Thinking about: Living Weapon

As of late, my recent foray into Tezzerator had me scrolling through all the artifacts that appear in standard.  At the time, of course, I was focused on a different kind of artifact, but I can't help but think about one of the coolest mechanics I'd seen in a while- Living Weapon.

I gave your mom a Bonehoard.

The ways to abuse this card seem obvious at first.  Being able to pull it with Stoneforge Mystic, and then proceed to cast a Mortivore for W1 at instant speed that's impossible to counter.  Seems good enough for me.

Then, I began to think about the pool of cards that break this far more than it should be.

DOUBLE COMBAT DAMAGE ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE SKY

WW Quest and some Boros lists already know what this guy can do with an Adventuring Gear or Trusty Machete, but get a few dudes in the 'yard and this guy starts to get huge.  Once you're up to nine creatures, one swing ends the game immediately.  Which brings me to my next card.

DOUBLE VENGEVINE ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE I SCOOP

Can anyone say 'mill a whole lot of creatures'?  This card also gets rid of the issue of a JtMS sniping the token or forcing you to re-pay all your equip costs.

Have you ever just read the flavor text of this card?  Seriously, it's pretty sweet.

With most Boros equip decks, the current reliance on Adventuring Gear means that once the deck is put into topdeck mode, it's tough to ever pull out a win.  Either you get a land to pump the Gear or you get the creature, but you won't be able to get both.  However, topdeck this in the late game with a Bonehoard on the table and just shout "BOOM HEADSHOT" as you pay three mana all over your opponent's face.  It's essentially a Lava Axe on crack.

So the basic feel I want for this deck is similar to the Boros equip lists, only using Bonehoard for a more consistent endgame, not to mention flashing in Mortivores all day long.

Equipment (10)
3 Bonehoard
2 Sword of Body and Mind
1 Basilisk Collar
3 Adventuring Gear
1 Kitesail

Creatures (24)
4 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Goblin Guide
2 Kor Duelist
4 Steppe Lynx
3 Spikeshot Elder
4 Mirran Crusader
3 Hero of Bladehold

Spells (4)
4 Lightning Bolt

Lands (22)
4 Arid Mesa
3 Scalding Tarn
3 Marsh Flats
7 Plains
4 Mountain
1 Teetering Peaks

This deck is fairly straightforward, but I must note that it has not been tested, so play around with it first before deciding to use it.  Kinda like what I did with your mom. Anywho, in the early game, drop the Adventuring Gears and Steppe Lynxes first, as they have more effect on the game the sooner they hit the table.  Although Goblin Guide may be a tempting starter, remember that his use as a haste creature is even more relevant later on in the game, once you have a few equipment in play and your opponent thinks they're in the clear.  the same goes for Spikeshot Elder; both of your red creatures are powerful cards to use as a surprise and should not be underestimated.  And remember, it's okay to let a few creatures die, since that will just make your Bonehoard drops more relevant later on.  That still doesn't make it okay to overextend, since it won't matter how big the Bonehoard is if there's nothing in play to attach it to.

I didn't end up doing this, but you might decide to try running a Brave the Elements or two, to keep your equip targets safe from removal long enough to end the game.  Just remember that Brave doesn't work on your Goblins, so if you're holding onto one then you should try equipping one of your Double strike creatures first.

Well, that's it for now.  Until next time, say hi to your mom for me.