[DECK] Tezzerator (U/x Trinket Toolbox)

[(nameless one)]

Not really. It has a lot of early targets ranging from Tarmogoyf to Remand.

When I pilot my Mono Blue Tron, I usually drop Chalice at two. Although it could be a meta call.

[Canarias4life]

I dont play spell snare, I play Spell pierce because it could counter planeswalkers(liliana), burns, discard... and I think that against creatures we are strong

[Mr. Safety]

Just curious: why is there no Tron version of Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas? The amount of 1-mana artifacts to turn into 5/5 threats is plenty and it helps with consistency (by playing the traditional 4x Chromatic Star, 4x Chromatic Sphere, and 4x Expedition Map.) With Tron you can play 8 planeswalkers (4x Karn, 4x Tezz AoB) and play the upper end of control features like U/W or Mono-Blue Tron does like Repeal and Oblivion Stone.

Curious if anyone has pursued this route...with blue available to counter Blood Moon or Sowing Salt it seems like a powerful setup.

[Phoenix Ignition]

Seems like you can do way better stuff if you are playing a tron deck. 5/5 is good, but it's no Wurmcoil/Karn/Ostone/AllisDust and you can't fetch it up with Treasure Mage. Blue is decent for countermagic but black doesn't give you much to protect yourself early on.

[Mr. Safety]

Black would only be for Tezz AoB. I figured his first ability is about as good as Jace TMS in an artifact-centric deck, his second ability helps you protect him/provide a win-condition, and his ultimate will likely be unneccessary. *shrug* Just curious if it had been pursued. The main reason for using Tron would be for fast Karns and maybe to include Blightsteel Colossus, which can be dug out with Tezz. Yes I understand that Mono-blue Tron does a similar plan, I was just wondering if Tezz AoB was worth splashing black for, along with the right mix of artifacts to make it relevant.

EDIT: Black could provide Thoughtseize, in the main or board, for the combo matchups.

[(nameless one)]

I was playtesting with this list on Cockatrice under the name Janis Joplin:

8 Island
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Steam Vents
1 Breeding Pool
1 Academy Ruins
1 Darksteel Citadel
1 Ghost Quarter

3 Tezzeret the Seeker
4 Trinket Mage
2 Spellskite

2 Vedalken Shackles
2 Pithing Needle
2 Ensnaring Bridge
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
1 Mox Opal
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Chalice of the Void

4 Galvanic Blast
4 Thirst for Knowledge
3 Spell Pierce
2 Izzet Charm

Sideboard:
4 Blood Moon
2 Chalice of the Void
2 Defence Grid
1 Elixir of Immortality
3 Firespout
1 Izzet Charm
1 Spell Pierce
1 Torpor Orb

I think I pissed off a lot of people today on Cockatrice. Everyone ragequitted on me on game 2. There were two games when i went on softlock and proceeded to go for the Spell bomb win. I played 8 games and I won them all.

I am a little disappointed though that I didn't really get to test my sideboard. Any advice on it?

Also, does a blind turn 1 Pithing Needle on Deathrite Shaman reasonable? In the one game I had a turn 1 Needle on Shaman, it actually helped me win a game.

Also I wish there was another way to win outside of that and the Tezz win (doesn't work well with Bridges). Trinket Mage beats can only take you so far in a creature-based format.

[Mr. Froggy]

I was playtesting with this list on Cockatrice under the name Janis Joplin:

8 Island
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Steam Vents
1 Breeding Pool
1 Academy Ruins
1 Darksteel Citadel
1 Ghost Quarter

3 Tezzeret the Seeker
4 Trinket Mage
2 Spellskite

2 Vedalken Shackles
2 Pithing Needle
2 Ensnaring Bridge
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
1 Mox Opal
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Chalice of the Void

4 Galvanic Blast
4 Thirst for Knowledge
3 Spell Pierce
2 Izzet Charm

Sideboard:
4 Blood Moon
2 Chalice of the Void
2 Defence Grid
1 Elixir of Immortality
3 Firespout
1 Izzet Charm
1 Spell Pierce
1 Torpor Orb

I think I pissed off a lot of people today on Cockatrice. Everyone ragequitted on me on game 2. There were two games when i went on softlock and proceeded to go for the Spell bomb win. I played 8 games and I won them all.

