Favorite Engines in your Decks

[kraus911]

One of my favorite parts of building decks, playing them, and seeing them played by others are the multi-card engines that just do work. They're the grease that make the janky things we want to do with our decks possible, and sometimes they're the way we grind to a win. Often they build us slow value without ever quite being worth one-for-one spot removal from an opponent.

A simple favorite in my Marchesa, the Black Rose artifact deck is having Marchesa out with Solemn Simulacrum and a sacrifice outlet. Bitterblossom and Skullclamp, especially with other tasty death triggers is another. I know neither of those is "amazing" but boy they make me warm inside when I get them online.

What engines do you love, do you look forward to getting online in your decks, do you look to put in more decks?

[Dunharrow]

Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim loves having Pitiless Plunderer, Pawn of Ulamog or Sifter of Skulls in play. Lets you sack multiple things, and if you have something like Deathrender can really help you chain a large number of creatures.
Also pretty decent with Grave Pact effects.

in my Zedruu the Greathearted I love Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker with cards like Palisade Giant, as I can permanently donate the tokens and really gum up the board. Unlike TStorm, I don't really have much of a plan in that deck other than to stall.

I really enjoy the types of engines that spiral out of control, like my Reyhan, Last of the Abzan deck that with things like Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest, Cathars' Crusade, etc, plus a token generator like Ghoulcaller Gisa or Mycoloth just spirals out of control turn after turn after turn. They make bigger and bigger tokens. They make more and more tokens. Before you know it I have 100 12/12s.

Mina and Denn, Wildborn really love Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx with Stone-Seeder Hierophant to make absurd amounts of mana. Just these 3 cards on the board, and I can activate Nykthos 6 times per turn.

[folding_music]

This isn't very high power, but I've had success in my Colfenor, the Last Yew deck (still way under construction) with Karametra, God of Harvests in play: almost every land in the deck is a forest, which means that if you can assemble the right scenario, chaining through "free" green creatures like Skyshroud Cutter and Rushwood Legate, sacrificing them (especially to Evolutionary Leap!) and using Colfenor's ability to pick up something that think it's 0/0 but actually hits play with +1/+1 counters on it (and Grakmaw, Skyclave Ravager has been surprisingly good), means you can play every land in your deck really quick. also since Karametra is invincible and Colfenor does what he does, you can run Pernicious Deed and Nevinyrral's Disk without feeling too bad about it <3

[Toshi]

Aside from the usual Bolas's Citadels, Coastal Piracy variants and Sunforgers of the world, I really love cards that shine in decks more than anywhere else.

While Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle can do a lot crazier things, Matter Reshaper is just absurd with the big bird.

Zada, Hedron Grinder likely has the biggest density of engines in do-all Chandra, Acolyte of Flame, Dreadhorde Arcanist, Krark, the Thumbless, whacky Possibility Storm and Runaway Steam-Kin. Birgi, God of Storytelling // Harnfel, Horn of Bounty's both sides will do well too, but I wasn't able to play the deck since adding them, yet.

Brago, King Eternal comes with unlikely champs in Cloudform, Lightform, with Oath of Jace being an absolute turbocharger for all aspects of the game.

Lazav, the Multifarious likes to fill its own graveyard with Chronic Flooding, Hedron Crab and Jace's Erasure. But its match made in heaven are Cephalid Inkshrouder and Disciple of Deceit!

Grenzo, Dungeon Warden is basically cheating with Carnival of Souls, Pawn of Ulamog and Pitiless Plunderer.

The interaction of Gallia of the Endless Dance with Library of Leng is also very fulfilling.

Kambal, Consul of Allocation and Bloodchief Ascension straight up end games fast.

Slimefoot, the Stowaway is having a field day with Nature's Will once he gets going.

I want to spend the rest of the day playing now...

[pokken]

I love nadir kraken in ephara. It's such a beautiful thing

[MeowZeDung]

I've grown terribly fond of Underworld Breach + Faithless Looting/Frantic Search in my Kykar, Wind's Fury build, but it's just one step away from being a combo rather than just a draw/storm engine and that step is called Jeskai Ascendancy.

