While not as broken as Tarkir: Dragonstorm or Final Fantasy, Edge of Eternities has still made a big competitive splash. Not only did it usher in Standard rotation, but there are a few gems for constructed formats, too. Now, the recently released Alchemy: Edge of Eternities is giving even more new toys to MTG Arena players.
As usual, this Alchemy set has a few new legends that are sure to work wonders in Brawl. There’s even a brand new two-card combo that deals infinite damage to your opponent. Bizarrely, it seems one wasn’t enough for this set, as players have discovered that Prototype X-8 also enables a two-card combo.
Prototype X-8 Combo
From the moment that it was revealed, Prototype X-8 looked incredibly impressive. Not only is the art stunning, but being an 8/8 for just two mana is always impressive. On top of this, it also enables graveyard synergies and doubles up on enters triggers. Given its mechanical nature, calling Prototype X-8 a Swiss army knife definitely feels fitting.
As if all of this wasn’t enough already, Reddit user Mae347 recently discovered a unique two-card combo utilizing Prototype X-8. For this combo, all you’ll need is X-8 and a single copy of Timeline Culler. Notably, this copy can either be played from your hand or Warped out from the graveyard.
At its core, this combo plays off X-8’s sacrifice and duplication ability. When playing Timeline Culler from anywhere, it’ll get sacrificed and copied, leaving you one on the field and one in the graveyard. This copy in your graveyard can then be cast for Culler’s Warp cost, which puts another back in the ‘yard.
Essentially, you’re able to keep casting Timeline Culler’s over and over again from the graveyard using Warp. While this is technically an infinite combo, it’s not free. Each Warp costs one black mana and two life, so you’ll need plenty of both to use it effectively. Still, there’s definitely potential in this combo.
Since Timeline Culler has Haste, you only need to make ten copies in total to win in Alchemy. Admittedly, the investment required for this is rather steep, but splitting it across turns makes it significantly more viable. Still, while possible, winning with this Prototype X-8 Combo doesn’t exactly seem easy.
Will it Work?
In isolation, Dimir definitely has the tools to make a Prototype X-8 combo deck work. Start with some self-Mill like Resentful Revelation and Shinra Reinforcements, then drop X-8 on turn four. From here, you should be able to Warp Timeline Culler up to five times, giving you the win by turn six.
While a turn six win isn’t bad by any means, this perfect curve exists in isolation from what your opponent is doing. Not only will you have to fight through the board your opponent builds, but you might just be dead by then. Now that Cori-Steel Cutter is unbanned and rebalanced, and Mobilize is ever popular, you don’t have much time to spare.
In theory, a Prototype X-8 combo deck doesn’t have to win quickly. This deck could easily slow-roll out its self-mill and X-8 itself while focusing on countermagic. If you’re looking to build around this combo, this definitely seems like the most sensible way to do it. That said, graveyard strategies/reanimation are hardly a new concept in Alchemy.
Thanks to Zombify being reprinted in MTG Foundations, Alchemy has a surprisingly strong reanimator deck at the moment. Similarly starting with self-Mill, this deck then reanimates threats like Valgavoth, Terror Eater, Ardyn, the Usurper, and Sire of Seven Deaths. From here, the game is pretty much over, as coming back from bombs like these is especially difficult.
Notably, each of these cards has one major upside over Prototype X-8: instant value. At the very least, the Ward costs on Sire and Valgavoth ensure you get something if targeted by removal. Ardyn, meanwhile, can quickly reanimate something else to keep the pressure on. X-8, meanwhile, simply dies to removal.
Finding the Format
Due to this implicit weakness, Prototype X-8 combo decks are unlikely to take Alchemy by storm. The same is true of Historic and Timeless, as these formats are even more cutthroat. Thankfully, this combo isn’t entirely down for the count, as it does have some potential in Brawl.
With higher life totals, fast mana, a slower pace, and tutors, Brawl has everything you’d need to make a Prototype X-8 combo deck work. There are even a fair few compelling support pieces that you can add into the mix, too. With three other cards, you can even make this combo truly infinite.
Firstly, using Blood Artist not only drains your opponent, but it’ll mitigate the life loss from Timeline Cutter’s Warp cost. Adding on Bastion of Remembrance and/or Al Bhed Salvagers on top mitigates the life loss entirely. From here, you can use K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth to mitigate the mana cost, too, although that will cause life loss once again.
Thankfully, even outside of exploiting this combo, Prototype X-8 makes for an interesting Commander to build around. Getting to double up on enters effects on creatures and lean into graveyard synergies gives tons of room for shenanigans. Hopefully, this should mean X-8 can more than stand on its own, rather than needing to go all in on this strategy.
Ultimately, while this combo is hardly game-breaking, it’s definitely one to watch out for. In Brawl, and potentially even in Alchemy, you might just need plenty of exile-based removal to deal with this threat.
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