I am a little disappointed though that I didn't really get to test my sideboard. Any advice on it?

Also, does a blind turn 1 Pithing Needle on Deathrite Shaman reasonable? In the one game I had a turn 1 Needle on Shaman, it actually helped me win a game.

Also I wish there was another way to win outside of that and the Tezz win (doesn't work well with Bridges). Trinket Mage beats can only take you so far in a creature-based format.

That's why I started running V. Clique in my main, it beats face.

[Mr. Safety]

I was playtesting with this list on Cockatrice under the name Janis Joplin:

8 Island
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Steam Vents
1 Breeding Pool
1 Academy Ruins
1 Darksteel Citadel
1 Ghost Quarter

3 Tezzeret the Seeker
4 Trinket Mage
2 Spellskite

2 Vedalken Shackles
2 Pithing Needle
2 Ensnaring Bridge
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
1 Mox Opal
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Chalice of the Void

4 Galvanic Blast
4 Thirst for Knowledge
3 Spell Pierce
2 Izzet Charm

Sideboard:
4 Blood Moon
2 Chalice of the Void
2 Defence Grid
1 Elixir of Immortality
3 Firespout
1 Izzet Charm
1 Spell Pierce
1 Torpor Orb

I think I pissed off a lot of people today on Cockatrice. Everyone ragequitted on me on game 2. There were two games when i went on softlock and proceeded to go for the Spell bomb win. I played 8 games and I won them all.

I am a little disappointed though that I didn't really get to test my sideboard. Any advice on it?

Also, does a blind turn 1 Pithing Needle on Deathrite Shaman reasonable? In the one game I had a turn 1 Needle on Shaman, it actually helped me win a game.

Also I wish there was another way to win outside of that and the Tezz win (doesn't work well with Bridges). Trinket Mage beats can only take you so far in a creature-based format.

Needling a Shaman is almost always right. I've actually gone the route of siding out my own Shamans for Needles (playing Jund) to beat the mirror. With Scooze available to Modern now, Deathrite's grave hate is a little less important.

Question: why the Breeding Pool in the lands? I orignally thought 'sure, flashing back Ancient Grudge out of the board', but there weren't any. Just a 3rd color for Explosives?

[(nameless one)]

It's just for EExplosives.

EDIT:

I played a local tournament with the list above. There was 11 people. Mine was modified with 3 of each fetches and + 2 Island. I can't find my Modern-faced blue fetches.

Match 1 vs. Archive Trap.dec.

Game one: he milled me with Nemesis of Reason before I can recur a Bridge.

Sided in Elixir for sure. I can't remember what I boarded for the rest.

Game two: he milled me down to five cards when I got recurring Spellbomb going. I also got got him color-locked thanks to Crucible + Ghost Quarter.

Game three: he durdled long enough for Tezzeret to make angry 5/5 artifacts.

Match 2 vs. Burn.

Game one: I die off of a quick death. I sided in Chalices and Elixir for game two. I think Bridges went out.

Game two: she goes for a turn one Rift Bolt. I go for a turn two chalice at one. Then just Charm whatever went through the chalice. Trinket Mage wins the game.

Game three: Multiple Trinket Mages going for Elixir every time helped me stabilized to help Tezz's ultimate.


Match 3 vs. AuraBogles.

Game one: he goes for a turn one Hexproof Elf. I answer with EE for one. Key Spell Pierces later, I got EE recursion going. He didn't conceded though. He milled himself then time was called. TfK and Charms were all star for digging for answers.

Match 4 vs Jund.

Game one: really long game. Needles on Shaman and Lilly, Ensnaring Bridge, Spellskites to protect them. I managed to Spellbomb kill him before he burned me out with Bolts. Sided in Moons and Elixir for something I can't remember.

Game two: Jund did its think. I had Needle on Shaman and Bridge. But couldn't find another Needle for Lilly. She ultimated and slowly die from there. Time was called since we're not playing for top8, we just played it out.

