Unique Ensoul Artifact Shell Crushes Major MTG Event!

Since the release of The Lost Caverns of Ixalan as well as the ban announcement back in December, the ecosystem of Pioneer has changed rather drastically. New archetypes such as Abzan Amalia Benavides AguirreAmalia Benavides AguirreWard—Pay 3 life.
Whenever you gain life, Amalia Benavides Aguirre explores. Then destroy all other creatures if its power is exactly 20. (To have this creature explore, reveal the top card of your library. Put that card into your hand if it's a land. Otherwise, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature, then put the card back or put it into your graveyard.) combo have emerged as tier one mainstays. Rakdos decks have seen a resurgence, in part thanks to Inti, Seneschal of the SunInti, Seneschal of the SunWhenever you attack, you may discard a card. When you do, put a +1/+1 counter on target attacking creature. It gains trample until end of turn.
Whenever you discard one or more cards, exile the top card of your library. You may play that card until your next end step. and Smuggler’s CopterSmuggler’s CopterFlying
Whenever this Vehicle attacks or blocks, you may draw a card. If you do, discard a card.
Crew 1 (Tap any number of creatures you control with total power 1 or more: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.).

Meanwhile, mono-green Devotion, once an almighty strategy, largely fell off the map after Karn, the Great CreatorKarn, the Great CreatorActivated abilities of artifacts your opponents control can't be activated.
+1: Until your next turn, up to one target noncreature artifact becomes an artifact creature with power and toughness each equal to its mana value.
−2: You may reveal an artifact card you own from outside the game or choose a face-up artifact card you own in exile. Put that card into your hand. was banned. This only heightened Rakdos’s presence in the metagame, as players didn’t have to fear Old-Growth TrollOld-Growth TrollTrample
When Old-Growth Troll dies, if it was a creature, return it to the battlefield. It's an Aura enchantment with enchant Forest you control and "Enchanted Forest has '{T}: Add {G}{G}' and '{1}, {T}, Sacrifice this land: Create a tapped 4/4 green Troll Warrior creature token with trample.'" and Cavalier of ThornsCavalier of ThornsReach
When this creature enters, reveal the top five cards of your library. Put a land card from among them onto the battlefield and the rest into your graveyard.
When this creature dies, you may exile it. If you do, put another target card from your graveyard on top of your library. to the same extent anymore.

Despite the popularity of Rakdos and Abzan Amalia combo, though, players are still finding new ways to innovate and incorporate Ixalan cards into their arsenal. Recently, we covered a rather intriguing Scapeshift combo deck utilizing the power of Sunken CitadelSunken CitadelThis land enters tapped. As it enters, choose a color.
{T}: Add one mana of the chosen color.
{T}: Add two mana of the chosen color. Spend this mana only to activate abilities of land sources.. Today, we are going to focus on a unique take on an Izzet Artifacts shell that made it to the finals of a Magic Online Pioneer Challenge this past weekend. This deck makes great use of both Inti and Spyglass SirenSpyglass SirenFlying
When this creature enters, create a Map token. (It's an artifact with "{1}, {T}, Sacrifice this token: Target creature you control explores. Activate only as a sorcery.") from MTG’s latest premier set, and has a lot going for it.

Ensoul Artifact Package

The main goal of this archetype is to generate Artifacts in an efficient manner, then use them in conjunction with a handful of powerful payoffs to help win the game in short order. The best payoff the deck has access to is almost certainly Ensoul Artifact. Ensoul Artifact is an incredible card on rate but requires you to have an Artifact to Enchant early in the game to maximize it.

Years ago, Izzet Ensoul was a more popular archetype, but as more cards got added to the format, the deck struggled to keep up. It always had the potential for amazing starts involving Ensoul Artifact and Darksteel CitadelDarksteel CitadelIndestructible
{T}: Add {C}. to create a 5/5 Indestructible threat for cheap. The issue was that it wasn’t the most consistent deck, and the rest of the deck wasn’t super powerful.

Now, this deck still has access to the strong play if targeting Citadel with Ensoul Artifact, but you have a much higher chance of being able to stick Ensoul Artifact turn two. Rather than trying to cast Ensoul Artifact on a Creature, like GingerbruteGingerbruteHaste (This creature can attack and {T} as soon as it comes under your control.)
{1}: This creature can't be blocked this turn except by creatures with haste.
{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this creature: You gain 3 life., and risk a removal spell blowing up your whole gameplan, this deck makes great use of Voldaren EpicureVoldaren EpicureWhen this creature enters, it deals 1 damage to each opponent. Create a Blood token. (It's an artifact with "{1}, {T}, Discard a card, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card.") and Spyglass SirenSpyglass SirenFlying
When this creature enters, create a Map token. (It's an artifact with "{1}, {T}, Sacrifice this token: Target creature you control explores. Activate only as a sorcery."), each of which leave over an Artifact to Enchant. Now, even if the opponent has Fatal PushFatal PushDestroy target creature if it has mana value 2 or less.
Revolt — Destroy that creature if it has mana value 4 or less instead if a permanent left the battlefield under your control this turn., you are still left with the Epicure or Siren itself.

