Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty takes place 1200 years after the last Kamigawa sets. That’s a massive time leap. And as one might expect, technology plays a central role in the new, futuristic Kamigawa.
In Magic: the Gathering, technology typically takes the in-game form of artifact cards, which are bountiful in Neon Dynasty.
Some of these Neon Dynasty artifacts are good–so good, in fact, that many are breaking into the Modern format and changing multiple artifact decks.
New Stoneforge Mystic Targets
When Wizards of the Coast finally unbanned Stoneforge Mystic in Modern, the Kor Artificer immediately became a format staple.
Stoneforge can tutor your deck for any equipment card and add it to your hand. The usual targets for this effect are Sword of Fire and Ice, Batterskull, and Kaldra Compleat.
But now, with Neon Dynasty, Stoneforge Mystic gains some new potential tutor targets. Reconfigure is a new mechanic that blurs the line between creatures and equipment. These cards come into play as creatures, but you can pay their reconfigure cost and equip them to another creature you control.
Playing a single copy of Lion Sash in a Stoneforge Mystic gives you easy access to graveyard hate. Lion Sash is like the white version of Scavenging Ooze; you can pay a single mana to exile a single card from a graveyard.
Stoneforge Mystic can now find a Future Sight effect directly from your deck. As a creature, The Reality Chip lets you look at the top card of your library, giving you the foresight of what you’ll draw next.
But it gets better once you reconfigure The Reality Chip. That’s when The Reality Chip lets you play lands and cast spells from the top of your library.
Hammer Time
Hammertime is one of the best decks in the Modern format. In the past, it was usually a mono-white deck, but it sometimes splashed black for cards like Dark Confidant.
Post Neon Dynasty, Hammer Time looks a little different. The deck plays both Lion Sash and The Reality Chip and has shifted toward a blue color splash.
Read More: Best Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Cards for MTG Modern
The 8th Drum — Moonsnare Prototype
What is the difference between Moonsnare Prototype and Springleaf Drum? Which one should you play?
Springleaf Drum has been a mainstay of Modern for quite some time in decks like Affinity. The card is definitely not being replaced by Moonsnare Prototype, as Springleaf Drum is not restricted to blue decks and can be tutored for by Urza’s Saga.
But if you are playing a blue-based artifact deck, Moonsnare Prototype has some added benefits:
- Moonsnare Prototype can tap artifacts and creatures to add mana, unlike Drum which can only tap creatures. This small difference is relavent because Moonsnare can tap artifacts like Nettlecyst or Shadowspear, which otherwise sit on the battlefield untapped. Doing so allows you to put more pressure on your opponent with your creatures, rather than tapping them for mana.
- Moonsnare Prototype’s channel ability costs quite a bit of mana but it frequently comes in handy. It’s an uncounterable Totally Lost! This gives Prototype significantly more late-game impact than Springleaf Drum has.
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You can also play both Moonsnare Prototype and Springleaf Drum to double up on the mana-producing ability. Playing all eight copies of this effect allows you to ramp into impactful spells like Urza, High Lord Artificer, or the new Tezzeret as early as Turn 2.
Read More: Renovating a Classic MTG Archetype with This WIERD, Toad-Riding Kamigawa Commander
Sacrificing Neon Dynasty Artifacts
Players are tinkering with these two cards in a variety of decks in Modern.
Experimental Synthesizer is kind of like an Ichor Wellspring. It essentially draws you two cards in the same way Wellspring does, but Synthesizer costs one less mana.
Oni-Cult Anvil produces a consistent stream of artifact tokens and can sacrifice artifacts to drain your opponent. (This latter ability synergizes with Experimental Synthesizer quite nicely.)
So what decks will play these artifacts?
Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar, or Asmo for short, is a central part of Modern Food decks. She finds The Underworld Cookbook which combos with Ovalchase Daredevil to provide an endless supply of scrumptious snacks. This deck grinds value through looping artifacts in and out of play, making Synthesizer and Anvil natural fits for the deck.Read More: Kamigawa is Officially Out and These Cards are Mega-EXPENSIVE
Other Possibly Viable Modern Cards From Neon Dynasty
There are many more artifact-related cards from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty that have the potential to break into Modern.
Reality Heist is like the artifact version of Dig Through Time and can serve as a great way of finding artifact-based combo pieces like Time Sieve or Grinding Station.
Dragonspark Reactor can make for yet another addition to Food decks. It acts as both a removal spell and a massive burn spell that can outright kill opponents.
Patchwork Automaton synergizes with Hardened Scales decks, an aggressive artifact strategy that revolves around +1/+1 counters.
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