New Takes on Affinity

[Negator13]

After dominating the T2, Block, and now Extended metagames, Ravager Affinity is still not seeing any T1 play. The reasons for this are quite obvious- namely, the prevalence of such effective hate cards as Null Rod, Trinisphere, and to a lesser extent Goblin Welder, as well as the existence of other combo decks that can win up to two full turns faster than Affinity can.

However, I am inclined to wonder whether, given the proper attention and testing, a properly tuned Affinity build can overcome such difficult cards and decrease its average goldfish. After all, it was able to overcome the Energy Fluxes and Pulverizes available to the other Extended decks in PT Colombus.

Thus I have spent some time trying to find some good configurations that a T1 build could successfully use. One of my ideas was based on the fact that the best T2, block, and Extended builds all utilize Aether Vial, which I have not seen in any T1 versions. Before PT Colombus, most people decided that Aether Vial was suboptimal for the speed of the Extended metagame and tried to use Chrome Mox or Mox Diamond in their builds, unsuccessfully. I see the same thing happening in T1 versions- people try to cram their decks chock full of as many broken but unsynergetic cards into their decks and end up veering too far away from the proven Affinity build. I am trying to basically port the proven, time tested version to T1, adding the tools available in this card pool to an existing frame instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, persay.

With this mission in mind I have come up with three different versions each using more or less the same set of core cards. One is based on Aether Vial, one is entirely focused on speed and one uses FOW with 12 other blue cards for disruption/protection from hate.

T1 Vial Affinity

Mana Sources (24)
4 Seat of the Synod
2 Vault of Whispers
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Black Lotus
5 Moxen
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
4 Aether Vial

Creatures (21)
4 Disciple of the Vault
4 Arcbound Worker
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Myr Retriever
4 Frogmite
1 Darksteel Collossus

Other (15)
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Timetwister
1 Tinker
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Thoughtcast
4 Skullclamp
1 Memory Jar

This build is based around the synergy between Skullclamp and Myr Retriever that was abused in the pre-banning T2 builds and uses Aether Vial to make the creatures free and uncounterable. It remains to be seen if the Vial is too slow for T1, but as I said, this is what has been proven to work in T2 and Extended so I am interested to see if it will work here.

The next version is purely focused on comboing out ASAP:

T1 Speed Affinity

Mana Sources (24)
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Vault of Whispers
2 Glimmervoid
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Black Lotus
5 Moxen
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault


Creatures (16)
4 Disciple of the Vault
4 Arcbound Worker
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Frogmite

Other (20)
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Timetwister
1 Tinker
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Thoughtcast
1 Crop Rotation
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Skullclamp
1 Memory Jar

This one uses Crop Rotation in addition to DT and VT (which always go for Academy) to get the broken land in play ASAP. Once it is in play it is very hard to lose. Chromatic Sphere helps make up for the lack of Vial's mana fixing, as well as Glimmervoid.

The final build is the FOW build:

T1 FOW Affinity

Mana Sources (23)
4 Seat of the Synod
3 Vault of Whispers
2 Glimmervoid
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Black Lotus
5 Moxen
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault

Creatures (20)
4 Disciple of the Vault
4 Somber Hoverguard
4 Arcbound Worker
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Frogmite

Other (17)
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Timetwister
1 Tinker
4 Thoughtcast
4 Force of Will
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Skullclamp
1 Memory Jar

This one is the one I m most confident in right now. It uses 4 FOW with a total of 16 blue spells to give it defense against Trinisphere, Null Rod and other broken plays. It probably needs to play Chromatic Sphere to give it easier access to blue, but I'm not sure what to cut.

This is what I have so far; they are in no way optimized and largely untested. Regardless the point I am trying to make is that perhaps the best way to approach building a T1 Ravager deck is to try not to veer from the proven lists from the other formats as much as possible.

On a side note, I was also thinking of trying a Transmute Artifact build, similar to the last list but using Transmute and a fatty toolbox. You can sacrifice Frogmite or Myr Enforcer for a cheap bomb.

[Rancor1]

First of all, you seem to have blown affinity's extended power way out of proportion. It seems that, during testing, the pros found it too easy to hate out, and they disregarded it as a good choice for that reason. For the same reason, they took the hate cards out of their sideboards. Canali's deck was a perfect metagame choice, and it will probably have a much more difficult time during the PTQ season, as people will be more prepared for it.

