# Strategy Specifications
## Deck Name And Archetype
Azorius Artifacts is a Historic 60-card main deck with a 15-card sideboard, validated under the supplied active format contract. The registered main deck contains 4 Ornithopter, 4 Esper Sentinel, 4 Ingenious Smith, 3 Emporium Thopterist, 3 Memory Guardian, 3 Kappa Cannoneer, 4 Thought Monitor, 4 Portable Hole, 4 Retrofitter Foundry, 4 Springleaf Drum, 3 Metallic Rebuke, 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire, 1 Hengegate Pathway, 1 Plains, 1 Otawara, Soaring City, 4 Seat of the Synod, 4 Adarkar Wastes, 4 Hallowed Fountain, and 4 Seachrome Coast. The registered sideboard contains 2 Tormod's Crypt, 4 Fragment Reality, 1 Spell Pierce, 2 Pithing Needle, 3 Stone of Erech, 1 Unlicensed Hearse, 1 Containment Priest, and 1 Metallic Rebuke. The supplied validation result says the deck passes current Historic deck-size and sideboard-size checks, so Veles should treat the registration as legal unless the runtime rules engine reports a specific legality or availability failure.

Azorius Artifacts should be classified as a hybrid artifact-control and artifact-tempo deck rather than pure draw-go control. The current archetype tags are `control, control`, but the registered cards show a deck that often wins by building cheap artifact density, taxing early development with Esper Sentinel, finding artifact threats or engines with Ingenious Smith, converting small bodies through Retrofitter Foundry, discounting Thought Monitor, protecting tempo with Metallic Rebuke, and closing with Kappa Cannoneer. The pilot guide should preserve the control identity, but it must not treat the deck as a slow inevitability shell that can ignore battlefield pressure.

Stock status is best marked as hybrid or tuned-archetype rather than fully stock. The deck uses recognizable Azorius artifact components, but the exact mix of Emporium Thopterist, Memory Guardian, Kappa Cannoneer, Thought Monitor, Portable Hole, Retrofitter Foundry, Springleaf Drum, and Metallic Rebuke creates a specific low-land, artifact-density plan that should be followed literally. Veles should not import assumptions from other Azorius, Affinity, Ensoul, Hammer, Commander, or generic artifact shells, and should not name absent utility cards as if they exist in the 75.

Mana concerns are real because the deck has 20 lands, 4 Springleaf Drum, and many spells that become efficient only when cheap artifacts or creatures are already present. Seat of the Synod is both a mana source and an artifact count, so keeping it available can matter for Thought Monitor, Metallic Rebuke, Ingenious Smith sizing, and Kappa Cannoneer enablement. Springleaf Drum needs a creature to function, so hands with Drum but no Ornithopter, Esper Sentinel, Ingenious Smith, Emporium Thopterist, Memory Guardian, Kappa Cannoneer, or Thought Monitor should be treated cautiously even if their colors look acceptable. Hallowed Fountain, Adarkar Wastes, Seachrome Coast, Hengegate Pathway, Plains, Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire, and Otawara, Soaring City are the white-blue base; runtime mana choices must still follow legal actions and visible costs rather than assuming a future color source.

Role concerns should be tracked from the opening hand. Against unknown opponents, the default role is early artifact development plus selective interaction: deploy cheap artifacts, keep card-flow engines alive, and use Portable Hole, Metallic Rebuke, or sideboard interaction only when the visible exchange protects tempo, prevents a high-impact opposing line, or buys enough time for Thought Monitor and Kappa Cannoneer. The deck can pivot into a board-building role with Retrofitter Foundry and artifact creatures, but it should not overcommit into visible sweepers or sacrifice all artifact count for marginal attacks when a large payoff is pending.

Opponent information status is unknown for this batch. No opponent decklist, matchup label, play/draw assignment, revealed hand, public graveyard pattern, or metagame target is supplied here, so the specification must start from legal engine output and visible public information. Any matchup-specific sideboard or tactical policy later in the guide must avoid claiming hidden cards and must prefix non-registered example cards as opponent cards when they appear in policy `Cards:` fields or keep them in prose outside `Cards:` entirely.

## Thesis
Azorius Artifacts assembles cheap artifact density, creature-based mana, selective disruption, and artifact payoffs into a pressure-control game plan. The deck wants early artifacts such as Ornithopter, Seat of the Synod, Portable Hole, Retrofitter Foundry, and Springleaf Drum to turn on Ingenious Smith sizing, Metallic Rebuke efficiency, Thought Monitor discounts, Emporium Thopterist pressure, and Kappa Cannoneer closing speed. Prioritize keeping the artifact count high unless a legal action clearly trades an artifact for a visible high-impact advantage.

Azorius Artifacts wins by making small permanents matter for longer than their mana costs suggest. Esper Sentinel taxes opponents and punishes low-resource sequencing, Retrofitter Foundry converts spare mana and artifact bodies into a board, Thought Monitor reloads, and Kappa Cannoneer can convert the artifact shell into a fast finishing threat. Ingenious Smith and Emporium Thopterist bridge the early setup into pressure, while Memory Guardian should be used according to visible card text and legal runtime actions; Card text check required before assigning it a precise tactical role beyond artifact-creature density and registered threat status.

Azorius Artifacts is not trying to play pure draw-go, pure aggro, or a one-card combo game. Do not hold every spell for maximum theoretical value when the hand needs artifact count, Springleaf Drum creatures, or Thought Monitor discounts. Do not race blindly when Portable Hole or Metallic Rebuke can prevent the opponent from making the next turn unwinnable. Do not sacrifice artifact density, creature count, or mana development for low-impact damage if Kappa Cannoneer, Thought Monitor, Retrofitter Foundry, or Metallic Rebuke are about to become stronger.

