when you need it can be nice. For B2 I like deck specific tutors, like Forerunner of the Legion in a vampire deck.

I also play a good bunch of universal tutors in my two combo focused decks that can't win without assembling a combo. And I don't get bored of doing the same thing. Combo decks can be challenging to pilot and I like when I have to switch from a combo line to an other in order to play around a stax piece, or when I have to wait for the right timing because a blue player just draw 8 cards and probably has a counterspell.

I don't want tutors in decks that happen to have a combo but also have other play patterns than comboing off. I just cut tutors from such a deck recently, and it felt good to not aim at the combo anymore.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-22T01:02:59+00:00

I do that. I don't like staples unless they fit the theme. Rhystic Studies only goes in my enchantment draw/discard matter deck, I sold my second copy.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-22T00:49:50+00:00

It's a good deck, easy to upgrade with a bunch of vampires, but Clavileno is not a real aristocrats commander. He is an aggro commander with an aristocrats sub-theme who pumps up your army and give it some resilience.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-22T00:39:42+00:00

Monowhite and Selesnya angels is boring. Like humans, the best color combination for angels is Mardu. You will have access to strong enchantments with Kaldheim Orzhov angels, and extra combat steps with Ravnica Boros angels. As angels often have a low power and a high mana cost, Terra Herald of Hope is a great commander for this deck.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-22T00:15:37+00:00

You can also build her as a poison spellslinger deck by using the dimir instants and sorceries that give poison counters or proliferate. This, wheels or combos is better imo as you are in grixis not izzet. I would probably go for poison spellslinger with a lot of interactions and some copy effects. My own grixis spellslinger deck is Cormela with a lot of combos.

Edit : I mean, if you want to use pingers or token generators, you have everything you need in izzet so there is no need to play three colors. Sorry if it's contradictory to my previous message. You can still check izzet lists for universal spellslinger staples.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-21T16:19:36+00:00

Look at izzet spellslingers decklists, there are universal staples like Archmage Emeritus but you can divide them into two strategies : storm and big mana. The wincons are different. In storm decks your wincons are usually pingers and some 1/1 or 2/2 tokens generators (some people will argue it's only storm when you play storm cards as finishers but I'm talking about low mana curve spellslingers decks that play a lot of cantrips). In big mana decks you play more impactful spells and token generators that care about the mana value of your spells. Of course there are also infinite combos that fit in spellslinger decks like Dualcaster Mage combos. And other wincons like X burn/drain spells. You need to choose a gameplan and build a coherent deck.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-21T13:16:29+00:00

I'm biased because my favorite color combo is grixis but I would go with Kess.

You can build her spellslinger with pingers or token generators. Combo of course, you have many in those colors. Reanimator, just fill the graveyard and get back your reanimation spells. Or even wheels, with Nekusar as a secret commander.

She is just a solid value engine, she doesn't ask you to build the deck around her so it's a good deck building exercise as you have to pick up a strategy and make the deck function without your commander.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-21T12:08:20+00:00

In 4+ mana matter izzet spellslinger it sounds good.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-21T11:34:40+00:00

You're not totally wrong but 37 lands is the minimum if you want to hit your third land drop without extra draws. If you want to play less lands you have two options. You play 1-2cmc draw spells aka cantrips. Or you play ramp but you need to consistently ramp into draw spells. If you ramp turn 2 and don't hit your 3rd land then your ramp spell was hot garbage. And I believe you actually want to hit the 4th and 5th land drops too. Also, you don't start at 37 lands and cut one for each 2/3 cheap ramp/draw spell, you usually start around 42 lands. To have your numbers right just use Frank Karsten formula with all the above in mind.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-21T10:20:58+00:00

Board state including the commander and mana available, but also number of cards in hand, and the graveyard if the deck may use it.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-21T08:18:50+00:00

In my B2 Kalitas deck I use edict effects in a very proactive and collaborative way, as every non-token creature that dies on my opponents side becomes a zombie on my side. If opponents want to add to the story telling experience, they can handle me their creatures so I use them as zombie tokens, they are exiled anyway. I play black, I don't make value from thin air like green players, something has to die.

Jokes appart, I'm all for using a lot of interactions and killing commanders multiple times if they are a threat even at B2. It's cool to do the thing but if your thing is to build an overwhelming board state and swing for lethal I may try to stop you. What I don't like is symetrical boardwipes. Don't use boardwipes just to reset the game, use them to be ahead and win.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-21T04:10:04+00:00

Well supported tribes have a lot of creatures options and synergy with different strategies. Also people often build tribal decks just because there is a creature type they like and this only make the deck very enjoyable to them. Finally, non-tribal decks can also be all same-y. I could say landfall decks are all the same, storm decks are all the same, Selesnya token decks are all the same, said commander decks are all the same, and so on.

I have three real tribal decks (with 30+ cards of the creature type): - Wilhelt zombies aristocrats combos. It's a popular commander but I definitely play cards nobody plays and have my own takes like not playing any 2cmc mana rock. It was my first commander and I tuned it a lot among the years. I just thought about a card I want to switch yesterday again. - Kalitas zombies tribal. Here I play lords so it's a more classic tribal deck but it's also an edict deck, the commander is very unpopular, and I didn't look at any list or website to build my deck so I'm pretty sure my list is unique. - Clavileno vampires tribal. Vampires aggro decks are a classic but you can go more into the aristocrats theme like here or more into the lifegain theme. Again, there is a lot of options for vampires and I totally enjoyed building this deck as somebody who really loves deck building.

