Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas

[Jabari]

So I'm trying to tune a Tezz list for modern and I'm looking for some constructive criticism. I currently can't really test cause I'm in Ireland and I haven't been able to find a playgroup here and cockatrice keeps crashing on me.

I really like Lodestone Golem and despite it's slight lack of synergy with Tezz I think it might still be worth working into a list. It's annoying we don't have access to many moxes or any sol lands, and that may be reason enough not to play the golem at all. I'll post two lists so please critique either one or share a list you have.

Tax Tezz

4 Lodestone Golem
2 Phyrexian Metamorph
3 Spellskite
1 Wurmcoil Engine
4 Master of Etherium

2 Mox Opal
3 Trinisphere
3 Dimir Signet
4 Tumble Magnet
1 Engineered Explosives

4 Inquisition of Kozilek

4 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas

4 Inkmoth Nexus
4 Watery Grave
4 Darksteel Citadel
2 Academy Ruins
3 Ghost Quarter
3 Island
2 Swamp


Aggro Tezz

4 Master of Etherium
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Memnite
4 Ornithopter
4 Frogmite
4 Etched Chamion

4 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas

2 Cranial Plating
2 Mox Opal
2 Springleaf Drum

4 Thoughtcast
4 Dispatch

4 Darksteel Citadel
4 Inkmoth Nexus
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Watery Grave
4 Marsh Flats

Personally I prefer playing a deck that more closely resembles the first list as opposed to the stock affinity list. Anyway, thoughts?

[Mr. Safety]

Did you deliberately leave out Chalice of the Void? It seems to work rather well in the first list posted alongside Trinisphere. You don't have turn 1 acceleration, which seems like reason enough to avoid Chalice, but I was curious if you had other reasons.

Etherium Sculptor and Mind Stone both seem to fill in a fairly good mana acceleration role for the decks.

[Koby]

Did you deliberately leave out Chalice of the Void? It seems to work rather well in the first list posted alongside Trinisphere. You don't have turn 1 acceleration, which seems like reason enough to avoid Chalice, but I was curious if you had other reasons.

Etherium Sculptor and Mind Stone both seem to fill in a fairly good mana acceleration role for the decks.

Dimir Signet even better than Mind Stone by fixing your colors to cast Tezzeret. This is being used in the Legacy version of Tezz Stax. In this version I would consider playing Liliana of the Veil and Ensnaring Bridge too, as they have a good synergy and stop aggro decks.

[Mr. Safety]

Hmmm...wouldn't Ensnaring Bridge also prevent you from winning? Just a thought...I'm about 99% sure it affects both you and your opponent.

I was thinking that Mind Stone cantrips and Etherium Sculptor makes for cheaper disruption whilst also chump blocking if need be. Dimir Signet is great at fixing mana...but I would argue that Mistvein Borderpost would work better in that regard.

EDIT: Sorry, I forgot to read Tezz's ultimate ability. You can still win, but it won't be through combat.

[Koby]

Hmmm...wouldn't Ensnaring Bridge also prevent you from winning? Just a thought...I'm about 99% sure it affects both you and your opponent.

It could, if you went the beatdown path. Tezzeret is tailored to win without the combat step. (-4: target player loses life= 2x artifacts u control.)

[Mr. Safety]

Yeah, I edited my post.

[Jabari]

I forgot about chalice of the void, mainly cause I discounted it in Modern from the start almost. After WOTC nuked card draw and GSZ (no more dryad arbor shenanigans) all that's left is Bolt, PtE, and... Zoo really. I'm sure I'm discounting many cards but as you pointed out the lack of turn 1 acceleration is a HUGE deterrent. I might consider it in SB for the Zoo MU if on the play, but outside that I don't think it deserved a MD slot without a viable way of casting it turn 1. As we have no Sol lands and our only Mox is Opal flavored it looks very underwhelming.

I forgot about Dimir Signet when posting and when I was theory crafting I was trying to find a place for it or Etherium Sculptor. Basically some way to drop Tezz earlier. I'm not sure if that should be the angle of the deck though. As that turns it into a one trick pony too reliant on Tezz. I think if a brew involving Grand Architect might be worth exploring as well.

Where should I find room for the Signet/Sculptor? What looks underwhelming in the list? Icy Manipulator might just be a waste with MD Trinisphere, or vice versa. I really hate not having sol lands!

[Mr. Safety]

Yeah, I was eyeballing the Icy Manipulators to go...they are just too slow to reliably be a deterrent. Tumble Magnet is much better, and you already have a set of those in there.

I would do this:

-2 Icy Manipulator
-1 Phyrexian Metamorph
-1 Mox Opal

+4 Etherium Sculptor

Also, why the 4 Ghost Quarters? Are you using them as pseudo-fetchlands?

Forget Sol-lands...I'd settle for Lotus Petal or Chrome Mox in the format...:rolleyes:

[Jabari]

Yeah, I was eyeballing the Icy Manipulators to go...they are just too slow to reliably be a deterrent. Tumble Magnet is much better, and you already have a set of those in there.

I would do this:

-2 Icy Manipulator
-1 Phyrexian Metamorph
-1 Mox Opal

+4 Etherium Sculptor

Also, why the 4 Ghost Quarters? Are you using them as pseudo-fetchlands?

Forget Sol-lands...I'd settle for Lotus Petal or Chrome Mox in the format...:rolleyes:

I don't know if I like the Sculptor as much as Signet - Sculptor is a magnet for removal.

Ghost Quarters are more for handling Grove of the Burnwillows and other problem lands more than anything else. It doesn't strain the manabase due to the heavy artifact count so it's more of a "why not?" than anything else.

Chrome Mox would be AMAZING but wizards hates combo so much it has no chance at being unbanned. Wizards won't support any type of fast mana unless it comes from a creature a la Llanowar elves. This begs the question is a prison style deck worth playing in Modern? Considering we have no acceleration into lock pieces and aggro/mid-range is being pushed to the forefront of the format, does lodestone golem have a chance in the format?

[Mr. Safety]

I do believe Lodestone Golem has a chance in the format, for a couple reasons:

1) He's an aggressive threat with a 5/3 body that at a minimum causes opponents to pay more to remove him.This gives him a small amount of resilience. Added to Master of Etherium you have a pretty nice front line that can muscle with the best of modern's threats.

2) If you can pair him with Trinisphere you've got a soft-lock that you can hopefully take advantage of with a fast clock (Tezz helps here by making the 5/5 attackers)


I think the missing elements here are Ratchet Bomb and a small dose of permission, most likely Spell Snare or Spell Pierce. That would smooth out your early game enough to land a turn 3 Trinisphere.

How do you feel about a Trinket Mage package with Pithing Needle, Engineered Explosives, AEther Spellbomb, and Executioner's Capsule?

[Jabari]

Fair enough, I think Lodestone+Trinisphere do present some necessary build around sacrifices though.

For example Trinket Mage seems lackluster due to not being an artifact and it's not really what the deck wants to do on turn 3. I would much rather drop a cheap Tezz, Lodestone, or Sphere. I wouldn't want to play it until the late game usually to maximize utility and by that point Lodestone would be slowing them, or Tezz should be digging.

I really hate not having Thopter-Sword combo too, it's not that broken outside of Countertop really.

I agree with your point about the early game. I think discard might be a better route to go though as opposed to permission considering the tapping out necessary to drop lock pieces. I'll revise the OP now for a more updated list.

Edit: Thoughts on Crystal Shard?

Also, I just thought of a UB artifact poison strategy that might be worth considering I'll post a list in the OP for it.