Mishra, Artificer Prodigy

[Evenpence]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/cm35

Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
1UBR (EWWW)
Legendary Creature - Human Artificer
Whenever you play an artifact spell, you may search your graveyard, hand, and/or library for a card with the same name as that spell and put it into play.  If you search your library in this way, shuffle it.
4/4

BUH-ROKEN.  IN-SANE.  A-MAZ-ING.  FREAK-ING UN-BE-LIEVE-A-BLE.

The first thing that comes to my mind is Stax, obviously.  Notice that Mishra has the ability whenever you PLAY an artifact spell - it's not even when you successfully CAST an artifact spell!

So, how do we get him into play?  Well, the first thing that I thought of was a crappy artifact, like Dragon Arch.

Dragon Arch
5
Artifact
2, T:  Put a multicolored creature from your hand into play.

However, after much deliberation (and playtesting, yes, I got some games in two hours after this was released on the Wizards website) it was mind-boggling obvious to me that Dragon Arch sucks.

Next thought:  Reanimation.

This has potential.  However, how am I going to get him into the yard, outside of Bazaar of Baghdad?  I don't know.  Also, the threat density in my deck is reduced, which gives me less cards to actually do anything with.

What about 5c Stax?  He's hardcastable in that deck, and it provides an ample ability to totally dominate once he's out.  It fits their gameplan very well of beating for the win while throwing down disruptive locks.

Start thinking for me, my mighty brains of freedom and brokenness!

EDIT:  Also, I suppose we could put him in some kind of controlling artifact based UBR deck.  Not like we have any of those at the moment in Vintage.   

[BreathWeapon]

Is it that difficult to use him in 5c Stax? Between 8 gold lands, Black Lotus, Lotus Petal, Mox Sapphire, Mox Ruby, Mox Jet and Darksteel Ingot it doesn't seem that far fetched, speaking of which fetchlands with Crucible of Worlds is another route.

How great is his ability tho'? Wont control just counter him instead of the artifacts?

God I hope they print Yawgmoth ...

[vroman]

if nothing else, he's 4 mana 4/4.
the only deck that can play this clearly is 5c stax, and theres no point in trying to cheat non-artifacts into play in workshop decks. what are you going to do, aether vial@4?
I can see baiting lock artifacts into counter wall, and slowrolling this guy midgame to get uncounterable tanglewire@8. then mopping up with every draw therafter, while beating for 4. definitely worth testing as 1of in rainbowstax.

[Hi-Val]

I really want him to be good. Heck, he's even in the right colors. I don't think it'll do the trick though.

Any deck that can swing having 4 non-shop specific colored mana probably can't abuse artifacts by the time this guy hits play.

It's similar to how giddy I got when I first saw Gleancrawler. I wanted to abuse its ability but realized that it probably doesn't matter when it's attached to a 6/6 trampler. Mishra is a 4/4 for 4 with an ability that might get triggered, but ultimately planning on optimizing him is not planning on just getting it out and beating down, and if we're just beating down, then there are better 4/4s.

I'd really like to be proven wrong though.

[LotusHead]

BUH-ROKEN.  IN-SANE.  A-MAZ-ING.  FREAK-ING UN-BE-LIEVE-A-BLE.

The first thing that comes to my mind is Stax, obviously.  Notice that Mishra has the ability whenever you PLAY an artifact spell - it's not even when you successfully CAST an artifact spell!

So, how do we get him into play? 

Only upon my 4th time reading this card (and eventally, the article from whence it came) did I realize you get back an Artifact from the Grave, Hand OR Library!. Show me the money! Show and Tell me the Money! Hell, Ramp up AEther Vial with CoreTapper Me the Money!

Whoot!

[chrissss]

I think decks might be made for this card. Even if its just a stupid Jugernaut, you will get 4 5/3s in play. I think this creature is amazing, and I hope to see some nice decks using this.

mishra + new lotus = BA----ZING !!!!!!

[wraith985]

Uh, you only get two Juggernauts - the one you're playing and the one that you dig up.

[Liam-K]

My only thought is illusionary mask.