Another engine bordering on degeneracy is The Locust God + Skullclamp. Immediately becomes cheat mode by adding an altar or Kindred Discovery.

I finally ordered myself a Life from the Loam and can't wait to pair it with cycling lands in Sidisi, Brood Tyrant for a classic engine.

Gotta love Reveillark + Karmic Guide loops with a sac outlet and another etb weenie in monowhite. My favorites were Fiend Hunter/Leonin Relic-Warder or Solemn Simulacrum. Emeria, the Sky Ruin loves all the pieces in such packages too.

My boy has gotten some sweet mileage out of Gishath, Sun's Avatar + double strike (Silverblade Paladin, Blood Mist)) + stuff like Elemental Bond or Garruk's Uprising.

I also can't recommend highly enough a High Tide package with untap effects (Turnabout, Frantic Search) and recursion (Flood of Recollection, Archaeomancer). Such fun.

[TheAmericanSpirit]

I'm big into anything that repeatedly turns excess of one resource into another. Skirge Familiar, duskwatch recruiter, necropotence, og erebos, etc are all among my favorites. I really enjoythe fluidity to trade what I have to get what I want. These kinds of cards are present in nearly every deck I build.

[pokken]

Risen Reef is a one card engine in my Omnath, Locus of the Roil deck that is one of my main strategies.

In my old The Mimeoplasm deck, Survival of the Fittest and Greater Good were two great engines although that's not exactly a surprise Bazaar of Baghdad was also sick in that deck.

Ephara, God of the Polis has a bunch of engines, my second favorite is Thassa, Deep-Dwelling (after the aforementioned kraken) and Ephemerate + Archaeomancer is also quite sick.

[Sinis]

I think my favourite one I had (not in any current decks) was Rampaging Baloths + Temur Ascendancy. Play a land, get a 4/4, it has haste, draw a card. Any ramp spell became pretty great.

Familiar's Ruse + Eternal Witness gave my group fits for a while.

[umtiger]

I haven't seen anyone else in the wild use Future Sight+Sensei's Divining Top in a long time.

But it's my favorite thing to do in decks with Blue. I had it in my Grand Arbiter deck and Monastery Mentor as the main win. I had it in my Momir Vig elf/wizard dual tribal deck. I had it in my turbo xerox deck and all the cheap counters.

In my lands.dec, one of my go-to tactics is getting Azusa+Crucible+fetchland.

And of course my favorite thing to do in all of EDH is Jace TMS + Oracle of Mul Daya.

[PrimevalCommander]

Nim Deathmantle + Phyrexian Tower. Nim Deathmantle has been a pet card of mine since release. Without any additional mana generation it is a bit expensive to keep active, but I keep it around for fun. This was the pinacle of durdle value engine with Solemn Simulacrum once released.

Pitiless Plunderer + Nether Traitor + Yawgmoth, Thran Physician. Add Pawn of Ulamog for near infinite value. Pitiless Plunderer is one of the most useful cards in black I have seen printed in a good while.

Luminous Broodmoth + Saffi Eriksdotter + another non-flyer + Karador, Ghost Chieftain. I paired this with Sidisi, Undead Vizier for about 6 tutors in one turn. Layering the triggers correctly started to become cumbersome, but it was the first time I did anything impressive with Broodmoth. This interaction is finite, but still allows for massive value with non-flying ETB or LTB's even without Karador.

I also see Greater Good mentioned, and that card is an engine by itself if you have any density of medium or larger sized creatures. Hitting this in my Titania, Protector of Argoth deck has drawn my entire deck on multiple occasions.