Azorius Artifacts should prioritize visible-board control first when behind, artifact engine continuity first when stable, and closing speed first once Kappa Cannoneer or a wide artifact board is established. The runtime agent should choose only legal actions from Veles, respect visible mana and prompt text, and avoid assuming hidden interaction, hidden sweepers, or exact opposing cards. When uncertain, preserve mana, cards, and artifacts that keep multiple future legal lines open.

## Role Package
- Threats: Kappa Cannoneer is the cleanest main-deck closer and should be treated as a commitment threat that rewards a developed artifact board. Ingenious Smith, Emporium Thopterist, Memory Guardian, Thought Monitor, Esper Sentinel, and upgraded Retrofitter Foundry bodies provide secondary pressure, but they should not be thrown away when their body enables Springleaf Drum, artifact payoffs, or a future board rebuild.

- Payoffs: Thought Monitor is the primary card-flow payoff for artifact density, and Veles should prefer lines that lower its cost without exposing the deck to immediate lethal pressure. Kappa Cannoneer is the primary pressure payoff, and it should usually follow artifact setup unless the legal action window or opposing clock makes waiting worse. Ingenious Smith is both selection and scaling payoff, so early deployment is valuable when it finds or grows from artifacts.

- Engines: Retrofitter Foundry is the most explicit repeatable board engine and should be preserved when games slow down or removal trades are likely. Esper Sentinel is an early tax engine that can buy tempo or cards if deployed before the opponent spends mana efficiently. Emporium Thopterist is an artifact-board engine if its visible text supports token or artifact scaling in the current rules output; Card text check required for exact trigger and sequencing assumptions.

- Velocity: Ingenious Smith and Thought Monitor are the main ways to keep the hand moving while staying on the artifact plan. Memory Guardian may contribute to card flow or board development depending on its actual text; Card text check required before treating it as selection, recursion, or graveyard value. Ornithopter and Seat of the Synod are velocity enablers because they increase artifact count without consuming much mana.

- Interaction: Portable Hole handles early visible permanents when legal targeting is available, and it should be aimed at cards that threaten tempo, mana, engines, or survival rather than the first target by default. Metallic Rebuke protects the board, punishes key spells, and scales with artifacts, so keep artifact creatures untapped or mana available when a visible counter window matters.

- Protection: Metallic Rebuke is the main proactive protection for Kappa Cannoneer, Retrofitter Foundry, Esper Sentinel, and Thought Monitor follow-up turns. Otawara, Soaring City and Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire are registered lands with possible channel-style utility in many contexts, but runtime must follow exact legal action text and visible costs before using them as interaction.

- Recursion: The registered main deck has no confirmed broad graveyard-recursion package from the supplied information. If Memory Guardian exposes recursion-like legal actions at runtime, choose from those actions only after checking visible graveyards, mana, and whether the target advances stabilization or closing; Card text check required.

- Mana: Springleaf Drum turns cheap creatures into colored mana, so Ornithopter and Esper Sentinel often matter as mana infrastructure rather than only attackers. Seat of the Synod is both land and artifact, while Hallowed Fountain, Adarkar Wastes, Seachrome Coast, Hengegate Pathway, Plains, Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire, and Otawara, Soaring City form the white-blue source base. Preserve colored access for Portable Hole, Ingenious Smith, Metallic Rebuke, Thought Monitor, and sideboard interaction.

- Sideboard modules: Tormod's Crypt, Stone of Erech, and Unlicensed Hearse are graveyard-pressure tools with different permanence and tempo profiles. Fragment Reality is the broad sideboard removal module. Spell Pierce and the extra Metallic Rebuke increase stack interaction. Pithing Needle is for visible activated-ability pressure or known public information. Containment Priest is the creature-based containment module when the opponent's visible or known plan makes it relevant.

## Primary Win Conditions
- Kappa Cannoneer is the cleanest closing plan when the deck has already established artifact density. Setup requires multiple artifacts from Ornithopter, Seat of the Synod, Portable Hole, Retrofitter Foundry, Springleaf Drum, Esper Sentinel, Ingenious Smith, Emporium Thopterist, Memory Guardian, or Thought Monitor so the legal casting cost and follow-up pressure are favorable. Execute by committing Kappa Cannoneer when it can immediately pressure life totals or force bad blocks, while preserving Metallic Rebuke if the visible stack or open mana suggests the opponent can answer the threat. Prioritize this path when the board is stable, the opponent is low on resources, or waiting risks losing the artifact count that makes the threat efficient.

- Retrofitter Foundry is the strongest long-game win path when the game slows down and both players trade resources. Setup requires Retrofitter Foundry plus spare mana, artifact bodies, or expendable tokens; Ornithopter is especially important because it can enable early Springleaf Drum and later become material for Foundry lines if the legal action text permits. Execute by converting unused mana into board presence at end steps or low-risk windows, then pressure with upgraded artifact creatures while holding Portable Hole or Metallic Rebuke for the opponent's highest-impact answer. Prioritize this path against removal-heavy, midrange, or attrition games where one large Kappa Cannoneer may not be enough.

- Thought Monitor plus artifact density is the primary reload path that turns early permanents into a second wave. Setup requires keeping cheap artifacts on the battlefield instead of trading them away for low-impact attacks, then using Ingenious Smith, Esper Sentinel, Portable Hole, Retrofitter Foundry, Springleaf Drum, Seat of the Synod, Ornithopter, and other artifacts to lower Thought Monitor's cost. Execute by casting Thought Monitor when it leaves enough mana or board material to continue interacting, then use the new cards to find Kappa Cannoneer, Retrofitter Foundry, Portable Hole, or Metallic Rebuke. Prioritize this path when the hand is low, the board is not under immediate lethal pressure, or the opponent has answered the first threat.

