Ashe, Princess of DalmascaAshe, Princess of Dalmasca | Art by Yumi Yaoshida

Welcome to Too-Specific Top 10, where if there isn’t a category to rank our pet card at the top of, we’ll just make one up! (Did you know that The Prydwen, Steel FlagshipThe Prydwen, Steel Flagship is the only Vehicle that can make artifact tokens when an artifact enters the battlefield?)

As a huge Final Fantasy fan whose favorite is XII, I'm immensely disappointed.

The main character of the game doesn't even get his own card, instead having to share it with his inimitable bunny-woman companion.

Two of the six main characters aren't represented at all, despite one of them's twin brother getting a card. And to boot? None of the commanders really speak to me personally, at all.

Except one.

When Ashe was first spoiled, the EDHREC writers chat said something to the effect of "well, that looks like a draft uncommon, because it is", and I don't disagree. Ashe, Princess of DalmascaAshe, Princess of Dalmasca isn't wowing anyone with her very basic effect. Only, it's not actually an effect that white has had before, is it?

While white has been getting more and more cards that care about artifacts in general, Oswald FiddlebenderOswald Fiddlebender has, to date, been the only other white commander that can grab non-specific artifacts from your deck. Sanwell, Avenger AceSanwell, Avenger Ace can go get artifact creatures or Vehicles, Sram, Senior EdificerSram, Senior Edificer can draw cards when you play Equipment or Vehicles, Gandalf the WhiteGandalf the White can give all your artifacts flash, Rebbec, Architect of AscensionRebbec, Architect of Ascension can give your artifacts protection, Ratchet, Field MedicRatchet, Field Medic can bring them back from the graveyard, but no white commander can just draw artifacts like Ashe can.

Which seems worth pursuing, doesn't it? Only, is there now enough support in white for a general artifact deck?

Criteria: Artifacts with a white color identity that mention artifacts in a fashion other than removing them. As is tradition, all results are ordered by EDHREC score.

Top 10 White Artifacts That Care About Artifacts

10. Automated Assembly LineAutomated Assembly Line

(13,545 Inclusions, 0.63% of 2,155,019 Decks)

While it's unlikely that we'll become an energy deck, even having a dozen artifact creatures in our 99 makes Automated Assembly LineAutomated Assembly Line fairly playable, as it begins to feed itself once it gets going. With that said, to start making a Robot every turn, you either need to be getting in with three Robots every turn, or you need at least some energy components, so let's look at the options:

Top 10 Mono-White Energy Artifacts

1. Aetherworks MarvelAetherworks Marvel
2. Gonti's Aether HeartGonti's Aether Heart
3. Solar TransformerSolar Transformer
4. Decoction ModuleDecoction Module
5. Conversion ApparatusConversion Apparatus
6. Behemoth of Vault 0Behemoth of Vault 0
7. Salvation ColossusSalvation Colossus
8. Stone Idol GeneratorStone Idol Generator
9. Razorfield RipperRazorfield Ripper
10. Aetherflux ConduitAetherflux Conduit

Our top three here all feel like absolute slam dunks. Aetherworks MarvelAetherworks Marvel will absolutely crank out energy and then act as a backup commander once we get to the late game, only it will put the artifacts onto the battlefield instead of into our hand. Gonti's Aether HeartGonti's Aether Heart in an artifact deck will pay itself off almost immediately, so the real question is whether we're okay with paying six for an extra turn. And with the amount of artifacts (read: mana rocks) we're talking about playing, the answer is just yes. Speaking of mana rocks, Solar TransformerSolar Transformer is a two-mana one that incidentally makes some energy, making it an easy inclusion in the hopes that we can abuse Automated Assembly LineAutomated Assembly Line. As for the rest of the list? I'm rather unmoved, although I suppose Stone Idol GeneratorStone Idol Generator and Razorfield RipperRazorfield Ripper might not be terrible if we don't find more important things to be doing.