While small, these Creatures do a great job Crewing Smuggler’s CopterSmuggler’s CopterFlying
Whenever this Vehicle attacks or blocks, you may draw a card. If you do, discard a card.
Crew 1 (Tap any number of creatures you control with total power 1 or more: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.), which is an excellent card in its own right. Not to mention, you can always suit up a Copter with Ensoul Artifact and start attacking with a massive, evasive threat.

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Inti Package

Smuggler’s Copter also happens to work quite nicely with Inti, which is a huge reason for this deck’s success. Obviously, Ensoul Artifact is the star of the show. However, this deck has a solid backup plan of playing cheap Creatures and attacking, then using Shrapnel BlastShrapnel BlastAs an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice an artifact.
Shrapnel Blast deals 5 damage to any target. to finish off your opponent.

Inti’s ability to grow your small, attacking Creatures like Spyglass Siren is strong, as is the card selection it provides. What makes Inti so strong, though, is its overall synergy with discard outlets. Whenever you rummage or loot, be it from Copter, Fable of the Mirror-BreakerFable of the Mirror-Breaker(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter.)
I — Create a 2/2 red Goblin Shaman creature token with "Whenever this token attacks, create a Treasure token."
II — You may discard up to two cards. If you do, draw that many cards.
III — Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control., or Blood tokens from Voldaren Epicure, you still get to exile a card to play until your next end step.

As such, even though this deck is quite aggressive, it’s capable of generating a bunch of value and playing the long game. The presence of Jegantha, the WellspringJegantha, the WellspringCompanion — No card in your starting deck has more than one of the same mana symbol in its mana cost. (If this card is your chosen companion, you may put it into your hand from outside the game for {3} as a sorcery.)
{T}: Add {W}{U}{B}{R}{G}. This mana can't be spent to pay generic mana costs. is also a plus in this regard, as not only can it be cast later in the game, but you can also always put it into your hand with the plan to loot it away and convert it into other resources.

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Embracing the Artifact Theme

To further enhance the aggressive, Artifact-themed gameplan of the deck, there are a few more strong payoffs beyond just Ensoul Artifact. First up, we have Gleeful DemolitionGleeful DemolitionDestroy target artifact. If you controlled that artifact, create three 1/1 red Phyrexian Goblin creature tokens.. Gleeful Demolition pairs perfectly with Voldaren Epicure and Spyglass Siren, helping to keep the pressure up in short order.

Next, we have Shrapnel Blast, which is perfect for a deck that has access to excess Artifacts. Generally, Shrapnel Blast will be used to help cross the finish line by targeting the opponent, but in some cases, you can use it to kill cards like Sheoldred, the ApocalypseSheoldred, the ApocalypseDeathtouch
Whenever you draw a card, you gain 2 life.
Whenever an opponent draws a card, they lose 2 life. that would run away with the game otherwise.

Similarly, Torch the TowerTorch the TowerBargain (You may sacrifice an artifact, enchantment, or token as you cast this spell.)
Torch the Tower deals 2 damage to target creature or planeswalker. If this spell was bargained, instead it deals 3 damage to that permanent and you scry 1.
If a permanent dealt damage by Torch the Tower would die this turn, exile it instead. is a solid cheap removal spell for this deck that can kill three-toughness Creatures pretty reliably when necessary. All of these cards drastically improved thanks to the additions of Spyglass Siren and Copter, which helped give this archetype new life.

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Strengths and Weaknesses

With a second-place finish under this deck’s belt, it’s clear this archetype has some strengths going for it. Against decks with lots of Creatures, like Boros Convoke, Ensoul Artifact can completely brick wall the opponent’s attacks. With a quick clock and solid interaction, this deck can certainly stave off the Amalia combo.

Meanwhile, even though Ensoul Artifact can be a bit weak to Fatal Push, cards like Inti and Fable give you a solid chance against Rakdos midrange. Not to mention, if you can land Ensoul Artifact on Citadel, Rakdos is in a world of trouble.

Where things get a bit dicey is when facing decks with access to Temporary LockdownTemporary LockdownWhen this enchantment enters, exile each nonland permanent with mana value 2 or less until this enchantment leaves the battlefield.. Lockdown cleans up almost everything this deck can play. Gleeful Demolition tokens, Copter, and Ensoul Artifact all get swept under the powerful Enchantment. March of Otherwordly LightMarch of Otherwordly LightAs an additional cost to cast this spell, you may exile any number of white cards from your hand. This spell costs {2} less to cast for each card exiled this way.
Exile target artifact, creature, or enchantment with mana value X or less. also outs any threat that you can put together.

Still, given how fast this deck can be, even a single copy of Spell PierceSpell PierceCounter target noncreature spell unless its controller pays {2}. out of the sideboard can be enough to push your advantage and close the game. In this sense, this deck has game against everything, even if certain cards in the deck are weak to specific forms of interaction. It would not be surprising if more players give this deck a shot in the coming weeks.

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