Trinket Mage vs Fabricate

[Cyberpunker]

In decks like Painter or Tez or KeyVault, what is the rationale behind running Trinket Mages over Fabricate? I have been in situations where I was glad I could fetch Painter in order to win the game. Does the extra 2/2 really matter that much to sacrifice the ability to tutor for your essential combo piece?

Same goes for Tez decks that run Trinket Mage. Even more so in fact because they usually need to tutor for Time Vault more often than Key. And even when you need to tutor for a Grindstone/Key/Explosives/Needle, Fabricate does just that.

Pros of Fabricate
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Can tutor for Painters/Time Vault/Powder Keg/2cc or 3cc artifacts
Runs at the same speed as Trinket Mage
Can be searched for via Mystical Tutor/Personal Tutor (trivial)
Cannot be Stifled
Doesn't trigger Oath

Cons of Fabricate
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Can be Duressed and Negated
Is a liablity in regards to Thorn/Mystic Remora
Cannot chump block nor serve as an emergency beatdown
Cannot damage Tezzeret

Pros of Trinket Mage
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Cannot be Duressed and Negated
Provides a 2/2 blocker
Provides an emergency alternate win condition
Can damage Tezzeret
Gets around Mystic Remora and Thorn of Amethyst

Cons of Trinket Mage
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Tutors for only 1cc or less artifacts. Meaning no Painter's or Time Vault (essential combo pieces in case you didn't know!)
Can be Stifled (Occurs less than a Duressed but as often as a Negated Fabricate)
Cannot be searched for via Mystical Tutor (trivial)
Triggers Oath

1. Is having a 2/2 creature on the board more important than having additional targets that you can tutor for?
2. Is being able to dodge Duress and negate Mystic Remora/Thorn of Amethyst more useful than being able to tutor for more combo cards?

[neocronx]

If you are going to use Mystic Remora and Thorn of Amethyst as situational cons and pros, you should also factor in Oath.

While it usually won't matter if you are using Trinket to fetch the win and activate that turn there are many situations where you realize too late they are playing Oath.

As to the original question, I'd always viewed Fabricate as too much mana for some reason, and yet used Trinket Mage to great effect.  I'd never tested it as a result but I would imagine that the un-duressability of a 3 mana spell would be the most relevant of the cons you mentioned for Fabricate.  I think it warrants testing though, as the ability to get BOTH combo pieces of vault/key and painter/stone is definitely a huge boon.

[Cyberpunker]

Exactly! And good point about Oath. I forgot to mention that aweful Painter's matchup.

I have been testing 1 Fabricate and 1 Trinket Mage. And there are times versus decks like Fish and aggro where I was glad I could cast a quick blocker. And I had times where I won with a beating Trinket Mage. And just now, I had my Fabricate duressed away.

But there are times when I was stuck with a resolved Grindstone or a resolved Voltaic Key and topdecked Trinket Mage. >< not cool. And yes, I have drawn Trinket Mage versus Oath and it almost always a dead card unless you tutor for the winning piece right away or have some crazy mana available to set Explosives at 2 and activate.

And yeah, its shitty if you already resolve a Trinket Mage early on only to see an Oath cast.

[EnialisLiadon]

I have been asking myself the same question in regards to my Ubg Tezzeret list.  I'm currently running Trinket Mage, as I like the blocker and occasional beatstick (the latter seldom being relevant).  But when testing, I ask myself every time I draw Trinket Mage, "Would I rather have Fabricate right now?"

My sample size is way too small, but if I find myself preferring Fabricate, I'll make the switch.

Though Fact or Fiction isn't in my list either, so I might try that before Fabricate.

[Neonico]

In tezzeret, i tend to prefer playing 2 trinket and a transmute artefact (for gifts piles) simply because trinket also provide protection while i build my tezzeret +5 or pass the turn after tutorising vault in the creature matchups.

[nineisnoone]

Realistically, speaking the only advantage in a Tezz/Painters list of Fabricate is tutoring for Painters/Vault.  That is a really narrow window.

What good artifact costs 2+ mana?  I can't think of any other staple artifacts that are greater than 2 that I would want to tutor for in either list.

And what if there are no good artifacts to tutor for?  Trinket Mage for Mox/Ring is a decent play (assuming you got or don't want lotus).  Fabricate for Mox/Ring is pretty bad.

There just aren't enough +1 cost artifacts to justify Fabricate.  (On the other hand I have considered it in various shop builds).

[PhillyCheeseSteak]

Hi there, I am new to this forum and just returning to the Vintage scene but I have played for some time.  My thoughts are that Trinket Mage is an infinitely superior card because it is a threat itself as well as a Lotus grabber, combo piece grabber, etc.  It can protect you as well as go on the aggressive and with the rise of the Time Vault/Key and Grindstone/Servant decks ONLY getting a 1 or 0 isn't terribly relevant as that's generally all that is required.  In all the matches I have played I don't think I have ever been unhappy to draw a body + tutor.  But that's just my two cents......

[Cyberpunker]

I would definitely try Fact or Fiction over Fabricate.

That being said. I know that Fabricate only tutors for Painters/Time Vault. But that is a huge difference because those are you combo pieces that you need to win. In KeyVault decks, it is even more relevant because Time Vault is restricted.

Having a 2/2 body to protect Tezz helps a lot too. As of now, I run 1 Trinket Mage and 1 Fabricate to balance the situations where I would want a 2/2 swinger and where I would want to tutor for my winning piece.

[honestabe]

He's great in Fish's sexy cousin Bomberman, but i don't know about him in painter.

I suppose he could be OK as a blocker and fetch for Voltaic Key in Tezzeret

[nineisnoone]

That being said. I know that Fabricate only tutors for Painters/Time Vault. But that is a huge difference because those are you combo pieces that you need to win. In KeyVault decks, it is even more relevant because Time Vault is restricted.

Realistically speaking if you are playing 5 mana for Fabricate + Vault, you might as well have played another Tezzeret in your deck.

And if it's Painters, you probably would just want to run another Painter or Grindstone.

[LotusHead]

My 2 cents:

Trinket Mage > Fabricate.

Other commonly played tutors > Fabricate

Fabricate implies that Trinket Mages aren't good enough (Lotus, Explosives, etc aren't good enough) and you NEED an artifact that costs 2 or more.

That means spending 5 mana to tutor and play said artifact. If you got that much mana for the win, you are winning anyways.

Raw Dogging it with Thirst sounds better to me.

[gamegeek2]

I also run 2 Trinket Mage, serves as an efficient tutor that dodges things like Duress and Mystic Remora. Damaging Tezzeret is very important as well, 2 is the exact number to kill Tezz before they untap.

[arctic79]

I'll take Trinket Mage over Fabricate 9 times out of 10.  I play a lot of decks with trinket mage for the sheer fact he dodges Duress, He can grab a silver bullet or jewellery, and he swings for 2.  I find Fabricate underwhelming at best.  That said, I guess each has its place in certain decks depending on the gameplan of the deck.
Speaking of Trinket Mage, I ran 3 in my Naught deck today and split 1st with a friend.  Trinket won me most of my games by finding my silver bullets (Pith, Tormod, E.E.) or a naught early game.