- Wide artifact pressure is the default proactive win path when the opponent stumbles or cannot punish small bodies. Setup with Ornithopter, Esper Sentinel, Ingenious Smith, Emporium Thopterist, Memory Guardian, Thought Monitor, and Retrofitter Foundry, keeping Springleaf Drum available to turn creatures into mana when attacks are not essential. Execute by attacking with bodies that are not needed for mana, blocks, or imminent Kappa Cannoneer and Thought Monitor setup. Prioritize this path when visible blockers are absent, Portable Hole can clear the key blocker, or the opponent's life total is low enough that incremental damage changes their legal sequencing.

## Secondary Win Conditions
- Ingenious Smith can become a real secondary threat when artifacts keep entering or remaining on the battlefield. Use it early when legal and mana-efficient, but do not expose it to unnecessary combat if it is still growing, enabling Springleaf Drum, or helping turn on Thought Monitor and Kappa Cannoneer. Its selection role matters as much as its body when the hand lacks Retrofitter Foundry, Portable Hole, Springleaf Drum, or a payoff.

- Esper Sentinel can win indirectly by taxing the opponent into awkward turns or drawing enough cards to overwhelm them. Deploy it early when possible, protect it when the opponent's visible plan depends on chaining noncreature spells, and attack only when losing the body would not damage Springleaf Drum mana, artifact count, or future blocks. It is not a hard lock, so do not rely on it as protection against legal opposing actions that can be paid for.

- Emporium Thopterist is a registered artifact-threat and potential engine card, but exact tactical use depends on visible rules text. Card text check required before treating it as token production, card advantage, cost reduction, or a deterministic payoff. If runtime exposes legal actions or triggers that create artifacts or pressure, prioritize them when they increase artifact count without giving up survival.

- Memory Guardian is a registered three-copy nonland threat whose exact text must be verified before assigning a precise win role. Card text check required before assuming recursion, selection, graveyard scaling, or combat keywords. Use it as a board-presence and artifact-density piece only when visible legal actions show it advances pressure, blocks profitably, or supports Thought Monitor, Kappa Cannoneer, Retrofitter Foundry, or Springleaf Drum.

- Metallic Rebuke can function as a tempo win condition by preventing the opponent from resolving the spell that stabilizes against artifact pressure. Preserve untapped artifacts or mana when a counter window is likely to matter, especially after committing Kappa Cannoneer or building Retrofitter Foundry pressure. Do not hold Metallic Rebuke forever if the opponent is already under lethal or near-lethal pressure and a legal proactive line closes faster.

## Emergency Lines
- When behind on life, stabilize before maximizing artifact value. Use Portable Hole on visible permanents that contribute to lethal, keep Ornithopter and other creatures back when blocks matter, and avoid tapping key blockers with Springleaf Drum unless the mana produces an immediate stabilizing legal action. Kappa Cannoneer may be correct as a fast clock only if racing is visibly better than blocking.

- When behind on board, convert interaction and bodies into time. Portable Hole should answer the permanent most responsible for the bad board state, Metallic Rebuke should stop the spell that makes recovery unlikely, and Retrofitter Foundry should make blockers or larger bodies when the legal actions support that line. Thought Monitor is strong only if the draw step does not leave the deck dead to the current board.

- When behind on cards, protect reload engines over small damage. Preserve artifacts for Thought Monitor discounts, use Esper Sentinel to tax or draw when still relevant, and avoid trading Ingenious Smith or Thought Monitor bodies unless the trade prevents a decisive attack. Retrofitter Foundry should turn spare mana into recurring material rather than sitting unused.

- When behind on mana, treat Springleaf Drum, Ornithopter, Seat of the Synod, and cheap creatures as infrastructure. Keep hands and lines that produce both white and blue access when possible, and avoid spending creatures or artifacts in ways that strand Portable Hole, Ingenious Smith, Metallic Rebuke, Thought Monitor, or Kappa Cannoneer. Use Hallowed Fountain, Adarkar Wastes, Seachrome Coast, Hengegate Pathway, Plains, Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire, and Otawara, Soaring City according to visible costs and life pressure.

- When engines or win conditions are removed, shift to the remaining registered pressure. If Kappa Cannoneer is gone, lean on Retrofitter Foundry, Thought Monitor, Ingenious Smith, Emporium Thopterist, Memory Guardian, and artifact-wide combat. If Retrofitter Foundry is gone, preserve card flow and deploy threats in waves. If artifact count is reduced, rebuild with cheap permanents before forcing expensive payoffs.

- When facing graveyard recursion or combo pressure, use only visible information and legal actions. The main deck has no confirmed graveyard hate, so win by pressure plus Metallic Rebuke or Portable Hole where legal; after sideboarding, Tormod's Crypt, Stone of Erech, Unlicensed Hearse, Containment Priest, Pithing Needle, Fragment Reality, Spell Pierce, and the extra Metallic Rebuke can become emergency tools, but they must be used according to exact runtime targets and visible timing.

## Resource Model
- Life converts into untapped color access when the payoff is immediate. Pay life for Hallowed Fountain or Adarkar Wastes damage when it enables Esper Sentinel, Portable Hole, Ingenious Smith, Springleaf Drum plus a follow-up, Metallic Rebuke protection, or a fast Thought Monitor/Kappa Cannoneer turn. Preserve life against visible pressure when the same turn can be played with Seachrome Coast, Seat of the Synod, Plains, Hengegate Pathway, Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire, or Otawara, Soaring City.

