I'd say the benefit is there; you've got a 1-mana spell that gives you reach to kill every opponent at once. Could it go poorly sometimes? Sure, you could eat the occasional Golgari Charm. But that won't be the case in every game and outside of the worst-case scenario you've got a card that can do 12 damage to each opponent on turn 6--which is enough reach to kill the table if you played Llanowar Elves on turn 1 and Throne of the God-Pharaoh on turn 2 (without requiring you to do jack but play lands on the turns in-between).
It's not that I don't see how that's a powerful play. But I wouldn't put Throne in a deck that relies on Life // Death or similar effects to win. I'd assume the deck is already well equipped to abuse this artifact. So token decks seem obvious, such a deck can still do well without Throne in play while Life doesn't really do anything without Throne.
It's still changing slightly. I'm looking into replacing the Myr Battlespheres. The deck could use more Thrones, but I only got one from my box, so I have to trade for some more.
I'm currently running it in my UR Thopter deck. I get a lot thopters from Sharding Sphinx, so attacking yields more tokens and drains life.
I can also tap artifacts by paying with Convoke from Chief Engineer or use Whirler Rogue.
I also plan to run one in another deck that builds around Impact Tremors.
I don't really see the benefit of running it with cards that turn your lands into creatures. Maybe for one turn, but otherwise there are way too many ways to lose all your land. The card can deal enough damage with just about any deck.
Yeah, the list isn't complete as I said. This is what I've come up with to this point. Using the typical 24 lands I still have 5 slots left for non-lands.
Adding a second Forgemaster would leave me with 4 slots for card draw.
Chief Engineer is something I've been trying to use. But I might be better off putting in Worn Powerstone. The Chief has big potential, but the stones would also trigger a Fireweaver.
I'm also currently trying to trade for a second Kuldotha Forgemaster to increase the consistency of being able to tutor up artifacts.
Whirler Virtuoso crossed my mind, but without any additional energy generation it's pretty bad. And adding energy just for the Virtuoso doesn't seem like a good idea.
Didn't expect that Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest would have to do with just a C-. I agree that it's not as good as Meren of Clan Nel Toth because you need to build around the ability as where Meren just provides value in any deck that can run it.
It's true that the card requires multiple creatures in play to become a big threat, which isn't really a problem for me. Boardwipes are rare in my meta, so getting multiple creatures in play is common.
Pair the card with goodies like Smallpox and you have yourself an instant army. Ogre Slumlord can help gain a sizable army in a short time. Think about stacking the triggers properly with Smallpox.
With the latest Eldrazi we have even more options to get creatures with a self-sacrificing ability it's very easy to trigger the ability on demand. I don't see anything to dislike.
Xathrid Necromancer doesn't seem like a good choice to me. All the tokens will be exiled by Angel of Glory's Rise. Unless you don't want to constantly have the Angel come into play, then it becomes a way to counter board wipes.
Any reason why you don't have Fiend Hunter in your list?
Nobody bonds Deadeye with Hornet Queen or Master of Waves (yes, that works)?
I find these cards incredibly fun to play with. They pump out a huge army in no-time.
Following this up with a Craterhoof Behemoth is surely to end a game, no matter how many lives your opponents may have.
Stuff that can easily be replaced are Merfolk Looter and Necropede. Maybe switch Shattered Perception with Windfall, it's unlikely to backfire unless some ridiculous stuff gets discarded by opponents.
I've neveer really needed a third Living Death, but it could be added.
Prices from back in 2011. Worldwake man-lands in the $2-$5 bracket. Horizon Canopy under $10 even with a Modern spike. The price of some of these have gone up considerably.
Two remarks:
Why do you mention the old tri-lands as favourite but not the new?
In my experience (but in my meta there's little land destruction) the Ravnica bounce lands are really good.
The new tri-lands didn't exist when topic was created.
It's not that I don't see how that's a powerful play. But I wouldn't put Throne in a deck that relies on Life // Death or similar effects to win. I'd assume the deck is already well equipped to abuse this artifact. So token decks seem obvious, such a deck can still do well without Throne in play while Life doesn't really do anything without Throne.
4 Swiftwater Cliffs
3 Great Furnace
4 Seat of the Synod
2 Darksteel Citadel
1 Inventors' Fair
2 Buried Ruin
3 Mountain
5 Island
Creatures
3 Sharding Sphinx
2 Cryptoplasm
3 Master of Etherium
1 Steel Hellkite
4 Reckless Fireweaver
2 Myr Battlesphere
2 Whirler Rogue
2 Solemn Simulacrum
3 Thopter Engineer
3 Chief Engineer
1 Kuldotha Forgemaster
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1 Pia Nalaar
2 Manifold Insights
2 Reverse Engineer
1 Whir of Invention
1 Darksteel Forge
1 Bident of Thassa
1 Throne of the God-Pharaoh
It's still changing slightly. I'm looking into replacing the Myr Battlespheres. The deck could use more Thrones, but I only got one from my box, so I have to trade for some more.
