Introduction to Stax

The archetype known as "Stax" is a Mishra's Workshop-powered artifact prison deck.

Background

Since the unrestriction of Mishra's Workshop, there have been two primary modes of implementation: Workshop Aggro and Workshop Prison.

Workshop Aggro is the older mode of implementation, and arose in the late 1990s with Dave Price's Type 1 Invitational deck, which used Mishra's Workshops to power out Su-Chi and Juggernaut. This archetype was known as "tubbies,' or "teletubbies,'which David Price named his Invitatioanl deck.

In 2002, David Wee began promoting a deck known as "Ducktape."

Ducktape, 2002

// The lands
1 Tolarian Academy
2 Island
3 Shivan Reef
4 Volcanic Island
4 Mishra's Workshop
1 Mana Crypt
1 Lotus Petal
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Diamond
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
1 Candelabra of Tawnos
1 Mana Vault

// Throw the book at them
1 Trade Secrets
1 Tinker
1 Memory Jar
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Careful Study
1 Frantic Search
1 Windfall
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Timetwister
1 Metalworker
1 Oath of Scholars
1 Tsabo's Web
1 Brainstorm

// A little help
1 Black Vise
1 Gorilla Shaman
1 Time Vault
2 Urza's Bauble
2 Sphere of Resistance

// The weapons
3 Goblin Welder
4 Meditate
4 Tangle Wire
4 Smokestack

Then, Sebastian Kaul won a Dulman, one of the largest regular Vintage tournaments of the time, with a variant of this archetype:

Stax, 2002

// Mana base
1 Badlands
4 Mishra's Workshop
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Tundra
1 Underground Sea
3 Volcanic Island
1 Plateau
2 Flooded Strand
2 Polluted Delta
1 Strip Mine
2 Wasteland
1 Black Lotus
1 Grim Monolith
1 Mana Crypt
2 Metalworker
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring

// Draw and tutors
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Ancestral Recall
3 Meditate
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Time Walk
1 Timetwister
1 Tinker
1 Memory Jar
1 Wheel of Fortune

// The lock
4 Smokestack
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Tangle Wire
4 Goblin Welder

// Broken
1 Balance

// Kill
2 Karn, Silver Golem
1 Triskelion

// Sideboard
3 Blood Moon
3 Bottle Gnomes
3 Fire / Ice
3 Rack and Ruin
3 Red Elemental Blast

David Wee's list, for the first time in Vintage, brought together the artifact trifecta of Smokestack, Tangle Wire and Sphere of Resistance, all powered by Mishra's Workshop and supported by Goblin Welder. Within a few short period of time, this archeype became known as "Stax." Sebastian Kaul proved that it could be successful in tournaments.

Since that time, Workshop Prison has been near or within the top tier of Vintage decks. Many subsequent printings and innovations have changed or improved the archetype.

In 2004, the Wizards printed Trinisphere, a more powerful lock part than any that had been seen before. Armed with Trinisphere, Workshop Prison pilots renamed the archetype "Trinistax." At the same time, Trinisphere also powered up the long-dormant Workshop Aggro mode of implementation, since Trinisphere and Juggernaut were such a powerful, one-two punch. Then, the printing of Crucible of Worlds, later in the year, continued to power up the archetype, which could now use Crucible of Worlds to keep a Smokestack in play indefinitely.

At this time, Workshop Aggro became the slightly more successful and popular mode of implementation, and put up 4 players in the Vintage Championship top 8.

Then, in early 2005, the DCI restricted Trinisphere. This began a Renaissance in the Stax archetype. Robert Vroman innovated a unique Stax variant that used the synergy of Bazaar of Baghdad, Goblin Welder, and Uba Mask, and also used Null Rod as another lock part. This deck was extremely successful. At the same time, more traditional 5c Stax lists were also successful.

Subsequent printings, such as Thorn of Amesthyst and Lodestone Golem have given Workshop pilots new tools for both Prison, Aggro, and Hybrid based strategies that use elements of both.