Back to the topic: you have given us three different lists, which seem to be usual T1 affinity lists, one with FoW, which I haven't seen so far. However, you haven't given us a reason why it would be worth the risk to play this easily-hated, relatively slow deck. Affinity just dies to random cards, and there are many more equally good decks that don't just randomly scoop. Four FoWs are not garunteed to stop everything that kills you.

[Whatever Works]

Affinity is the dominate deck in extended, and to answer the response on the deck losing to random cards... its simple... Extended affinity players have tried to solve this problem by abusing vial by adding meddling mage into the deck to cast it for free with whatever card is the largest problem usually being energy flux.

[Negator13]

Well first off this thread was largely a response to decks like Suicide Virus. That deck uses Artificer's Intuition and Myr Servitor- cards tha thave been proven unplayable in Extended and T2 (yes I know Clamp was banned in T2 before 5D was legal, but not so in Extended). I'm trying to get people to try using the foundations given to us by the other formats instead of trying a completely different idea and dismissing it when it doesn't pan out.

Next, people don't expect to see Affinity in T1 either, so theoretically it should have the same suprise advantage Canali had. This is further compounded by the fact that Null Rod is at an all time low right now.

On a lesser note alot of people are finding that Meddling Mage doesn't work too well because its practically uncastable without an early Aether Vial.

[Clown of Tresserhorn]

Ok, there are MANY takes on affinity, and honestly, your builds look a bit untuned. As a long time ravager player in type 2, let me tell you that cranial plating is a godsend. I wouldn't play any less than 3. Also, if you're playing with aether vials, I highly recommend you throw in some welders, as they can throw off combat math for an opponent. In anycase, here's the build of affinity I'm toying with right now:

4 Ravager
4 Disciple
4 Worker
4 Ornithopter
4 Frogmite
3 Myr Enforcer

3 Genesis Chamber

4 Skullclamp
3 Cranial Plating
1 Recall
1 Walk
1 Twister
1 Wheel
1 YawgWill

1 Tolarian Academy
8 MC SoLoMoxen
4 Vault of Whispers
4 Seat of the Synod
3 Great Furnace
2 Glimmervoid

I've been really tempted to throw in 1 jar, 1 tinker, 1 collosus in place of genesis chamber, but the chamber is really good, as it helps affinity (mainly for enforcers), gives dudes for clamp, and gives you more critters. I don't run any thoughtcasts, as in this deck, draw-7s are almost strictly better. Yawgwill should need no explanation, as it's amazing in this deck.

Glimmervoids over cities, because in this deck, glimmervoid is basicallyy a city. The manabase, however, is far from perfect. I'd like to fit in some ancient tombs/darksteel citadels, but there's just not enough room.

the one thing this deck just dies to is Trinisphere. a turn 1 trinisphere on their part will just wreck your house. Null rod does suck, but remember, you still have free 2/2's and 4/4's. plus, if you can get a rav out before they play the rod, you can make him huge.

-Bob

[Rancor1]

Next, people don't expect to see Affinity in T1 either, so theoretically it should have the same suprise advantage Canali had. This is further compounded by the fact that Null Rod is at an all time low right now.

This take works like communism; only in theory. You will still see people playing fish in every tournament, often having converted to mono blue or 9-basic-land WTF, but still with null rod, at least in the sideboard. Even if you don't, combo will still beat you if you try to race, only combo always has some collection of duress, force of will, or with doomsday, unmask, while you have nothing in most of your builds. Control slaver will beat you, as none of your lists play a way to deal with Plat, and if they slave you with a ravager on the board...use your imagination. Workshop aggro will race you with faster creatures. Any deck with workshop will just play trinisphere. What's more, welders can truely mess up your board.

In conclusion, if your meta does not consist of combo of any kind, control slaver, or any sort of workshop deck, this is a good metagame choice.

[[supa_t(im)]]

I've found a completely different version of affinity works well, although its a lot different from the T2 and Extended versions.  Its more controllish and does not use ravager.  Its slower, but it has a better game against Combo and hate cards like Null rod and e-flux.