Game three: It went like this: EOT turn one Blast at his Shaman, turn two Chalice at one for his Bolts, Turn three Blood Moon, turn four Bridge for his Thundermaw Hellkite (in case) and turn five Tezz. He didn't have any basic lands.

[TonyRo]

Breeding Pool is also for Firespout, don't forget!

I have been testing Tezzerator for a long time (by far my favorite deck in the format), and have been very active on the MTGS thread about the same deck. Just noticed this thread, awesome! Nameless One, our lists are close to identical MD, the only real difference is that I like having a Miren, the Moaning Well for Shackles and general life gain if necessary, and that I am -3 Spell Pierce, +3 Spell Snare, -1 Izzet Charm, +1 Cryptic Command. I actually don't like Cryptic (this deck has a fairly high curve as is) all that much, but I like having a bounce spell for Bridge late game if I have to ultimate Tezzeret to win. I am also splashing a Hallowed Fountain instead of Breeding Pool and playing a Wear//Tear in the SB so I have an out to Stony Silence. I might try cutting the Cryptic, and perhaps a 1/2 split between Spell Pierce and Spell Snare is best - keeps people guessing!?

How have the Spell Pierces been for you? When Jund (though I see the value in hitting Lili and Pulse, Goyf and Bob are pretty scary as well) and Affinity are two of the best decks in the format, I sort of prefer Spell Snare, but against Tron and Splinter Twin Spell Snare isn't particularly great. I am also beginning to wonder about MD Grafdigger's Cage - against Affinity, Tron, and Jund it's completely dead, but against Pod it's pretty insane. I wonder if it's correct these days to put it in the SB for something that's general purpose. I dunno.

Good call on the Elixir in the SB - I played in a MODO Premier Event yesterday and cut it from my list before the tournament, thinking "No one is going to play Burn in a PE", and immediately lost to Burn round 1, even after putting a Chalice 1 T2.

I am also starting to wonder whether or not Pyroclasm is just better than Firespout. Firespout dodges Spell Snare, but something against Affinity you're already close to dead on Turn 3. I also really don't like having to worry about finding the green mana in case of things like Delver or random Faeries. Even against Affinity, the green mana is a must.

I also wonder if going down to one Defense Grid is good now - UWR has sort of fallen off of the map a bit, at least online.

[kombatkiwi]

If you need a way to get rid of ensnaring bridge for tezz ults and you're already playing Miren you can just eat the bridge with the land after you turn it into a 5/5

[(nameless one)]

@ V. Cliques: while I like the disruption, for some reason it still can't fly through the bridge.

@ Pool vs Fountain: while Wear/Tear is cool, wouldn't Nature's Claim achieve the same thing? How often do you want to remove two things?

@ Cryptic Command: originally I didn't have it. I find Izzet Charm is almost identical. It's usually played on turn 3-4, either digging for your lock piece or supporting it. While Ccommand does the same thing but on turn 4-6, when you want to play your lock pieces or Tezz. For late game, you can use it to mill artifacts in your yard (Academy is a wonderful thing), basically extra TfKs.

@ Spell Pierce vs Snare: I used to run Snares but I find myself not really piercing anything. Goyf can be bridged out of the game. Bob eats Blasts. Against U/W midrange, both spells do the same thing. I find after the switch, my turn one play is always go for Fetch go with either a Snare or Blast waiting.

@ Pyroclasm vs Firespout: well the purpose of those card is to slow aggro. I would imagine Pyroclasm would be more effective.

@ Sideboarding: I don't usually play Modern. My buddies play Modern. That's what they suggested for the sideboard. The only ones that were there for certain were Moons and Firespout.

I might be playing another one this weekend. I could really use some sideboard advice.

[Mr. Froggy]

Has anyone tried out Swan Song instead of Spell Pierce?

[(nameless one)]

Giving them a 2/2 flying could be an issue. Granted that 2/2 can be answered from Blast to EE. Also, it doesnt stop planeswalkers. Pierce is always for the must counters like burn, Pod, Liliana among other things.

