Lurrus: A Nightmare in Silver

[Hawk]

My wife fell in love at first sight with Lurrus of the Dream-Den and we decided it was more fun to have them as the helm of the deck instead of in the companion zone. I built the deck at first as an aristocrat deck (or rather, an aristo-cat deck amirite?) and it was...not good. Because Lurrus is neither a sac outlet nor a sac payoff, and because she can only bring back one card at a time, the deck was too prone to drawing its cards in the wrong order and fizzling. It was also running too many "too cute" cards that were ultimately pretty low-impact. The deck was resilient (Lurrus' specialty) but usually coming in 2nd and only by scrapping and suffering. After much complaint from my wife, the pilot, I went back to the drawing board...

And landed on an artifact/affinity/modular take. This deck took off in its first game, and while it still didn't win it "felt" a lot stronger and a lot more fun. That being said, it still isn't perfect - I was missing a lot of the MH2 cards I was interested in. As I gear up to maybe put in a singles order, I wanted to turn to the crowd and see what might take this deck to the next level:

Lurrus in Silver

DecklistCMCManaPricesChartsDraw 7

Commander: 1

1 Lurrus of the Dream-Den

Creatures: 30

1 Arcbound Worker

1 Disciple of the Vault

1 Signal Pest

1 Stonecoil Serpent

1 Arcbound Ravager

1 Arcbound Slith

1 Arcbound Stinger

1 Blood Artist

1 Crashing Drawbridge

1 Ethersworn Canonist

1 Gold Myr

1 Leaden Myr

1 Leonin Relic Warder

1 Myr Retriever

1 Myrsmith

1 Steel Overseer

1 Tidehollow Sculler

1 Vault Skirge

1 Zulaport Cutthroat

1 Chief of the Foundry

1 Digsite Engineer

1 Losheel, Clockwork Scholar

1 Mentor of the Meek

1 Arcbound Crusher

1 Arcbound Reclaimer

1 Jhoira's Familiar

1 Pitiless Plunderer

1 Bronze Guardian

1 Steel Hellkite

Enchantments: 10

1 Kaya's Ghostform

1 All that Glitters

1 Animate Dead

1 Blind Obedience

1 Tempered Steel

1 Smothering Tithe

1 Cathars' Crusade

1 Dictate of Erebos

1 Revel in Riches

1 Martyr's Bond

Artifacts: 20

1 Everflowing Chalice

1 Lotus Petal

1 Mishra's Bauble

1 Executioner's Capsule

1 Nihil Spellbomb

1 Renegade Map

1 Sol Ring

1 Springleaf Drum

1 Skullclamp

1 Wayfarer's Bauble

1 Cranial Plating

1 Coldsteel Heart

1 Fellwar Stone

1 Mind Stone

1 Orzhov Signet

1 Spawning Pit

1 Swiftfoot Boots

1 Blasting Station

1 Oketra's Monument

1 Trading Post

1 Eldrazi Monument

Instants and Sorceries: 6

1 Tragic Slip

1 Deadly Dispute

1 Despark

1 Vindicate

1 Kaya's Wrath

1 Austere Command

Lands: 33

1 Ancient Den

1 Blinkmoth Nexus

1 Caves of Koilos

1 Command Tower

1 Darksteel Citadel

1 Godless Shrine

1 Scoured Barrens

1 Tainted Field

1 Temple of Silence

1 Vault of Whispers

12 Plains

11 Swamp

Approximate Total Cost:

The current iteration has only had one testgame, so it's hard to say what the weak links are. In terms of a shortlist of stuff I'm thinking of buying:

- The other two good arcbound cards (Arcbound Javelineer and Arcbound Mouser) as well as newcomer Iron Apprentice who is near-strictly better than Arcbound Worker.

- A few obvious, affordable-ish staples: Swords to Plowshares and Infernal Grasp for removal, Arcane Signet and Talisman of Hierarchy for ramp.

- Welcoming Vampire

- Lion Sash (I need like 5 copies of this sucker...so good)

- Goldmire Bridge and possibly a few other land upgrades for less tap-lands.

Anything else? I'm aware that Esper Sentinel, Jeweled Lotus, and "The Altars" are all good adds here but they're a bit rich for my blood.

[BeneTleilax]

Why Arcbound Worker instead of Iron Apprentice? Apprentice offers more freedom in the trigger, and you're not running any modular payoffs. Marionette Master and maybe even Sly Requisitioner seem solid here as well, if above the Lurrus line.

