Vial-less Affinity

[number88]

Hi guys
I'm trying to build some Affinity deck that goes really explosive without Aether Vial here.
Some new cards from the new mirrodin block that really feel good is Galvanic Blast, Etched Champion, Memnite, and Mox Opal.
Here's what i have in mind:

Land and Mana Produce (20)
4 Darksteel Citadel
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Great Furnace
2 Blinkmoth Nexus
3 Springleaf Drum
3 Mox Opal
Creatures (25)
3 Ornithopter
4 Memnite
4 Arcbound Worker
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Frogmite
3 Master of Etherium
3 Etched Champion
Other Spells (15)
4 Thoughtcast
4 Preordain
4 Galvanic Blast
3 Cranial Plating
Sideboard Option:
Pithing Needle
Tromod's Crypt
Relic of Progenitus
Red Elemental Blast
Spell Pierce

Some explosive 1st turn:
Artifact Land, Memnite, Mox Opal, Arcbound Ravager, Frogmite.
Artifact Land, Thopter, Mox Opal, Plating.

[Heresy]

Quite a few things to comment on:

Blinkmoth Nexus is not an artifact, you don't need it. (-2 Blinkmoth Nexus)
But you need at least 16 lands and a splash for Disciple of the Vault (+4 Vault ofWhispers +4 Disciple of the Void)
You should take out the memnite because thopter is just better with his evasion. (-4 Memnite +1 Ornithoper)
Arcbound Worker is replaced by Disciple of the Void (-4 Arcbound Worker)
Etched Champion is a bit too cute for my taste, being a 2/2 for 3 is poor compared to Myr Enforcer which is free most of the time for double the power/toughness (-3 Etched Champion, +4 Myr Enforcer)
Preordain is not compatible with Affinity because its not an artifact nor has synergy with the deck. (-4 Preordain)
4 Master of Etherium and 4 Cranial Plating (The strongest cards of the deck) is a necessity (+1 Master of Etherium, + 4 Cranial Plating)


Here's my list:

// Lands
4 [MR] Seat of the Synod
4 [DS] Darksteel Citadel
4 [MR] Great Furnace
4 [MR] Vault of Whispers

// Creatures
4 [MR] Disciple of the Vault
4 [DS] Arcbound Ravager
4 [MR] Myr Enforcer
4 [MR] Frogmite
4 [ALA] Master of Etherium
4 [AQ] Ornithopter

// Spells
2 [MR] Shrapnel Blast
3 [SOM] Mox Opal
3 [LRW] Springleaf Drum
4 [FD] Cranial Plating
4 [SOM] Galvanic Blast
4 [MR] Thoughtcast

// Sideboard
SB: 4 [ALA] Relic of Progenitus
SB: 4 [ALA] Ethersworn Canonist
SB: 3 [SOK] Pithing Needle
SB: 2 [ZEN] Mindbreak Trap
SB: 2 [JU] Cabal Therapy

[Lejay]

Some explosive 1st turn:
Artifact Land, Memnite, Mox Opal, Arcbound Ravager, Frogmite.
Artifact Land, Thopter, Mox Opal, Plating.

I'm sorry but I don't think this can be considered explosive at all in legacy.

[Sturtzilla]

Greetings,

I came across this forum and decided to post my ideas on this deck. I have been playing the U/R version of affinity in legacy for a bit now. I have been running affinity builds of different types since the concept originally came out. Back in its heyday, I ran both monoblack and U/R/B affinity builds. Anyway I have a decklist and would like to point out a few considerations.


Creatures x26

4 Ornithopter
4 Memnite
4 Signal Pest
4 Arcbound Ravager
3 Etched Champion
3 Master of Etherium
4 Frogmite


Non-Creatures x18

3 Mox Opal
3 Springleaf Drum
4 Cranial Plating
4 Galvanic Blast
4 Thoughtcast


Land x16

4 Seat of the Synod
4 Great Furnace
4 Darksteel Citadel
2 Vault of Whispers
2 Glimmervoid


Sideboard x15

4 Ancient Den
4 Tormod's Crypt
4 Ethersworn Canonist
3 Meddling Mage


I have been working on the above build for awhile. I have always found a problem with Disciple of the Vault (DotV). While he was awesome when this deck was in standard, in legacy I just don't see him doing the same thing. DotV gets removed by nearly every piece of kill played in the format. I recognize that if he resolves with a ravager in play you, in many cases, win. However if you play him turn one with some Memnite or Ornithopter backup he will get removed. That has been my experience.

I like the utility of Galvanic Blast. It more or less will seal the deal for you by burning your opponents face or clearing the path for your beaters to get through. I would suggesting playing it over DotV.

I really like Etched Champion. There is no doubt that he is tough to get rid of and carries the Cranial Plating like the champ that he is, but I have just found it hard to get him into play while also trying to cast Cranial Plating. However, he does prove worth the three mana investment, as he can block all day long or get in for a clutch damage.

I have found that running Mox Opal, Glimmervoid, and Springleaf Drum are good at not only fixing mana but allowing damage to get through on an instant speed equiped non-blocked creature. I know Glimervoid gets blown up due to Wasteland but so does everything else in this mana base with the exception of Darksteel Citadel. So in my opinion that is a non-point.