22 Land/Mana
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Mishras Factory
3 Wastelands
1 Strip Mine
3 Island
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring

13 Beats
4 Frogmite
4 Myr Enforcer
4 Myr Servitor
1 Darksteel Colossus

11 Control
4 FoW
4 Mana Leak
3 Echoing Truth

14 Draw/Utility
4 Skullclamp
3 Impulse
3 Thoughtcast
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Timetwister
1 Tinker

The extra countermagic keeps it alive against 3sphere/other prison elements, and comes in handy against combo.  The MD echoing truth is to get rid of the hate cards, or some defense against Oath.  Servitor + clamp engine is awesome indeed.  Factories can be artifacts if necessary and serve as extra beaters.

Since the deck is more control oriented the 4/4's and 2/2's work well for the win condition.

Hope this helps at least a little bit.

[Methuselahn]

Next, people don't expect to see Affinity in T1 either, so theoretically it should have the same suprise advantage Canali had. This is further compounded by the fact that Null Rod is at an all time low right now.

On a lesser note alot of people are finding that Meddling Mage doesn't work too well because its practically uncastable without an early Aether Vial.

You're right about Null Rod being less popular right now.  Granted, fish decks, etc. will always be around because they are relatively cheap.  But Null Rod just isn't the best option against today's Oath, Doomsday, Workshop aggro and Dragon decks.  Piloting affinity now sort of dodges the hate.

Aether Vial is slow in Vintage.  The exception might be fish/standstill decks, but affinity wants business cards, not cute tricks.

Personally, I like the mono brown decks the most.  Good luck!

[Covetous]

In Vintage, the speed which makes Ravager so good in other formats (especially Standard) isn't much of an advantage because many other decks have a faster fundamental turn.  Basically, normal Ravager Aggro currently isn't faster than Workshop Aggro (and is much more vulnerable to hate).  All ravager build that I have seen have from zero to not enough removal and/or disruption.  The problem is that the deck needs so many specific cards to make it good that there's not enough room for other cards.

I considered a Mono-U Control Affinity using cranial plating and somber hoverguard, using FoW and maybe also mana drain (as mentioned earlier).  The benefit of mono-blue is that it can have as few as 4 or 5 strippable sources and still retains almost as many powerful cards as other versions using more colors--basic islands give it stability to both rod and wastes.  With thoughcast and TFK, the deck has a strong draw engine.  The deck can also utilize Draw-7's but I'm not convinced that it needs them.  

I think my current build is something like this:
4 0-thopter
4 frog
4 fat myr
4 hoverguard
4 plating
4 fow
4 leak (or 2 annul + 2 echoing truth)
4 thoughcast
4 tfk
1 ancestral recall
1 time walk
7 solomoxen
1 crypt
4 seat of the synod
4 darksteel citadel
1 academy
5 island (or 4 + lotus petal/chrome mox)

This deck isn't very good in all honesty, and I'm not really sure how to improve it enough to actually make it good.  The same goes with RAffinity--there are so many cards that would be good in the deck, but you can't have the three things required to make the deck good--disruption, threats and decent card draw.

[Clown of Tresserhorn]

4 0-thopter
4 frog
4 fat myr
4 hoverguard
4 plating
4 fow
4 leak (or 2 annul + 2 echoing truth)
4 thoughcast
4 tfk
1 ancestral recall
1 time walk
7 solomoxen
1 crypt
4 seat of the synod
4 darksteel citadel
1 academy
5 island (or 4 + lotus petal/chrome mox)

No offense or anything, but this decklist looks like crap. Force of will is cute, but IMO unneeded. In your deck, simply stopping a cranial plating will buy you enough time to win. Where's the ravager? Ravager is THE reason the deck works (Think skullclamp and 2 toughness creatures). Seriously people. Take a lesson from type 2. Why don't we see broodstar affinity? BECAUSE DISICPLE + RAVAGER IS BETTER! (I guess you could argue plating is the same thing only costs a lot less). Instead of making ravager a bad deck with control/disruption, lets focus on making faster. If you want to play an aggro deck with disruption, go play 5/3. I'm under the impression that you CAN'T butcher ravager by putting in counters. Yes, many problems arise by not having disruption, but adding counters and shit dilutes the deck of threats. Unsideboarded, ravager should have no problem vs. control (except for the random tinker--->angel thing), as you have a solid draw engine (draw7s and skullclamp; oath can be a problem, but you can just win off a rav and disciple or plating), vs. non workshop aggro, you own house, as your creatures are free and you're basically combo. That leaves combo and workshop based decks. Workshop 3sphere is the deck's number 1 weakness, and honestly, I don't see any good way of solving that, short of restricting trinisphere (another topic, which we won't get into). You also autolose to deathlong, but you can often race dragon with a not-so-fast draw, and you can race doomsday if they don't go off the turn they play doomsday. I will admit, postboard shit gets harder.