- Hand size converts into board density, artifact count, and cheap permission. Deploy low-cost artifacts and creatures aggressively when they unlock Springleaf Drum, Thought Monitor affinity-style discounts, Kappa Cannoneer pressure, or Metallic Rebuke improvise-style payment. Hold cards only when visible interaction, sweepers, or a known tax window makes overcommitting worse than keeping reload material.

- Mana converts into artifacts first, then cards and shields. Early turns should prioritize Ornithopter, Esper Sentinel, Springleaf Drum, Retrofitter Foundry, Portable Hole, and Ingenious Smith when legal because those permanents make later Thought Monitor, Kappa Cannoneer, and Metallic Rebuke turns cheaper. Unused mana should usually become Retrofitter Foundry material if the legal action text offers a board-advancing activation and the deck is not saving mana for Metallic Rebuke.

- Board presence is both offense and infrastructure. Ornithopter, Esper Sentinel, Ingenious Smith, Emporium Thopterist, Memory Guardian, Thought Monitor, and Retrofitter Foundry bodies can attack, block, enable Springleaf Drum, increase artifact count, and help cast discounted spells. Do not trade or tap a creature for mana if that creature is the visible difference between surviving combat and dying.

- Graveyard and exile are mostly public accounting before sideboarding. The main deck does not appear to use the graveyard as a core engine unless Memory Guardian or Emporium Thopterist expose relevant runtime text; Card text check required for any recursion or graveyard-scaling assumption. Exiled cards from Portable Hole matter because they track answered permanents and can return if the rules engine shows Portable Hole leaving the battlefield.

- Lands are both colored sources and artifacts when Seat of the Synod is involved. Seat of the Synod supports blue mana, artifact count, Thought Monitor, Kappa Cannoneer, Metallic Rebuke, Retrofitter Foundry synergies, and Ingenious Smith growth triggers when visible rules text supports them. Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire and Otawara, Soaring City should normally be lands early, but treat their channel or utility actions as real interaction when the engine presents a legal target and the mana base can still cast spells afterward.

- Sacrifice fodder is mainly Retrofitter Foundry-dependent unless another card exposes a legal sacrifice action. Use expendable artifacts or tokens only when the legal action text clearly upgrades board state, protects life, or advances lethal pressure. Do not sacrifice Seat of the Synod, Ornithopter, or small artifacts if doing so strands Thought Monitor, Kappa Cannoneer, Metallic Rebuke, or Springleaf Drum.

- Tempo comes from cheap permanents plus selective disruption. Portable Hole buys time against small visible permanents, Metallic Rebuke stops high-impact spells when artifact infrastructure is available, and Kappa Cannoneer or Thought Monitor punishes opponents who spend turns answering small artifacts. The deck should not spend a full turn on low-impact setup if the opponent has lethal pressure or a must-answer permanent already visible.

- Information converts into tighter sequencing. Esper Sentinel triggers, known revealed cards, public graveyards, visible mana, and prior actions should guide whether to commit Kappa Cannoneer, hold Metallic Rebuke, activate Retrofitter Foundry, or play around removal. Never assume hidden cards; use only public information and rules-engine legal actions.

- Sideboard bullets convert narrow matchups into resource leverage. Tormod's Crypt, Stone of Erech, Unlicensed Hearse, Containment Priest, Pithing Needle, Fragment Reality, Spell Pierce, and the extra Metallic Rebuke should answer visible strategic axes after sideboarding, but each must be used only when the target or timing is legal and exposed by the engine.

## Mana Guide
- Keep hands that produce early white or blue plus artifact density. White is important for Esper Sentinel, Portable Hole, and Ingenious Smith; blue is important for Thought Monitor, Metallic Rebuke, Kappa Cannoneer, Otawara, Soaring City, Seat of the Synod, and many artifact-payoff turns. A hand with only colorless-feeling artifact setup is keepable only when Springleaf Drum plus a creature or artifact-land sequencing visibly fixes the missing color.

- Sequence lands to unlock the first two spells, not the prettiest final mana base. Lead on Seachrome Coast, Hallowed Fountain, Hengegate Pathway, Plains, or Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire when turn-one white matters. Lead on Seat of the Synod, Seachrome Coast, Hallowed Fountain, Hengegate Pathway, or Otawara, Soaring City when turn-one or turn-two blue plus artifact count matters.

- Use Seat of the Synod as a high-value early land when artifact count matters. It helps cast blue spells, increases artifact density, and supports Thought Monitor, Kappa Cannoneer, Metallic Rebuke, Ingenious Smith, and Retrofitter Foundry lines. Protect the mana role of Seat of the Synod when the hand needs blue; do not treat it as expendable material unless the legal line is decisive.

- Use Springleaf Drum as fixing only when a creature can tap without costing survival. Ornithopter is the cleanest early partner because it can enable mana while preserving colored lands for Portable Hole, Ingenious Smith, Metallic Rebuke, or Thought Monitor. Avoid tapping Esper Sentinel, Ingenious Smith, Thought Monitor, or a needed blocker if combat or tax pressure matters more than the mana.

- Play Hallowed Fountain untapped when the life payment changes the current turn. Pay life to cast Esper Sentinel, Portable Hole, Ingenious Smith, Springleaf Drum, Retrofitter Foundry, Metallic Rebuke protection, or a payoff on curve. Let it enter tapped when the hand already has the needed color, the opponent is pressuring life, or no legal action uses the extra mana this turn.

