What are the best MTG Arena artifact decks in the current meta?

MTG Arena offers a wide variety of playstyles for all kinds of players, but lately the metagame has been stuck on some form of sacrifice mechanic or the overpowered Fires of Invention enchantment. As some archetypes were brought forward in the meta, others were pushed back, among them is the Artifacts archetype.

It is true that sacrifice decks use the powerful Witch’s Oven sacrifice effect, and that is an Artifact, but decks built around Artifact synergies are rare. So, here are the Top 7 decks that rely on Artifacts in MTG Arena that are played in Standard and Historic.

7. Archon Artifacts

Worship the Archon

Most Artifact decks that currently circulate the MTG Arena battlegrounds have a few main components in common with each other. Gingerbrute, Steel Overseer, and All That Glitters seem to be at the core of these decks simply due to the explosive nature of the strategy that these cards provide when used together. This deck is no different, only that it employs a powerful mythic creature at the top of its range to put fear into your opponent’s bones.

What is great about this deck:

• You get to attack early and often with Gingerbrutes. You can even make them unblockable by most creatures!
• Activating Steel Overseer several times is a sure way to win games.
• When Archon hits the battlefield, all hell breaks loose as each of your Artifacts gets a significant boost in power. Not to mention the extra 10 points of power provided by Archon and its two human worshippers.

How this deck is played:

• On turn one, you play out your Gingerbrute and attack your opponent for an early point of damage.
• On turn two, play your Steel Overseer and hope it survives until the next turn.
• Turn three play more Gingerbrutes if available, and then boost them with Steel Overseer for a devastating early attack. You can also play All That Glitters onto one of your creatures to take it out of range of burn spells or to inflict even more damage.
• Dovin is a great turn three play as well. He can create a token, gain you some life, or simply gain more Loyalty counters that would help you greatly later in the game when you can use his ultimate ability.
• Your removal is synergistic with All That Glitters which is a big bonus.
• Hopefully by turn six or seven, you have developed your board and have a good number of creatures that are ready to attack your opponent in one final swing. Depose // Deploy is a great turn 5 play to set up for this devastating turn. Play your Harmonious Archon and leave your opponent in pieces.
• As all your artifact creatures are 1/1s by default, playing Archon greatly boosts your overall power on the board and in some cases even reduces the power of your opponent’s creatures.

Deck

• 4 Gingerbrute (ELD) 219
• 3 Gods Willing (M20) 19
• 7 Island (ANA) 57
• 2 Manifold Key (M20) 230
• 4 Steel Overseer (M20) 239
• 4 All That Glitters (ELD) 2
• 4 Shinechaser (ELD) 201
• 11 Plains (ANA) 56
• 4 Prison Realm (WAR) 26
• 2 Dovin, Grand Arbiter (RNA) 167
• 1 Karn, the Great Creator (WAR) 1
• 4 Depose // Deploy (RNA) 225
• 2 Harmonious Archon (ELD) 17
• 2 Glass Casket (ELD) 15
• 2 Castle Ardenvale (ELD) 238
• 2 Hallowed Fountain (RNA) 251
• 2 Castle Vantress (ELD) 242

Sideboard

• 2 Scrabbling Claws (RNA) 238
• 1 Sorcerous Spyglass (ELD) 233
• 3 God-Pharaoh's Statue (WAR) 238
• 2 Ugin, the Ineffable (WAR) 2
• 3 Meteor Golem (M20) 232

6. Artifacts Aggro

Do you remember the big cookie-man Mongo in shrek 2? Well... He's back!

This deck is a seriously fun rendition of the aggressive artifacts archetype. The main components are the same as in most other artifact creature decks: Gingerbrute and Steel Overseer make a comeback in this deck. The low curve and plenty of protection for your creatures make it really hard for opponents to deal with this deck before they’re run down by your pastries and snakes.

What is great about this deck:

• It’s a low curve true to itself aggro deck.
• Protecting Steel Overseer is much easier with Gods Willing while Stonecoil Serpent is at least partially protected by its own ability.
• The deck is insanely fast and can get out of control very quickly.

