We know that there are a handful of exciting artifact decks in Aether Revolt Standard. For the most part, these decks are going to be focused on either the improvise mechanic or Metalwork Colossus. However, there’s another exciting incentive to play an Artifacts-matter deck: Tezzeret the Schemer. We’ve seen a couple of Artifact beatdown decks with Tezzeret as a curve-topper, but what if control is more your speed?

Grixis Tezzeret- Aether Revolt Standard | SloppyJayChoi

• Creatures (2)
• 2 Herald of Anguish

• Planeswalkers (6)
• 1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
• 2 Tezzeret the Schemer
• 3 Liliana, the Last Hope

• Instants (8)
• 1 Anguished Unmaking
• 3 Grasp of Darkness
• 4 Metallic Rebuke

• Sorceries (4)
• 2 Reverse Engineer
• 2 Yahenni's Expertise

• Enchantments (2)
• 2 Mechanized Production

• Artifacts (14)
• 1 Implement of Combustion
• 1 Tamiyo's Journal
• 2 Deadlock Trap
• 3 Heart of Kiran
• 3 Pacification Array
• 4 Prophetic Prism

• Lands (24)
• 4 Island
• 5 Swamp
• 1 Spirebluff Canal
• 2 Inventors' Fair
• 4 Aether Hub
• 4 Spire of Industry
• 4 Sunken Hollow

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Anguished Unmaking
• 2 Pick the Brain
• 4 Thought-Knot Seer
• 3 Tezzeret's Touch
• 4 Scrapheap Scrounger

Buy This Deck

This is an exciting and flexible deck with a lot of angles to attack from. At the core, you’re playing a Planeswalker attrition game. Liliana, the Last Hope lets you keep up with aggressive start and dig for or re-buy your Herald of Anguish, in addition to being a potential win condition. Chandra, Torch of Defiance does similar work, while also providing some spare mana to cast Prophetic Prisms and crack clues. Tezzeret generating additional artifacts can let Herald of Anguish kill opponents out of nowhere, and can let your Prophetic Prisms start going on the beatdown plan.

The bulk of the deck is composed of efficient, artifact-based interaction, from Metallic Rebuke to Pacification Array to Deadlock Trap. This kind of efficient interaction turn after turn allows your Planeswalkers to stick more consistently than they might otherwise. This is especially true when you factor in Heart of Kiran as a super efficient blocker.

The most exciting thing about this deck is the inclusion of Mechanized Production as both an ongoing value engine and an alternate win condition. You’ve always got the option of putting Mechanized Production on the a Clue or Prophetic Prism to generate value in the midgame while working your way up to eight copies to end the game. Alternatively, you can target interactive artifacts like Deadlock Trap to enable you to keep the board under control.

If you’re looking for an off-the-wall take on artifacts that gives you a flexible gameplan and wacky artifact synergies, this is a great place to start. You’ve got relatively straightforward color requirements, plus Prophetic Prism and Tezzeret the Schemer as additional ways to splash cards like Anguished Unmaking and more. The options are limitless, the value is hard to turn down, and I can’t wait to see if this is the shell that gives Tezzeret a home.