The sideboard it still a bit of a work in progress. I have set up the ability to transform the deck to a bit more of a controlling build if necessary. By the following substitution:
4 Great Furnace --> 4 Ancient Den
4 Galvanic Blast --> 4 Aethersworn Canonist
2 Shrapnet Blast --> 2 Meddling Mage
This allows for a bit of tempo advantage over many aggro and aggro/control decks. It also shuts down many combos or significantly slows them down.

For the 4 slots devoted to Tormod's Crypt, I think that they may be better served spread out among other cards but at the moment I have not determined any changes. Some bounce (i.e. Echoing Truth or Wipe Away) may prove to be the card for the slot. Furthermore on sideboard tweaking, it might be possible with all of the main deck sources of white mana, to take out 2 of the Ancient Dens. This would allow a bit more flexibility for further additions. It might be decent to cut a Meddling Mage as well in efforts to diversify the board.

Currently as we are in the midst of a new artifact oriented block, it might be wise to put this deck down for a bit. From all accounts that I have received, it is being hated out very hard. Sideboards everywhere are extra packed with artifact hate. This might change at the next big tournament and moreover with the entire meta as per the banning of survival. We might get some new playable cards with the next two sets as well. Just some things to think about.

I hope my thoughts have been helpful. I am excited to hear other opinions and critiques. Thanks.

[Sturtzilla]

Creatures x26

4 Ornithopter
4 Memnite
4 Signal Pest
4 Arcbound Ravager
3 Etched Champion
3 Master of Etherium
4 Frogmite


Non-Creatures x18

3 Mox Opal
3 Springleaf Drum
4 Cranial Plating
4 Galvanic Blast
4 Thoughtcast


Land x16

4 Seat of the Synod
4 Great Furnace
4 Darksteel Citadel
2 Vault of Whispers
2 Glimmervoid


Sideboard x15

4 Ancient Den
4 Tormod's Crypt
4 Ethersworn Canonist
3 Meddling Mage


Hey All,

I have played in an event or two since posting the above list. I think that as I stated earlier, artifact hate is very prevalent and thus, makes this a though deck to succeed with. I have made a few tweaks to the list I posted earlier. I would love to hear thoughts on the list. I will give a short recap of the last event I played in. I managed to place 4th and take home some nice swag.

Round 1-Burn

Game 1: I won the flip. On the play, I came out deal quick and he didn't have a way to wipe the board. I manage to beat him down with Ornithopter, Memnite, and Master of Etherium

Game 2: He plays and slows down my initial assault of 2 Memnites and a Ravager with a Flamebreak. I draw into a Etched Champion. I slipped on some plating the next turn. This quickly turned the tide of the game.

2-0

Round 2-Reanimator

Game 1: A turn 2 Inkwell Leviathan made short work me. I couldn't get a plating which would have sealed the game.

Game 2: He mulls to six with me on the play. I manage to get a fast and aggressive start. I beat him down before an Inkwell can get me.

Game 3: He is on the play and mulls to 4. He still manages to get a turn 2 Blazing Archon. This flies through for the match.

3-2

Round 3-Zoo

Game 1: I am on the draw. We both come out fast. He has turn 1 kird ape and turn 2 goyf. I have turn 1 artifact land, mox opal, memnite, springleaf drum, and ravager followed by a turn 2 etched champion. The champ holds down the goyf until plating hits. I get game one on the back of a plated champion.

Game 2: Again another really fast game. We both come out fast but he doesn't hit a goyf or knight, just nactls, apes, and lions. My guys get pumped by two MoEs. I take game 2 by sear force.

5-2

Round 4-Junk

Game 1: He wins the roll and removes an opal with a thoughtseize. This sets me back greatly and I am not able to explode on turn one. The rest of the game is his removal finding every dude I play. He eventually manages to kill me with dark cofidant and goyf.

Game 2: I am on the play and go nuts on turn one. I get artifact land, memnite, ornithopter, springleaf, frogmite. Next turn was followed by a plating. I get though and kill him even with all the removal he was slinging around. Plating made the game.

Game 3: Same as game 2. He plays but no disruption on his first turn. He plays a swamp. I go off landing a ton of dudes. I get a turn three plating which gets me though. He staves off his own death by StPing his own dude. But that was only a temporary fix. I get through the next turn for the match.

7-3

I was fast enough to beat basically everything out there. Some of my draws were suboptimal. I am still trying to figure out the sideboard and what would be best for my poorer matchups. I still can't believe the reanimator guy beat me with a mulligan to 4. But I guess that happens sometimes; I suppose I deserve that for not playing my Reanimator build at this event. But overall I net 4th out of ~20 people and got some nice store credit. I think the deck has great potential. I would love to hear some comments on my build.

[(nameless one)]

I'm no mod but there's already an established thread for Affinity (http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?12604-%5BDeck%5D-Vial-Affinity).

I know the title says Vial Affinity but they have stopped discussing AEther Vial in that deck since 2009.