How this deck is played:

• Turn one you start with a Gingerbrute, which can attack the same turn.
• Turn two you play a Steel Overseer so you can start putting counters on your creatures as quickly as possible.
• But be careful and know your matchups. Against red decks it’s advisable to play Steel Overseer only when you’re able to protect it with Gods Willing.
• From turn two onwards, there are two ways to play this deck. Either go fully aggressive and play out as many creatures as possible and make them as big as possible, or take a more cautious approach and keep up one mana for gods willing at all times. It depends on the matchup. Against decks that can destroy your main threats, having a Gods Willing in reserve is advisable, but against decks that are low on interaction you can permit yourself a fun turn or two and play out all your threats.
• Mystic forge is a powerful tool that helps you flood the board with cheap artifacts. It’s almost like a colourless Experimental Frenzy.
• Keep attacking your opponent with your unblockable Gingerbrutes and Stonecoil Serpents.
• Gideon is a welcome addition to the deck as he can give your massive All That Glitters enchanted creatures lifelink which can bring you well out of your opponents kill range.  

Deck

• 4 Gingerbrute (ELD) 219
• 4 Inquisitive Puppet (ELD) 223
• 4 Locthwain Gargoyle (ELD) 225
• 4 Gods Willing (M20) 19
• 13 Plains (ANA) 56
• 4 Stonecoil Serpent (ELD) 235
• 4 Steel Overseer (M20) 239
• 4 All That Glitters (ELD) 2
• 4 Glass Casket (ELD) 15
• 2 Gideon Blackblade (WAR) 13
• 2 Arcanist's Owl (ELD) 206
• 3 Mystic Forge (M20) 233
• 1 Castle Ardenvale (ELD) 238
• 2 Hallowed Fountain (RNA) 251
• 5 Island (ANA) 57

Sideboard

• 2 Apostle of Purifying Light (M20) 6
• 2 Disenchant (M20) 14
• 4 Disdainful Stroke (GRN) 37
• 2 Conclave Tribunal (GRN) 6
• 1 Arcanist's Owl (ELD) 206
• 1 Cavalier of Dawn (M20) 10
• 1 Ugin, the Ineffable (WAR) 2

5. X Artifactor

Next time on X-Artifactor...

This is one of the funniest decks on the list. It plays a bit like a puzzle, but when you get all your pieces on the battlefield, sparks start flying. It works by having X-costed artifact creatures instantly die when they enter the battlefield, thus triggering a cascade of life-drain and card-draw effects. Try it out! The deck was brewed by LegenVD.

What is great about this deck:

• Your opponents trying to figure out what you’re doing by playing creatures for zero mana and having them die when they hit the battlefield.
• Imagining what their face looks like when they figure out your plan.
• Once you get going it’s really hard to stop.

How this deck is played:

• This deck requires a bit of a setup before it starts working as intended. You want to ramp up quickly and play your payoff creatures before you’re ready to go.
• First, you have to play one or more Paradise Druids to help you ramp and hit all your required mana colours.
• Then you want to start setting up the Corpse Knights, Cruel Celebrants, Midnight Reapers and Beast Whisperers. These will help you with the cascade of death that follows soon.
• You might want to have a single Moldervine Reclamation on the battlefield if possible, and if you didn’t die to an aggro deck up to this point.
• Now your combo is set up and you can set it in motion.
• You start by playing all your X-costed creatures for 0 mana so that they die instantly when they hit the battlefield and trigger all the effects that are waiting for them. Once you play all your X-costed creatures from your hand, and if your opponent still isn’t dead, it’s time to play a forever young, put them all on top of your library and play them all again. That’s a sure victory.
• Be prepared to lose to Hushbringer.
• This is a BO1 fun deck so it doesn’t include a sideboard.

Deck

• 2 Chamber Sentry (GRN) 232
• 4 Stonecoil Serpent (ELD) 235
• 4 Ugin's Conjurant (WAR) 3
• 2 Plains (ANA) 56
• 4 Paradise Druid (WAR) 171
• 2 Corpse Knight (M20) 206
• 1 Swamp (ELD) 261
• 3 Forest (ELD) 269
• 4 Cruel Celebrant (WAR) 188
• 4 Forever Young (ELD) 89
• 4 Midnight Reaper (GRN) 77
• 4 Beast Whisperer (GRN) 123
• 3 Moldervine Reclamation (M20) 214
• 4 Godless Shrine (RNA) 248
• 4 Overgrown Tomb (GRN) 253
• 2 Temple of Malady (M20) 254
• 4 Temple Garden (GRN) 258
• 1 Temple of Silence (M20) 256
• 4 Fabled Passage (ELD) 244

4. Artifact tempo

It's time to bow down to your artifact overlords

This is a really fun deck that is capable of big explosive turns, if played right. It features the usual artifact creatures of the format: Gingerbrute, Steel Overseer, and Stonecoil Serpent, but helps activate them faster with the help of Crashing Drawbridge. All That Glitters also makes a return appearance to unleash some real power on your opponents.

