Intro
Hammer Time is a popular MTG Modern deck. Attempts to bring the deck into Pioneer have been met with mixed success. Saffron Olive made a Pioneer Hammer Time build on the 28th of May 2022. The content creator piloted the deck in five games, winning three of them. He concluded:
“I view this build as more of a starting point for the archetype than a finished product, so feel free to do some brewing and make some upgrades. But in the long run, I think it’s very possible that Hammer Time could end up as a real archetype in the format [Pioneer], if not tier one, then at least as a playable and fun lower-tier option!”
Phyrexia: All Will Be One will give Hammer Time decks two new cards which may enable the strategy to work in Pioneer. These new cards also grant the deck a potential two turn kill.
What Is Hammer Time?
Hammer Time derives its name from the card
Colossus Hammer
Colossus Hammer
Equipped creature gets +10/+10 and loses flying.
Equip {8} ({8}: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)
. A powerful two mana piece of equipment that grants the equipped creature +10/+10. Colossus Hammer is a strong card, but comes with the weighty downside of costing eight mana to equip once it’s in play. It also takes away the ability flying from any creature it is equipped to, making them easier to block. Hammer Time decks in Modern circumvent its huge equip cost by using cards like
Puresteel Paladin
Puresteel Paladin
Whenever an Equipment you control enters, you may draw a card.
Metalcraft — Equipment you control have equip {0} as long as you control three or more artifacts.
and
Kor Outfitter
Kor Outfitter
When this creature enters, you may attach target Equipment you control to target creature you control.
to equip the hammer for free. The card
Stoneforge Mystic
Stoneforge Mystic
When this creature enters, you may search your library for an Equipment card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
{1}{W}, {T}: You may put an Equipment card from your hand onto the battlefield.
is also an essential component of the deck, as it can be used to tutor for the hammer.
Pioneer, unfortunately, lacks many of these tools.
Fighter Class
Fighter Class
(Gain the next level as a sorcery to add its ability.)
When this Class enters, search your library for an Equipment card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
{1}{R}{W}: Level 2
Equip abilities you activate cost {2} less to activate.
{3}{R}{W}: Level 3
Whenever a creature you control attacks, up to one target creature blocks it this combat if able.
or Open the Armoury have to be used in the place of
Stoneforge Mystic
Stoneforge Mystic
When this creature enters, you may search your library for an Equipment card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
{1}{W}, {T}: You may put an Equipment card from your hand onto the battlefield.
to tutor for equipment. There are also fewer options that allow players to attach equipment for free.
Sigarda’s Aid
Sigarda’s Aid
You may cast Aura and Equipment spells as though they had flash.
Whenever an Equipment you control enters, you may attach it to target creature you control.
is great, and is also used in many Modern Hammer Time builds, but other than it options are scarce.
Bruenor Battlehammer
Bruenor Battlehammer
Each creature you control gets +2/+0 for each Equipment attached to it.
You may pay {0} rather than pay the equip cost of the first equip ability you activate each turn.
works but is fairly costly at four mana.
Resolute Strike
Resolute Strike
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. If it's a Warrior, you may attach an Equipment you control to it.
can attach any piece of equipment, at the cost of only a single White mana, but only works on Warriors.
The New Cards
The first of these new cards is
Kemba, Kha Enduring
Kemba, Kha Enduring
Whenever Kemba or another Cat you control enters, attach up to one target Equipment you control to that creature.
Equipped creatures you control get +1/+1.
{3}{W}{W}: Create a 2/2 white Cat creature token.
. A two mana 2/2 Cat Cleric, when Kemba Kha Enduring, or another Cat, enters play under your control you can attach a piece of equipment to them for free. Kemba, Kha Enduring can grab the hammer upon entering the battlefield. This card also synergizes nicely with several powerful Cats already in Pioneer. The card
Lion Sash
Lion Sash
{W}: Exile target card from a graveyard. If it was a permanent card, put a +1/+1 counter on this permanent.
Equipped creature gets +1/+1 for each +1/+1 counter on this Equipment.
Reconfigure {2} ({2}: Attach to target creature you control; or unattach from a creature. Reconfigure only as a sorcery. While attached, this isn't a creature.)
is a Cat that is already in Saffron Olive’s Pioneer Hammer Time build.