[Hawk]

Why Arcbound Worker instead of Iron Apprentice? Apprentice offers more freedom in the trigger, and you're not running any modular payoffs. Marionette Master and maybe even Sly Requisitioner seem solid here as well, if above the Lurrus line.

Yeah Apprentice is a slam-dunk include, just haven't nabbed any Neo yet. Marionette Master is one I'm torn on since it's so expensive and above the Lurrus limit, but I agree it seems like it'd be good (Disciple was a house). And I forgot Requisitioner existed; seems great. Thanks!

[BeneTleilax]

Marionette Master is one I'm torn on since it's so expensive and above the Lurrus limit, but I agree it seems like it'd be good

You can swap out Bronze Guardian, because they both fulfill a similar role (turning a board full of artifacts into a win), but Marionettes does it quicker and more reliably. It's also a much better topdeck on an empty board, if it comes to that.

Also, Oswald Fiddlebender as a pod that can himself be recurred with Lurrus, and maybe Ingenious Smith, as a cheap cantrip creature that can also bait removal.

[JovialJovian]

Reading your list has given me ideas I never though of before. Specifically Stonecoil Serpent.
In the vein of X spells: Engineered Explosives, Hangarback Walker, Walking Ballista, The Meathook Massacre, and Mikaeus, the Lunarch spring to mind as options, budget allowing of course.

Executioner's Capsule makes me think of Dispeller's Capsule, Seal of Cleansing, Omen of the Dead as utility options.

And since you've got a counters theme going there, Contagion Clasp seems like a good inclusion.

[Hawk]

Marionette Master is one I'm torn on since it's so expensive and above the Lurrus limit, but I agree it seems like it'd be good

You can swap out Bronze Guardian, because they both fulfill a similar role (turning a board full of artifacts into a win), but Marionettes does it quicker and more reliably. It's also a much better topdeck on an empty board, if it comes to that.

Also, Oswald Fiddlebender as a pod that can himself be recurred with Lurrus, and maybe Ingenious Smith, as a cheap cantrip creature that can also bait removal.

Bronze Guardian is my wife's kind of nonsense - thing was a house in that first game. But yeah, I think Master could replace Steel Hellkite which is just a goodstuff.dec inclusion right now. And good call on Fiddlebender - he may not make the cut, but I've been meaning to buy a copy anyhow.

Reading your list has given me ideas I never though of before. Specifically Stonecoil Serpent.
In the vein of X spells: Engineered Explosives, Hangarback Walker, Walking Ballista, The Meathook Massacre, and Mikaeus, the Lunarch spring to mind as options, budget allowing of course.

Executioner's Capsule makes me think of Dispeller's Capsule, Seal of Cleansing, Omen of the Dead as utility options.

And since you've got a counters theme going there, Contagion Clasp seems like a good inclusion.

Note I've found Serpent a bit of a non-bo in the deck, because you're locked into X = 2 with it and Lurrus which is fine but not that exciting. I do own a spare Mike and he's not in the deck for that reason. I suspect Massacre and Ballista are good enough with the other synergies, but my only Ballista is currently in use and Massacre is way over budget.

I should try Clasp. I have found it a bit too durdly in past Simic and mono-red, blue, or brown artifact decks, but here it may just be the right home since it's recurrable. Thanks!

[JovialJovian]

Note I've found Serpent a bit of a non-bo in the deck, because you're locked into X = 2 with it and Lurrus which is fine but not that exciting. I do own a spare Mike and he's not in the deck for that reason. I suspect Massacre and Ballista are good enough with the other synergies, but my only Ballista is currently in use and Massacre is way over budget.

Hm, I guess I never read through Lurrus's rulings. Having done so, I still think Hangarback and Mikaeus have potential, both have +1 counter synergies, and work well at X=1, due to being able to put more counters on themselves.

But, having now read through Lurrus's rulings. Additional costs are not included in Lurrus's 2-MV restriction, meaning that Kicker is fair game, so long as the card's base cost is 2 or less. That opens up a load of flexible options.

[capitacommunist]

Soul-Guide Lantern and Urza's Bauble seem really good here. I would also second Marionette Master, there are few better payoffs in artifact builds and it's a great win condition.
I would replace Tainted Field with a basic, with only eleven swamps I think it will often not be on.
Some equipment tutors would also be very good here, since Skullclamp will be one of your strongest cards.