[Standard Development] Fun w/ Shape Anew

[justinhering]

I know, since the release of Mirrodin Besieged, people have been trying to develop ways to use Shape Anew to their advantage. Everyone knows I love Polymorph effects and Shape Anew is no different.

Here's my current decklist I am playing around with...I actually have this built and played it a few times. When it goes off, its pretty awesome.

[Creatures] 9
1 Grave Titan
1 Inferno Titan
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Thopter Assembly
4 Treasure Mage
1 Wurmcoil Engine

[Spells] 24
2 Black Sun's Zenith
2 Go for the Throat
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Lightning Bolt
3 Mana Leak
4 Preordain
1 Pyroclasm
4 Shape Anew
2 Stoic Rebuttal

[Artifacts] 2
1 Mindslaver
1 Spine of Ish Sah

[Lands] 25
3 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Creeping Tar Pit
2 Darkslick Shores
2 Drowned Catacomb
1 Halimar Depths
13 Island
3 Lavaclaw Reaches

Sideboard:
1 Contagion Engine
2 Crush
1 Doom Blade
3 Duress
3 Flashfreeze
1 Go for the Throat
1 Mindslaver
3 Spreading Seas

What??? No Blightsteel Colossus? No Planeswalkers? What kind of Shape Anew deck is this???

Well, I wanted to make a deck I could build. Honestly, if I had Blightsteel Colossus I would probably modify the decklist to include him.

How does this deck work? Pretty well, actually and there are a lot of ways to use Shape Anew and beat your opponent with that card. The most straightforward way involves using Treasure Mage to tutor your Thopter Assembly or Myr Battlesphere. They make tokens, so the next turn you Shape Anew one of the tokens into something else, like Wurmcoil Engine.

Another nifty combo is with Spine of Ish Sah. You play the Spine, then Shape it next turn into something else. Spine then returns to your hand because Shape Anew says 'sacrifice target artifact' and Spine says 'If this card hits the graveyard return it your hand instead'. So you get to play it again next turn and blow up another permanent.

You can also Shape another persons artifact. This works really well against WW Quest and even CawGo. I Shape Anew your Argentum Armor into an ornnithopter, or I Shape Anew your Sword of Feast and Famine into nothing because I already countered your other sword. Its a surprise and unique play.

Did someone kill your Wurmcoil Engine? No problem. Shape one of the tokens (probably deathtouch) into something else.

With all the artifact hate, I thought it wise to include another win condition, hence the Inferno Titan and Grave Titan.

Justin, Thopter Assemby is bad? Why would play the crappy card? Easy...it shuts down Squadron Hawk. What a sad day, when I need to include tech to deal with a 1/1 white flier, but its true. It's actually better, in my opinion, than Steel Hellkite in this build. I may even put one more in the sideboard for CawGo and Boros matchups.

Hold the line with control until you can play a bomb safely, then Shape into another Bomb and hopefully win.

[chulak]

It's interesting. Due to the lack of consistency idk if it could win in a very competitive atmosphere. I understand the strength in a combo like this, but not to shoot you down, but what does this deck have over the Kudultha Forgemaster decks?

[justinhering]

To answer you question, not much. I playtested and its not very consistent. When it goes off, its hilarious, but it just isn't consistent enough.

I still think there is potential with Shape Anew...maybe U/W...