Adorned Pouncer
Adorned Pouncer
Double strike
Eternalize {3}{W}{W} ({3}{W}{W}, Exile this card from your graveyard: Create a token that's a copy of it, except it's a 4/4 black Zombie Cat with no mana cost. Eternalize only as a sorcery.)
is a cheap Cat with double strike that can deal 20+ damage with the hammer.
Brimaz, King of Oreskos
Brimaz, King of Oreskos
Vigilance
Whenever Brimaz attacks, create a 1/1 white Cat Soldier creature token with vigilance that's attacking.
Whenever Brimaz blocks a creature, create a 1/1 white Cat Soldier creature token with vigilance that's blocking that creature.
creates 1/1 Cat Soldier tokens whenever he attacks or blocks. Kemba, Kha Enduring also grants all equipped creatures you control +1/+1 and allows you to create a 2/2 cat token for five mana, abilities which are nice bonuses.
Kemba, Kha Enduring’s reveal got the community on Reddit very excited about the possibilities of Hammer Time in Pioneer…
“Kemba could singlehandedly make Hammer a thing in Pioneer. I mean not singlehandedly but you know what I mean.” Exploringdeathntaxes
“It could be a t3-t4 win.” D-fakkr
The second of these new cards is
Cacophony Scamp
Cacophony Scamp
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may sacrifice it. If you do, proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
When this creature dies, it deals damage equal to its power to any target.
. At first glance, Cacophony Scamp may not appear to offer much which
Fireblade Charger
Fireblade Charger
As long as this creature is equipped, it has haste.
When this creature dies, it deals damage equal to its power to any target.
doesn’t already provide. Both are 1/1 Goblin Warriors and both death damage equal to their power to any target when they die.
Fireblade Charger
Fireblade Charger
As long as this creature is equipped, it has haste.
When this creature dies, it deals damage equal to its power to any target.
even gets haste when it’s equipped, a trait not shared by
Cacophony Scamp
Cacophony Scamp
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may sacrifice it. If you do, proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
When this creature dies, it deals damage equal to its power to any target.
. The scamp has one trump card though which Fireblade Charger lacks. When Cacophony Scamp deals damage to a player it can be sacrificed to proliferate. It is this ability that earns it a place in a turn two kill strategy.
The Combo
The two turn kill combo requires three cards.
Cacophony Scamp
Cacophony Scamp
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may sacrifice it. If you do, proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
When this creature dies, it deals damage equal to its power to any target.
,
Colossus Hammer
Colossus Hammer
Equipped creature gets +10/+10 and loses flying.
Equip {8} ({8}: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)
and then either
Resolute Strike
Resolute Strike
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. If it's a Warrior, you may attach an Equipment you control to it.
or
Sigarda’s Aid
Sigarda’s Aid
You may cast Aura and Equipment spells as though they had flash.
Whenever an Equipment you control enters, you may attach it to target creature you control.
.
On turn one you play your
Cacophony Scamp
Cacophony Scamp
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may sacrifice it. If you do, proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
When this creature dies, it deals damage equal to its power to any target.
.
On turn two you play the hammer and attach it to
Cacophony Scamp
Cacophony Scamp
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may sacrifice it. If you do, proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
When this creature dies, it deals damage equal to its power to any target.
using
Sigarda’s Aid
Sigarda’s Aid
You may cast Aura and Equipment spells as though they had flash.
Whenever an Equipment you control enters, you may attach it to target creature you control.
or
Resolute Strike
Resolute Strike
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. If it's a Warrior, you may attach an Equipment you control to it.
and attack.
If your attack gets through, it will deal 11 damage. Then you sacrifice
Cacophony Scamp
Cacophony Scamp
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may sacrifice it. If you do, proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
When this creature dies, it deals damage equal to its power to any target.
to its own ability, dealing 11 more damage and winning the game.
Conclusion
Will this combo work in practice, or is it a pipe dream? We will have to wait for Phyrexia: All Will Be One to be released to find out. One thing is for sure though, even if these cards don’t make Hammer Time work in Pioneer, the format is constantly evolving and getting new cards. It may only be a matter of time before all of the pieces fall into place.
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