9. Voyager QuickwelderVoyager Quickwelder

(14,615 Inclusions, 1.50% of 971,669 Decks)

While Voyager QuickwelderVoyager Quickwelder looks terrible in relation to Etherium SculptorEtherium Sculptor, the fact is that we're not in blue, and it costs less than Jhoira's FamiliarJhoira's Familiar. While that doesn't mean that it sees play over Foundry InspectorFoundry Inspector, the fact is that we play both. Happily.

8. Thopter ShopThopter Shop

(15,321 Inclusions, 0.55% of 2,790,834 Decks)

Starting at about The Brothers' War, white began not only caring about Equipment and Vehicles, but also artifact creatures. That shift is going to be crucial for us as a decklist, but it's also going to shift us a little bit from being a general artifact deck toward being a bit more of an artifact creature deck. With that in mind? Thopter ShopThopter Shop both draws us cards for our artifact creatures dying and also acts as a mana sink in the late game to grab a evasive artifact creatures that may well make the difference if they can get pumped up, white weenie style.

7. Ironsoul EnforcerIronsoul Enforcer

(18,791 Inclusions, 0.67% of 2,790,834 Decks)

While Ironsoul EnforcerIronsoul Enforcer is a bit more pricey than Myr RetrieverMyr Retriever, that's a price we're willing to pay to get the effect every turn. Combine that with a 4/4 body that's going to be painful to block, and this one is going to be a value engine we're always happy to see.

6. Filigree VectorFiligree Vector

(21,913 Inclusions, 0.79% of 2,790,834 Decks)

One thing we haven't talked about yet is the fact that Ashe, Princess of DalmascaAshe, Princess of Dalmasca has to attack every turn to get her artifact trigger. With her only being a 3/2, that's almost immediately going to present a problem if we don't start making her a bit more resilient. Well, Filigree VectorFiligree Vector can help with that, starting off by making her a 4/3 and then being a Throne of GethThrone of Geth going forward to make her bigger and bigger each turn. The fact that it does the same for itself and every other creature you have, in addition to that Everflowing ChaliceEverflowing Chalice over there? That's just gravy.

5. Cataclysmic GearhulkCataclysmic Gearhulk

(21,901 Inclusions, 0.78% of 2,790,834 Decks)

While it's hard to argue that Cataclysmic GearhulkCataclysmic Gearhulk doesn't care about artifacts, I will say that it doesn't care enough. The reason it references artifacts is specifically so you can play around in the space where it can name itself as either a creature or an artifact to allow you to tick all your boxes for its enters board wipe and come out on top. As for whether it's actually good in an artifact deck, however? I think I'd go with ScourglassScourglass instead.

4. Ethersworn CanonistEthersworn Canonist

(41,547 Inclusions, 1.49% of 2,790,834 Decks)

In a different vein, you really can't argue that Ethersworn CanonistEthersworn Canonist doesn't care about artifacts. You can argue that it's Stax, however, and that we're probably not building a deck that wants to go down that road. There's no doubt that it would be a great card in the deck, but the heat it would bring about is probably worse than the boon you'd get from playing it.

3. Illustrious WanderglyphIllustrious Wanderglyph

(50,368 Inclusions, 2.06% of 2,447,476 Decks)

Games have to end, as they say, and Illustrious WanderglyphIllustrious Wanderglyph wants to bring that about by being a one-Golem white weenie strategy. It's a little slow, but considering we're going to be playing every mana rock on earth, it's safe to say that we should be able to get this out fairly early to begin pumping out Gnomes. And if you do get it late and already have a horde of artifact creatures? Well, then your opponents better be praying that they have blockers.

2. Bronze GuardianBronze Guardian

(54,683 Inclusions, 1.96% of 2,790,834 Decks)

Speaking of praying for blockers, it's Bronze GuardianBronze Guardian! With native double strike and ward 2, Guardian is hard to deal with in any fashion other than having a lot of tokens. There will almost certainly be one deck at the table which fits that criteria, but for the other two, they're at least going to be losing cards they care about to it. Meanwhile, all of your other artifacts will also have ward 2, so if you do have a bigger problem besides Bronze Guardian that needs solving, then the table is going to be hard-pressed to do so.

