Loki's Scepter
Hiya folks! I wanted to talk about [[Loki's Scepter]] as a combo option for low color red decks, and there's probably other combo potential we haven't found yet. There's a ton of synergy for my pet deck, Godo - these are all cards I'm happy to run anyways, but there may be other homes, I don't know.
Sisay Card?
I'm also seeing some folks suggesting it is a Sisay option, but I don't play it so I can't really comment. The argument being that it's a red legend that you can get from Sisay, that immediately untaps Sisay or Bloomtender. What do you think, Weatherlight Captains, does this have sealegs?
Non-combo utility
Outside of a combo card, it's a mana rock with a lot of sneaky upside. It's an artifact version of a card I'm already high on, [[Claim the Firstborn]]. The artifact type is nice to sac to KCI or reveal to metalworker, and partly cast from mishras workshop. Benefits of the threaten effect include:
- Soft removal for Drannith, OBM, meyhem devil, opposition agent, or other Stax creature
- Take an opponent off commander-free counterspells and flairs
- Steal a Kinan to make infinite mana with your own basalt
- Give haste/untap for engineer, welder, or metalworker, or other dorks
- Removal via combat if a different opponent has a willing blocker
- VoV, Abolisher, Ranger captain (they will prob sac in response but this will often be good for us too if we plan to combo that turn)
- Cantrip+ with Tynma etc
- Esper sentinel (bonus points for sacing it to KCI!)
- Ramp with Magda, Ragavan, etc
- Deny mana from Cabbage Merchant during your combo
A lot of these aren't always obvious just by reading the card, but it's a surprisingly versatile effect.
Loki's Scepter + Goblin Welder + Sculpting Steel
- Cast [[Goblin Welder]].
- Cast Scepter giving welder haste
- Cast [[Sculpting Steel]] as a copy of Scepter. It goes to the graveyard from the legend rule.
- Activate welder targeting Scepter and Steel.
- When the ability resolves, swap them, and have Steel enter as a copy of Scepter.
- Scepter ETB untapping Welder.
- Repeat. Tap scepters in between for infinite mana.
This works because the swap is simultaneous and rule "614.12a If a replacement effect that modifies how a permanent enters the battlefield requires a choice, that choice is made before the permanent enters the battlefield.". As a result, you're picking what steel will become before the swap has happened when Steel still sees it can enter-as Loki's Scepter. There's a similar interaction with Lumra and Echoing Deeps.
Scepter + Goblin Welder OR Engineer + Panharmonicon
Godo is happy to run Panharmonicon as part of the main combo, so this might not see much play elsewhere, but here it is. With [[panharmonicon]] on board...
- Cast goblin welder/[[Goblin Engineer]]
- Cast scepter, trigger twice both targeting welder
- Resolve the first trigger untapping it giving it haste.
- Tap welder to swap scepter with any artifact in the yard.
- Resolve the second trigger untapping welder.
- Tap to swap scepter back, triggering twice.
- Repeat. Tap scepter in between for infinite mana, and any other artifact for infinite value.
Scepter + Goblin Engineer + Rings of Brighthearth + LED
The worst of them, but if you're on Rings for combo with Basalt anyways, it's a free include.
- Sac LED for RRR
- Activate engineer using R saccing scepter targeting LED.
- Rings trigger pay RR and copy the engineer activation, returning Scepter.
- Scepter ETB untaps engineer.
- Resolve the original engineer trigger to return LED.
- Repeat. Tap scepter in between for infinite mana.