<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cid, Timeless Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Cid, Timeless Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/lasahido" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lius Lasahido</a></em></p>
<p>As mentioned in my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ardyn, the Usurper" href="#" target="_blank">Ardyn, the Usurper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-a-demon-typal-deck-with-ardyn-the-usurper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Demon Typal Deck Tech</a> last week, <em>Final Fantasy</em> is a cool IP that doesn’t speak to me. There are, however, tons of interesting designs, many of which are amazing as IP-agnostic game pieces. The one I’m focusing on today is a timewalking mechanist who reminds me of when I was just learning the game in high school. The school I went to has a mascot named Sidney Raider, after the Spanish hero El Cid. This timeless hero of gallantry, bravery, and sacrifice seems a fitting commander for a deck, so let’s learn how to build around <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cid, Timeless Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Cid, Timeless Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Interestingly enough, Cid reminds me of high school in more than just his name: he works with artifacts and cycling, which were themes of a couple of my early decks! I started playing with <em>Champions of Kamigawa</em>, right after <em>Mirrodin</em> block, which was a terrible time to learn. Damage went on the stack; mana burned if it wasn’t all spent; and broken-in-half artifacts enabled incredibly explosive starts. My first deck that could compete was a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grinding Station" href="#" target="_blank">Grinding Station</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Cheerios combo deck; my second was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Astral Slide" href="#" target="_blank">Astral Slide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ETBs and Morphs. Somehow, someway, Cid manages to bridge my high school experience and my current deckbuilding kick: strange typal decks!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cid, Timeless Artificer"></div></div>
<h2>What Does Cid, Timeless Artificer Do?</h2>
<p>Cid is an intriguing card in the 99, and can even take multiple slots, as a deck can have any number of cards named <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cid, Timeless Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Cid, Timeless Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It also has cycling, which is another ability better served in the 99. So…why run Cid as a commander? Well, in addition to being an aggressively-costed four-drop, Cid gives artifact creatures and Heroes +1/+1 for each Artificer we control and each Artificer in our graveyard. This pump only happens if we have a copy out, so we can use our commander to take advantage of the waves and waves of Cid’s past lives we cycle away.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urza, Lord Protector"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urza, Prince of Kroog"></div></div>
<p>There are a number of legendary Artificers who could helm an Artificer-themed deck, most of whom involve adding or subtracting a color from our Azorius color identity. Ironically, the closest we can get to a predecessor to the kindly and paternal Cid is one of the incarnations of the curmudgeonly eugenicist, Urza. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Lord Protector" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Lord Protector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Prince of Kroog" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Prince of Kroog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both in the deck, so we could tag them in as the commander if wanted. The Lord Protector reduces the cost of artifacts, instants, and sorceries we cast, although we already do have some cost reducers and we don’t run many instants or sorceries. The Prince of Kroog acts as a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tempered Steel" href="#" target="_blank">Tempered Steel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and a means of copying artifacts, but Cid already pumps the artifact creatures and we don’t have a glut of mana to pour into the Prince’s ability, so he doesn’t really add anything.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hare Apparent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon&#039;s Approach"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Persistent Petitioners"></div></div>
<p>Trying to place this deck into known archetypes is a bit of a tough ask, as Cid has an ability that breaks a fundamental rule of singleton formats. The more successful cards that can have any number of copies tend to be focal points of their decks: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hare Apparent" href="#" target="_blank">Hare Apparent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon&#039;s Approach" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon&#039;s Approach</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Persistent Petitioners" href="#" target="_blank">Persistent Petitioners</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slime Against Humanity" href="#" target="_blank">Slime Against Humanity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Cid is a bit more of a role-player and is the first to be able to go into the command zone. While cycling may be a blank on a commander (without committing to the bit), Cids do work together by offering flexibility. They need artifact creatures and/or Heroes to pump, however, so we can’t just pack our deck with a bunch of Cids. While there is probably a more Cid-focused cycling deck or a cheap, evasive artifact-focused aggro deck, our list is a moderate tempo-based version.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Cid, Timeless Artificer</h2>
