Complex Automaton, broken?

[Dune Echo]

Hey, I think I've figured out a way to break Complex Automaton! Well, since you cannot have more than 6 permanents out, how do you make lots and lots of mana with a small amount of permanents while beating down with the Automaton? Gaea's Cradle and Eladamri's Vineyard! I'm thinking that Quirion Ranger can help as well. Check out my idea here! It's not a sligh deck but it serves green beats right? With this design, if you get this guy out early, it's great colorless beatdown, if you don't then you won't need him later anyway because of all the quality creatures in the deck.

Here's a reminder on Complex Automaton:
Complex Automaton 4
Artifact Creature - Golem 4/4, Rare
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control seven or more permanents, return Complex Automaton to its owner's hand.
"This wasteful design cannot possibly be Phyrexian." -Belbe
Illus. Dana Knuston (128/143)


"6 or Less Beats"
Color: Green
Created by: Kirsin Koch
Description/Theme: Beat down with Complex Automaton while keeping only 6 permanents into play at any time
Source: Personal
Tournament Format: Extended

Green:
4 Albino Troll
4 Eladamri's Vineyard
4 Giant Growth
4 Lanowar Elves
4 Quirion Ranger
4 Rancor
4 River Boa
4 Rogue Elephant
4 Skyshroud Elite
4 Vine Dryad
2 Uktabi Orangutan

Artifacts:
4 Complex Automaton
2 Cursed Scroll
2 Masticore

Lands:
14 Forest
4 Gaea's Cradle
2 Treetop Village

Sideboard:
4 Animate Land
4 Concordant Crossroads
2 Cursed Scroll


Basically, you can produce a lot of mana from the Vineyards and Cradles without upping the number of permanents drastically. Also, in the late game, if you get a Masticore and more than 6 permanents, you can pitch the Complex Automatons to the Masticore without any real loss because you couldn't attack with them anyway. The Rangers enable you to provide a defense and protect against Stasis locks while lowering your overall permanent count. Rogue Elephants also keep your permanent count down while providing a seriously strong creature.

I know, I hate to using the obligatory Masticore and Cursed Scroll, but they are good in this type of deck and punch holes in your opponent's defenses.

The Concordant Crossroads are for when you need beatdown, fast and now and to enable you to continually cast the Complex Automaton as a threat to blue players (Yeah, waste a counterspell on this thing, please!)

Let me know if you guys see any holes that I'm missing here. I've looked this over and I feel that my reasoning is fairly solid. Anyone else have any other ideas? Are there more instants and sorceries that I could use instead of permanents that would mesh with Complex Automaton's restriction?

[Edited by Dune Echo (02-04-2000 at 11:27 AM).]

 

[Gumby Khan]

How about Claws of Gix? Or go black and use Negators? Those will destroy permanents and black has MUCHO creature elim so you can clear the way for automoton beat. Can you imagine twisted experiment on either fattie? Actually, ritual plays right into this environment and so do the skittering creatures! Loverly, eh

"Attack with Automan, after damage is on the stack, sac to claws, gain one and play another Automan, go."

 

[Dune Echo]

I actually didn't think that Complex Automaton would be very viable in Type II, but I think that maybe's it's possible now. Interesting. I'll have to see what I can come up with with the Claws and Negator. Hmmm... Phyrexian Plaguelord anyone?

 

[Duel]

Complex Automaton should not be broken. It reminds me of a deck I saw who's entire goal was to let Wire Tiger attack. It's too much work for what is not a very good card, altogether.

 

[K1]

Umm. I hope you remember that Gaea's Cradle is a legend. Will one produce the mana you need?

 

[Dune Echo]

If I have 2 or more creatures out, yes. If not, then no.

 

[theorgg]

do you need any of theese guys, anyway?

I got one at the PR.

 

[Dune Echo]

Maybe. I'm awaiting some auctions right now. If they don't pan out, I'll need them. Anyone have any Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero for trade?

 

[TomB]

Getting back to Complex Automaton, I thought it would work pretty good in an Armageddon deck. Once you blow up all the land you usually have less than 7 permanents leftover, and if you've got a Multani/Maro in play, cards that return to your hand are usually a good thing.

Whaddya' think?

TomB
CPA Member

 

[Dune Echo]

Me like! Yeah, but that just seems too trite somehow. But, considering that Ernham is gone, Complex Automaton would be a suitable replacement for it if you don't like Lumbering Satyr or Masticore.

 

[TomB]

That's what I figured. Masticore and Multani have some real bad synergy together, though the Satyr probably wouldn't be too bad. It might disincline you to play a forest if the other guy's got you down on life, which could hurt a comeback effort. Still, I think either one would serve...

TomB
CPA Member

 

[Captain Caveman]

I've been thinking about using Complex
Automaton in MBC.

Here's what I have. Any imput would be appericated.

4 Vendetta
4 Dark Ritual
4 Vicious Hunger
4 Specter's Wail
4 ...........four more slots??

4 Plague Witch
4 Alley Grifters
3 Complex Automaton
2 Thrashing Wumpus

20 Swamp
4 Peat Bog
2 Dust Bowl.....for Rishadan Port