As I see it, there is a core of cards that affinity HAS to run:

4 Ravager
4 Disciple
4 Frogmite
4 Worker

4 Skullclamp
3 Plating

everything else you run depends on the metagame.

-Bob

[[supa_t(im)]]

Seriously people. Take a lesson from type 2. Why don't we see broodstar affinity? BECAUSE DISICPLE + RAVAGER IS BETTER!

You can't compare type 1 and type 2 to make conclusions like that.  In type 2 Ravager is better because you DON'T see degenerate 2nd turn wins from combo, you DON'T see "Workshop, Trinisphere, go," and you DON'T see Null Rod or Energy Flux.  All these things completely change how we have to approach ravager.

Type 2 is a lot slower than type 1 therefore just being faster works.  You can't make it faster than type 1's combo, you can't beat a trinisphere, and null rod or energy flux cripples you.

In todays metagame where non-basic hate is everywhere, and workshop, oath, and storm combo rule the day, I don't think a multi-colored deck is where you want to be.

I think you need disruption and some sort of control to be competitive right now.

That is why I think a mono-blue (possibly splash black) aggro-control deck is better than the straight aggro deck.  We just have to come up with an optimal list.

[Sean Ryan]

I play in the NW/Seattle where Vintage has taken off within the past 6 months and Affinity/Modular won the last power tourney.

We allow proxys but because the meta is still fairly young it is not predictable.  So things like Affiinity are seeing more play.

Well tuned Affinity builds dominate the other Workshop matches.  Workshop Trinisphere? Ok, Workshop Metal Worker and so on.

However, Affinity will never become dominant in Vintage for one reason, or rather one card - Null Rod.  The standard 5c/3 with boarded Rods beats Affinty the majority of the time.

So, yes Affinity can come in and take the proper metagame by suprise just don't think you can win with it consistently over multiple tournements.

That being said, its hella fun to play

Sean

[rozetta]

One way that Affinity can get around hate is by running Atog (Osyp recently suggested an Extended build replacing the Meddling Mages with Atogs, for instance). However, you should probably run Aether Vial to be able to cast the Atog, which then brings you back to the Null Rod problem. I'd be inclined to run more Glimmervoids in this scenario so you can hard cast the Atog asap if you expect a Null Rod. Atog also gives you additional ways of sacrificing artifacts for clamp or disciple and to fizzle things like Artifact Mutation and Rack and Ruin.

One possibility I've been considering to help certain bad matchups is to run Workshops in the sideboard for a transformational plan. Against shop decks, if you bring in your own shops, you can avoid the effects of 3sphere for the most part, at least in the early game where it counts. You could also try relic barrier, although I don't think it's necessary. Versus shop decks, playing a turn 1 Aether Vial is golden, since you don't have to even worry about wastelands. Against combo bring in shops and trinisphere/sphere of resistance/CotV. Furthermore, you could bring in, say, shops and Arcbound Crushers against Null Rod decks. Against decks with an LD plan, having 4 more lands is golden and they will have a hard time trying to slow you down. Under an opposing Trinisphere, you should still be faster than Stax. Arcbound Crusher is going to likely cause Null Rod decks problems.

So an example sideboard might be:
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Trinisphere
3/4 Arcbound Crusher
3/4 other (CotV might be a good choice)

I'm not sure how effective this would be and it still doesn't really help the control slaver matchup too much, but it's something I wanted to suggest, since I haven't seen anyone mention it here yet.

[NicolaeAlmighty]

Did anyone see the latest posting at http://www.morphling.de ? There is a bizarre Ravager deck that took 1rst and some other T8 position that involved Intruder Alarm and In the eye of Chaos. Looks fun!