<p>One of the most important cards in a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cid, Timeless Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Cid, Timeless Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck is…<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cid, Timeless Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Cid, Timeless Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! Why is that? Well, it does the things we need, which is why we have it as a commander and why we’re playing a card where we can have any number of copies. But how many is enough? Is there such a thing as too many? Unlike other cards with similar effects, we don’t need more than 20, nor do we need a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrumming Stone" href="#" target="_blank">Thrumming Stone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as we’re cycling instead of casting. We also have a version in the command zone, so we’re likely casting it as the primary copy and the rest will be cycled away to dig for the “real” spells. As a result, 15 Cids seems like a fair amount - one for each variant!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cid, Timeless Artificer|fin|407"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cid, Timeless Artificer|fin|409"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cid, Timeless Artificer|fin|414"></div></div>
<p>The other Artificers need to either produce or interact with artifacts, as Cid pumps them and many effects care about them. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Padeem, Consul of Innovation" href="#" target="_blank">Padeem, Consul of Innovation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sai, Master Thopterist" href="#" target="_blank">Sai, Master Thopterist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can draw us cards with our artifacts. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drafna, Founder of Lat-Nam" href="#" target="_blank">Drafna, Founder of Lat-Nam</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hanna, Ship&#039;s Navigator" href="#" target="_blank">Hanna, Ship&#039;s Navigator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> combine to give the deck a fairly strong engine: bouncing, re-casting, copying, and recurring artifacts to slowly develop a wide board through synergy. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whirler Rogue" href="#" target="_blank">Whirler Rogue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides evasive bodies that soak up the Cid boosts like a sponge and can also tap to punch through extra damage in a pinch.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Padeem, Consul of Innovation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drafna, Founder of Lat-Nam"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mishra&#039;s Bauble"></div></div>
<p>While <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> isn’t usually an important card to go into detail about, the deck is mana-hungry and there are interesting combos and synergies with it. It both provides mana to fuel Drafna’s abilities and is an incredible outlet for them, as making extra Sol Rings is one of the more powerful things one can do. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mind Stone" href="#" target="_blank">Mind Stone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mishra&#039;s Bauble" href="#" target="_blank">Mishra&#039;s Bauble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are similarly powerful artifacts to juggle around, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ornithopter of Paradise" href="#" target="_blank">Ornithopter of Paradise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can quickly go from a setup mana creature to a game-ending threat!</p>
<h2>How Does This Cid, Timeless Artificer Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p>Ideally speaking, our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cid, Timeless Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Cid, Timeless Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck wins by powering up incidental bodies using copies of our namesake card. It’s worth noting that Cid cares about all Artificers, not just copies of himself, so we wind up with ways to add almost 40 power and toughness if we can flip our whole deck into play. While that's unlikely, it shows how many Artificers we're running, many of whom make bodies for us to pump.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cid, Timeless Artificer|fin|419"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cid, Timeless Artificer|fin|418"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cid, Timeless Artificer|fin|417"></div></div>
