by Jared Maguire

When Scars of Mirrodin's full set of 249 cards was spoiled, more than a few people started brewing up artifact-heavy white weenie aggro decks. Jared Maguire's come up with a list that has managed to smash more than a few Broken City faces in testing. In today's Broken City Homebrew, he walks us through the deck's unique packages and synergies and the thought processes surrounding his card choices for a potential archetype that simply has too many playable cards.

Glint Eastwood – White/Brown Aggro
This is a deck I have been working on for several weeks which has no doubt occurred to a lot of people. The structure of the deck is very simple and has a long history in Magic: mono white sligh relying on a crusade effect. However, the deck list is deceptively tough to refine because there are many cards within it that force interactions with other cards, and without these, all of the pieces can be lacklustre in themselves. In addition to this, the crusade effect doesn't affect white creatures, it affects artifact creatures, and thus playing high quality white creatures has only a small linear benefit. There is also a sub-theme of the new keyword in Scars of Mirrodin, Metalcraft. Metalcraft can grant some amazing abilities, but the benefits are weighed down by the vulnerability of artifacts in this new format and creatures in general. All of these potential downsides seem quite daunting, but the fundamental synergy and speed of the deck makes it quite effective in dealing 20 damage before your opponent can shut down the machine.

My approach to this deck was to lay out all of the potential cards which it could contain and then designate them into subgroups. Then I separated those subgroups into overarching themes or "packages" which could interact on a more general level. Then I decided which themes ran together the smoothest and combined them, so as to rarely have a "dead draw". Within these subtypes, there are cards that came up often in each group and those cards are the best – their applicability is linear in their specific subgroup, say the "Metalcraft" subgroup for example, but they also turn on another interaction or smooth out the curve of another package. I've included the steps I took in making the deck in this article as to give some insight into the rubric I used to narrow down possibilities and evaluate cards. Below, I'll provide the subgroups I began with initially, as well as the pros and cons of each card within. Hope you're ready for quite a read!

Subtype: Metalcraft Matters – Cards that are good, but only good when you control 3 or more artifacts.

Etched Champion – This guy is great at killing Planeswalkers when Metalcraft is on because he's essentially unblockable. He's also phenomenally good at being equipped with stuff. With Tempered Steel he's a total house, and he turns his own metalcraft on. However, he dies rather easily to artifact creatures and can be a little underwhelming as just a bear.

Indomitable Archangel – Giving shroud to your entire team of weenies seems good. Also, she's a 4/4 flier even without metalcraft which gives the deck some much needed fat. However, she interacts with removal a little strangely, as if you shroud up your team, she'll be the first to die every time. And of course, if your opponent has the removal, they will just cast it as she is entering the battlefield. The only removal she'll ever stop is targeted artifact removal like Shatter or Revoke Existence. She's also a little expensive on the curve at 4 cmc and doesn't turn on metalcraft herself.

Mox Opal – I've gone back and forth on this card. It's either an auto-include 4 of or a dime mythic. The analysis of this card is one of the deepest in the deck. What does this card do? Well, in the perfect situation it makes an extra mana on turn 1, a power 9 ability. In any other situation, it does sweet fuck nothing. But is the perfect draw worth the swing in the Opal's usefulness? If you have the perfect draw, your hand will be good enough anyway, so the Opal could be said to be "win more". It's a terrible top deck and you can't have more than 1 in play due to the legendary rules. However, it turns on Metalcraft very early and can accelerate into unbeatable board position with other 0 drop cards like Memnite and Ornithopter. But what happens when you have two in your opening hand? What happens when you're getting flooded and you need some action and all you get is a Mox? Mulligans happen, and this deck does not want to mulligan. Also, you can't turn this card sideways and reduce someone's life total, which is usually something aggro wants to do.

Auriok Edgewright – A bear for two white without Metalcraft, a doublestriking bear with. Bears are generally bad, but this guy is great when Metalcraft is active and you hook him up with some kind of blade. He can be a little taxing on the mana department though (this deck wants to play a lot of colorless producing lands, so two white early is sometimes tough). Doublestrike is very good against creatures with little toughness, making this guy good in the Mono Red matchup because he can stop Goblin Guide and his ilk before they touch you. Unfortunately he doesn't benefit from Tempered Steel at all and doesn't turn his own Metalcraft on.

Dispense Justice – If the deck has room for removal, this would probably be the removal it would play. The effect when Metalcraft is online is very powerful for 3 mana, however, it's a little disappointing when you have no artifacts and are being bashed by a massive beater and a throwaway creature, as your opponent will just sacrifice the latter. The use of the card is actually a little defensive as well, and this deck mainly wants to be on the attack and using all the tricks it has when it draws them. Potentially a blowout, potentially a waste of space.

Subtype: Equip It – Cards that find equipment and put it into play and things to cut people with.

Stoneforge Mystic – Tutors up equipment and puts it into play in a cheap, uncounterable method. Interacts with Metalcraft by essentially searching for something to put it online if nothing else. Doesn't do much killing of anything by herself though, and takes up a spot in the curve of the deck that wants to be left for cards that kill things. Can be really bad if the equipment you want to tutor is already in your hand.

