MTG Salvation

I think Sword of Light and Shadow is better since if gives protection from the colors with the best removal in the format...especially from Path to Exile.

It provides recursion and also serves as a mini Batterskull by providing life gain.

Edit: Also, I feel Verdurous Gearhulk is great with Hangarback Walker, Mindless Automaton, Triskelion and Arcbound Ravager.

@Badabing, list is looking pretty good.
Although, I am a strong advocate of Skysovereign, Consul Flagship, I would only recommend playing one maindeck since its legendary.
Also, like you pointed out, its not always optimal.

I know you are trying UW, but Disciple of Deceit and Scrapheap Scrounger look like they may synergize really well with Smuggler's Copter.
Another card that has been stellar for me is Sword of Light and Shadow, I think the card is a must in any version of this deck.

Quote from Badabingbadabum »

Wow

Smuggler's Copter 17 tix
Flagship 10 tix
Green Gearhulk 15 tix

Not surprised by the latter two but still. Do you guys think that the prices will go down once the online pre-release is over (greater supply and all)?

streetMage: glad that Flagship pulls its weight. I can't wait to try it out.

Yea I pre-ordered all of those for my paper deck when they were about a third of those prices. I'm surprised Familiar and Smuggler's Copter are so expensive on mtgo and paper...makes me wonder if we aren't looking at Smuggler's Copter close enough..

Did some goldfishing with Skysovereign, Consul Flagship, seems good so far.
Should be able to test in a few days against other decks.
Trying to find room for atleast one Filigree Familiar in the main...

@Badabing, your list looks pretty solid. Keep in mind the Vehicles are not creatures, so they will be taxed by Thalia.
Also if the tax on noncreature effect is what you are looking for, you might aswell just play Thorn of Amethyst instead of Thalia.

I wonder if theres an aggro build of this deck that can run:
4x Fleetwheel Cruiser and 4x Ovalchase Dragster..

Quote from Narvuntien »

I understand why you'd want hierach as my experience with the deck is that it is exactly 1 turn too slow for modern, which is super frustrating.

If you are playing green you can do some silly things involving Beck//call,you'd have to lose the lodestones unfortunately, In modern I always want to be doing something fundermentally unfair.
Dramatic reversal seems promising when all your creatures are mana dorks.

I'd almost want to try a sultai version just so I could also use the contraband kingpin.. but the whole deck requires a critical mass of artifacts to function and I seem to be cutting too many of them for my liking to make something like that.

You hit some pretty important points. The fact that this deck is a turn too slow for modern is precisely why I feel it needs Lodestone Golem to be even viable. There are so many games where I've "soft countered" wraths, living end or just caused the opponent to be "one mana behind " by having Lodestone in play. I've contemplated adding Simian Spirit Guide, but not sure that's efficient enough. Also contemplated Darksteel Citadel and Mox Opal, but I hate when my mana sources get hosed by Stony Silence. Between Aether Vial, blue 1-drops and Chief Engineer I can consistently land Myr Superion "on time", much like Jund can land Tarmogoyf.

I think the main thing to realize is that this deck is a mix between Merfolk and to some respects Jund.
The way I chose my creatures is that the have some sort of 2-for-1 value (I was hoping Kaladesh would give us an exile resistant threat like and artifact Thragtusk):
Lodestone Golem: taxes the opponent even when they use a removal spell on him thats not artifact based.
Hangarback Walker: if destroyed, you still get value.
Wurmcoil Engine and Triskelion: Same as Hangarback Walker.
Myr Superion: Our Tarmogoyf.
Mausoleum Wanderer: our form of denial that works well with Lodestone Golem and Grand Architect.
The blue cast along with Grand Architect is what lends to the aggro Merfolk aspect.

In other words, this is not a deck that just wants to vomit out a bunch of artifacts ala Affinity...its actually, alteast my version very far from Affinity, heck we don't even play any "real" zero drop artifacts.
It starts becoming more of it own deck when people realize the control aspect of it...
Skysovereign, Consul Flagship and Smuggler's Copter may provide another way of not having to attack with Lodestone aswell, since we usually want him around.

@Ace1, yea the set didn't give us anything on the level of Hangarback Walker or Wurmcoil Engine.
I'm not sure the white slash is worth it for Blade Splicer or Dromoka's Command, they still get taxed by Lodestone Golem and can't be cast using Architect or Engineer.
I think you had it right with the green splash for Verdurous Gearhulk...could even add Natural State to the board to deal with enchantments instead of the Command. Not sure Noble is worth more than a blue 1-drop.

Kaladesh cards:
Like I mentioned before, I think Filigree Familiar is a definite two-of in the 75.
I may test Skysovereign, Consul Flagship in the Batterskull slot.
I could also see splashing heavier into black for Noxious Gearhulk.

Quote from VariousBoots »

I'm going to leave this here just in case y'all haven't seen it yet.

Foundry Inspector

Edit: Apparently it hasn't been added to mtgSalvation yet. Spoiler can be found here.

Etherium Sculptor just does it alot better for this deck...hes blue for Grand Architect and costs less.

@samuraijaques:
I've thought about it but Sage of Epityr is the closest I got to having card selection and a blue one drop.
Usually, I play Aether Vial turn 1, then turn 2, during my upkeep before I draw I vial in the Sage to "Ponder".

A blue one drop artifact creature that had some type of card advantage/selection ETB effect would be ideal...

Padeem, Consul of Innovation at first glance is good, but the more I think about it, 4cmc is alot for a non-artifact; especially since we run so few lands. I could Aether Vial him in but idk...if he was an artifact I could cast via Grand Architect or Chief Engineer, he'd be an auto include.

Glint-Nest Crane seem decent, he could have to replace Treasure Mage and or Trinket Mage in my build. He flies, cost one less and digs pretty deep.

So far, imho Filigree Familiar is the best artifact to come out this set.

Skysovereign, Consul Flagship and Smuggler's Copter have potential. Most of the time, I'm not attacking with guys like Grand Architect or Chief Engineer anyway...

Quote from Ace1 »

...Cataclysmic gearhulk is the worst hulk for this deck, unfortunately.

I think there could be a list with Cataclysmic Gearhulk using Filigree Familiar, Solemn Simulacrum, Hangarback Walker and manalands...

@Ace, that UB list looks spicy. I know you like Signal Pest, but I'd probably replace them with Vault Skirge in this particular list since you can tap them for B using Chief Engineer to cast Noxious Gearhulk and Sphinx Summoner.

Smuggler's Copter is ok but still doesn't pass the resilience test for me.
Idk, over 100 cards in and some pretty lackluster artifacts or artifact centric cards from Kaladesh.
What happened to creating playable artifacts like Batterskull, Wurmcoil Engine and Phyrexian Metamorph...heck give us a new Sword of X&Y. Pretty disappointed in the set so far.

@besttryanever, Welcome!
I think Ace summed up the choices pretty well.
Here's my updated list, added 2x Filigree Familiar to the sideboard which are coming with the new set.

Quote from Ace1 »

Wonder is a reminder of morphling, these cards may be ok in standard but in modern, for 5 mana the card better be awesome and wonder is a 3/3 vanilla when you are out of energy, which is pretty bad.

Yea, they should've made him at the very least indestructible.

Yea, was really hoping the Blue Gearhulk would draw cards and have flying or something
The Black Gearhulk is cool, but I only splash one black source, BB is too restrictive since I'd want the other black source to be an "Island" i.e. (Watery Grave) for Vedalken Shackles.

So far the only definite from this set is 2x Filigree Familiar in the sideboard.

What are your thoughts on Skysovereign, Consul Flagship and Multiform Wonder?