<p>When a single Thopter can slice off half of your life? Yeah, that’s a powerful aggressive line. When you factor in that that’s not even using our better cards? You better believe this deck has potential. While we’d prefer to win through cycling Cids to stack up boosts on evasive creatures, sometimes we need to rely on the synergies shared between members of the Artificer creature type, using spare copies of Cid to dig to our more powerful cards and to piece together the synergies needed to build inevitability.</p>
<h2>Cid, Timeless Artificer Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Cid, Timeless Artificer Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Cid, Timeless Artificer
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Artificer&#039;s Assistant
*1 Aspiring Aeronaut
*1 Aviation Pioneer
*14 Cid, Timeless Artificer
*1 Digsite Engineer
*1 Drafna, Founder of Lat-Nam
*1 Esper Sentinel
*1 Etherium Sculptor
*1 Etherium Spinner
*1 Experimental Aviator
*1 Grand Architect
*1 Hangarback Walker
*1 Hanna, Ship&#039;s Navigator
*1 Inspired Sphinx
*1 Jhoira&#039;s Familiar
*1 Leonardo da Vinci
*1 Lita, Mechanical Engineer
*1 Losheel, Clockwork Scholar
*1 Master Transmuter
*1 Master Trinketeer
*1 Myr Retriever
*1 Oltec Matterweaver
*1 Ornithopter of Paradise
*1 Padeem, Consul of Innovation
*1 Renowned Weaponsmith
*1 Riddlesmith
*1 Sai, Master Thopterist
*1 Scrap Trawler
*1 Sharding Sphinx
*1 Thopter Mechanic
*1 Thought Monitor
*1 Urza, Lord Protector
*1 Urza, Powerstone Prodigy
*1 Urza, Prince of Kroog
*1 Whirler Rogue
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Cloud Key
*1 Crystal Skull, Isu Spyglass
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mishra&#039;s Bauble
*1 Retrofitter Foundry
*1 Shorikai, Genesis Engine
*1 Sol Ring
*1 The Mightstone and Weakstone
*1 Thopter Fabricator
*1 Whirlermaker
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Thopter Spy Network
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*20 Island
*20 Plains
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>There are some powerful cards in our deck, which enable fast starts. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Esper Sentinel" href="#" target="_blank">Esper Sentinel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are the more egregious offenders, especially since <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Esper Sentinel" href="#" target="_blank">Esper Sentinel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be annoying to track. At least, with its synergy with Cids, the Sentinel can get strong enough that most players will just not be able to pay its cost. While we do play some staples, we have ways to make those staples more interesting. And while we do play 15 of the same card, that card has a lot of “play” to it. When do you cast it? When do you cycle it? Do you cast a spare copy or the commander itself? We can even use the spare copies to have access to our commander without paying for tax!</p>
<p>This deck is one for those who enjoy tempo decks with a solid amount of flexibility and problem solving. It’s easy to play but tough to master, as every card has decision-making trees. If you enjoy Kaijudo/Duel Masters, you’ll love the decision trees that come with each copy of Cid, as those games are largely defined by the choices of how you want to play each individual card.</p>
<p>How would you build a Cid deck? And how many Cids is too many? Let us know in the comments.</p>


Building an Artificer Typal Deck with Cid, Timeless Artificer

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raff Capashen, Ship&#039;s Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Raff Capashen, Ship&#039;s Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://stankoillustration.com/">John Stanko</a>)</h6>
<h1>Start Your Engines</h1>
<p>Well, well, look at this! We are back again with some more <em>Uncommonders</em> goodness! My name is Seth Cross, but my friends call me DM. This series was inspired by the <em>Dominaria</em> set and its twenty legendary creatures printed at the uncommon rarity. Together, we dive into each one of these, along with callbacks to the many uncommon legendary creatures printed in <em>Magic: the Gathering</em>’s past, and brew something fun and exciting for the kitchen table and our best friends to “ooh” and “aah” over. Since we got excited over a recently rare-shifted legendary creature in last week’s article, we are back to <em>Dominaria</em> this week. I asked the <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/praetormagic">Twitch Subscribers</a> that have special access to the subs-only channel on the <a href="https://discord.gg/CrNHmTE">Praetor Magic Discord</a> to supply me with their favorite <em>Dominaria</em> Uncommonders, and naturally has a <a href="https://www.twitter.com/DM_Cross">Twitter poll</a> to find the victor! The four options were <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hallar, the Firefletcher" href="#" target="_blank">Hallar, the Firefletcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Danitha Capashen, Paragon" href="#" target="_blank">Danitha Capashen, Paragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slimefoot, the Stowaway" href="#" target="_blank">Slimefoot, the Stowaway</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and of course, the winner for today's article:</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Raff Capashen, Ship’s Mage</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Raff Capashen, Ship&#039;s Mage"></div></div></p>