[Revvik]

Not to mention the BroodstarRunner.dec, which, while not solid Affinity, utilizes Affinity creatures, efficient artifact fat, welders & metalworkers equipped with Lightning Greaves to recur Memory Jar repeatedly, play out as many threats, and Time Walk into a win (at least, that was the FUN way to play it out!)

As a side note. In the Eye of Chaos is one of those cards that warrants discussions all its own - a properly built deck can utilize this card to play out its own game without fear of disruption.

[Toggodkook]

I`ve been testing Affinity for Type1 and that is my result:

4 Seats
4 Mishra`s Workshop
4 Glimmervoid
1 Tolerian Academy

7 SoLoMox
1 Mana Crypt

4 Ravager
4 O-Thopter
4 Frogs
4 Enforcer
4 Arcbound Worker
2 Somber Hoverguards

4 Cranial Plating
4 Tangle Wire
2 Sphere of Resistance

4 Thoughtcast
1 Ancestral
1 Time Walk
1 Timetwister

As you can see: There is no Copy of Disciple of the Vault. The reason is, that I just cannot find a Manabase that provides both black and blue Mana and a explosive affinity start within the first two turns.

If you look at the Decks affinity is beating in Type2 and the decks played in Type1 you will see some differents.  
Nearly every Type1 deck is able to do broken things within the first two turns. In Type 2 the most broken thing you can do on turn2 is a Tribe Elder.

The Consequence is that Aff has to be faster (although this sounds like a joke - but that is possible). You have to play with just one color if you want to add Workshops. Cutting blue in type1....no way. Cutting black in type1...no way...hold on: In this deck cards like Will, Tutor or Duress are not needed. The only Black cards are disciples...so they have to go. The Result is more consistency.

Example:
1st turn: Workshop, randomMox, Worker, Cranial, Frogmite go
2nd turn: Seat, Thoughtcast, TangleWire or Sphere, Equip, etc.

Tangle Wire and Sphere are better than FoW or other counterspells as they fit perfectly into this deck:
- as they are Artifacts  
- as they have great synergie with Plating, Affinity (Sphere) etc.

Skullclamp and Vial are just too slow to fit into this deck.

Glimmervoid are MD as you can pack several usefull nonblue Cards into the SB (REB, Rack and Ruin)

Just test with this build and you will see how fast it is.
I know that this is not the best build but it is fastest.

[Revvik]

Cutting blue in type1....no way. Cutting black in type1...no way...hold on: In this deck cards like Will, Tutor or Duress are not needed. The only Black cards are disciples...so they have to go.

Agreed on cutting blue = bad.  Blue allows for the Good Cards (tm).  As for black...

Well, imagine a scenario with a few moxen and a Lotus in the graveyard, combined with 3 Frogmites (which I don't think are nearly efficient enough for type 1 - see the end of this post), 2-3 Myr Enforcers, and.. hmm... Ornithopters.  Combined with one or two draw spells, Yawgmoth's Will would end the game right there by letting you replay EVERY CARD in your graveyard.

Scenario number two: Ravager is on the field, and can attack (no summoning sickness) - along with 3 Moxen, Sol Ring, Mana Crypt/Vault, and some artifact lands.  float mana, sacrifice everything to Ravager, Yawgmoth's Will.  Replay.  Re-sacrifice.  Swing.  This can happen really early in the game.

I do agree with the lack of Disciple of the Vault.  Its effect seems too weak.  Welders would be hot in a deck like this - Affinity could then pull off a lot of tricks that other artifact decks like its predecessors can do (repeated Jester's Cap, reusing of partial lock components like Tangle Wire).  I think any plans to seriously utilize an Affinity based deck needs to include Goblin Welder.  It should almost go without saying.
A more non-intuitive inclusion: Metalworker.  Metalworker can help counterbalance the higher costs of your Affinity creatures/spells, and spells game over in its own right after a broken Memory Jar.

Frogmite: I think that any deck in Type One has better things to do than cast a 2/2, for ANY amount of mana.  If you're playing Affinity, Workshops seem like a pretty good card, helping to balance out the high costs of Affinity spells and supporting artifacts (Memory Jar is nuts in this... almost ANY deck).  Plus, Mishra's Workshop allows for a better mix of heavier creatures, like Juggernaut.