What is great about this deck:

• Crashing Drawbridge can make some of your turns really explosive
• Steel Overseer is just an absolute bomb in combination with Crashing Drawbridge and Corridor Monitor
• Even your non-creature artifacts get a go at your opponent with the help of Animating Faerie.

How this deck is played:

• Start off by playing an early Gingerbrute or a Witching Well to set up your next few draws.
• On turn two, play the Crashing Drawbridge or a steel overseer if you lack the former. But generally, the Drawbridge is a better play as it is harder to remove on turn two and can set up a pretty amazing turn three.
• Next, on turn three, you play out your Steel Overseer and another Gingerbrute. With the activation of Drawbrige give all your creature artifacts +1 +1 counters. This results in a strong attack on your opponent’s life points.
• If you want to make a more controlling play, then playing Teferi, Time Raveler is the way to go. Put a stop on your opponent’s advance and draw a card.
• Turn four gets you access to Arcanist’s Owl, which lets you dig for more artifacts or an All That Glitters which really boosts one of your creatures.
• All that glitters is a very powerful tool for finishing games if you put it on an unblockable Gingerbrute or an Owl made hasty by the Drawbridge.
• This deck plays aggressively but it still has a few interactive spells such as Teferi and Glass Casket to get rid of you opponent’s early threats and make them take a step back.
• The deck is played in BO1 ranked and doesn’t feature a sideboard.

Deck

• 4 All That Glitters (ELD) 2
• 10 Island (ANA) 57
• 3 Glass Casket (ELD) 15
• 4 Witching Well (ELD) 74
• 7 Plains (ANA) 56
• 2 Corridor Monitor (ELD) 41
• 2 Animating Faerie (ELD) 38
• 4 Arcanist's Owl (ELD) 206
• 4 Teferi, Time Raveler (WAR) 221
• 4 Gingerbrute (ELD) 219
• 3 Crashing Drawbridge (ELD) 217
• 4 Steel Overseer (M20) 239
• 4 Stonecoil Serpent (ELD) 235
• 4 Hallowed Fountain (RNA) 251
• 1 Castle Vantress (ELD) 242

3. Almost Colourless Artifact (Historic)

Karn makes a return appearance in this artifact deck

This deck is sadly part of Historic now and thus has to compete with much more broken decks, but it can still hold its ground. It’s a midrange artifact based deck that employs powerful planeswalkers and Legendary creatures in combination with several cool artifacts to take over the board.

What is great about this deck:

• If you miss some of the cards that rotated out of standard this fall, it is a great way to get back into it and start with historic.
• You can go very wide with Sai, Master Thopterist and Saheeli, Sublime Artificer.
• Karn is back.

How this deck is played:

• This deck can start off quickly with lots of low-cost creatures that put pressure on the opponent.
• Turn one, play a Gingerbrute or Sparring Construct to start off the game.
• Steel overseer comes after that, to start putting counters on everyone.
• Voltaic servant can help you put twice as many counters on your creatures as previously.
• Turn three, it’s time to play Sai, Master Thopterist and watch your deck go off.
• On turn four you can really grow your side of the battlefield by playing many small creatures and triggering Sai to produce even more thopters.
• Try to play your planeswalkers as quickly as possible as they add a significant boost to your power and interaction. Ugin is especially important as it reduces the mana cost of all your colourless spells which means you can play most of your creatures for free due to their initially low mana cost.
• The aim of the deck is to try go wide and grow your artifacts as much as possible to defeat your opponent. Just be wary of board-wipes.

Deck

• 4 Gingerbrute (ELD) 219
• 4 Sparring Construct (DAR) 232
• 4 Steel Overseer (M20) 239
• 4 Voltaic Servant (DAR) 236
• 4 Sai, Master Thopterist (M19) 69
• 12 Island (ANA) 57
• 1 Icon of Ancestry (M20) 229
• 3 Saheeli, Sublime Artificer (WAR) 234
• 2 Karn, Scion of Urza (DAR) 1
• 3 Mystic Forge (M20) 233
• 3 Ugin, the Ineffable (WAR) 2
• 4 Stonecoil Serpent (ELD) 235
• 2 Karn's Bastion (WAR) 248
• 4 Zhalfirin Void (DAR) 249
• 2 Mobilized District (WAR) 249
• 2 Castle Vantress (ELD) 242
• 2 Chamber Sentry (GRN) 232

2. Emry’s little helpers

Straight from a fairytale, Emry brings artifacts back from the dead

As is the case with other creature artifact decks on this list, this deck is quite aggressive and features all the now already familiar artifact creatures. What’s different about this deck is the fact that it joins forces with one of the most powerful artifact based damage effects in the game. Tezzeret’s +2 ability will reduce you opponent’s life points to zero faster than you can say Emry.