[Ruiner]

Yawgmoth, Thran Physician as your commander enables a lot of things. I've been a big fan of Haunted Crossroads in my deck which lets me loop sacrifices (sacrifice the creature as a cost to activate Yawgmoth's ability, before the ability resolves activate Haunted Crossroads to put the card back on top of your deck so that you draw it). Getting to loop something like Gray Merchant of Asphodel, Kokusho, the Evening Star or even just an ETB token generator a few times in one turn can be pretty great. Other things added in to the core of Yawgmoth, Thran Physician + Haunted Crossroads + "Sacrificed creature of your choice" can enhance it, such as Pitiless Plunderer or Grave Pact.

Nahiri, the Lithomancer has a nice card draw engine going with Skullclamp and/or Mentor of the Meek in play.

In my Chromium, the Mutable deck, cards like Horobi, Death's Wail and Dismiss into Dream get going well with various permanent based repeatable targeting effects like Dauthi Embrace, Bloodthirsty Blade, and Shipwreck Singer.

[TheGildedGoose]

Seasons Past + a tutor

Seasons Past is my favorite Magic card, so being able to find and cast it repeatedly because of putting it on the bottom of your library instead of your graveyard sparks joy. I try to jam it in every BGx deck I play, though I've found it's a little slow outside of control decks. Still, it's such a feelgood interaction for me.

[materpillar]

I've got some really really janky engines.

• My current favorite engine is Shields of Velis Vel + Kithkin Harbinger + Mistveil Plains + Tivadar of Thorn + 1 blink effect to tutor velis vel. 5 card combo to kill a goblin every other turn. Add more blinks for more goblin death.
• Similarly being the monarch and then using Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist to put Pariah's Shield on an opponents creature feels delightful.
• I've been a huge fan of Oath of Scholars and a instant speed discard outlet to draw 4 cards a turn.
• Life from the Loam feeds so many durdle engines. It's great with Cephalid Coliseum, Faithless Looting and Worm Harvest.
• Master Transmuter and Mirrorworks for endless personal Sculpting Steels.
• Squee, Goblin Nabob and Rummaging Goblin for red card draw.

[toctheyounger]

I really like Emeria Shepherd in my Bruna build. With a sac outlet, cycling something like Solemn Simulacrum, Sun Titan or Wayfarer's Bauble always makes for a solid board advantage.

Underrealm Lich has been pretty nuts for me in Tayam, Luminous Enigma. As has my secret super-budget Academy Rector, Lost Auramancers.

Baru, Fist of Krosa has been nothing short of stellar in my Nissa, Vastwood Seer // Nissa, Sage Animist build. Overruns in my turn, distorts combat math outside of my turn. Took me a little while running it to read the card properly though, and realise it triggers from any forest, not just mine.

I guess it goes without saying if you know the card, but Tombstone Stairwell is truly disgusting. It'll end the game most times I cast it in my Varina, Lich Queen build.

Fires of Invention has exceeded every expectation I had for it in Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded. The floor is being able to cast your commander again for just commander tax, the ceiling is for all intents and purposes a mana doubler in a deck that doesn't cast many spells. It's very good in the right place, and fits like a glove here.

Post Paradox Engine, I switched up my Dralnu, Lich Lord build to include spell-copiers more so than untappers. To that end, Twinning Staff is pretty gross, and so is Primal Amulet // Primal Wellspring. I still do a bit of untapping tomfoolery, and Retreat to Coralhelm has done quite well. Both modes work for me as Bolas's Citadel is in the deck too.

Dream Halls has been very, very good in my The Ur-Dragon vorthos build. Sure, it's symmetrical, but I can guarantee that the stuff I'm casting has a bigger impact on the board, so it's a very explosive advantage.

[Hawk]

Varina: Undead Alchemist + any of Altar of Dementia, Embalmer's Tools, or Altar of the Brood to play "spin the wheel and see if everyone dies - but get a toooon of zombies, if they do not". Gets more fun and approaches certain victory the more of the pieces you have, or if you have Anointed Procession to improve the odds. Can also have Rooftop Storm + Gravecrawler, or Phyrexian Altar + Gravecrawler, to force the issue.