[dexter]

Been playing with a random affinity deck in t1 tourneys during the last weeks just simply cuz i didnt have any other option, one card that u guys really should start testing with i cabal terapy, its just so nice in lack of any other disruption and it works nice with skullclamp, i mean, u get rid of some threats and get cards at the same time for the cost of 1 colorless mana and a creature. cant get much better.

[Covetous]

Why are you running Glimmervoid if your deck is ostensibly mono-blue?  Islands would be infinitely better.  And, why no Skullclamp in a deck running Ravager and Arcbound Worker?  Perhaps Tangle Wire isn't necessary--Sphere is probably better without TWire recursion.

[hellfire1134]

i completely disagree with cutting Disicple. you are ruining your pretty big chance of a first turn kill.  And about frogmite. ITS FREE. You play it clamp it and sac it. You have drawn two cards for 1 mana. I think thats pretty good. Plus with a skullclamp on it and no way to sac it chumps juggernauts. So really i believe they are a must. Come on if Affinity wants to win it needs and i meen needs 2nd turn kills at the latest. This is one of the better builds i have seen. (its the starcitygames version with a few minor tweaks)

1 Tolarian Academy
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 City of Brass
4Seat of the Synod
1 Mox Pearl
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mana Vault
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Lotus Petal
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Arcbound Worker
4 Myr Enforcer
4 Frogmite
4 Disciple of the Vault
1 Time Walk
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Timetwister
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Memory Jar
4 Skullclamp
1 Tinker
2 Genesis Chamber
4 thoughtcast

[E Face]

@ toggodkook
           if you are running all blue cards AND memory jar, why dont you have the single tinker in your deck? it seems like it should be an auto include IMO.

i also agree with revvik that metalworker should receive some playtesting because he was part of the reason that mem jar got the axe in type two back in the saga block days. he really does spell game over after a mem jar activation.

and having four glimmervoids in the deck makes me believe that you could support at least yawg's will, it is entirely nuts in affinity, because like revvik said, once you play a will you can almost always replay your entire graveyard, and in response to the will you can sac tons of things to make giant ravagers.

[Toggodkook]

@guys:

PLEASE!! Read the whole article before posting anything.

- I am running Frogmites ("Frogs")
- the glimmervoids are in for the SB-options

And I cut black because of the crucial Manabase U/B/x has - including: Black, Blue, SB-Options (RED) and Affinity-Lands and Workshops....

If I would run Memory Jar (which is definatly an option), I would also run Tinker. But as I told you before....please read the whole article before posting. (Comment: There is no Memory Jar in the deck)

Please test before posting!

[the boogie man]

I honestly do not believe that force of will belongs in this deck, 'd replace it with mana leak if anything. And why not run 5-color lands? You could play anything you wanted, and this deck is not really as mana intense as other decks, so you can skimp a little. As for the disciple, I run Grim lavamancers in its place.

   Before you laugh think about it. You can ping welders, spent trikes, fishies, negators, and whatever else you want to. And with skull clamp (which should really be included IMO) You constantly have a big graveyard, nevermind ravager. I also think that tinker should be included regardless of memory jar. Weld out crypt, in tangle wire/Enforcer/ravager/blah Blah Blah.

    Another card that is really really good in the deck is sphere of R, even moreso than as a 2-of. I'd throw even more in the side, because they are awsome against combo and really good against most other decks.


   PS. I know that force isn't in the latest decklist, but that is just for anyone that may think that it does, not being evil or anything. just saing

[Revvik]

All right, now that I've ruined 60+ Unhinged cards via playtesting, I have a few random comments to the suggestions in this thread.

Trinisphere: No good.  Kills the whole idea behind affinity: free stuff.
Tangle Wire: You're playing your spells for free / next to free.  Therefore, Tangle Wire doesn't affect you, and Wastelands don't really do too much either, since there's no random chance of getting screwed under your own Trinisphere.
Memory Jar: I know you said you weren't running Memory Jar, but I want to provide you with a few reasons why you should:

Synergy with Metalworker - this is a given, and was stated above.
Synergy with Goblin Welder - while not a necessary card to Affinity, Goblin Welder recurring Memory Jar spells defeat for your opponent, not to mention the recursion of other sacrificed/expired stuff, like Tangle Wire.

