[Deck] Bender.deck

[NeoTech]

So I was thinking the other day that the current meta is currently swarmed with the same decks over and over and over. You can literally anticipate what to expect at your local tournaments and know exactly how they make it to top 4-8.

It made me think as to why not build a deck that anticipates the meta. Something that is aggressive against everything on game 1. Something that has an answer on game 1 and ever more on game 2. The deck I came up with may come off as a bit of a surprise, as it all started as a recent T2 deck.

This deck is still under review and still being heavily tested and tweaked. Some people may have seen me piloting it on MWS as it is the only place I can test it at the moment. I am eager and anticipating lots of suggestions and criticism, its what I am posting this for.

So onto the deck, as I like to call "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass" aka Bender.deck


Land: 16
4x Glimmervoid
4x Darksteel Citadel
4x Ancient Den
4x Plains

Mana Accelerants: 3
3x Mox Opal

Creatures: 23
4x Stoneforge Mystic
4x Memnite
4x Etched Champion
4x Frogmite
4x Vault Skirge
2x Myr Enforcer
1x Ethersworn Canonist

Spells/Other: 18
4x Dispatch
4x Enlightened Tutor
2x Cranial Plating
1x Sword of Fire and Ice
1x Sword of Feast and Famine
1x Mask of Memory
1x Umezawa;s Jitte
1x Oblivion Ring
1x Tempered Steel
1x Relic of Progenitus
1x Seal of Cleansing

Sideboard: 15
4x Path to Exile
3x Ethersworn Canonist
2x Oblivion Ring
2x Relic of Progenitus
1x Batterskull
1x Spellskite
1x Circle of Protection: Red
1x Myr Enforcer


Download the MWS deck here (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/32376161/Bender.mwDeck).

Understanding the deck:
This deck is actually quite simple. You play the deck as you would an aggro-control Metalcraft deck. Most choices explain themselves, though some people may not understand some of the main deck choices, such as Ethersworn Canonist, Relic of Progenitus, and Seal of Cleansing. These cards were chosen specifically for the meta. You have a much better game against reanimate, dredge, and Tarmogoyf.deck with Relic of Progenitus coming out in game 1, (though I love it when Bender shuts down a 7/8 Goyf). You have a better game against the combo decks with a Ethersworn Canonist coming out game 1. And everybody should understand a Seal of Cleansing is good for just about everything.

MVP's:
#1 - Dispatch is a powerhouse, giving your opponent 0 advantage for a 1cc removal spell.
#2 - Etched Champion (Bender) - He is awesome isn't he? Opponents hate letting him resolve because they cannot find an answer to him.
#3 - Vault Skirge - This is my little buddy, he loves to come out on turn 1 and take the game by storm, he may be small but he is severely underestimated.

Card Choices: Not making the cut

Puresteel Paladin: First guy that I tested and ended up dropping completely, started as a 4 of, then a 2 of, then dropped completely. I hated seeing him 80% of the time. There are just better choices for his spots. Namely the 2nd Myr Enforcer and the 2nd Cranial Plating. His abilities are great, but could never generate enough steam to satisfy me.

Path To Exile: First started with 2 copies, but I just ended up moving them to the SB because Dispatch is better, and Oblivion Ring/Seal of Cleansing can be searched out. Simple enough.

Ornithopter: Thus far he has never made the cut, the flying is something to be admired but I haven't found a card to cut, and it not be Memnite, which has been great for me.

4th Mox Opal: Trust me I thought on this heavily, and 9 times out of 10 I was holding my 2nd mox of the game in my hand with nothing to do with it. I decided to cut one back.

Batterskull: Again, it started in the main, but moved to the side. He hasn't been entirely critical, but I may take out one Myr Enforcer to fit him back in the main.


I am working on writing a specific list of my match-ups on MWS as to how I have done.

Here is my basic run through by memory.

43 Land: 3 wins - 0 loss

Pox: 3 wins - 1 loss

Stiflenought: 3 wins - 0 loss

Cephalid Breakfast: 3 wins - 1 loss

Burn: 4 wins - 2 loss

Thopter: 2 wins - 0 loss (Games took forever from Vault Skirge life gain and thopter life gain)

U/R Delver: 1 wins - 2 loss

BUG: 2 wins - 2 loss ; They can rape your hand early on, and make it difficult to recover.