- Treat Adarkar Wastes damage as a real cost under pressure. Use it freely when the mana enables a stabilizing Portable Hole, discounted Thought Monitor, Metallic Rebuke, or Kappa Cannoneer turn; avoid unnecessary pain when colorless mana or another land casts the same legal action.

- Treat Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire and Otawara, Soaring City as lands first unless the engine offers a clearly relevant utility action. Do not hold them in hand for possible channel value if doing so misses land drops or strands Thought Monitor, Kappa Cannoneer, Metallic Rebuke, Portable Hole, or Ingenious Smith. Use the utility mode only when the target is visible, legal, and worth delaying mana development.

- Play lands before draw effects when mana is required for post-draw actions. If casting Thought Monitor, using Ingenious Smith selection, or resolving another draw/selection effect could reveal a cheap follow-up, play the land first only when it unlocks the mana to cast that follow-up this turn. Delay the land when the decision could change which color source is needed and no immediate mana is required before the draw.

- Mulligan mana-light hands that cannot cast early spells or build artifact count. A one-land hand needs Ornithopter plus Springleaf Drum or multiple one-mana plays and a clear path to both colors. A hand without white should have blue artifact development and a credible Thought Monitor/Kappa Cannoneer plan; a hand without blue should have white interaction plus a path to blue before payoffs matter.

## Mulligan Guide
- Strong keeps start with two lands, one cheap creature or artifact, and a real payoff. Keep hands such as Seat of the Synod, Seachrome Coast, Ornithopter, Springleaf Drum, Esper Sentinel, Ingenious Smith, Thought Monitor because they cast spells early, build artifact count, and convert into cards before the opponent can ignore the board.

- Strong interaction keeps need pressure or card flow beside the answer. Keep two lands, Esper Sentinel, Portable Hole, Retrofitter Foundry, Metallic Rebuke, and any cheap artifact when the colors work, because the hand taxes, answers a small permanent, and can hold up disruption without skipping development.

- Medium keeps are acceptable when one axis is missing but the hand has compensation. A hand with Hallowed Fountain, Adarkar Wastes, Springleaf Drum, Retrofitter Foundry, Ingenious Smith, Emporium Thopterist, Thought Monitor is keepable if the first two turns are legal and the matchup is not punishing an untapped Hallowed Fountain payment; Card text check required before treating Emporium Thopterist as an engine keep by itself.

- Risky keeps need a specific visible payoff and should become ships under pressure. One-land Seat of the Synod hands with Ornithopter, Springleaf Drum, Retrofitter Foundry, Esper Sentinel, Thought Monitor, Kappa Cannoneer are tempting, but keep only on the draw or with multiple legal turn-one plays and no matchup signal that missing land two loses immediately.

- Automatic ships lack mana, lack spells, or contain only expensive payoffs. Ship zero-land hands, one-land hands without Ornithopter plus Springleaf Drum, hands with Kappa Cannoneer and Thought Monitor but no artifact density, and hands that cannot cast either Esper Sentinel, Portable Hole, Ingenious Smith, Retrofitter Foundry, or Springleaf Drum by turn two.

- Matchup-dependent keeps value Portable Hole and early bodies against creature pressure. Keep slower card-flow hands with Memory Guardian, Emporium Thopterist, or Thought Monitor only when the opponent is not presenting fast damage; Card text check required before keeping Memory Guardian for graveyard or recursion assumptions.

- Play/draw changes the tolerance for tapped or pain-heavy mana. On the play, prefer Seachrome Coast, Hallowed Fountain, Hengegate Pathway, Plains, or Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire with turn-one Esper Sentinel or Portable Hole access; on the draw, a Seat of the Synod plus Springleaf Drum hand can keep more often if Ornithopter or Esper Sentinel enables mana.

- Trap hands overcount artifact count without doing anything. Ornithopter, Springleaf Drum, Retrofitter Foundry, Seat of the Synod, Thought Monitor, Kappa Cannoneer, Metallic Rebuke can be excellent with a second land or Esper Sentinel, but without colored stability or a second mana source it may pass turns while holding discounted spells it still cannot cast.

## Turn Arc
- Turn 1 should create mana, tax, or answer pressure. Prefer Esper Sentinel when white is available and the opponent must spend noncreature spells, Ornithopter plus Springleaf Drum when it unlocks turn-two Ingenious Smith or Metallic Rebuke, Retrofitter Foundry when no immediate Portable Hole target exists, and Portable Hole only when the visible target is worth spending the removal now.

- Turn 1 land sequencing should serve the first two turns. Lead Seachrome Coast or untapped Hallowed Fountain for Esper Sentinel or Portable Hole; lead Seat of the Synod when artifact count and blue matter more than immediate white; play Plains or Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire when white is required and blue is already planned through Springleaf Drum or a future land.

- Turn 2 should either select, stabilize, or hold up a real counter. Prefer Ingenious Smith when the board is not collapsing and the hand wants an artifact hit, Portable Hole when a small permanent is already dealing damage or enabling the opponent, Retrofitter Foundry plus cheap artifact development when mana is awkward, and Metallic Rebuke only when the opponent’s next spell is likely more important than adding your own permanent.

- Turn 2 deviations should protect life and mana quality. Tap Ornithopter to Springleaf Drum before tapping a meaningful blocker or Esper Sentinel when damage prevention matters; pay Adarkar Wastes or Hallowed Fountain life only if the legal spell changes the turn; avoid spending Portable Hole on a low-impact target if Kappa Cannoneer or Thought Monitor needs artifact count and no damage race exists.

