Esper artifacts, non-competitive

[grizzledmage]

I seriously doubt that this concoction could ever be competitive - heck; just look at some of the cards, and you'll wonder how they actually made it into a constructed deck. But it's the kind of deck that I think could be fun to try in-between rounds at a tournament or just when people get together casually.

The idea is to try to cheat very powerful artifact cards (mostly from the Mirroden and Alara blocks) into play, and use spot/mass removal to try keeping things under control while putting the pieces together (helped by tutors and card drawing).

Lands
    1 Arcane Sanctum
    1 Dust Bowl
    1 Wasteland
    1 Academy Ruins
    1 Drowned Catacomb
    1 Mishra's Factory
    7 Island
    4 Swamp
    5 Plains
    1 Faerie Conclave
    1 Terramorphic Expanse
    1 Mutavault
    1 Glacial Fortress
    1 Caves of Koilos
    1 Adarkar Wastes
    1 Underground River
    1 Watery Grave
    1 Hallowed Fountain
    1 Godless Shrine
    1 Esper Panorama
    1 Ancient Den
    1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
    1 Seat of the Synod
    1 Vault of Whispers
    1 Vivid Creek
    1 Vivid Marsh
    1 Vivid Meadow

Creatures (all artifact)
    1 Tower Gargoyle
    1 Tidehollow Strix
    1 Tidehollow Sculler
    1 Sphinx Summoner
    1 Darksteel Colossus
    1 Master Transmuter
    1 Duplicant
    1 Arcbound Ravager
    1 Enigma Sphinx
    1 Ethersworn Adjudicator
    1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
    1 Sharding Sphinx
    1 Metallurgeon
    1 Scornful AEther-Lich
    1 Sanctum Gargoyle
    1 Platinum Angel
    1 Phyrexian Walker
    1 Ornithopter
    1 Myr Retriever
    1 Myr Enforcer
    1 Mycosynth Golem
    1 Esper Battlemage
    1 Memnarch
    1 Master of Etherium
    1 Magister Sphinx
    1 Frogmite
    1 Filigree Angel
    1 Ethersworn Shieldmage
    1 Etherium Sculptor
    1 Ethercaste Knight
    1 Sharuum the Hegemon

Spells (all permanents are artifacts)
    1 Chronatog Totem
    1 Disenchant
    1 Telling Time
    1 Wrath of God
    1 Damnation
    1 Chainer's Edict
    1 Thunder Totem
    1 Phyrexian Totem
    1 Icy Manipulator
    1 Esper Charm
    1 Mortify
    1 Thirst for Knowledge
    1 Fact or Fiction
    1 Relic of Progenitus
    1 Mind Stone
    1 Darksteel Ingot
    1 Obelisk of Esper
    1 Fabricate
    1 Ancestral Vision
    1 Ponder
    1 Brainstorm
    1 Diabolic Tutor
    1 Demonic Tutor
    1 Path to Exile
    1 Swords to Plowshares
    1 Sensei's Divining Top
    1 Oblivion Stone
    1 Lightning Greaves
    1 Nevinyrral's Disk

Other cards that might be worth considering are Tezzeret (don't any any), Stuffy Doll, Sen Triplets (don't own any), Unmake, Scuttlemutt (more mana accel; the color manipulation can be very useful also), Ghostly Prison, Vedalken Engineer, Ward of Bones, Scourglass (don't own any), Engineered Explosives, Mindslaver. Too bad Enlightened Tutor is gone...

Any thoughts?

[Zephyr]

Maybe I'm not right person to write something, but here my ideas:
1. You maybe will play Diabolic Edict over Chainer's one. Yes, Chainer's edict has flashback, but diabolic is instant!
2. Cranial Plating! Nothing else to say about this card in artifact deck.
3. I won't play Frogmite and Ornithopter, because they do nothing... Play Engineered Explosives and Scourglass instead.
4. Why Telling Time but not Impulse?
5. Won't play any CS? Remand, Mana Leak and other counterspells which going through single blue mana will be good.
6. Playing Relic of Progenitus in deck that play Academy Ruins, Teachings, Retriever etc.? Play Crypt or Scrambling Claws instead...
7. Play Tolaria West. It fetches you Ruins, wasteland, bowl, EE, crypt...
8. Really wanna play totems? (Except for black one, that only is good)
9. When you cut Frogmite, you could art. lands too. Nevinyrral's Disk will destroy your lands now. So sad...
10. What about Coalition Relic?
11. Tezzeret would be godlike in this deck, trade it or buy it
So, that's all what I wanted.
Zephyr

[grizzledmage]

Maybe I'm not right person to write something,

Why not? Your suggestions sure make sense to me.

