When you think of an artifact-themedMagic: The GatheringCommander deck your first thoughts might not be of a green, blue, and red deck. The Tinker Time preconstructed Commander deck is loaded with all sorts of powerful artifact strategies for you to experiment with that you might not have thought of before.
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There are tons of tokens and artifact generators in this deck, along with plenty of ways to reward yourself for creating all those tokens. You’ll be drawing cards, dealing damage, and stealing spells with these top cards from the Tinker Time deck.
10Aid From The Cowl
Even though Aid from the Cowl is a slower enchantment that costs a chunky five-mana, it can be a powerful way to get a free card every turn. Since this effect is tied to the revolt mechanic, it will require you to have a permanent leave the battlefield during your turn, but with cards like Treasure and Clue tokens, it is easy to trigger.
With ways to manipulate the top card of your library, you can even orchestrate what card you’ll be getting for free. One of the best cards to pair this way would be Sensei’s Divining Top, which lets you organize the top three cards of your library for one mana.
9Hedron Detonator
Since Treasure tokens are easier than ever to create, and the Tinker Time deck focuses onmaking all sorts of artifact tokens in general, Hedron Detonator can dish out some serious damage, one token at a time.
Hedron Detonator pings an opponent for one damage every time an artifact enters the battlefield under your control. The majority of spells in the deck create an artifact token in some form, many creating several at one, helping Hedron Detonator deal a significant amount of damage over the course of the game.
8Schema Thief
If you’re going to be making tokens of artifacts, you might as well start copying your opponent’s artifacts while you’re at it. Schema Thief creates a token when it deals combat damage to a player, where that token is a copy of an artifact they control.
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You can only copy an artifact that the player you damage controls, so ensure you pick your targets carefully. Even if you only get a Sol Ring or another mana rock from the attack, Schema Thief still creates some great value.
7Tireless Provisioner
If left unchecked, Tireless Provisioner creates an incredible amount of value just by playing lands. Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you create either a Food or Treasure token. More often than not, you’ll be makingTreasure tokens since early mana in Commander is key.
Tireless Provisioner essentially lets your lands that enter the battlefield tapped to still add mana this turn while letting your other lands add double mana instead. When paired with enchantments like Parallel Lives, you can create two of each token you make instead.
6Academy Manufactor
There’s only one line on Academy Manufactor, but it does some incredible things with it. With Academy Manufactor in play, every time you make a Clue, Food, or Treasure token, you create one of each instead.
There are some powerful combos you’re able to assemble with Academy Manufactor at the core, but even without them, pairing it with Hedron Detonator can cause some serious damage. Imagine dropping a Dockside Extortionist with Academy Manufactor in play, creating three tokens for every artifact and enchantment your opponent’s control is pure value.
5Sandsteppe War Riders
Not every card in the Tinker Time Commander deck creates tokens; some cards, like Sandsteppe War Riders, reward you for all your token-generating hard work. At the start of combat, on your turn, you get to bolster for each differently named artifact token you control. Bolster works by giving +1/+1 counters to the creature with the lowest toughness you control.
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Sandsteppe War Riders works particularly well with Schema Thief since you can make copies of artifacts that aren’t even in your deck when it deals damage. If you get a chance to bolster your Schema Thief, you’ll start dealing a significant amount of damage while you’re at it.
4Cutthroat Negotiator
Parley is the perfect pirate ability, and Cutthroat Negotiator helps you keep your opponents at the tip of your swords while still helping everyone out a bit. When Cutthroat Negotiator attacks, all players reveal the top card of their library to give you some bonus rewards.
If there’s a nonland card on top of a player’s library, you create a tapped Treasure token for each player with one, including yourself. Then all players draw the revealed card. You can’t immediately use the Treasure tokens created this way since they enter the battlefield tapped, but it is still a great way to get ahead of your opponents on your next turn.
3Gimbal, Gremlin Prodigy
The main commander from the Tinker Time Commander deck, Gimbal, Gremlin Prodigy, is a big payoff for all those different artifact tokens you’ve been making over the course of the game. At the end of your turn, you get to create a 0/0 Gremlin artifact creature token with +1/+1 counters on it equal to each differently named artifact token you control.
At an absolute minimum, you’ll have a 1/1 Gremlin token at the end of your turn, but more likely than not, you’ll be getting at least a 4/4 every time. Gimbal also gives your artifact creatures trample, not just the tokens he makes.
2Pain Distributor
Pain Distributor is an absolutely absurd card for just three mana. The first time any player, yourself included, casts their first spell every turn, they get a Treasure token. This also means when you or anyone else casts a spell during another player’s turn, they will also create a Treasure token.
Ideally, you’ll play this on turn two and let it ride, giving everyone a boost in mana but also setting up for some sustained damage for the rest of the game. Every time anopponent’s artifact goes to the graveyard, Pain Distributor deals one damage to them. If they sacrifice five Treasure tokens, they’ll be taking five points of damage.
1Rashmi And Ragavan
The alternate commander from the Tinker Time Commander deck is Rashmi and Ragavan, which is the third time Ragavan pops up on a card in March of the Machine. This legendary team-up pulls in both characters' signature abilities to cast your opponent’s spells and get Treasure tokens for free.
When you cast the first spell during your turn, exile an opponent’s top card of their deck and make a Treasure token. You can cast that spell for free if its mana cost is less than the number of artifacts you control or regularly if it is more. Jam a few cards like Lantern of Insight or Field of Dreams to keep the top card of each player’s library revealed to verify you’re casting the best spell you can.