- Turn 3 should turn artifact density into advantage or a hard threat. Cast Thought Monitor when the discount is real and the hand can use the new cards soon, cast Kappa Cannoneer when the opponent is tapped low or already taxed by Esper Sentinel and Metallic Rebuke, and deploy Emporium Thopterist or Memory Guardian only according to visible legal text and board needs.

- Turn 3 deviations should leave interaction up when the opponent’s next play is decisive. If Metallic Rebuke is affordable through Seat of the Synod, Ornithopter, Retrofitter Foundry, or Springleaf Drum, prefer a lower-commitment permanent plus Rebuke over tapping out for Thought Monitor when the visible stack or public history says a single spell can swing the game.

- Turns 4-5 should convert small artifacts into inevitability. Activate Retrofitter Foundry when it uses spare mana without weakening Metallic Rebuke, cast discounted Thought Monitor before making land-drop choices only when the extra cards can affect this turn, and use Kappa Cannoneer as the main closing threat when the board is stable enough to attack.

- Turns 4-5 deviations should respect survival first. Use Portable Hole, Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire, Otawara, Soaring City, or Metallic Rebuke when the engine exposes legal actions that stop lethal pressure or a must-answer permanent; do not spend mana on Retrofitter Foundry or speculative selection if the opponent’s visible attack already demands stabilization.

- Late game should preserve live engines and choose windows carefully. Keep Seat of the Synod and cheap artifacts when they support Thought Monitor, Kappa Cannoneer, Metallic Rebuke, Ingenious Smith growth, or Retrofitter Foundry; trade expendable tokens or Ornithopter only when the rules engine shows the exchange prevents lethal damage, unlocks a decisive attack, or protects a higher-value permanent.

- Late-game deviations should turn utility lands into interaction only when mana is no longer the bottleneck. Use Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire or Otawara, Soaring City if the target is visible and legal, but keep them as mana when casting or protecting Thought Monitor, Kappa Cannoneer, Metallic Rebuke, Portable Hole, or Retrofitter Foundry activations matters more.

## Card Roles
- Ornithopter is the zero-mana artifact that turns the deck’s opening hands from slow control into functional artifact-tempo. Use it early when it enables Springleaf Drum, Metallic Rebuke improvise, Thought Monitor discounting, Kappa Cannoneer improvise, Ingenious Smith growth, or Retrofitter Foundry material; hold it only when the visible hand already has enough artifacts and the opponent is likely to punish a low-impact artifact with a sweeper or temporary bounce. Treat Ornithopter as a resource more than a threat: it blocks small flyers, taps for Springleaf Drum, convokes/improvises, and can become expendable Foundry material, but do not trade it away if it is the only bridge to blue mana or a discounted payoff.

- Esper Sentinel is the preferred turn-one white play when the opponent’s visible pattern or archetype implies noncreature spells. Cast it before other development when it taxes removal, selection, sweepers, discard, or planeswalker-style setup; delay it only when Portable Hole must answer a current threat or Springleaf Drum plus Ornithopter unlocks a stronger turn-two sequence. Remember that Ingenious Smith counters can make Esper Sentinel tax for more if the engine text and legal actions support the line, but do not assume the opponent will fail to pay; value the tax even when no card is drawn because it constrains their mana.

- Ingenious Smith is the main early selection creature and a scaling body. Cast it on turn two when the hand needs an artifact, a land-equivalent artifact count, or a body that grows through normal development; avoid casting it into a board where Portable Hole or Metallic Rebuke is required immediately. Its selection should prioritize the artifact that fixes the current bottleneck: Springleaf Drum for mana, Retrofitter Foundry for long-game material, Portable Hole for a legal answer, Thought Monitor or Kappa Cannoneer for payoff, and cheap artifacts when the hand needs density. Do not overvalue Smith as a combat creature if losing it would strand Springleaf Drum mana or leave the deck without pressure after a sweeper.

- Emporium Thopterist is a midgame engine card only when the rules engine confirms its current text and generated legal actions. Card text check required before relying on a specific token, draw, cost-reduction, or artifact-trigger pattern. Use it when the board is stable enough for a creature-based artifact engine and when extra artifact bodies would support Kappa Cannoneer, Thought Monitor, Metallic Rebuke, Retrofitter Foundry, or Ingenious Smith. Avoid tapping out for Emporium Thopterist against a visible lethal attack, a must-counter spell window, or a matchup where a single cheap answer will erase the turn without leaving material behind.

- Memory Guardian is a role card whose exact tactical use must follow runtime text. Card text check required before treating it as recursion, graveyard interaction, selection, protection, or a standalone threat. If legal actions show it produces card advantage or artifact velocity, use it after the deck has stabilized and before running out of artifacts for Thought Monitor or Kappa Cannoneer. If legal actions show graveyard or death-related choices, respect public graveyards and visible exile effects; do not assume hidden graveyard synergies or opponent graveyard contents. Against fast creature pressure, cast Memory Guardian only when its body or immediate legal effect changes combat or survival.

- Kappa Cannoneer is the primary hard-to-answer closer and one of the deck’s highest-commitment plays. Cast it when artifact count makes the mana efficient, the opponent is tapped low or taxed by Esper Sentinel and Metallic Rebuke, and the board can support an attack plan on the next turn cycle. Its artifact-trigger scaling and unblockable combat role make cheap artifacts, Retrofitter Foundry bodies, Seat of the Synod, Ornithopter, Portable Hole, and Thought Monitor especially important after it resolves. Do not expose Kappa Cannoneer into open mana if waiting one turn lets you hold Metallic Rebuke or add a protective artifact trigger; do not hold it forever when the opponent’s clock makes waiting worse.