Kor Outfitter – Useful mainly for hooking up Argentum Armor, but can be fine to hook up Swords to other creatures. Also a bear and can sometimes attack people for 2 damage.

Quest for the Holy Relic – Not a creature and thus doesn't kill anything and suffers from some of the same problems as the mystic. A really bad top deck when you have no creatures left to play. Complete jank. However, a pretty powerful effect if you can drop an Argentum Armor into play attached to something.

Sword of Vengeance/Body and Mind – You want to play these if you're going the Stoneforge Mystic route and not the Quest route. Both are good on just about anything and SoBM has the added bonus of giving protection from Jace and Vengevine and I heard those cards are good. Also if you equip one of these to an active Auriok Edgewright it's a total fucking beating.

Argentum Armor -You want to play this specifically if you play Quest for the Holy Relic or if you play Stoneforge Mystic and Kor Outfitter. It lets you Vindicate things on attacking and makes whatever is equipped with it a total beater. However it's incredibly overcosted so trying to cast it would be really awkward.

Subtype: Tin Men – Artifact creatures that interact with Tempered Steel and turn on Metalcraft before they get bolted.

Memnite – Memnite doesn't cost any mana. Don't lose your mind or anything because he's only a 1/1, but he becomes a 3/3 with Tempered Steel and also can turn on Metalcraft right out of the gate, potentially on turn 1. All of these things are good, but sometimes you play Memnite and he gets bolted and you just threw your hand on the board and don't have Metalcraft anymore. However, the potentially of having a 3/3 for 0 mana is enticing.

Ornithopter – Ornithopter is like Memnite but a little bit worse. He doesn't do anything except fly around like an idiot and block Llanowar Elves, but with Tempered Steel he's a 2/3 flier great at killing Planeswalkers and sending equipment over top of opposing blockers. He also benefits from being free. The question becomes if free is a substitute for good, and unfortunately it is not. However, his other potential interactions in the deck are very good and they'll be explained a little later.

Steel Overseer – The other, OTHER crusade effect in the deck, Steel Overseer puts counters on the rest of the tin men and makes sure they do some work. Unchecked, he can completely dominate the game and paired with a Tempered Steel he can just crush. He also puts counters on himself, forcing your opponent to bite his shiny metal ass. A very good card in the heavy artifact creature build

Gold Myr – Makes white mana if the deck stalls out on a low mana hand and can also smack people around once a Tempered Steel has been resolved. Can ramp into the higher cost cards, or just allow you to play two 2 drops on turn four. A decent blocker if nothing else, but not the most aggressive 2 drop in the world.

Glint Hawk Idol – Not technically a creature when you play it, which is virtually the only downside. Anytime after when an artifact enters the battlefield you get a 2/2 flier, or a 4/4 flier with Tempered Steel. For no mana. Retains the counters that Steel Overseer puts on it even when it isn't active, and completely avoided getting Day of Judgement cast on it making it a phenomenal card to have against control players. Can also just be activated if you have some extra white mana laying around. Just don't equip it with anything.

Chimeric Mass – Also not technically a creature when you play it, but just about as good as Glint Hawk Idol. Avoids the inevitable Day of Judgement from the control player very well, sneaking under the blast and then smashing into their planeswalkers the next turn. You can play him for 0 or 1 if you want to turn on Metalcraft really bad, too.

Subtype: Makes Artifacts, or Makes them Better – You could call these win conditions.

Tempered Steel – The build-around card. A double crusade, and crusade is good. Double white is the only potential downside, but other than that, this card is bonkers. I mean come on, this card makes ORNITHOPTER kill people.

Myrsmith- Myrsmith makes Myr, but I bet you knew that. She makes A LOT of Myr when you are playing artifacts constantly, and a lot of Myr can win you the game. In early testing, I didn't even include this card, but now I can't imagine any Tempered Steel list without it. With Tempered Steel active, you can make 3/3s for 1 colorless mana. The best thing about her is she generally flies under the radar until she's crapped out six Myr and your opponent has to do something or die. The Myr she makes also turn on Metalcraft by themselves, and activate Glint Hawk Idol when they come into play.

Eldrazi Monument – It's another crusade, but this crusade flies. It also makes you sacrifice dudes, but by turn 5 you should still have a bunch of Myr tokens hanging out smoking razorweed, ready to be sacrificed. The problem is that it costs 5 mana, and that's really quite a lot in this deck because it runs 18-20 lands. It's just about the best top deck in the universe, though.

Subtype: GLINT HAWK
Glint gets his own subtype because he's a 2/2 flying creature for one mana and a successful film actor and director. This deck is built as much around Glint Hawk as it is around Tempered Steel. He bounces artifacts back to your hand (preferably 0 mana ones) so you can play them again and trigger Myrsmith and Glint Hawk Idol. He also comes into play on turn 1 if you have a Mox, a Memnite or an Ornithopter in your opener and proceeds to peck the face off your opponents. He's good at being equipped with stuff too due to his evasion. In a pinch you can have him return Chimeric Mass to you hand with 2 or 3 counters on it and then replay it with 8 counters. Just don't get 2 for 1'd if you only have 1 artifact out and you play him into an opposing mountain.

