I really just completely missed the PW:) I don't think we can run Workshop and then try to cast things that don't abuse it. If they ever print a PW that is "artifact PW" then I'll test it, until then I don't think its worth it. You get awkward hands when you mix mana types and doing it in a deck that can't fix its top decks, can't manipulate its library, can't fetch its lands, there are a lot of design constraints that really hamper those plans.
I put Karn in and take him out and put him. He's amazing in that he does finish games, almost like a combo deck would, he can be pretty lackluster elsewhere, and with 4 null rods main its a touch annoying to hold him forever. I am really on the fence about him.
Well you convinced me to get a playset of Orrerys today:) I don't know if its correct but I want some for testing. It's a very interesting card and maybe there is a Shops-Lands future, it looks like Horn of Greed and Exploration in one card, which should be amazing:) This is what I am currently working on, but I don't have any play in my area, and I'm not on MTGO so I have no idea how bad it is:
Lands:
Workshop X4
Tomb X4
Wasteland X4
Port X4
Inventors Fair X1
Dune of the Dead X1
Stripmine*
Tolarian Academy*
Artifact Acceleration:
Moxen* X5
Sol Ring*
Creatures:
Darksteel Juggernaut X2
Lodestone Golem*
Artifact Control:
Tanglewire X4
Sphere of Resistance X4
Null Rod X4
Sorcerous Spyglass X4
Ensnaring Bridge X4
Smokestack X4
Crucible of Worlds X3
Bottled Cloister X2
Thorn of Amethyst*
Chalice of the Void*
Trinisphere*
Sideboard:
Grafdigger's Cage X4
Tabernacle X3
Witchbane Orb X3
Ratchet Bomb X3
Wurmcoil Engine X2
I'm not pretending Witchbane Orb is actually good, but when 5 of the top 8 decks at Waterbury run 4 Hurkylls and Oath is still a tough MU it can't be that bad:) The deck plays like a complete pile sometimes, but when it synergizes its a hard lock. Its def short of being optimized though and maybe the new Traxos agro is just better, but I feel like this deck should beat that. IDK, this is my rough draft where I've started from. I want to experiment with Orrerry in it, I think maybe the key to making Smokestack good again is getting it to two. I feel like with the token generators and pws that we need to find a way to leverage more value out of that card.
That's a very interesting list. How do you actually win with it? Is lodestone and revokers the only victory conditions in the deck? Congrats on the VSL pick up that's awesome:)
I've been leaning hard in a pure Stax direction as well. I'm not in love with the Ravager decks and I have a weird feeling that what we saw at Waterbury recently may be a critical turning point in the current metagame where the Xerox decks and Outcome decks have found out how to beat the aggro shops decks. That being said, I don't know the right formula for traditional stax. I'm really struggling with victory conditions. I like the ports, but thinking of doing a 2/2 Port/Factory plan with a Dunes of the Dead as a third land that you can win with. I think the deck has to be a four Null Rod deck to make it competitive with Outcome and Aggro Shops. I'm still in the lab, but as we get closer to EW or I get something concrete I'll get a list up.
@oestrus Your not wrong. As a shops player I keep wondering when the blue players will just build the blue deck that beats shops, ie Oath or Landstill. They aren't hard to find. Maybe is MM was restricted we see this transformation? The blue decks seem kind of pushed into a weird space where outside of guys like Brian Kelley everyone is scared to play Oath and have a better shops mu. This Jan will be very interesting:)
Thanks for the breakdown! It def looks like shops needs a hit or maybe two, just hoping the preserve the workshop and maybe whack Ravager and Inspector, love my shops and don't really love playing affinity:) Anyway, we'll see in a couple months.
So beat it or join it: http://eemagic.com/allDecks.php. I guess the only big thing I see here is that I miss my Tangle Wires:) Why the meta hasn't generated easy/obvious answers to Precursor golem has me confused, other than that the creature suites look pretty strong.
The first significant data point of the new meta: http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/mtgo-standings/vintage-challenge-2017-09-03. Shops looks pretty OK there, but much to think about:) More tomorrow I'm out for tonight:)