<p>Raff is one of <em>Dominaria's</em> uncommon legends - actually, one of the legends, regardless of rarity - that piqued my interest during preview week. What makes Raff slightly more interesting to me than some of the others are his colors. I talk about being a Golgari mage all the time, so Azorius can sometimes be a bit foreign to me. Raff is one of the <em>Dominaria</em> commanders that deal with the new 'historic' label. This new categorization of cards encompasses artifacts, spells that have the legendary supertype (whether they are creatures, artifacts, enchantments or even instants or sorceries), or the new Saga subtype. Come to think of it, if we get new Sagas in future sets, a Bant historic-based commander could make for an interesting Enchantress theme... oops! Sorry. We're not here for enchantments. We're actually here for Raff's historical artifacts!</p>
<p>Another fairly recent development within <em>Magic: the Gathering</em> is the Vehicle subtype. These artifacts become creatures when they are <em>Crewed</em> by tapping creatures with the right amount of power. The reason I find these so interesting is that a well-timed board wipe leaves us with part-time creatures on an empty field, putting us farther ahead in the game. Combined with Raff's ability to cast these artifacts with flash, it'll be even easier to finagle that timing to our advantage. That's right, this week we are talking about…</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Raff Capashen, Pod Racer!</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smuggler&#039;s Copter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Weatherlight"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Peacewalker Colossus"></div></div></p>
<p>First, I want to draw attention to a simple fact: there are only 25 Vehicles in all of <em>Magic: the Gathering</em>. My first impulse was to throw them all into the deck to fulfill the theme, but looking at the list, I realized that some of them just did not need to be in the deck. I trimmed it down to a total of 17 Vehicles. Some were cut out because their payoff was lackluster (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fell Flagship" href="#" target="_blank">Fell Flagship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), and others were trimmed out based on their <em>Crew</em> cost (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Consulate Dreadnought" href="#" target="_blank">Consulate Dreadnought</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<p>Only two Vehicles in the deck have a <em>Crew</em> cost of 4 or more, meaning that they are the only Vehicles that Raff cannot bring to life on his own. The first such Vehicle is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peacewalker Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Peacewalker Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> which made the cut because we can pay mana to animate other Vehicles without needing to <em>Crew</em> them. The second Vehicle with a <em>Crew</em> cost of 4 is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conqueror’s Galleon" href="#" target="_blank">Conqueror’s Galleon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which I kept for the chance to transform it into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conqueror’s Foothold" href="#" target="_blank">Conqueror’s Foothold</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a means of recurring our cards from the graveyard.</p>
<p>Some other Vehicles also stood out in the list. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivator’s Caravan" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivator’s Caravan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doubles up as ramp. (In case you were not sure, it can indeed tap the turn it enters the battlefield, because if it's not a creature, it doesn't have summoning sickness.) The famous and nostalgic <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Weatherlight" href="#" target="_blank">Weatherlight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smuggler’s Copter" href="#" target="_blank">Smuggler’s Copter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> double up as forms of card advantage, helping dig deeper into the deck to keep our hand happy and full. Hailing from <em>Kaladesh,</em> the native plane of Vehicles, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skysovereign, Consul Flagship" href="#" target="_blank">Skysovereign, Consul Flagship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows us to swing at our opponents’ life totals while also bolting either creatures or planeswalkers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mobile Garrison" href="#" target="_blank">Mobile Garrison</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows us to untap the creature that <em>Crewed</em> it, leaving up potential for some crafty blocking plays. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daredevil Dragster" href="#" target="_blank">Daredevil Dragster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a unique card that only gets two attacks and/or blocks in before being sacrificed, but that sacrifice draws us two cards. With a recursion package - which we will talk about next - there is potential to keep bringing Dragster back for more and more card advantage. Let's be honest, no one says no to more cards, right?!</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Spit, Polish, and Maintaining Our Pods</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Padeem, Consul of Innovation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hanna, Ship&#039;s Navigator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle"></div></div></p>