So, those are the cards I considered for the deck. Obviously I couldn't include them all, even with shaving the deck down to 20 land (which I find to be optimal about 99% of the time).

Now to begin the process of eliminating the chaff and deciding which cards interact best with each other. I'm playing a Tempered Steel deck, so let's include 4 of those. I'm going to want a lot of artifact creatures if I'm playing Tempered Steel, and this is a creature aggro deck, so let's start with creatures. Here are the potentials:

Etched Champion
Indomitable Archangel
Glint Hawk
Glint Hawk Idol
Ornithopter
Myrsmith
Memnite
Steel Overseer
Kor Outfitter
Stoneforge Mystic
Auriok Edgewright
Chimeric Mass
Gold Myr
Glint Hawk Idol

I want to play Etched Champion the most because he has synergy with all the parts of the deck and doesn't sacrifice any creature quality to do it. He also doesn't rely on anyone else to carry him around, so he doesn't have to be added in with a "package". He makes the cut.

I want to play Steel Overseer because I'm playing a Tempered Steel deck and that's just about it. He makes the cut for the same reason as Etched Champion – he relies on himself only but makes other parts of the deck better with no downside.

The next card I definitely want to play is Myrsmith. She isn't part of any package either, she's just a good standalone creature in a deck with a ton of artifacts, so she's in.

The last card that isn't part of a package I considered was Gold Myr, but I ended up cutting him because of his lack of aggression and the deck's premium space for tough 2 drops. I also feel like with cutting him casting an Eldrazi Monument would be far too ambitious.

For the cards that are left, I have a couple of packages – if you play one, it's best to play them all.

Glint Hawk Package:
Glint Hawk
Glint Hawk Idol
Ornithopter
Memnite
Mox Opal
Chimeric Mass

Equipment Package:
Stoneforge Mystic/Quest for the Holy Relic
Swords/Scythe/Armor
Kor Outfitter
Auriok Edgewright

Metalcraft Package:
Auriok Edgewright
Indomitable Archangel
Dispense Justice
Mox Opal

Which of these packages seem the strongest? The weakest at first glance seems to be the Metalcraft package. I'm not sure how good Indomitable Archangel is because it seems like she'll just die if my opponent isn't able to target anything else with removal. And if my opponent doesn't have removal, what do I need her for? The deck also seems too aggressive to play a defensive removal spell like Dispense Justice. But Auriok Edgewright and Mox Opal seem good – good thing they are part of other packages.

As far as the Equipment Package goes, I prefer Stoneforge Mystic over Quest for the Holy Relic. I know it's very tempting to live the dream and slam down an Argentum Armor on an Ornithopter or something on turn 3, but I want my deck to be consistent and at least pretend to not be a pile of jank. If I'm cutting Quest, I'm definitely cutting Kor Outfitter because he'll only be equipped lower mana cost equipment since I'm also cutting the armor. Equipping the remaining stuff to Auriok Edgewright seems good, so let's crunch the numbers. I only have two decent swords to tutor for in the deck, so running a full set of Mystics when they're only 1/2 creatures seems overboard, I think 2 will suffice.

24 cards so far, 16 left to go.

What about the Glint Hawk Package? There are more than 15 cards here, so I'll have to try to force some cuts. I think Chimeric Mass is really good, but it only shines against control, so it will remain in my sideboard for now. The same could be said about Glint Hawk Idol, except it's going to be active far more often than Chimeric Mass, so I think I'll need to play it in the main. If I play Glint Hawk, I need 0 mana artifacts, and Memnite and Ornithopter benefit from Tempered Steel as well as Steel Overseer counters. Mox Opal does not. The deck now has a converted mana cost peak of 3, so the extra ramp from the Opal won't be necessary, and I don't think I need it to get the hyper-nut hand for turn 2 Tempered Steel – like I said before, I want consistency not wild swings in power level. Here's what I have now…

Glint Eastwood – White/Brown Aggro

That's how I feel is the best way to build this deck archetype moving forward into Scars of Mirrodin Standard. There are certainly some other viable builds, but this one maximizes a high amount of card synergy and doesn't get greedy on win conditions. It's very consistent and awesomely fun to play and I will probably be taking it to provincials. It's worst matchup is probably mono red because they have all the removal these days, but the sideboard really helps a lot in that respect. I think this deck could be potentially very well placed in the metagame currently, as there will be a lot of people trying out new interactions and combos with Scars and when everyone is trying to do something complicated the best thing to do get an aggro draw and kill them. Getting the absolute nut aggro draw in this deck requires a bit of a luck, but you have to ask yourself one question:

Do I feel lucky?

Well do you, punk?

– Jared Maguire

This article is brought to you by the Broken City School of Magic.

Kar Yung Tom

Kar Yung Tom (KYT) is the Digital Content Manager for Face to Face Games. He oversees the F2FTour.com and Magic F2F websites. He is also the lead host of the First Strike podcast.