I'll give it a try on Cockatrice when I get time to play.

On the other hand, this is how my sideboard looks like right now. I honestly know the whole dynamics of the Modern meta but I would imagine this works:

4 Blood Moon - For greedy manabases
3 Firespout - For Weenie/Tokens
3 Nature's Claim - For Stony Silence and Pod(?)
2 Defence Grid - For U/W control
1 Chalice of the Void - For Burn
1 Elixir of Immortality - For Burn and Mill
1 Torpor Orb - For Pod

Did I cover everything? I think I am missing Scapeshift. Would Blood Moon be good against them.

Also what I remember for playing with Mono-U Tron, would Chalice at two still be good against W/U/r decks?

[Imperial]

Not really. It has a lot of early targets ranging from Tarmogoyf to Remand.

When I pilot my Mono Blue Tron, I usually drop Chalice at two. Although it could be a meta call.

Do you run any Chalices main?

[(nameless one)]

Do you run any Chalices main?

I run one. Here's how my main looks like:

8 Island
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Steam Vents
1 Breeding Pool
1 Academy Ruins
1 Darksteel Citadel
1 Ghost Quarter

3 Tezzeret the Seeker
4 Trinket Mage
2 Spellskite

2 Vedalken Shackles
2 Pithing Needle
2 Ensnaring Bridge
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
1 Mox Opal
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Chalice of the Void

4 Galvanic Blast
4 Thirst for Knowledge
3 Spell Pierce
2 Izzet Charm

[Imperial]

I run one. Here's how my main looks like:

8 Island
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Steam Vents
1 Breeding Pool
1 Academy Ruins
1 Darksteel Citadel
1 Ghost Quarter

3 Tezzeret the Seeker
4 Trinket Mage
2 Spellskite

2 Vedalken Shackles
2 Pithing Needle
2 Ensnaring Bridge
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
1 Mox Opal
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Chalice of the Void

4 Galvanic Blast
4 Thirst for Knowledge
3 Spell Pierce
2 Izzet Charm

Interesting. How has it been for you? Most of the Trinket/Tezzerator lists I've seen recently have cut them out for a couple more Shackles. By the way, nice list.

[(nameless one)]

I have no complains. Maybe go to 61 with an additional Spellskite.

I like Trinket Mage. It usually find the following for me: EE, Needle, Cage and Spellbomb. The added blocker is a plus. Its good card advantage overall.

[TheBoozeCube]

I've been playing a BUG list for a bit now. It still needs some tuning, but it's been pretty strong so far:

[deck]
1*Spellskite*
2*Tezzeret the Seeker*
4*Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas*
3*Trinket Mage*
3*Wall of Tanglecord*
1*Wurmcoil Engine*
*
3*Abrupt Decay*
1*Artificer's Intuition*
1*Batterskull*
2*Contagion Clasp*
3*Damnation*
1*Engineered Explosives*
2*Ensnaring Bridge*
3*Everflowing Chalice*
1*Grafdigger's Cage*
2*Maelstrom Pulse*
1*Mox Opal*
1*Nihil Spellbomb*
1*Pithing Needle*
1*Trading Post*
*
2*Academy Ruins*
1*Breeding Pool*
4*Darksteel Citadel*
1*Forest*
2*Glimmervoid*
3*Island*
3*Misty Rainforest*
1*Overgrown Tomb*
2*Swamp*
3*Verdant Catacombs*
1*Watery Grave*
*
Sideboard:
1*Brittle Effigy*
1*Chalice of the Void*
4*Dispel*
1*Elixir of Immortality*
1*Garruk Relentless*
1*Glaring Spotlight*
1*Hex Parasite*
1*Pithing Needle*
2*Spellskite*
2*Torpor Orb*
[/deck]

Contagion Clasp has been surprisingly good. It kills Bob, Clique, and other x/1s, turns off persist, and proliferates Tezz and Overflowing Chalice.

I'm still trying to determine the right split between Spellskite and Wall of Tanglecord. Spellskite's activated ability is obviously great, but Wall is a truly amazing blocker at 0/6, especially with reach.