Reanimate: 2 wins - 1 loss

Dredge: 2 wins - 1 loss

Obviously I have not met up every deck out there especially in the current DTB lists. Blade Control has not been one I have seen and I am expecting a difficult game from it. I urge people to respond with thoughts and suggestions as well as some constructive criticism.

The list may not yet be perfect, but as of now it is unexpected, and people cant find answers in their game 1, as where you have answers in your mainboard.

On a final note, I will reiterate: Dispatch and Bender are awesome, truly a reason for calling this deck "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass".

[Malchar]

I think you should drop dispatch and use swords to plowshares. Dispatch is just asking to get two-for-one'd because they can kill your artifacts in response to turn it off.

Etched Champion seems pretty cool, and should provide you with a means to attack through any opponent. If you have Etched Champion online with equipment, you probably don't need to exile any of their creatures anyway.

It looks like you might have too much equipment. You could probably cut like the sword of feast and famine or something. It seems like any of the other cards would be a better choice when tutoring. There's also some overlap between sword of fire and ice, mask of memory, and umezawa's jitte, so you might be able to cut the sword of fire and ice as well.

You could try using something like cataclysm or armageddon to help against the control match. It seems like if you get a champ with equipment and then blow the land, it's pretty hard to lose.

[Michael Keller]

Just out of curiousity, why are you running Glimmervoid in this deck? It seems like all it does is open up you up to issues that could easily be avoided by running something like more Plains. You're only running White, so I'm not sure why they're in there.

Also, why Myr Enforcer? It's really not all that great here. I'd look into fitting Batterskull back in here somewere, preferably in these slots which can be mixed in with any combination of more utility. With Enlightened Tutor, think hard about your choices - which while effective in some instances look to be collapsing under the dead weight of others.

[NeoTech]

Just out of curiousity, why are you running Glimmervoid in this deck? It seems like all it does is open up you up to issues that could easily be avoided by running something like more Plains. You're only running White, so I'm not sure why they're in there.

Also, why Myr Enforcer? It's really not all that great here. I'd look into fitting Batterskull back in here somewere, preferably in these slots which can be mixed in with any combination of more utility. With Enlightened Tutor, think hard about your choices - which while effective in some instances look to be collapsing under the dead weight of others.

You know, that's a good point about the glimmervoids, I guess I figured in a just a theoretical instance of hard casting vault skirge, or insta-quipping a cranial plating. But the having a simple plains definately outweighs any advantage using glimmervoids.

I found myself using myr enforcer alot due to the mana curve in the deck, generally he is an easy cast and never a dead draw. With out a stoneforge mystic I found my self holding a batterskull in my hand, but I have still been debating taking one myr enforcer out for one batterskull

[NeoTech]

I think you should drop dispatch and use swords to plowshares. Dispatch is just asking to get two-for-one'd because they can kill your artifacts in response to turn it off.

Etched Champion seems pretty cool, and should provide you with a means to attack through any opponent. If you have Etched Champion online with equipment, you probably don't need to exile any of their creatures anyway.

It looks like you might have too much equipment. You could probably cut like the sword of feast and famine or something. It seems like any of the other cards would be a better choice when tutoring. There's also some overlap between sword of fire and ice, mask of memory, and umezawa's jitte, so you might be able to cut the sword of fire and ice as well.

You could try using something like cataclysm or armageddon to help against the control match. It seems like if you get a champ with equipment and then blow the land, it's pretty hard to lose.

I understand your concern with dispatch, because I have experienced your scenario. But it has only happened once during testing. The rest of the time they just get mad and wish I gave them 7 life from their goyf, or 12 life from their nought. In my opinion, Dispatch is the better maindeck choice and Path to Exile is the SB when facing decks that are aggressive against my board position, or for added removal against any creature heavy decks.

I have been playing with my equipment. Their is definately some tweeaking to be done.

[Qweerios]

Look at the Steel Stompy thread, there is a white version there that looks a lot like yours. The deck is a meta predator with Chalice, Champion, Metamorph, Canonist, and even Blood Moon sometimes.

[Greenpoe]

I would remove some of the toolbox for Confidants. -2 Myr Enforcer, -1 Seal of Cleansing, -1 Mask of Memory for +4 Confidant, -4 Plains for +4 Vault of Whispers. That way, you have a drastically higher chance of drawing into Enlightened Tutors (because without E-tutors, a toolbox is worthless) or simply drawing into the toolbox card you might need. Confidant+Stoneforge is a fantastic combination.