<p>It is important to realize that there are many effects that are popular in Commander that wipe out or surgically remove artifacts, regardless of whether or not they are creatures. With that in mind, we want to run a few ways to protect or bring back our artifacts.</p>
<p>Before we begin, my list is not running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Forge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and honestly, how dare I, right? In all honesty, I felt like artifacts have so many ways to be recurred that simple indestructibility is just too easy and a touch boring. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Junk Diver" href="#" target="_blank">Junk Diver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Myr Retriever" href="#" target="_blank">Myr Retriever</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the artifact staple <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trading Post" href="#" target="_blank">Trading Post</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> help our artifacts come back to the battlefield. We also have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sun Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Sun Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and even another <em>Dominaria</em> addition, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teshar, Ancestor’s Apostle" href="#" target="_blank">Teshar, Ancestor’s Apostle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is slightly more restrictive. In addition to Teshar, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hanna, Ship’s Navigator" href="#" target="_blank">Hanna, Ship’s Navigator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> uniquely synergizes with Raff because she counts as a historic card that can be flashed in. Then, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Indomitable Archangel" href="#" target="_blank">Indomitable Archangel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Padeem, Consul of Innovation" href="#" target="_blank">Padeem, Consul of Innovation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> making targeting our artifacts much more difficult for our opponents.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Fuel for the Engines</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jhoira&#039;s Familiar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smothering Tithe"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etherium Sculptor"></div></div></p>
<p>Ramp in an artifact deck can be deceptive. Sure, running eight or more mana rocks can easily give us access to twice as much mana as anyone else on the board. When combined with discounting effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etherium Sculptor" href="#" target="_blank">Etherium Sculptor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> we can suddenly cast ultra-big artifacts multiple times a turn. However, my main issue with this thinking is that mana rocks are not permanent sources of mana in the way that lands are. At least, not unless your meta is more comfortable with land destruction. If they are, then good for you! I personally think we are too against the idea of balancing mana sources, but I digress. My point is that we should be careful with vulnerable mana sources.</p>
<p>Because artifacts have such great recursion and we are running so many effects in the deck, I went with the classic <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burnished Hart" href="#" target="_blank">Burnished Hart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solemn Simulacrum" href="#" target="_blank">Solemn Simulacrum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to fetch for lands. While for most decks, that does not seem that odd, I was surprised at the folks who suggested them as cuts when I was slimming down the deck. The mentality was that we ran enough discount effects and rocks to ramp hard enough already, but did not sit right with me, so I stuck with my gut, and these should diversify our mana capabilities. Plus, they can <em>Crew </em>Vehicles!</p>
<p>I was excited to include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smothering Tithe" href="#" target="_blank">Smothering Tithe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the list, a new card from Ravnica Allegiance that seems like it is going to become very popular in most white decks. I debated going a bit more tax-based with a few other cards, but realized something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grand Arbiter Augustin IV" href="#" target="_blank">Grand Arbiter Augustin IV</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does not benefit us enough, considering most of our cards are colorless. Since we don't get the classic Arbiter, we are running three kinds of discounts for artifacts (or historic cards) in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etherium Sculptor" href="#" target="_blank">Etherium Sculptor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Foundry Inspector" href="#" target="_blank">Foundry Inspector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the newer <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jhoira’s Familiar" href="#" target="_blank">Jhoira’s Familiar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Throw everything together with some more draw, ramp and then the right removal and Wrath effects, and the list looks like this:</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pod Racer Champion Raff" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Raff Capashen, Ship&#039;s Mage