1. Thousand Moons SmithyThousand Moons Smithy

(52,593 Inclusions, 2% of 2,209,038 Decks)

Without a doubt, Thousand Moons SmithyThousand Moons Smithy will be one of the best cards in the deck for Ashe. Four mana for a Gnome version of a KarnstructKarnstruct is a bit pricey, but there's no question that a deck dedicated to artifacts can flip the Smithy fairly trivially. From there, you're making a Gnome every turn, and they're going to be huge. In other words, this single artifact will often be your entire gameplan on the way to a victory, and while normally it can be difficult to keep on drawing enough artifacts to keep it going, Ashe provides an avenue to do just that.

Honorable Mentions

With our main gameplan being aggro, I would be remiss if I didn't go over how great Salvation EngineSalvation Engine is going to be in the late game. Immediately pumping up all our artifact creatures, then joining combat itself as a 6/10 and reanimating artifacts back from the graveyard straight to the battlefield every combat. Still, it actually gets put to shame by The Prydwen, Steel FlagshipThe Prydwen, Steel Flagship, which comes down for a mana more, flies for your trouble, and still has six power. If you manage to untap with it, you'll probably make a full horde of Human Knights that become 4/4s at the drop of a hat, as well. In other words, The Prydwen is the artifact you're looking for with Ashe once you've gotten down enough rocks that you can afford it. Speaking of, Fabrication FoundryFabrication Foundry is a card that feels like it was made for us, being a cheap two-mana rock that can immediately use its mana on artifacts in the early game, then also having a late game ability that will bring an artifact back from the dead.

The way I've been going on, you'd assume that white artifacts were the majority here, at least if you were brand new to the game. There are probably some folks who are a bit irritated that I went straight for the mono-white artifacts, but I felt that the majority of my readers would be fairly familiar with the general options of colorless artifacts that care about artifacts. Still, for those who aren't, or haven't looked at the numbers in a while:

Top 10 Colorless Artifacts That Care About Artifacts

1. Foundry InspectorFoundry Inspector
2. Liquimetal TorqueLiquimetal Torque
3. Mystic ForgeMystic Forge
4. Unwinding ClockUnwinding Clock
5. Sculpting SteelSculpting Steel
6. Myr BattlesphereMyr Battlesphere
7. Myr RetrieverMyr Retriever
8. Cloud KeyCloud Key
9. Scrap TrawlerScrap Trawler
10. Inspiring StatuaryInspiring Statuary

Most of this list is immediately windmill slammed into Ashe, Princess of DalmascaAshe, Princess of Dalmasca, a list I decided to make 100% artifacts outside of its lands, because why not? While I decided I'd rather do Voyager QuickwelderVoyager Quickwelder over Cloud KeyCloud Key, and us going all artifacts makes Inspiring StatuaryInspiring Statuary useless, the rest of this this list was basically the starting point when brewing the deck. What deck, you ask?

The deck plays well, for being a mono-white pile purposefully built to be all artifacts. This keeps it solidly at a Core (2), but one that will strain precons to keep up as it routinely lays down a turn two rock into another paired with Ashe on turn three, only to untap, swing in, and find a haymaker off the top of the deck with Ashe's ability. Combine that with artifacts and card draw commanders both having no problems recovering from a board wipe, and this feels like an aggro deck that will always be able to hang.

Nuts and Bolts

There always seems to be a bit of interest in how these lists are made (this seems like a good time to stress once again that they are based on EDHREC score, NOT my personal opinion…), and people are often surprised that I’m not using any special data or .json from EDHREC, but rather just muddling my way through with some Scryfall knowledge! For your enjoyment/research, here is this week’s Scryfall search.

What Do You Think?

And finally, what is your favorite artifact that cares about artifacts? Is it white? Are you planning on building Ashe, Princess of DalmascaAshe, Princess of Dalmasca? Disappointed that the Final Fantasy XII contingent is fairly lackluster overall?

Let us know in the comments, and we'll see you at the dungeon map that's actually a huge table, once you finish exploring it.