Sounds nice?  Type 2 Affinity has the power to explode out of the gate.  Type 1 Affinity must have even more incredible starting power, and Memory Jar gives it not only that, but it gives it a long game when combined with Welders.

Now I'm going to throw out an even odder card choice than any mentioned: Lightning Greaves.  Imagine your first turn play is MWS -> Metalworker.  Barring nothing else, you can now untap and win.  Tap worker for a load of mana, cast Greaves.  Using Lightning Greaves, your plan is to now pass it around to other Workers and Welders, allowing freshly cast Workers & Welders to accumulate a really strong board position.

Here's where a large amount of artifact mana becomes really useful.  Play your next land, then drop a Sol Ring/Mana Vault, moxen, lotus, whatever else you have.  Thirst for Knowledge gives the Welders something to do, like rebuilding a discarded artifact creature (Myr Enforcer) or <this is where it comes together> Memory Jar.

Hit that Jar, and abuse it.  Recur it with hasted Welders, generate armloads of mana with hasted Metalworkers, and keep the chain going.  All the while, playing free Affinity creatures (or undercosted thugs like Juggernaut).  Now you have something like 3 Enforcers, 2 Juggernauts, and 3 Frogmites (assuming a really poor Jar experience).  Equip as many of them as you can with Lightning Greaves and attack.  Then, you probably drew a Time Walk.  Cast that, and win.

This is NOT hard to accomplish at all.  Careul practice with the deck, knowing what hands contain gold and which ones don't is essential.  Hell, Ravager even makes this better - sacrifice everything you played except for one Lightning Greaves and attack for the win.

Disciple could be just stupid in such a situation.

Affinity does not have to be a simple aggro deck confined to look like it's Type 2 cousin - affinity can and should be a strong Aggro-Combo deck akin to Food Chain (I'll go the aggro route, or I'll blow him up in one attack, depending on the draw and opponent).  People have been saying that the only thing that keeps this kind of deck from being popular is Null Rod - well guess what, you can still run menacing creatures like Juggernaut, and you can still possess the capability for far more broken plays that make decks running Null Rod not even an issue!

[Toggodkook]

@Revvik: I absolutly agree with you concerning the Power of Tangle Wire. Your opponent is unable to play anything while you tap Tangle Wire, Cranial Plating and the Sphere of Resistance or anything else.

(Once again: Guys...Read the whole comments! Sphere means Sphere of Resistance. Trinisphere is written "3sphere")  

But I do not share the opinion running all the good artefact- + affinity- + Welder- + Disciple- + Tinker- + Memory Jar-cards.

Cards like Welder and Will are incredibly strong on their own but I don`t think that they fit into a heavy-affinity-based aggro.dec!

Playing Welder demands RED. But before you say: "Let`s play some Volcanics or other duals" please remember the insane Power of Artefactlands in the Type2 and Ext.format.

I know that it is extremly dangerous to play artefactlands in a format containing Null Rod. But even if your opponent drops a Null Rod...you are still able to play your frogmite, enforcers, Somber Hoverguards for free.

Playing Duals disrupts the brokeness of affinity (playing 4/4 critters for free for example). Therefore it is important to run Artefactlands AND Workshops.

As there are no Dual-Artefact-lands ( ) it is questionable to splash Red "just" because of Goblin Welder or Black "just" because of Disciple. The most important color in this build is BLUE and that color has to be pushed.

Maindecking only blue cards provides consistent and redundant draws. Starting with a Welder, Disciple, Workshop, Tangle Wire, Enforcer, Tolerian Academy-hand sucks. Starting with Workshop, Enforcer, Tangle Wire, O-thopter, Plating, U-Artefactland is so much better:

While the first hand drops nothing, the MonoU-version drops a lot of Threads and Disruption within the first two turns. Without any disadvantages!

I know that cards like Skullclamp and Co. are broken but I don`t think that they fit into this affinity-heavy deck. Generating cardadvantage is not the goal of this deck. Smashing your opponent for 10 points of damage on turn 2 with Tangle Wire/Sphere of R.-Backup is the way to win.