Dispel is in the board primarily to counter countermagic and burn. I just added Elixir because a few people at my LGS have started playing mill, but it's probably not the best call in a wider metagame.

I've gone down to only 1x of each shock because I found myself taking way too much unnecessary damage, given how relatively simple my color needs are (an Overgrown and Watery Grave take care of everything but big Tezz). Glimmervoid helps smooth things out and power EE.

Hex Parasite is intended as a planeswalker-killer, but I'm thinking it might be too cute.

I'm also considering adding 1x Expedition Map main as a tutor target that can find Academy Ruins.

[TonyRo]

I have no complains. Maybe go to 61 with an additional Spellskite.

I like Trinket Mage. It usually find the following for me: EE, Needle, Cage and Spellbomb. The added blocker is a plus. Its good card advantage overall.

I find Trinket Mage to be one of the best cards in the deck - I started with 2, then upped it to 3, then upped it to the full playset, and have never looked back. I think for me, it's so good because Pithing Needle and EE so good. Especially Needle - there are just so many incredible targets in all of the best decks - DRS, Liliana, and the man-lands in Jund, Karn, O-Stone and Eye of Ugin in Tron, and Cranial Plating, Arcbound Ravager, Steel Overseer, and the manlands in Affinity. I have seen very few lists with 2 Needles, but I find them to be one of the best bullets in the deck, and vital to it's strategies. For instance, the hard-lock against Tron is Needle on Karn, Needle on O-Stone, and Ensnaring Bridge. Game 1, they have zero cards in the deck that beat this. Without the second Needle, one of their 4 copies of O-Stone will kill you eventually.

I haven't been super excited about Chalice - I find that it's more of a bonus than a core piece of the strategy. Back when UWR Delver and the various Burn decks were more popular (their curve is really low, mostly 1's and 2's), this card was close to an auto-win. Nowadays, most of the good decks like Jund and Birthing Pod are more midrangey and have a wider curve, making the card less effective, especially when Chalice on 2 doesn't stop Abrupt Decay. Back when Kenny Oberg Top 8'd PT Berlin with a similar list, Elves was very popular, and a Chalice on 1 was basically an auto-win. I've been thinking about moving my only copy to the SB, but I'm not sure what I'd replace it with, so I've kept it in.

As far as Scapeshift goes (someone mentioned something about SB for it earlier I think), Blood Moon is obviously good against them, but I find the matchup to be one of the decks worst overall. I think you also bring in the Torpor Orb to stop Titan activations, and I also have a Witchbane Orb in the SB for this reason as well. Even then, the matchup seems very bad, and I wonder if it's not better to just get rid of the Orb and concede that the matchup is just very bad! I've been working on my list for a long time (before Jund was the boogeyman, even), and it's shockingly similar to (nameless ones)'s. Here it is for reference:

Land (24)
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Steam Vents
1 Hallowed Fountain
8 Island
1 Darksteel Citadel
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Miren, the Moaning Well
1 Academy Ruins

Creatures (6)
4 Trinket Mage
2 Spellskite

Planeswalkers (3)
3 Tezzeret the Seeker

Other (27)
4 Galvanic Blast
4 Thirst for Knowledge
3 Spell Snare
2 Izzet Charm (One of these used to be a Cryptic Command, but I no longer really love that card in the deck)
1 Mox Opal
1 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Pithing Needle
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
2 Ensnaring Bridge
2 Vedalken Shackles
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Chalice of the Void
2 Engineered Explosives

Sideboard (15)
4 Blood Moon
3 Pyroclasm
1 Defense Grid
1 Counterflux
1 Torpor Orb
1 Threads of Disloyalty
1 Elixir of Immortality
1 Batterskull
1 Wear//Tear
1 Witchbane Orb

I might try -1 Chalice of the Void (perhaps moving it to the SB) +1 Expedition Map. I have liked that card quite a bit, but had trouble finding room for it. In the SB, I'd like another card for Jund, but I'm not sure what's best. Right now I'm bringing in all of the Blood Moons, Threads, and Batterskull. Maybe that's actually enough...