Sevinne: Mystic Retrieval + Runic Repetition means you'll never ever ever run out of gas. Pull from Eternity also works. It's an expensive engine, but it gets even more incremental value if Secrets of the Dead, River Kelpie, Burning Vengeance, etc. are in play and is more affordable with Goblin Electromancer or Catalyst Stone.

[Lifeless]

The Locust God + Skullclamp is one that I always enjoy getting going, but my favorite is probably The Locust God + Coastal Piracy + Breath of Fury.

[darrenhabib]

All day, everyday engine when I can.

I'm a sucker for Life from the Loam centered value with cycling lands. It's normally pretty fair and slow and this is why it is appealing as it comes sodium free to games.

Something that I've stopped doing for the last couple of years, but the backbone of a lot of my decks in the past was pseudo Prophet of Kruphix which is untap mana sources in opponents turn + flash cards at instant speed. So Seedborn Muse, Unwinding Clock, Awakening type cards combined with cards like Alchemist's Refuge, Yeva, Nature's Herald, Vedalken Orrery.

[MeowZeDung]

This thread is already giving me ideas

A couple I forgot:

I've recently been tipped off to Blood for Bones + Scholar of the Ages which I can't wait to try out. Scholar is expensive, but I'll be running this particular engine in a Polymorph deck where the creatures will almost never be hardcast anyhow, and scholar can buy back my various polymorph spells. Ephemerate is also in the deck, so it will double dip in the CA engine department.

My wife's Rashmi, Eternities Crafter deck gets a lot of value out of the commander plus either Voidmage Husher or Capsize. It's really sweet when you can set up a value engine with just your commander and one other card.

[Mookie]

I'm generally not a huge fan of multi-card engines due to how easy they are to break up. That said, there are definitely some engine cards I enjoy going off with, and a few synergies I enjoy when they do come up. Going through my various decks...

• Teysa: Tombstone Stairwell / Ophiomancer with any sac outlet, for maximum durdle token production.
• Samut: Humble Defector + untap effects. Or, even better, Humble Defector + an opponent willing to give it back.
• Tasigur: Drownyard Temple + The Gitrog Monster. Or maybe Life from the Loam / Ramunap Excavator + milling lands with Tasigur? Hmm...
• Sharuum: Salvaging Station + Survival of the Trinkets.
• Animar: Shrieking Drake / Dream Stalker to throw silly numbers of counters on Animar.
• Thada: I'm not sure if there are actually any engine cards in that deck. Maybe Thopter Spy Network?
• Brago: Brago is already a pretty degenerate engine, but the manifest cards (Cloudform, Lightform, Scroll of Fate) are definitely the most fun to use with him.
• Mizzix: Whispers of the Muse, assuming sufficient Mizzix discount.
• Kess: Swarm Intelligence. Yes, I would like to have four copies of Blatant Thievery.

[Treamayne]

Gahiji, Honored One runs Cream of the Crop with Lurking Predators

Master Transmuter with Mirrorworks and Powerstone Shard are in a couple of my artifact decks

More synergy than engine, a few of my mono-W decks have Phyrexian Splicer with Concerted Effort to share stolen borrowed keywords. Splicer is just good politics too.

Mina and Denn, Wildborn really love Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx with Stone-Seeder Hierophant to make absurd amounts of mana. Just these 3 cards on the board, and I can activate Nykthos 6 times per turn.

Seton Druids likes Thawing Glaciers with his Stone-Seeder Hierophant.

[capitacommunist]

Lurrus of the Dream-Den and Scrap Trawler are two of my favorites for artifacts decks, they enable so many strong play sequences when combined with sacrifice outlets/payoffs.
Yawgmoth, Thran Physician can also really tie a deck together as it has so many different synergies.
Although not that powerful, I do really like Manipulate Fate plus cards you can cast from exile (Squee, the Immortal, Misthollow Griffin, Eternal Scourge). Drawing multiple cards for two mana and ensuring you have recurring creatures for the rest of the game can set you up well for the rest of the game.