Tempered Steel – standard
Artifacts
1 Glint Hawk Idol
Artifact Creatures
3 Hex Parasite
4 Memnite
1 Ornithopter
2 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Porcelain Legionnaire
4 Signal Pest
1 Spellskite
4 Steel Overseer
4 Vault Skirge
Enchantments
4 Tempered Steel
Instants
3 Dispatch
Legendary Artifacts
3 Mox Opal
Sorceries
4 Gitaxian Probe
Basic Lands
6 Plains
Lands
4 Arid Mesa
4 Contested War Zone
4 Seachrome Coast
When Scars of Miroddin came out, the first card that was awesome (ok besides the Wurmcoil Engineas a prerelease card) for me was Tempered Steel. For the same price as Glorious Anthem you get all artifact creatures you control get +2/+2. That was just crazy, and I knew there will be some synergy with this card in standard pretty soon.
Before the Scars, I never thought that I’ll see Ornithopter in use in any deck. I had my old deck of Tolarian Academy that used the benefits of Ornithopter, as it is artifact, but it was useless in that deck, as it was 0/2 creature. In this deck, it become a 2/4 flying creature with only one Steel in play, and what if you get two in your hand? Then it’s just silly…
Steel Overseer is a vital for this deck. As you will hardly get Tempered Steel every hand, you’re going to need a back-up plan if Tempered Steel isn’t near. That is a Steel Overseer. He was very unprotected so far, but with the release of New Phyrexia, we got Spellskite. That little bugger with body of 4 can turn the lightning bolt or some other removal from Overseer to itself and it doesn’t die out of Lightning Bolt!
As you can see on the list, this deck had a heavy influence from New Phyrexia, many cards from the set found place here. There are many Phyrexia mechanics, but don’t worry, Vault Skirge is going to lift your life to starting total or better. I’m little sceptic of Contested War Zone, but this is fast deck and those couple points of damage could be crucial before the control turn the tide of battle.
Hex Parasite is a sick card, planeswalker killer, so it is highly recommended to play it in this deck, as you are going to beat Caw-Blade hard with its ability. I love the fact you can kill Jace and Jura with just one card.
There are significant number of times where you are going to mulligan with this deck, but that’s ok. You only need one of two unfair cards that boost other artifacts and you’re good to go, so I’ll present only few very good hands just to make clear how fast this deck is.
In this sample hand, you’re going to play land, play a pest. Second turn land and Spellskite. Even if you don’t draw land until the third turn you’re going to play hex parasite and another pest. So it is ok hand.
Second sample shows us both needed cards in hand. I’ll advise to play pest and hex parasite, and overseer only after tempered steel is in play. In that way it’s harder to kill overseer and opponent could spend his lightning bolt or removal on hex parasite.
This hand is just sick. First turn hex parasite, opal moxes and pest. Second turn Tempered Steel and hit for 6 damage. After that it’s easy.
This deck is great, but bear in mind that sometimes it just won’t open as it should. There are too many bad creatures in it, so without Overseer or Tempered Steel you’re likely to lose that game.
On the other hand, this deck is fast and has a decent match-up against all standard Tier 1 decks. I say it’s worth to try!
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