What is great about this deck:

• You can deal massive amounts of damage and gain just as much life with Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge.
• Emry, Lurker of the Loch is such a flavourful card in this set and brings back your fallen artifacts to wreak havoc on the battlefield again after they perish.
• Renowned weaponsmith gives you so much mana very early in the game, that you won’t need to worry about it anymore for the rest of the game.

How this deck is played:

• Turn one, you start the game by playing a Gingerbrute or Manifold Key if you happen to have it in your hand.
• Turn two, you ideally play a Renowned Weaponsmith or a Crashing Drawbridge to set up your turn three.
• On turn three things start to go south for your opponent as Steel Overseer can make a hasty introduction into the world of +1 +1 counters on all you artifact creatures.
• On turn four, the Mystic Forge ramps up your ability to play lots of artifacts straight from the deck and surveil your way to victory.
• After turn four, you are already winning hard if you followed this guide to the letter, but if that’s not the case yet, just wait until you get to turn 6.
• On turn 6, all hell breaks loose if you managed to keep your artifacts alive long enough to witness Tezzeret’s +2 ability activation reduce your opponent to ashes.
• Use Emry to bring back any of your artifact creatures from beyond the grave and replay them.
• Win by hitting your opponent with huge artifacts or burn them to death by using Tezzeret.

Deck

• 4 Chamber Sentry (GRN) 232
• 2 Ugin, the Ineffable (WAR) 2
• 4 Interplanar Beacon (WAR) 247
• 4 Renowned Weaponsmith (M20) 72
• 1 Manifold Key (M20) 230
• 4 Mystic Forge (M20) 233
• 4 Steel Overseer (M20) 239
• 4 Corridor Monitor (ELD) 41
• 4 Emry, Lurker of the Loch (ELD) 43
• 3 Crashing Drawbridge (ELD) 217
• 4 Gingerbrute (ELD) 219
• 4 Stonecoil Serpent (ELD) 235
• 4 Castle Vantress (ELD) 242
• 8 Island (ELD) 257
• 4 Watery Grave (GRN) 259
• 2 Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge (WAR) 275

1. Glittering Alela

Alela seduces your opponents with ther wit and charm

This is currently the top performing artifact deck in the meta. As opposed to other artifact decks, it does not contain the Cookie and the Overseer, but rather plays off of the powerful ability of Alela the Artful Provocateur. This deck is a flyers deck that gives you hell with the help of some powerful artifacts and enchantments.

What is great about this deck:

• You get to play a commander in standard, Alela, The Artful Provocateur.
• All that glitters is part of this deck and let’s you grow your creatures into very powerful greedy monsters.
• It’s really hard to deal with because of all the flying creatures.

How this deck is played:

• As with any other flyers deck, you start out your game by playing Healer’s Hawk or Faerie Miscreant to put some early pressure on the board. Alternatively, you can play Witching Well to set up you next few turns.
• On turn two, play a Golden Egg if possible. It draws you a card and it can be transformed into a powerful 4/4 creature next turn with the help of Animating Faerie.
• On turn three, use your Animating Faerie to produce a 4/4 artifact creature or play an Empyrean Eagle to boost your existing flying creatures.
• Shinecaster is also a good turn three play, especially if you already have some artifacts or enchantments in play
• Turn four, you want to play Alela, Artful Provocateur and hopefully keep some artifacts and enchantments in your hand to play next turn.
• From turn five onwards you will become a very powerful foe to deal with. Protect your creatures with Gods Willing and win the game.
• The deck plays aggressively and hits hard with the help of All That Glitters and Mace of the Valiant.
• Playing Mace of the Valiant before playing Alela is a sure way to make a big Mace.

Deck

• 4 All That Glitters (ELD) 2
• 4 Island (ANA) 62
• 4 Golden Egg (ELD) 220
• 4 Alela, Artful Provocateur (ELD) 324
• 6 Plains (ANA) 61
• 2 Conclave Tribunal (GRN) 6
• 2 Mace of the Valiant (ELD) 314
• 2 Witching Well (ELD) 74
• 2 Animating Faerie (ELD) 38
• 4 Shinechaser (ELD) 201
• 2 Prison Realm (WAR) 26
• 4 Healer's Hawk (GRN) 14
• 4 Empyrean Eagle (M20) 208
• 4 Hallowed Fountain (RNA) 251
• 4 Godless Shrine (RNA) 248
• 4 Watery Grave (GRN) 259
• 3 Faerie Miscreant (M20) 58
• 1 Gods Willing (M20) 19

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