I can also tap artifacts by paying with Convoke from Chief Engineer or use Whirler Rogue.
The deck was good before, but this card deals absurd amounts of damage with Throne of the God-Pharaoh. So it's nice to have an alternative to Reckless Fireweaver.
I also plan to run one in another deck that builds around Impact Tremors.
I don't really see the benefit of running it with cards that turn your lands into creatures. Maybe for one turn, but otherwise there are way too many ways to lose all your land. The card can deal enough damage with just about any deck.
Deadeye Navigator
Impact Tremors
Steel Hellkite
Adding a second Forgemaster would leave me with 4 slots for card draw.
I've currently have the following incomplete list:
4 Chief Engineer
1 Pia Nalaar
2 Whirler Rogue
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
3 Thopter Engineer
2 Pilgrim's Eye
3 Master of Etherium
2 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Kuldotha Forgemaster
2 Myr Battlesphere
3 Sharding Sphinx
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Darksteel Forge
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Great Furnace
4 Swiftwater Cliffs
2 Buried Ruin
1 Inventors' Fair
4 Darksteel Citadel
3 Island
2 Mountain
I know some of the choices are sub optimal, but they kinda go with the theme.
Obviously I can't wait to see what Aether Revolt brings to improve this deck.
EDIT:
Added Darksteel Citadel and filled in the rest of the land.
It's true that the card requires multiple creatures in play to become a big threat, which isn't really a problem for me. Boardwipes are rare in my meta, so getting multiple creatures in play is common.
Pair the card with goodies like Smallpox and you have yourself an instant army. Ogre Slumlord can help gain a sizable army in a short time. Think about stacking the triggers properly with Smallpox.
With the latest Eldrazi we have even more options to get creatures with a self-sacrificing ability it's very easy to trigger the ability on demand. I don't see anything to dislike.
Any reason why you don't have Fiend Hunter in your list?
I find these cards incredibly fun to play with. They pump out a huge army in no-time.
Following this up with a Craterhoof Behemoth is surely to end a game, no matter how many lives your opponents may have.
6 Island
2 Mountain
3 Crumbling Necropolis
2 Rakdos Guildgate
2 Bojuka Bog
2 Massacre Wurm
3 Clone
3 Stinkweed Imp
3 Skinrender
3 Merfolk Looter
2 Necropede
2 Flayer of the Hatebound
4 Forbidden Alchemy
2 Shattered Perception
2 Breaking // Entering
2 Fact or Fiction
2 Mystic Retrieval
The idea is to just fill your graveyard as fast as possible. A milled Living Death can be returned with Mystic Retrieval.
You win with Gray Merchant of Asphodel and Flayer of the Hatebound. Massacre Wurm isn't really needed, but the 3 devotion to B help a lot.
Clones create extra Merchants or Massacre Wurms.
Stuff that can easily be replaced are Merfolk Looter and Necropede. Maybe switch Shattered Perception with Windfall, it's unlikely to backfire unless some ridiculous stuff gets discarded by opponents.
I've neveer really needed a third Living Death, but it could be added.
Manabase isn't ideal, but it worked at the time.
The new tri-lands didn't exist when topic was created.
1 Gruul guildgate
1 Sacred foundry
1 Sulfurous springs
1 vivid creek
1 Karplusan forest
1 Blood crypt
1 Stomping ground
1 Skyshroud forest
1 woodland cemetery
2 drowned catacomb
3 shimmering grotto
2 rupture spire
4 transguild promenade
6 plains
1 forest
1 Swamp
Nonland
1 Enduring ideal
1 Grafdigger's cage
1 arboria
1 Smoke
1 Plague wind
1 Stranglehold
1 chromatic lantern
1 rest in peace
1 Leyline of sanctity
1 torpor orb
1 Ground seal
1 Damping matrix
1 cursed totem
1 leonin arbiter
1 Propaganda
1 spiritual asylum
1 privileged position
1 asceticism
1 stoic angel
1 Blind obedience
1 ensnaring bridge
1 Spellbook
1 Imi statue
1 Static orb
2 platinum angel
2 tajuru preserver
3 diabolic tutor
2 blazing archon
2 peacekeeper
2 magus of the moat
2 chromatic sphere
2 limited resources
2 dense foliage
3 wall of glare
3 inviolability
2 gilded lotus
2 azorius charm
I've put the deck inside deck tags and fixed some spelling errors on cards.
You can add Sire of Insanity to that list. Sire even requires an instant answer, because otherwise everybody loses their entire hand...