[Deck] Affinity - Party like it's 2004!

Guardman · Post by **Guardman** » 2 years ago

So with Modern Horizons 2 affinity is back in true affinity form. Seeing as Affinity was one of the first decks I ever seriously constructed (since it was so cheap to build something that could go oops I win back in the day), I knew I had to come back to my Free Frogs and Big Boys. On the dark side, it's a lot more expensive to build nowadays (though I already have the Mishra's Bauble which takes care of like 50% of the cost).

Modern Affinity Storm

Approximate Total Cost:

No Urza's Saga because it is too rich for my taste.

I am pretty happy with the maindeck (I think), but the sideboard could probably use some work. I question whether Damping Sphere will hurt more than it helps in this deck, given how it likes to just play its entire hand in a turn. In addition, two cards from Adventures in the Forgotten Realm probably belong in the sideboard. Portable Hole and You Come to a River both seem like great cards out of the sideboard, since Portable Hole can hit a ton of stuff in Delver and Prowess and You Come to a River can either return a problem permanent or win you the game by making your Memnite wearing a Cranial Plating unblockable.

Also I wonder whether or not the sideboard should include Jegantha, the Wellspring.

Secondly, because the deck can play a ton of cards in a turn for free, it seems like a great place to include Thrasta, Tempest's Roar.

Modern Affinity Storm

Lands (16)

4 Darksteel Citadel

4 Silverbluff Bridge

4 Tanglepool Bridge

3 Glimmervoid

1 Island

Creatures 26

4 Memnite

4 Ornithopter

3 Emry, Lurker of the Loch

4 Frogmite

4 Sojourner's Companion

4 Thought Monitor

3 Thrasta, Tempest's Roar

Artifacts 14

4 Mishra's Bauble

2 Welding Jar

4 Springleaf Drum

4 Cranial Plating

Instants 4

4 Manamorphose

Sideboard (15)

Approximate Total Cost:

Thrasta, Tempest's Roar seems like an easy upgrade over Myr Enforcer for little cost since the deck can spew out its hand like nothing else. Plus free Manamorphose tricks like attacking with an Ornithopter with Cranial Plating with no black mana up only to move it to an unblocked Frogmite for the win.

EonAon · Post by **EonAon** » 2 years ago

Honestly Id argue that Ethersworn Sphinx as a pair or trio is the better choice even if its slower overall. The flying and the cascade hit every target and getting either of the thoughts is pure advantage without having to get away much from the base blue you need for the thoughts anyway or the Emry. I also use Spire of Industry cause I'm a cheap bugger while making sure they cant just nuke my lands with a upheaval/early removal or something.

I personally think emery should be a 3 off, but since I haven't playtested this I could very well be wrong on the ratio. Its really GOOD, but the grave removal depending on meta could seriously crimp your plays.

Guardman · Post by **Guardman** » 2 years ago

EonAon wrote: ↑
2 years ago
Honestly Id argue that Ethersworn Sphinx as a pair or trio is the better choice even if its slower overall. The flying and the cascade hit every target and getting either of the thoughts is pure advantage without having to get away much from the base blue you need for the thoughts anyway or the Emry. I also use Spire of Industry cause I'm a cheap bugger while making sure they cant just nuke my lands with a upheaval/early removal or something.

I personally think emery should be a 3 off, but since I haven't playtested this I could very well be wrong on the ratio. Its really GOOD, but the grave removal depending on meta could seriously crimp your plays.

My thoughts on Emry, Lurker of the Loch is that it is a removal magnet. This is especially true since the deck has poor targets for most of the most common removal. Also at the very worst it's a pay u to mill four if need be.

Ethersworn Sphinx is an interesting card. I don't think it is currently better than Thought Monitor, Myr Enforcer, or Sojourner's Companion solely for the fact it costs two mana, one of which is . On the other hand, if Mishra's Bauble gets banned and Portable Hole ends up being as strong as I think it will be, the it very well could make sense replace something with Ethersworn Sphinx.

Also my thoughts could change once Modern events start back up in my area and I get in some testing (the places that used to run them closed during the pandemic so I am having trouble finding a place close enough to play).

Spire of Industry is fine, but at that point, if I'm not caring about the artifact lands, I would probably just prefer to play something like Hallowed Fountain.