[Revvik]

I'll go over your list again, and see if the consistency is worth the tradeoff comboing out better than Food Chain Goblins  

I strongly do consider a color-splash, whether it be black or red, because it gives you the ability to run another type of artifact land.  Maybe, 4 Furnace & 3 Welders?  4 Vaults & 3 Disciples to start testing on a small splash?

[bedafile]

I played some side games in CT and NJ in a double lotus tournament weekend with an Affinity deck with VERY positive results. I figured I would share the list to hopefully generate some ideas before Waterbury.

Peeps
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Disciple of the Vault
4 Skullclamp
4 Frogmite
4 Myr Enforcer
3 Ornithopter
2 Cranial Plating

Draw
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
4 Thoughtcast
4 Chromatic Sphere

Land
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Vault of Whispers
5 moxen
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Mana Crypt
1 Academy

And the super secret tech...
3 Genesis Chamber

Really my goal was to create the fastest deck possible trying outrace hate and control. In my testing it has proven to be the case. This version has consistent turn 3 goldfishes which is a turn faster than Food Chains in my experience.

When playing this deck I pondered if it was better than Food Chains and what other decks does it have an advantage against. Also with blue and black the sideboard would be quite limited IMO.

First - Is Ravager better than Food Chain Goblins? In theory yes. It's certainly faster and is uses more broken cards - Power 8 and Skullclamp. However in practice it requires a little luck. Against combo you have a better game only based on speed, FCG only some cards that could help against combo: Goblin Vandal, Goblin Tinkerer, REB, and Blood Moon are about it. That only slows the combo player at losing a little speed.

My version would probably sub in Tangle Wires vs. combo, a card that only give you a temporary edge.  However Energy Field or Arcane Laboratory could also be used against the combo player.

Second - Is the control matchup favorable? Most of my play testing is vs. combo however I'll make a controversial claim that perhaps this deck could convert to a 5 strip 3 Crucible engine to win the control matchup. Sub out 4 Black artifact land and Disciples for a total surprise of MUST COUNTER spells vs. the control player. Just a random brainstorm. Also given a countering of 1-2 key spells in the early game this deck can still win on turn 3-4 easy, a bit faster than Oath in some cases.

[Whatever Works]

Am I the only person who believes Frogmite is a piece of crap???

It's only a 2/2, and I believe the deck can do better then a 4cc 2/2 that isnt a guaranted turn 1 drop...

Frogmite when i tried it seemed to be begging to be Mana drained into Intuition AK/AK/AK... fun...

Wouldnt it make more sense to switch that slow with another more consistent artifact creature... OR you could run 4 Sphere of Resistance which basically says "I WIN" vs. combo especially TPS which would then have to get 4 mana to cast the affinity killer callled rebuild.

[Covetous]

I still maintain that the problem with Ravager Affinity is that it has no disruption.  However, adding disruption dilutes the potency of the deck.  I agree that Sphere of Resistance or Tangle Wire is probably the most preferable type of disruption IF you run MWS.  I'm not necessarily convinced that this deck needs more than one color.  Why couldn't you run mono-black Ravager?  If you ran a simple, straightforward type-2 wannabe version without MWS, it could look something like this:
4 ravager
4 worker
4 thopter
4 frog (BTW you run him to accelerate out your myrs)
4 myr
4 disciple
4 skullclamp
4 duress
4 cranial plating
1 demonic tutor
1 vampiric tutor
1 yawgmoth's will
1 demonic consultation
8 solomoxcrypt
4 swamp
4 vault of whispers
4 darksteel citadel

Again, I'm not saying this is even a good build of this deck, I'm just trying to make a point.  You could build some more disruption into this deck and/or sideboard such as cabal therapy or unmask, possibly adding in night's whisper for additional black card density.  Imagine that--Ravager Affinity with disruption!  And, you wouldn't need more than one color for this purpose.  Alternately, you can run something more like this, using MWS and TWire/Sphere:

4 ravager
4 worker
2 thopter
4 frog
4 myr
4 disciple
4 skullclamp
4 tangle wire
4 sphere of resistance
3 cranial plating
1 demonic tutor
1 vampiric tutor
1 yawgmoth's will
8 solomoxcrypt
4 swamp
4 vault of whispers
4 mishra's workshop

My point here is simply that you can incorporate disruption in this deck and that this is a necessary step--also, that you don't really need more than one color (black) for the maindeck.