Project 20, Entry 1

Perhaps that dapper fellow wasn’t lying when he said he came from some place I have never heard of.

Pardon the diversion of thought. After those first flashes came, the world returned to normal speed. I knew what would come next: hours in the workshop poring over the plans for cogwork greatness half-forgotten. This time . . . this time, I would be able to craft my grand machine.

Project 20, Entry 2

The real power, though, came from a search of other ways to make use of discarded metal. I had heard stories of who could reuse spent energy to return monsters to the aether. Another recollection led me to a farm implement that could recycle spent metal into extra fuel for itself. I even dug into an odd grimoire that had an odor all that . . . well it wasn’t sterile. It almost smelled like the casings on cart axles. Regardless, this blueprint provided a device that could turn established materials into fuel for the rest of the army.

Clearly, now the goal of this collection of devices is to create a large army of machines. However, I need not fear what happens when one dies. If all goes according to plan, that will suffice, and even if the plan goes askew, the dying artifacts can provide their energy to their standing brethren.

Project 20, Entry 3

I think I have finally found a home for my unstoppable toy.

Project 20, Entry 4

Before going any further, I believe I need to make the best use of my talents. In order to enable this, I am going to include certain wizards and cloaks to make sure my mind fires on all synapses. A little armor couldn’t hurt either.

Project 20, Entry 5

Blasted patron. Sometimes, I wish that I could fund my own research. Alas, I am beholden to the whims of others. I also suppose that the bonds of friendship are stronger than the allure of payments.

The man in charge asked for a progress report. This is as much to appease his superiors as it is out of interest in my work. He says my take is unique. He knows how to work praise to get the most of me. Take note reader: Flattery can work when dosed correctly.

Project 20, Entry 6

The lord of the tower had some nice things to say in the missive for his betters. It is a shame that the information I gave him will be antiquated almost immediately—I just placed an order with a merchant I deal with on a fairly regular schedule. In a few days’ time, I will have all manner of exceptionally crafted works to enhance my Grand Schematic.

Project 20, Entry 7

Days have passed, and my delivery has not yet arrived. Eager to test out my machine, my emotions get the better of me. Instead of waiting for it to be completed, I show off what I have to my colleagues. We pit our works against each other in the arena, and while my ability to conjure machines shines, I am eventually overwhelmed by those with all their tools at their disposal. Thankfully, when my new purchases arrive, I will be able to overcome these shortcomings.

Project 20, Entry 8

My traveling companions have decided to join me on this endeavor. Their unique skills complement my own and should prove invaluable the next time I meet my friends for a friendly duel. While their ways are alien to me, I cannot doubt their skills—their fashion sense, on the other hand . . . 

What? I’m a fan of haberdashery.

Back to the task at hand. In my previous experiences, I noticed a distinct inability to stop the marauding forces of my opponents. In an effort to ameliorate this shortcoming, I have come into possession of a most diabolical way of removing the most offensive of the offense.

Lastly, while I loathe to admit it, I have tapped into some of the darker arts. These oddities remind me of those that trudge their flesh up from Drakestown from time to time. Be that as it may, in the name of progress, perhaps it makes sense to touch the dead and the partially alive.

Again, there is that scent of an axle. I must investigate that before it is too late.

Tomorrow, I take the Grand Schematic to the arena.

Muzzio?s Grand Schematic ? Commander | Alex Ullman

• Commander (0)

• Creatures (29)
• 1 Aphetto Alchemist
• 1 Fatestitcher
• 1 Sage of Lat-Nam
• 1 Treasure Mage
• 1 Trinket Mage
• 1 Willbender
• 1 Arcbound Crusher
• 1 Arcbound Fiend
• 1 Arcbound Overseer
• 1 Arcbound Ravager
• 1 Arcbound Reclaimer
• 1 Arcbound Slith
• 1 Burnished Hart
• 1 Darksteel Colossus
• 1 Duplicant
• 1 Extruder
• 1 Junk Diver
• 1 Myr Battlesphere
• 1 Myr Retriever
• 1 Palladium Myr
• 1 Phyrexian Metamorph
• 1 Scarecrone
• 1 Sharding Sphinx
• 1 Solemn Simulacrum
• 1 Steel Hellkite
• 1 Thopter Assembly
• 1 Triskelavus
• 1 Barrin, Master Wizard
• 1 Thada Adel, Acquisitor

• Planeswalkers (2)
• 1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
• 1 Tezzeret the Seeker

• Spells (32)
• 1 Counterspell
• 1 Dismiss
• 1 Spell Crumple
• 1 Cyclonic Rift
• 1 Brittle Effigy
• 1 Crystal Ball
• 1 Darksteel Plate
• 1 Deathrender
• 1 Druidic Satchel
• 1 Expedition Map
• 1 Ichor Wellspring
• 1 Illusionist's Bracers
• 1 Lightning Greaves
• 1 Magewright's Stone
• 1 Mycosynth Wellspring
• 1 Nevinyrral's Disk
• 1 Oblivion Stone
• 1 Salvaging Station
• 1 Scrabbling Claws
• 1 Sculpting Steel
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Spine of Ish Sah
• 1 Thousand-Year Elixir
• 1 Thran Dynamo
• 1 Throne of Geth
• 1 Tormod's Crypt
• 1 Trading Post
• 1 Umbral Mantle
• 1 Venser's Journal
• 1 Wayfarer's Bauble
• 1 Witches' Eye
• 1 Bident of Thassa

• Lands (36)
• 22 Island
• 1 Blasted Landscape
• 1 Buried Ruin
• 1 Evolving Wilds
• 1 Halimar Depths
• 1 Lonely Sandbar
• 1 Mystifying Maze
• 1 Phyrexia's Core
• 1 Reliquary Tower
• 1 Remote Isle
• 1 Soldevi Excavations
• 1 Temple of the False God
• 1 Terramorphic Expanse
• 1 Darksteel Citadel
• 1 Seat of the Synod

Buy This Deck

This is my take on a Muzzio Commander list. I am very wary of building a monochromatic deck that simply becomes a collection of best cards (as alluded to in this article). Rather than build a blue Commander deck with Muzzio, Visionary Architect at the helm, I wanted to build a deck around Muzzio. To that end, I wanted multiple ways to use my commander multiple times a turn, which led me to Magewright's Stone, Thousand-Year Elixir, Umbral Mantle, Illusionist's Bracers, and the duet of Aphetto Alchemist and Fatestitcher duet. These cards allow Muzzio to generate a rather overwhelming board presence quickly.

Finally, what I find most important is what is absent. I did not want to build a best-blue-cards deck. I left out some of the more potent counterspells (I did hold on to a few to keep my opponents honest), but I left out nonartifact copy effects and excessive thievery. I want Muzzio to be the focus, and this build encourages that style of play.

Muzzio’s Grand Schematic plays out along a pretty clear script. The goal is to resolve Muzzio and start chaining artifacts on to the battlefield. Normally, the first few activations will be for four or five. The density of higher-cost artifacts (6 and above) is high enough that Muzzio can get out of control quickly. The deck wins either through hitting with a Darksteel Colossus or with a token army fueled by Bident of Thassa.

Like Muzzio, I am a tinkerer, and I doubt this deck has reached a final form. While I could run more oppressive cards such as Blightsteel Colossus, I would rather include cards that my opponents can play against. My ideal games of Commander are social events, full of stories. One-shotting an opponent is not as fun as activating Muzzio thrice a turn.

How would you play the Visionary Architect?