In all seriousness though which cards does he break?  He's pretty solid with tangle and chalice-not-zero (would be awesome if it wasn't so bloody slow), but getting around counters aside, which artifacts do you *really* want 2 of at a time which aren't restricted?  Dropping 2 juggernaughts after you've somehow managed to resolve this thing is a bit on the unimpressive side.

Actually I just had a nonsensical thought about eggs.  They help you cast him then become +1ca once you do.  There's no way I could make such a thing functional myself but if anyone does, awesome.

[lep]

Artifacts that I like 2 of;

Tanglewire
Smokestacks
Triskelion
Darksteel Ingot
Chronatog Totem
Sphere of Resistance
Anything with A body?
With Karn online, anything at all?

I think the card can be broken with a tweaked 5C build.  The mana base would need to be edited some but it is easily doable but if Mishra hits play it is game over.

[TimeWizzle]

@Liam-K: I would think two for one Sphere of resistance and smokestacks are both pretty good.  but two for one Sundering titan (which does cost a mess of mana, i know) would probably be gg.  even just playing cards that aren't necessarily good in duplicate like Uba or Crucible would be good to protect vs. artifact destruction.  Or possibly Jester's cap?

This guy could be good in a bazaar/welder/reanimator deck (think Cerebral Assasin) with more lock components maybe.

[Almighty]

What instantly came to mind for me was Tormod's Crypt. For decks it is effective against, it should be even harder to take care of multiple crypts at a time. Unfortunately, there is no current deck that could utilize this stategy.

[sundering jerk]

O crap! Well their goes my plan to rely on the 3 R&Rs in my sideboard. once this is on the field you win. and till you get it out you can just stall with tanglewire and such

[Machinus]

I don't think you guys are really reading the card. The best way to abuse Mishra is in some form of artifact recursion combo. That's probably not as good as ritual + draw7, though.

[lep]

I am reading the card fine, I just dont think that changing a current deck to turn it into a reoccuring artifact combo is all that much better than an aggressive deck.  The only card that comes to mind is Jester's Cap but that is entirely too mana intensive.

[vroman]

I'd like to point out that with absolutely no reference pictures or any idea what Mishra actually looked like, I arbitrarily drew a character on my workshop proxy that looks surprisingly like Scott M. Fischer's interpretation.


versus:
Vromanized Mishra's Workshop

[parallax]

Maybe in a Second Sunrise -- Eggs deck?

He also gets around Chalice of the Void. Chalice counters your artifact, then you search your graveyard for it and put it in play. Not sure if you need to get around Chalice anymore if you can cast this guy, but it's something to keep in mind.

[Machinus]

I'd like to point out that with absolutely no reference pictures or any idea what Mishra actually looked like...

We do know that he was urza's brother, he was an artificer, and he was affected by dark magic.

[zeus-online]

I don't think he'll ever work in any T1 deck, his ability is nutz, but the mana cost sux.

/Zeus

[Harlequin]

He would definately be fun in an Egg deck, as ppl have stated.  It turns all your eggs into free DOUBLE cantrips.  Getting a double Sphere of Resistance would aslo be fairy nasty in a shop deck.  The problem is that in the 5c shopdeck, you would likely be playing all your spheres and tanglewires before this guy hits the table.  So its only ... so good.  He virtually garentee's that the egg combo would never fizzle when it trys to go off.

[BreathWeapon]

This could be the most broken card I have ever seen printed for 1.5 or Extended Affinity ... oh ... my ... god ... if you can resolve this guy with the lands you have in play, or you can resolve him with an Aether Vial you can play every Myr Enforcer and Frogmite in your deck for zero mana. Who needs Skull Clamp?

[klu]

What are the 4 Mana ritual speed spells we currently have in vintage ?
Some stax artifacts : uba mask, juggernaut ... (colorless and can be played with shop).
Deep analysis : drain is usefull here and flashback is really cheap. The effect is really awesome
Flashbacking recoup : this makes you win the game, no ?
Ninja of the deep hours : his ninjutsu ability is used a lot more often than its hardcasting cost.

a few cards worth more but those cards are a lot more broken than this will ever be : memory jar, Ybargain, desire and all these cards can be played with the mana of a drain or from dark rituals

Well, i think all the discussion about that card can be restricted to : is that card powerfull enough to be the most extensive (color and cost) ritual speed spell of Vintage ?