Finally, on a different note, Treasure Vault is an interesting card solely for the fact that it is an artifact land that comes into play untapped. The fact it doesn't produce colored mana, nor is indestructible, probably makes it not good enough for the deck. But I do think it bears testing.

EonAon · Post by **EonAon** » 2 years ago

Oh I never meant for Sphinx to replace either Thoughtcast or Monitor, but to be played alongside instead of Thrasta or some other finisher. Your quite right that the white pip will be kinda annoying but if you tune the land base using the u/w and a u/? artifact land as well as using spire or glimmer there realistically will not be a problem. Also Dispatch can become relevant alongside portable hole if needed.

My current list isnt using myr enforcer or emry atm but uses thoughtcast as well as monitor because the draw they both give is extremely relevant. Adding Sphinx means that while some or most cascades are going to be middle of the road realistically, any time I hit either of the thoughts it will basically +2 or +3 respectively. Also with Emry, casting a Sphinx actually means you do get the cascade trigger since its not just being put into play. That's something I'm going to have to think on.

EonAon · Post by **EonAon** » 2 years ago

Decklist

Creatures

4 Ornithopter

4 Memnite

4 Frogmite

4 Sojourner's Companion

4 Thought Monitor

3 Ethersworn Sphinx

Spells

4 Mishra's Bauble

2 Welding Jar

4 Springleaf Drum

4 Cranial Plating

2 Nettlecyst

4 Thoughtcast

Land

1 Island

Approximate Total Cost:

This is what I think I will be playing. Though Emry seems like a great card I need to get and test.

Simto · Post by **Simto** » 2 years ago

That deck looks really fun.

Guardman · Post by **Guardman** » 2 years ago

EonAon wrote: ↑
2 years ago

Decklist

Creatures

4 Ornithopter

4 Memnite

4 Frogmite

4 Sojourner's Companion

4 Thought Monitor

3 Ethersworn Sphinx

Spells

4 Mishra's Bauble

2 Welding Jar

4 Springleaf Drum

4 Cranial Plating

2 Nettlecyst

4 Thoughtcast

Land

4 Darksteel Citadel

4 Razortide Bridge

4 Mistvault Bridge

4 Spire of Industry

1 Island

Approximate Total Cost:

This is what I think I will be playing. Though Emry seems like a great card I need to get and test.

You will have to let me know how Ethersworn Sphinx works out for you.

As for Emry, Lurker of the Loch, I think of her as pretty much a better Thoughtcast since she can come down on turn 1 sometimes, and almost always on turn 2. Gives you better what you want rather than just two random cards. And if she isn't answered right away can run away with games.

EonAon · Post by **EonAon** » 2 years ago

@Simto Thanks.
With the mana base set with both u/b and u/w you can slide cranial plating using with spire of industry and glimmervoid at instant speed if they remove or block occasionally which is honestly another callback to the original affinity.

EonAon · Post by **EonAon** » 2 years ago

Guardman wrote: ↑
2 years ago

EonAon wrote: ↑
2 years ago

Decklist

Creatures

4 Ornithopter

4 Memnite

4 Frogmite

4 Sojourner's Companion

4 Thought Monitor

3 Ethersworn Sphinx

Spells

4 Mishra's Bauble

2 Welding Jar

4 Springleaf Drum

4 Cranial Plating

2 Nettlecyst

4 Thoughtcast

Land

4 Darksteel Citadel

4 Razortide Bridge

4 Mistvault Bridge

4 Spire of Industry

1 Island

Approximate Total Cost:

This is what I think I will be playing. Though Emry seems like a great card I need to get and test.
You will have to let me know how Ethersworn Sphinx works out for you.

As for Emry, Lurker of the Loch, I think of her as pretty much a better Thoughtcast since she can come down on turn 1 sometimes, and almost always on turn 2. Gives you better what you want rather than just two random cards. And if she isn't answered right away can run away with games.

You know, I wonder if splitting the difference would be worth it. Take two thoughtcast out and one sphinx add three emry. Early middle and late draw/manipulation.

EonAon · Post by **EonAon** » 2 years ago

So cards we should be looking at from the new set,

Out of the lot Portable Hole, Blackstaff, and Deadly Dispute look the most promising for our needs. The rest may or may not be good technical cards to go alongside Emry depending on how things shake out overall.

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