[Deck] Affinity (with red) Adjusting to the Metagame

[Whatever Works]

There Mono-Crusher Affinity thread is now way out of date, and no affinity topics of any relevance have been posted in ages so I thought I would post what I have been working on for months, and how It was created.

Most of the affinity lists have been mono colored, or have tried to fit 2-3 colors into the deck. I have found that the 2-3 color builds are inconsistent, and usually plain bad. I wanted to create a mono red list. The mono Brown lists that  have been put together are much more stable, but also have several weakenesses that cant be adressed without adding a color. When making a "new" affinity list there were a few things i wanted to achieve that were based on serious concerns that made older affinity decks unplayable.

Initial Deck Goals:
1.) Being able to play through a null rod (that are seeing less play now which is also a very good thing for the decks ability to be tier 1 or close).
2.) Being able to be resilent to hate such as shaman/welder/etc. (I believe I have done this and will explain how farther down.)
3.) Consistency, Consistency, Consistency... If i wanted to play an inconsistent broken deck i would just play stax.
4.) Being able to support bloodmoon... A great card in todays environment that helps the matchups that have usually been considered "weak points" for affinity.

This is the version I have been currently testing after 2 months

Raffinity Version 1.26 (By Kyle Leith)
Mana Base: 24 Sources (15 Land)
4 Mishra's Workshop
2 Ancient Tomb
4 Great Furnace
4 Mountain
1 Tolarian Academy

1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl

Creatures: 20
4 Goblin Welder
4 Arcbound Ravenger
4 Arcbound Crusher
4 Myr Enforcer
4 Arcbound Worker

Equip: 10
4 Skullclamp
4 Cranial Plating
2 Sword of Fire and Ice

(Genesis Chamber was a recent reluctant cut to keep threat density up, and might find its way back into the deck).

Broken/Utility: 5
1 Memory Jar
1 Wheel Of Fortune
3 Blood Moon

Sideboard: 15 (5 Blast effects can be described as overboard, but they are crucial considering that the deck CANNOT deal with an Energy Flux in play, and considering that blasts are not a bad card when 25% of the decks played are mono blue as seen in Endicott its not a bad metagame decision).
4 Red Elemental Blast
1 Pyroblast
3 Rack and Ruin
3 Tormod's Crypt
2 Lava Dart
2 (Any card i feel like using to destroy chalice)
Mana Base Explanation:
This land base has been extremely solid for me overall, and has provided far and away the best testing results. I tried running wooded foothills to help thin the deck, but found that doing so would often hurt the decks ability to cast bloodmoon or to run effectively with a null rod in play. The ancient tombs were a more recent addition, and have found them to be extremely effective in matches where trinisphere can be an issue. I have been trying very hard to keep a balance in the mana base and found that 4 artifact lands and 4 basic lands were a good balance. To not my original land configuration looked like this:
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Great Furnace
3 Mountain
2 Wooded Foothills
1 Tolarian Academy

The deck played slightly more agressively with this configuration, but then again was to inconsistent to my liking, and had trouble resolving bloodmoon without the help of several moxes in some cases.

The Creature Base:

Goblin Welders- This is the card i really believe the deck has been missing. None of the other versions have run welder, but in my testing it has been one of the strongest cards with out a doubt. Its almost always a must counter (or a bait counter on first turn if you have something better which is very often). The card single handedly can beat stax, and can stall decks such as mindslaver long enough for Affinity to take an upper hand and win the game. Beyond the denial aspect the card has incredible synergy with the rest of the deck. It works wonders with countered creatures, or you can weld in countered/destroyed creatures for artifact lands, and can recur a very large portion of the deck. You can also weld creatures in to get clamped or just weld them in to make the arcbound crushers bigger.

Arcbound Crusher- The powerhouse of the deck. If the card stays on the board for longer then 1 turn you are probably going to win the game. If played off a turn 1 Mox/Workshop. On average your going to be swinging for at least 5 the next turn and usually close to 14+ with cranial plating attached. This creatures affect gets around null rod which is also a key possitive.

Arcbound Worker- The clamp whore of the deck with the added feature of modular. I play this creature over Ormnithopter and Frogmite, because of its consistency to be played with a key threat (or after the initial key threat gets FoW'ed.), and the fact that it can be clamped. I was experimenting the spot with 4 Gorilla Shaman, but i found that it really weakened the ability of mishra's workshop, and in most cases i would rather use the red mana to cast a welder or a blood moon.

Arcbound Ravenger- This card is incredible in the deck and is simply a must counter. Its resolution in most cases can end games on the spot.

Equipment:
4 Skullclamp- The draw engine to the deck, and a draw engine that many people could call a weakness, because its very conditional and relies on creatures to played (I heard the whole arguement from Rick Flair when he was talking to purple hat at the last waterbury). I really took Ricks reasoning to heart and tried to find a way to add a bit of consistency to the draw engine. To make skullclamp more viable in the deck i put arcbound workers in the deck to make the draw engine more reliable (and you can also clamp welders when needed). This being the case the clamp becomes a much more consistent option, and a much more effective tool. The turn after it resolves its not odd to draw 10 cards the following turn making the clamp the best draw engine in type 1 arguably, but also 1 of the most inconsistent when you consider the factors needed for it to get rolling, and that its affect works at sorcery speed so there are several ways to deal with it to look at both perspectives.

