Swiss Army Knife decks - do you have one?

[Boros_Blendo]

For me, Kaladesh and Aether Revolt were a fascinating block. Vehicles and gearhulks, chainable Expertise spells, off-the-wall mechanics and energy, and some very definite synergy in Grixis, which is where this deck checks in. Significant life gain, mass creature kill to sweep go-wide hordes but put the first creature back into play, energy to burn, vehicles to survive sweepers, endgame steam, stealing key cards, bouncing my stuff to cast again or bouncing enemy cards, drawing oodles of cards, destroying creatures with damage added to the player's dome, there's very little I can't do in this deck that I care about. It's chock full of cards with other benefits bolted on. Somewhat surprisingly, however, it's the Aethersphere Harvester that typically serves as main battle mover until endgame allows Unlicensed Disintegration and Gonti's Machinations to finish them off in a barrage. The red and black gearhulks more often clear the path and/or jam my hand with additional cards rather than end the game, but they make nice comebacks after other players wipe the board. I always laugh when they choose to take the damage instead of giving me cards.

I find I really like this deck, as I get to play all this fun stuff in a block deck (other than lands), which is just nuts. So much other stuff I can't fit in, I had to remove Gonti, Lord of Luxury to fit what I do have, and the two graveyard-matters lands were because I can't fit in Fortuitous Find . And, Filigree Familiar = Starfox piloting the Aethersphere Harvester? Too funny...anyway, this thing plays 1v1, 2HG, Emperor, Star, smaller FFAs, pretty much everything but large FFAs. Yes, the mana base is non-block and a bit spendy, but I picked up the Stronghold and Ruins when they were waaaay less dollars than now, and the deck was worth the resources...I never mess around with mana base with my favorite decks.

Kaladesh Swiss Army Knife

Decklist

DecklistCMCManaPricesChartsDraw 7

Creatures

4 Aether Chaser

4 Glint-Sleeve Siphoner

4 Filigree Familiar

4 Combustible Gearhulk

4 Noxious Gearhulk

Enchantments

4 Gonti's Machinations

Instants

4 Unlicensed Disintegration

Lands

2 Shimmering Grotto

4 Crumbling Necropolis

4 Darkslick Shores

4 Rakdos Carnarium

4 Aether Hub

4 Reflecting Pool

1 Volrath's Stronghold

1 Academy Ruins

Sorceries

3 Yahenni's Expertise

3 Confiscation Coup

3 Baral's Expertise

Vehicles

4 Aethersphere Harvester

Approximate Total Cost:

What decks do you have that are Swiss Army Knives and are just so consistent and resilient? Share here, I love hearing about that stuff. Cheers.

[Diz]

I believe "Swiss Army Knife" decks are referred to as "toolbox" decks - because you can pull out a tool you need for any situation, as it were. I'm a big fan of toolbox decks, and, back when I had Nic Fit put together, I definitely used a toolbox build for it - I ran a bunch of 1-ofs, such as Ruric Thar, the Unbowed, Titania, Protector of Argoth, Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger, Omnath, Locus of Rage,Hornet Queen, Progenitus, and Reclamation Sage. It was a build meant for Legacy, but I unfortunately could not get it to match the power level/speed of the format. I'm sure there's a way, but I'm not as innovative with this game as I used to be, so, the deck got taken apart and traded in for my playset of Badlands for Legacy BR Reanimator. You'd probably have liked it conceptually, though!

[Boros_Blendo]

Given the theme and color limitations, of course, I try to make my decks as toolbox as possible. Nothing aggravates me more than losing to something I didn't have an answer to. I can accept I won't have an answer to everything, and am okay losing when I had it, but just didn't draw it. Now, some decks I give up all pretense of toolbox and instead just go with an uber-focused theme. But yeah, love toolbox decks.

[Boros_Blendo]

Well, played this one last game night, and it did very well. Five-person free-for-all, game shouldn't have lasted 90+ minutes. But it did, and there were many swings in momentum. It went long enough, I drew through (thanks to gearhulks), 2/3 of my deck, the guy who won ultimately drew 80% of his from a zombie reanimator and draw engine and would have decked himself about three turns later. The Gonti's Machinations took out one player and greatly weakened others to keep me in the game, I almost had the winner on the ropes with gearhulks coming back with Volrath's Stronghold, but he popped out a Grave Pact and zombie reanimator + the pact = locked out gearhulks. It's okay, I used all the tools on this one, it was sure fun.

[Diz]

Super cool!