1. You maybe will play Diabolic Edict over Chainer's one. Yes, Chainer's edict has flashback, but diabolic is instant!

Always the debate for this card slot! Right now I think I prefer Chainer's because (a) of the flashback, as you say, and (b) the deck is pretty slow anyway so I'm not convinced I need this at instant speed.

2. Cranial Plating! Nothing else to say about this card in artifact deck.

Indeed!! I am a metaphorical hair's-breadth away from including this in the deck. What would you take out for it?

3. I won't play Frogmite and Ornithopter, because they do nothing... Play Engineered Explosives and Scourglass instead.

I like the Ornithopter and Phyrexian Walker to (a) get cheap blockers into play quickly, (b) help the affinity for Frogmite, Enforcer, and Mycosynth (and help Master of Etherium), and also have a cheap outlet for Master Transumter if need be (bounce it, then have a cheap artifact creature to put back into play). And the frogmite is a cheap or free 2/2 guy about 75% of the time; then fills a role like Thopter/Walker above.

4. Why Telling Time but not Impulse?

Why indeed!! Change made!!

5. Won't play any CS? Remand, Mana Leak and other counterspells which going through single blue mana will be good.

I thought of counterspells (Remand, Mana Leak, Countersquall...), but I'm thinking it's only worthwhile to put in at least a few, maybe 3-5... and what would you swap out for them?

6. Playing Relic of Progenitus in deck that play Academy Ruins, Teachings, Retriever etc.? Play Crypt or Scrambling Claws instead...

I confess that I'm not following your logic... also, the deck does not have mystical teachings (at least not at this point).

7. Play Tolaria West. It fetches you Ruins, wasteland, bowl, EE, crypt...

Not bad - will probably swap it in for an island.

8. Really wanna play totems? (Except for black one, that only is good)

I have played Chron. totem before and it has always pulled its weight; we'll see if Thunder does also. More playtesting will yield the answer.

9. When you cut Frogmite, you could art. lands too. Nevinyrral's Disk will destroy your lands now. So sad...

To be honest, I had not thought of the Disk and the artifact lands... but there are only 3 such lands, and I am willing to take the risk, at least so far... more playtesting...

10. What about Coalition Relic?

Good call; better than Obelisk of Esper... but if only I had one...

Since my original post, seems that it gets mana flooded too easily, so:

-1 Island, -1 Mutavault
+1 Copper Gnomes !!, +1 Lightning Greaves

And also,

-1 Scornful Aether-Lich, +1 Lodestone Myr

[GoblinPiledriver]

Well i think you should play phyrexian furnance over relic of progenitus, because of the second abilty with relic you remove all your own cards in graveyard with furnance only the one which is targeted by your opponent.

I don`t think the chron.totem can pull his weight, he is 1/2 for 3 and 2 mana and it doesnt flying. You couldn`t use the ability often your opponent would kill you, or in response he shoot him down. 
The white one is also weak, 2/2 flying first strike for 2white and colorless isn`t worth it.

You should play Darksteel Citadel, this land doesn`t have the risk of the other lands.

You had to play Scourglass, the card supports your strategy perfectly. Buy one, the card is cheap.

[grizzledmage]

Well i think you should play phyrexian furnance over relic of progenitus, because of the second abilty with relic you remove all your own cards in graveyard with furnance only the one which is targeted by your opponent.

Aha - that was Zephyr's point also. Yep; will change to P Furnace if/when I get one, will make due with Scrabbling Claws for now.

I don`t think the chron.totem can pull his weight, he is 1/2 for 3 and 2 mana and it doesnt flying. You couldn`t use the ability often your opponent would kill you, or in response he shoot him down.
The white one is also weak, 2/2 flying first strike for 2white and colorless isn`t worth it.

Giving this one some more thought.

You should play Darksteel Citadel, this land doesn`t have the risk of the other lands.

I had thought of this but I am afraid of adding in another colorless mana source. Back into consideration, though...

You had to play Scourglass, the card supports your strategy perfectly. Buy one, the card is cheap.

Indeed; was planning on checking at my local store tonight to see if they have one.

Good suggestions all - keep 'em coming!