- Thought Monitor is the deck’s best refill payoff and should usually be cast once the discount is meaningful and the new cards can be used soon. Prioritize it when the hand is low on action, when Seat of the Synod and cheap artifacts make it cheap without sacrificing interaction, or when a resolved Kappa Cannoneer wants artifact triggers. Delay Thought Monitor when the opponent’s next spell is more important than two cards and Metallic Rebuke is available, or when casting it requires tapping artifact creatures needed to block. Do not keep opening hands that rely on full-cost Thought Monitor as the first relevant play.

- Portable Hole is the main cheap board-control card and should answer visible low-cost permanents that change the race, mana, or engine math. Use it early against creatures or permanents that are already attacking, enabling a combo/engine, or blocking the deck’s Kappa Cannoneer clock; hold it when the target is low impact and the opponent is likely to present a better legal target. Portable Hole is also an artifact, so count it for Ingenious Smith, Thought Monitor, Kappa Cannoneer, Metallic Rebuke, and Retrofitter Foundry decisions, but do not spend removal purely for artifact count if a real threat is expected.

- Retrofitter Foundry is the long-game mana sink, artifact source, and board stabilizer. Deploy it early when mana is otherwise unused or when it enables artifact density, but activate it only when the activation does not prevent Metallic Rebuke, Portable Hole, Thought Monitor, Kappa Cannoneer, or required utility-land interaction. Use Foundry bodies to block, pressure planeswalkers or life totals, feed artifact triggers, and turn late Ornithopter-style material into meaningful board presence if legal actions support that sequence. Avoid spending all mana on Foundry in turns where the opponent’s visible board demands removal or counterplay.

- Springleaf Drum is the fixing card that converts cheap creatures into real mana. Cast it early when Ornithopter, Esper Sentinel, Ingenious Smith, or token bodies can tap without losing crucial combat function; sequence it before color-hungry plays when it unlocks Ingenious Smith, Portable Hole, Metallic Rebuke, Thought Monitor, or Kappa Cannoneer. Do not tap the only relevant blocker for mana if the visible attack would punish it, and do not assume Springleaf Drum fixes hands without a creature that can safely tap.

- Metallic Rebuke is the deck’s flexible permission spell and should be saved for spells that beat the current board, break the deck’s engine, or undo a Kappa Cannoneer/Thought Monitor turn. Use artifacts and artifact creatures for improvise only when tapping them does not lose a necessary block, Springleaf Drum line, or Retrofitter Foundry activation. Passing with Metallic Rebuke is correct when the opponent’s next legal spell is likely decisive; tapping out instead is correct when the deck must develop a threat before falling behind. In sideboarded games, the fourth Metallic Rebuke increases the value of artifact-heavy openers and makes cheap artifact sequencing more defensive.

- Seat of the Synod is both blue mana and artifact count, so treat it as one of the deck’s highest-synergy lands. Lead it when blue and artifact density matter more than immediate white, but avoid hands where Seat of the Synod is the only colored source and the hand needs Esper Sentinel or Portable Hole on turn one. Its artifact status supports Thought Monitor, Kappa Cannoneer, Metallic Rebuke, Ingenious Smith triggers if applicable, and any artifact-counting legal action.

- Seachrome Coast, Hallowed Fountain, Adarkar Wastes, Hengegate Pathway, Plains, Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire, and Otawara, Soaring City are the mana-stability package. Prioritize untapped white for Esper Sentinel and Portable Hole, untapped blue for Metallic Rebuke and Thought Monitor, and life preservation when Adarkar Wastes or Hallowed Fountain damage does not change the turn. Use Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire and Otawara, Soaring City as lands while mana is tight; use their utility modes only when the target is visible, legal, and more important than casting or protecting the deck’s artifact engine.

## Interaction Priorities

- Counter game-breaking spells before normal value spells with Metallic Rebuke. Save Metallic Rebuke for sweepers, combo enablers, planeswalker-style engines, removal aimed at Kappa Cannoneer when the current clock depends on it, and spells that would immediately invalidate Retrofitter Foundry or Thought Monitor advantage. Let low-impact card draw or small creatures resolve when Portable Hole, Fragment Reality, blockers, or racing pressure can answer the result.

- Exile the permanent that changes the next turn first with Portable Hole. Prioritize visible cheap creatures attacking Esper Sentinel life totals, mana permanents that unlock a large turn, engine permanents that will snowball before Metallic Rebuke matters, and blockers that stop Kappa Cannoneer pressure. Do not spend Portable Hole on a harmless permanent only to raise artifact count unless the hand specifically needs an artifact to cast Thought Monitor, enable Metallic Rebuke, or trigger Kappa Cannoneer this turn.

- Bounce only the permanent or spell-object whose tempo swing is worth a land slot with Otawara, Soaring City. Use it to clear a lethal attacker, remove a blocker for a decisive Kappa Cannoneer attack, reset a large token or aura-based threat, or answer a noncreature permanent that Portable Hole cannot handle. Avoid using Otawara, Soaring City as a generic value play while mana development is still constraining Thought Monitor, Kappa Cannoneer, or Metallic Rebuke.

- Use Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire only when the legal action text and visible combat object justify it. Treat it as a land by default; convert it into interaction when it removes an attacking or blocking creature that matters more than the next white mana source. Do not assume hidden combat tricks or exact damage math beyond the rules-engine prompt.