Cranial Plating- This card I can only describe as a game winner. It usually turns a ravenger into a 15/5 or a myr enforcer into a 18/4 for example with the first 3 turns (if a skullclamp/draw 7 resolves).

Sword of Fire and Ice- This card is amazing in the deck, but its high cost makes it an undesired draw off skullclamp, and makes it hard to cast in the first 2 turns where your trying to overwelm the opponent, but is still very castable off a workshop etc. The card deserves play because its ability to say I win when you equip it to a welder, or to a ravenger, and on games that have been "slow" you can turn a creature like a arcbound worker into a serious threat. However, the card has not been good in mulitples but warrents play.

Why 10 Equipment cards can be concerning:
A major concern of mine is running a deck with so many equipment cards, I havent found it to be a real issue yet, but I am concerned about not keeping an appropriate "thread density" as I like to call it for this type of deck. An example of my concerns would be having a hand with 1 creature and 2 equip cards and the rest being mana. Do you play this hand??? This is a question i have to ask myself alot, and I usually muligan very agressively with this deck, because of its ability to play almost like a draw 7.

Important Facts About the deck---> Why it should be considered a future threat???

1.) The deck can consistently win on turn 2 to 3 (90% turn 3), and can do this with supporting 3 Bloodmoon in the maindeck.
2.) Its very strong due to the lack of null rods, and its ability to play stronger vs. Null rods then previous affinity decks.
3.) Welders... ya they are just that good.

Matchups:

Mono Blue: Most likely the most played deck in New England at the moment. In testing Affinity absolutely destroys mono blue pre-sideboard, because of the sheer number of threats, and that if a welder resolves you can weld in any threats that were originally countered. Originally post board this matchup was hell but boarding currently looks something like this, and greatly improves the matchup vs. mono blue that will leave chalices in, and will bring propaganda and energy flux.
-3 Blood Moon
-2 Cranial Plating
+4 REB
+1 Pryoblast
(and some other change to make sure i can deal with a chalice for 1 which would be bad news bears)

Matchup vs. Control Slaver: The test results i have had have been rather good to my initial suprise. I credit this to welders usually being able to stall the game long enough win, and without welders you can usually just outrace slaver before it can combo out.

Matchup vs. Stax: Welders help in the matchup, but then again what dont the help against??? the matchup is very interesting, because if your playing first you can usually drop enough accelleration/cards to make tangle wire and trinisphere rather unaffective. If your going 2nd trinisphere can be a problem, but running basic lands have been helpful in making a comeback fairly possible.

Matchup vs. Combo: This matchup I havent tested to a large degree, but it would most likely be a race, and i might alter my sideboard so i can say something a bit more possitive. This affinity list can combo out consistently on 3, but the best combo decks in the format can combo out turn 2 so maybe finding a better answer to deal with the matchup might be worth my initive.

An Example hand for people who are curious on how the deck would play out usually:
Mishra's Workshp
Mox Ruby
Mountain
Arcbound Ravenger
Arcbound Crusher
Memory Jar

This hand would play out like such:
Drop the workshop/Ruby...Play the Crusher (for the sake of arguement its countered... Turn 2: Draw into a Welder... Drop a Mountain... Try and cast ravenger and say its mana drained... follow it up by resolving the welder. Turn 3 weld back in the crusher... resolve Memory Jar (or Jar 2x, but i think crusher in play can end game faster)... Draw into:
Black Lotus
Mox Sapphire
Great Furnace
Myr Enforcer
Arcbound Worker
Bloodmoon
Cranial Plating

You then essentially win the game by dropping Furnace/sapphire/lotus (crusher is now a 4/4) then play the enforcer for free (crusher = 5/5) use sapphire/furnace to play cranial plating (6/6) and sack the lotus to play the bloodmoon. Next turn you can reuse the jar or just swing for 20ish with the crusher/enforcer/etc.

This was just to display how the deck can work through an early counter wall, and suddenly just win a game in a way such that combo can do. I feel that the deck can be FINALLY a real competitor especially in the slower environments seen in new england. 6 Months ago i would declair the deck unplayable, but with the slow format and the decks ability to beat many of the top decks in the metagame (or at least in my testing) I find that the deck could be a force.

Any Comments/Suggestions/Ideas are encouraged. Im not claiming this deck is tier 1 yet, but i do believe the deck has the potential to be, and through my testing has been. I know the decks flaws and wrote about them, and if you have any ideas on how to maybe improve these areas I would be happy to hear them.

Kyle

[Law]

The only thing I can see with a mono red is the lake of the one black card that realy made the deck a power house. Disciple of the Vault it has won me many games and even got me a top 4 spot in a local turny (that and the Mox Monky   ). Its just an idea since you have alot of the stuff you need to add them in (mox, black lotus, lotus petal if you want to add it).

Its up to you but since you also have the ravager in there it can increase how fast you can win some games (as well as win you a few).