[/commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Ballista Charger
*1 Bomat Bazaar Barge
*1 Conqueror&#039;s Galleon
*1 Daredevil Dragster
*1 Dusk Legion Dreadnought
*1 Fleetwheel Cruiser
*1 Mobile Garrison
*1 Peacewalker Colossus
*1 Renegade Freighter
*1 Sky Skiff
*1 Sleek Schooner
*1 Untethered Express
*1 Cultivator&#039;s Caravan
*1 Smuggler&#039;s Copter
*1 Junk Diver
*1 Jhoira&#039;s Familiar
*1 Kuldotha Forgemaster
*1 Scrap Trawler
*1 Foundry Inspector
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Myr Retriever
*1 Duplicant
*1 Etherium Sculptor
*1 Indomitable Archangel
*1 Sun Titan
*1 Aeronaut Admiral
*1 Trophy Mage
*1 Heart of Kiran
*1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
*1 Weatherlight
*1 Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle
*1 Sram, Senior Edificer
*1 Hanna, Ship&#039;s Navigator
*1 Sai, Master Thopterist
*1 Padeem, Consul of Innovation
[/creatures]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Tezzeret, Artifice Master
*1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
*1 Tezzeret the Seeker
[/Planeswalkers]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bident of Thassa
*1 Smothering Tithe
*1 Rhystic Study
*1 The Antiquities War
[/enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Trading Post
*1 Unwinding Clock
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Blinkmoth Urn
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Lightning Greaves
[/artifacts]
[Instant]
*1 Enlightened Tutor
*1 Crush Contraband
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Cyclonic Rift
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*1 Fabricate
*1 Open the Vaults
*1 Remember the Fallen
*1 Cleansing Nova
*1 Wrath of God
[/Sorcery]
[Lands]
*1 Academy Ruins
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Command Tower
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Ghost Quarter
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Inventors&#039; Fair
*10 Island
*1 Lonely Sandbar
*1 Minamo, School at Water&#039;s Edge
*12 Plains
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Secluded Steppe
*1 Strip Mine
*1 Temple of Enlightenment
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
[/lands]"></span></div><br />
</p>
<p>NOTE: For the sake of the list, I included the Vehicles as creatures, which makes it look like there are tons of creatures. As we touched on earlier, some of the Vehicles fulfill different categories or simply do not need to be creatures in order to provide value. Just something to keep in mind when looking at the list!</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Beep Beep, Outta the Way!</h3>
<p>When Raff first came out in a set with twenty uncommon legendary creatures and a host of rare and mythic rare legendary creatures, my first thought was to flash in all the white and blue legendary creatures I could stick into a deck. Then, when Sagas were revealed, I had the idea to do an Azorius Enchantress-type deck. Sadly, only six Sagas exist in these colors, so that idea quickly went out the window. I resisted the urge to do a basic artifact deck with Raff, because <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> exists in the same set and she seems like such a better artifact commander. In the end, the Vehicle idea seemed fun, and brewing the list proved it to be true, especially with all the surprise combat shenanigans Raff is capable of sneaking into play. I enjoy a unique twist on my decks, so this is the icing on the cake.</p>
<p>To wrap this up, my favorite comment from last week’s article came from /u/GRxBerserker on the /r/EDH subreddit. They said:</p>
<blockquote><p>This looks like an awesome budget deck! I play Shirei without consideration for budget and it still looks awfully similar. Good work.</p></blockquote>
<p>I enjoyed this comment so much because it illustrates how powerful of a deck you can build in the 3DH format. To recap, 3DH is 3 Dollar Highlander, where we play Commander on <em>Magic: the Gathering Online</em> and each deck can cost no more than 3 TIX (which equates to $3). Because of the unique Online economy, there are very powerful cards that sometimes cost next to nothing. My favorite example is always that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vampiric Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Vampiric Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only costs a penny for Season 3.</p>
<p>If this sounds like fun for you, make sure you check out the <a href="https://discord.gg/CrNHmTE">Praetor Magic Discord</a>! We talk about the format and you can sign up to play on the games <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/praetormagic">I stream</a> every Wednesday and Friday at 9 PM EST. You can also throw questions at me on the big blue bird site by following me there and see some of my older games on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/praetormagic">Praetor Magic YouTube channel</a>.</p>
<p>Until next time, keep brewing and keep casting those bombs!</p>


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