[forests failed you]

one could use pentab Prism to bring him out quickly...

[wraith985]

For the second time in this thread, you only get one extra. You get two Frogmites or two Myr Enforcers, not all four. RTFC.

Oh, and if you get to 1UBR in an Affinity deck, you should pretty much have the game wrapped up. Affinity's mana is terrible as it is, you don't ever want to set Vial to anything other than 1 or 2, and if the game drags on long enough for you to have 1UBR lying around for some dumb 4/4 that might let you have another free Enforcer, you're probably not winning that game.

Pentad Prism is an idea, though I've only ever seen that card played in Ironworks (coincidentally, one of my favorite decks ever).

[lep]

Though stacks stretchs to get the colored mana, it is possible.  For those that play 5c, how often can you get the mana? I have been playing 5c extensively since gencon last year and have never really had an issue ramping to 1BUR.  In addition, you can always change up the build some and run darksteel ingot or chronatog totem and the like.

I am not suggesting building the deck around this gem, but as a 1 or 2 of, it would break late games.

Nice artwork btw Vrooman. My shop proxies consist of the word "Workshop" written on a Ravnica Mountain.

[PipOC]

Though stacks stretchs to get the colored mana, it is possible.  For those that play 5c, how often can you get the mana? I have been playing 5c extensively since gencon last year and have never really had an issue ramping to 1BUR.  In addition, you can always change up the build some and run darksteel ingot or chronatog totem and the like.

The issue isn't whether or not you'll eventually be able to cast him, but more that his ability just blows when you can.  How often when you have 1UBR up do you have lock pieces you haven't already played in hand?  A huge majority of the time when I'm in that situation I'd rather be casting Karn, Titan, Meddling Mage, Grand Arbiter Augustin...ad infinitum.  Compare the number of times mishra is better than another option WHEN YOU CAN CAST HIM, and then the number of times something else is better when you can't.

[FlamingCloud]

This card is horrible, the 4/4 for 4 is better then the ability in vintage.  Almost every artifact is 1-of or legendary, and this card isn't even close to being good enough to build a deck around.  Teferi is a better vintage card and even that isn't nearly good enough to play in vintage.

Stax would have a very hard time getting the mana for it, and even then, 2 tanglewires or 2 smokestacks aren't that much better then 1.

[Disburden]

I really don't see how this card is viable in anydeck. Yeah, his ability is friggin cool. And Yeah, you can get smokestacks and Tangle Wires out of your deck. But that doesn't fix anything about the mana cost or the fact ths he is Legendary. I have had hard times alone in 5c stax over the mana base, and that's just in trying to cast balances and Ancestral Recall in the same turn. Now we're supposed to use this guy who has THREE colors in his mana requirments? I wouldn't waste my time with a guy this mana intensive, ever. Stax has more things to do than waste even just 1 slot on a three colored legend.

[yespuhyren]

I'd like to point out that with absolutely no reference pictures or any idea what Mishra actually looked like...

We do know that he was urza's brother, he was an artificer, and he was affected by dark magic.

He's actually been on art before as well.  See Exoskeleton and Retaliation, both from Urza's Saga

[Whatever Works]

Amazing ability, but this card just screams MANA DRAIN me into gifts!!! The fastest it will come out on any consistency is turn 2-3, and by then stax probably would be better off with other cards. As a 1 of he could possibly work, but difficult to see it working in other ways.

Kyle L.

[brianpk80]

In T1, the most feasible way of getting him into play I can think of would be with Oath of Druids or as mentioned above, Reanimation.  Since the targets for both of those spells tend to be a lot more dynamic, I'm not sure whether Mishra would cut it in T1.  That said, there definitely is some potential in a Tyrant-Oath build that uses multiple Sensei's Divining Tops.  Other than that, if he is played, it would have to be in an innovative new deck style, perhaps something that abuses Urza's and Mishra's Baubles.  Time Spiral and its junior expansions might have more to add to the mix.  But I don't think it fits neatly into any of today's existing archetypes.

-BPK