Otherwise your deck looks realy well put together.

[Whatever Works]

That would involve adding black to the deck and the loss of bloodmoon. However, I have considered the idea, but have always dismissed the idea based on the conclussion that if i have a ravenger and that many artifacts on the board im going to win the game anyway. The deck wins fast, and uses welder as a much more versatile tool then disciple of the vault, and the lack of room. If i am to add a color it would most likely be blue for the inclussion of the big 4 as i like to call them (timetwister/timewalk/ancestral/tinker), but in testing that was just horrible.

[Law]

I have had it where that was the only way I would have won. But thats what I get for letting them get me in a lock. Plus right now mine is mostly a t2 deck (with only one ravager    and only two type 1 cards only one of which is realy any good). Im thinking of droping the blue I just to get some better cards.

I hope you do realy well with this deck.

[Bronx]

-Let me start off by saying that I am not an Affinity player. My suggestions are coming from logic rather than experience.

-I feel that this build is suboptimal to the traditional Ravager Affinity. You are compromising your explosive power to do cute tricks with Goblin Welder. Above it all, it hasn't exactly molded to the metagame. You still die to Null Rod. However, If you wish to play this variant, I have included a single suggestion.

-I feel that Genesis Chamber should find its way back into the deck. My main argument is that it is a threat, and also has other uses. It provides you with lots of 1/1 tokens and has excellent synergy with the rest of the deck. It is essentially a 2 for 1.

How?

     -Chamber allows Crusher to get very big very fast.
     -Chamber Provides alternate outlets to clamp, so you are not losing important creatures.


-Brian

[serialjester]

-Let me start off by saying that I am not an Affinity player. My suggestions are coming from logic rather than experience.

-I feel that this build is suboptimal to the traditional Ravager Affinity. You are compromising your explosive power to do cute tricks with Goblin Welder. Above it all, it hasn't exactly molded to the metagame. You still die to Null Rod. However, If you wish to play this variant, I have included a single suggestion.

-I feel that Genesis Chamber should find its way back into the deck. My main argument is that it is a threat, and also has other uses. It provides you with lots of 1/1 tokens and has excellent synergy with the rest of the deck. It is essentially a 2 for 1.

How?

     -Chamber allows Crusher to get very big very fast.
     -Chamber Provides alternate outlets to clamp, so you are not losing important creatures.


-Brian

You're right, though there is a compromise between the two. Alex Sellinger played a mono red Crusher deck as soon as it was legal, and it had both Welder and Chamber in it. His was a different build than the one posted, having Moonvessels and Workers as well as Chamber tokens, and he flew through his deck. He eventually splashed both blue and black, for will/demonic/walk/ancestral/tinker and it was more resilient, but also hurt more by nonbasic hate, which this archetype already gets killed on. You missed the point that he maindecks both Jar and Wheel, both amazing with Welder and his assessment of Welder as often the least potent threat but still a must counter is dead on.

The card I don't like in his build is Sword of Fire and Ice. Since Null Rod is such a problem, having another artifact that gets shut off when Rod is in play isn't good, and with Clamp/Plating your mana is already at a premium. I'd change them for Gorilla Shaman, not only is he Clamp fodder if you don't run into Rods but his ability to hose the manabase of control decks is key for you sliding in the last few points of damage, which is bigger in this deck since you don't have Disciple to act as a finisher, all your damage is done in the attack phase.

[Plognark]

I also agree that genesis chamber should find its way back into this deck, although the welders can help do the same task (to a limited degree) by allowing artifacts to swap in and out and boost the crushers.

Sword of fire and ice is a good card, but I don't think it quite makes it in this deck. You mentioned equipping it to a welder to turn him into a threat, but at that point, why not simply use the welder to swap something a different and better threat in? I also agree that it makes the deck simply more vulnerable to nullrod. Even if nullrod is less popular than it was, there's no way in hell that it's ever going to disappear entirely. It would really suck to scrub out by gambling on not getting matched up against any rods.
That being said, you do have some decent ways of handling nullrod, at least post SB. Welder isn't usually one of them, from my experiences. Decks that run null rods don't usually have many other artifacts to let your welders play with.

Also, i'm curious how the loss of evasion (flying ornithopters) affects this deck? One of the big benefits of ornithopter is its ability to fly over big ugglies and hit for the win (as Purple hat taught me by example a while back, up in pittsfield). I'm not saying cutting ornithopter for more consistent clamp targets is a bad idea, i'm just curious if it's been a problem for you or not. I'm guessing with the trampling crushers you haven't been bothered too much  

I guess if it was my deck, i'd probably favor genesis chamber over the sword of fire and ice. The mox monkey idea isn't bad either, since it gives you a good game 1 answer to nullrod (which may not actually be so devestating to this deck as it would other affinity builds i've seen) but i'd rather see more clamp targets, welder targets, and ravager food.

I'm even wondering if you could cut down on welders to increase the "real" threat density like a manshow build. Perhaps 3 genesis chambers and 3 welder? Cut the sword of fire and ice?

Just a few thoughts. Nice build at any rate. Blood moon maindeck makes me happy, it's pretty slick that you found room for it in an affinity build.