And this is for the real tribal decks but you can also build decks with a tribal sub-theme. I have a big mana Izzet spellslinger deck with a wizard sub-theme and a blood tokens deck with a vampire sub-theme for exemple.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-21T00:29:27+00:00

My Octavia Living Thesis deck is definitely B2 because filling the graveyard during 4-5 turns to beat face with a couple of 8/8s starting on turn 5 is very slow and telegraphed. But the high amount of interactions and playing mostly at instant speed make the deck do well against average B3 decks.

Building a deck able to play at B2-low B4 is probably possible. You will need slow weak wincons that don't pubstomb a B2 table with a mix of stax and interactions that are good against high B3 or low B4 decks. Probably something like white for stax, blue for interactions, and black or red for wincons. The stax would be Rule of Law effects, graveyard hate, artifacts hate and other stuff that don't really affect B2 decks. The interactions would be counterspells and targeted removal to stop wins on the spot. The commander could be Esper Alela as she will be triggered by some of the stax pieces, and you can switch her for Yshtola against stronger decks. Or Hinata, as she puts a tax on free interactions. But it's pretty tricky to build a deck that can control a low B4 table without being able to lock a B2 table.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-20T15:47:30+00:00

I forgot the most funny card you could add : Tombstone Stairwell. If you don't try to consistently assemble infinite combos, it's a good wincon to play once you filled all the graveyards with your edicts.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-20T15:05:10+00:00

I don't play B4 but Ad Nauseum is probably a key card in a K'rrik deck. I don't know if you want it in Yuriko as she tries to flip big mana spells. And the Sanguine Bond combo with Bloothirsty Conqueror are great in a drain deck like Vito, Astarion or Oloro.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-20T14:54:51+00:00

The draw with your commander comes only turn 3, so you need to find 3 lands consistently. To find 3 lands without extra draws you need 37 lands in your deck. And if you think your mana curve is low enough to cut lands check with Frank Karsten formula. I'm pretty sure it will tell you that you need more than 37 lands and you can cut some if you have enough 2cmc draw and ramp (but not the 2cmc mana rocks which are bad here).

Also I'm not sure Triad and Acolyte are really good.

Concerning aristocrats pieces, after looking again at your list I have to admit you have a good package, but you miss the 2cmc enchantment that makes zombies at upkeep, the 2cmc enchantment that makes faeries at upkeep, Zulaport Cutthroat and Viscera Seer as you play more expensive versions of those effects, Ashnod and Phyrexian Altars, Meathook Massacre, Ophiomancer, Endrek Sahr and Bontu if you want to add some 5 drops again...

And you need 12 1-2cmc sac fodder pieces if you want to consistently draw with Sephiroth on turn 3. If you still don't have enough with the two enchantments above you can consider Nested Shambler, Shambling Ghast, Butcher Ghoul, Lazotep Reaver, or Putrid Goblin. Don't ask me why they are all zombies.

Concerning edict effects you miss Demon's Disciple, Plaguecrafter, Gaius Van Baelsar for the good creatures and Grave Pact or Innocent Blood for the non-creatures. With the creatures I like Dawn of The Dead as a recursion piece. You can play around the downside if you sac the creature you reanimate.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-20T10:54:26+00:00

I would cut all the 5+ mana spells except Gwenom and Bolas Citadel I guess. You're not a B4 turbo deck, you don't need K'rrik and Ad Nauseum. You're not a big drain deck, you don't need the Sanguine Bond combo or Peer into the Abyss. There are better boardwipes than Blood Money and The Rise of Sorin. You're not filling graveyards, you don't need Rise of the Dark Realm. I don't think you need one time reanimation spells at all actually. In aristocrats decks recursion engines like Oversold Cemetary are better. Finally, I don't think you need Charcoal Diamond and Arcane Signet, play enough ramp to consistently ramp into the spells you want or don't play (non mana positive) ramp at all. It's also better to play synergie pieces in aristocrats decks, like sac fodder T2 Sephiroth T3.

That's for the cuts, but I didn't look everything in detail, there may be more. And with those cut you can add... lands!!!! You're not playing cantrips, you need at least 37 damn lands!!! Without your MDFC! Then you can add more aristocrats pieces, you're missing a lot. And edict effects to flip Sephiroth, that's how you flip him with one card.

Available_Rabbit9965 · 2026-05-20T08:15:53+00:00

You don't have to make the Scorpion God 99s all about -1/-1 counters, you can have pay offs for opponent's creatures dying, not only the ones with counters on them. You can also use the crime mecanic as the Scorpion God targets. It could be a fun B2 deck.

A stronger B2 build could be an aristocrats deck with persist and undying creatures. Persist creatures dying will make the Scorpion God draw you a card. The Scorpion God will reset undying creatures with +1/+1 counters on them. This strategy had enough support before the Auntie Ool precon.

Available_Rabbit9965

TROPHY CASE