Lock Parts

To date, the primary artifact lock parts utilized in Workshop Prison are:

Sphere of Resistance
Trinisphere
Chalice of the Void
Smokestack
Tangle Wire
Crucible of Worlds (for Wasteland/Strip Mine recursion)
Thorn of Amethyst
Lodestone Golem
Karn, Silver Golem

The secondary lock parts, which are used less frequently, include:

Null Rod
Uba Mask
Rishadan Port
Powder Keg
Sunderint Titan
Winter Orb

Workshop pilots mix and match these lock parts to suit their metagame and the field at large.

Color Options

There are primarily four basic options when it comes to running a Stax or Workshop Aggro deck:

1) Mono Brown (aka MUD)
2) Mono Color
3) 2 Color
4) 5c

Mono Brown options enjoy greater mana stability, and use City of Traitors and Ancient Tomb as additional accelerants. Mono Brown pilots often, but not always, include Metalworker as an explosive mana source. Sword of Fire and Ice is also a popular option among players that run Metalworker.

Mono color versions are typically mono red, although mono blue has been seen. Mono Red versions use Goblin Welder, Barbarian Ring, and often include Solemn Simulacrum, Null Rod or Uba Mask. Mono Red Workshop Aggro decks are also played, and they run many of the same cards, except Smokestack.

2 color versions have been seen in many variants. UR used to be the most historically popular Stax variant, although BR and RG have seen increasing play in recent years. BR variants have been known to run Dark Confidant as a draw engine, and Entomb as a powerful tutor with both Crucible and Goblin Welder. For example, Cabal Pit is an Entomb target, as is Strip Mine and Wasteland.

5c Stax lists, while historically popular, are not typically favored today, despite the broad array of options available to 5c pilots. For example, 5c lists can run powerful lock cards such as Balance, Tinker, and Choke. In addition, they can run utility spells like Seal of Cleansing, Goblin Welder, Swords to Plowshares, and Red Elemental Blast, and black tutors such as Imperial Seal, Demonic Tutor, and Vampiric Tutor.

Sample Lists from 2010

Mono Red Stax
Ashok Chitturi

1 Black Lotus
4 Chalice Of The Void
4 Crucible Of Worlds
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Memory Jar
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
4 Smokestack
1 Sol Ring
3 Sphere Of Resistance
4 Tangle Wire
1 Trinisphere

3 Bloodghast
4 Goblin Welder
2 Karn, Silver Golem

3 Mountain
4 Barbarian Ring
4 Bazaar Of Baghdad
4 Mishra's Workshop
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
1 Tolarian Academy

Sideboard:
4 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Sphere Of Resistance
2 Thorn Of Amethyst
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Bojuka Bog

Aggro MUD
Fabian Moyschewitz

4 Triskelion
4 Lodestone Golem
4 Metalworker
3 Karn, Silver Golem
4 Tangle Wire
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Thorn of Amethyst
2 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Pearl
1 Tolarian Academy
2 Mishra's Factory
2 City of Traitors
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Ancient Tomb

SB:
4 Duplicant
4 Relic of Progenitus
3 Tormod's Crypt
2 Crucible of Worlds
2 Sculpting Steel

Sideboarding and Sideboard Hate

While very powerful, Workshop based prison or Aggro decks (which typically run lock parts) are susceptible to a variety of commonly found artifact hate.

Common answers to Stax:

Hurkyl's Recall
Rebuild
Nature's Claim
Ingot Chewer
Rack and Ruin
Trygon Predator
Energy Flux

Less common, but also potent answers include:

Viashino Heretic
Arifact Mutation
Kataki, War's Wage
Seal of Cleansing/Seal of Primordium
Gorilla Shaman
Culling Scales (in the Workshop mirror)

These lists are not exhaustive, but illustrative.

Workshop pilots must be prepared to deal with focused and effective sideboard hate. In addition, they will also need sideboard answers for various strategies, such as Dredge or Oath.