- Bait removal with expendable artifacts before committing Kappa Cannoneer when the opponent is representing open interaction. Ornithopter, Esper Sentinel, Ingenious Smith, Emporium Thopterist, Memory Guardian, Retrofitter Foundry, Portable Hole, Springleaf Drum, and Thought Monitor can force the opponent to act while preserving the primary closer. When the opponent is tapped low or already pressured by Esper Sentinel tax effects, commit Kappa Cannoneer sooner and use later artifacts to grow and force unblockable attacks.

- Ignore threats that do not affect life total, artifact engine access, or the next decisive turn. Small blockers can often be ignored once Kappa Cannoneer is active. Slow engines can be ignored when Thought Monitor plus Retrofitter Foundry already wins a longer exchange. Graveyard cards should be ignored pre-board unless runtime card text creates a visible legal interaction; post-board use Tormod's Crypt, Stone of Erech, Unlicensed Hearse, or Containment Priest only against visible graveyard or entry-from-library/graveyard pressure.

- Change interaction posture by archetype. Against aggro, spend Portable Hole and Fragment Reality early, preserve blockers, and counter finishers or wide-board payoffs. Against control, protect Retrofitter Foundry, Thought Monitor, Kappa Cannoneer, and Esper Sentinel tax windows while forcing them to answer low-cost artifacts. Against combo, hold Metallic Rebuke, Spell Pierce, Pithing Needle, Tormod's Crypt, Stone of Erech, Unlicensed Hearse, or Containment Priest for the visible engine piece rather than trading for incidental material.

## Combat And Trading Rules

- Attack when damage advances a real clock without sacrificing the artifact engine. Kappa Cannoneer should become the primary attacker once it is legal and large enough to pressure life totals; keep casting artifacts before combat when a visible legal trigger improves the attack. Ingenious Smith and Thought Monitor can attack when the opponent has poor blocks or when a race favors the deck, but they should stay home if blocking protects Esper Sentinel value, Metallic Rebuke mana, or survival.

- Preserve Ornithopter until its artifact and creature roles are spent. Use Ornithopter to enable Springleaf Drum, improvise Metallic Rebuke, increase Thought Monitor discounts, support Retrofitter Foundry lines, and trigger Kappa Cannoneer before treating it as disposable combat material. Block with Ornithopter when it prevents meaningful damage, absorbs a pump window already visible in legal actions, or converts through Retrofitter Foundry; do not trade it for negligible damage prevention when it is the only safe Springleaf Drum creature.

- Trade Ingenious Smith or Emporium Thopterist only when the exchange protects a higher-value engine or life total. Ingenious Smith can trade with an attacker when the hand already has follow-up artifacts or when life is under pressure. Emporium Thopterist should be protected if legal actions show it generates ongoing artifact bodies or card flow; trade it only when failing to block creates lethal pressure or loses Metallic Rebuke/Thought Monitor timing anyway.

- Use Esper Sentinel as an attacker only when the tax body is no longer constraining the opponent. Early Esper Sentinel usually matters more as a tax creature and Springleaf Drum enabler than as one damage. Block with it when the opponent is racing and the card-tax value is unlikely to matter, but preserve it against control and combo if it continues to tax key noncreature turns.

- Block aggressively against fast creature decks once life falls into two-turn-clock range. Stabilize before maximizing Retrofitter Foundry value, Thought Monitor cards, or Kappa Cannoneer setup. If visible attackers represent lethal or near-lethal next turn, tap artifacts for Metallic Rebuke or Springleaf Drum only after confirming the remaining blockers still cover the attack.

- Race rather than trade when Kappa Cannoneer is unblockable and the opponent cannot kill on the backswing. Use Portable Hole, Fragment Reality, Otawara, Soaring City, and Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire to clear only the attacker or blocker that changes the race. Do not chump block with artifact creatures that would produce lethal Kappa Cannoneer sizing unless the rules-engine state shows survival requires it.

- Protect Retrofitter Foundry as the long-game combat engine. Make bodies on end steps or when mana would otherwise go unused, but leave mana and untapped artifacts for Metallic Rebuke when the opponent's next spell matters more than another token. In board stalls, convert expendable artifacts into pressure while keeping enough blockers to avoid a crack-back.

- Treat Memory Guardian combat decisions as conditional on runtime text. Card text check required before assigning it a protection, recursion, or graveyard role. If it is only a creature in the visible state, block or attack using normal race math; if legal actions show a death, graveyard, or artifact payoff, preserve it until that payoff matters.

## Selection And Tutor Rules

- Treat this deck as pseudo-selection, not tutor selection. No main-deck card searches the library for a named card, so do not plan as though a missing Kappa Cannoneer, Metallic Rebuke, Portable Hole, or Retrofitter Foundry can be found on demand. Use visible legal looks and draws only.

- Use Ingenious Smith to find the artifact that fixes the current hand, not the most abstractly powerful card. Prioritize Springleaf Drum when mana is the bottleneck, Portable Hole when a visible low-cost permanent must be answered, Retrofitter Foundry when the game is slowing down, Thought Monitor when affinity is already close to enabled, and cheap artifacts when Kappa Cannoneer or Metallic Rebuke needs immediate artifact count.

- Take Kappa Cannoneer from an Ingenious Smith selection when the hand already has enough artifacts and mana to cast it soon. Do not take it over a stabilizing Portable Hole against visible pressure if the Cannoneer would sit stranded. Do take it over incremental engine pieces when the opponent is slow, light on pressure, or already taxed by Esper Sentinel.

- Use Thought Monitor as the main refill point after committing artifacts. Cast it when affinity has reduced the cost enough that the remaining mana still supports Metallic Rebuke, Portable Hole, Retrofitter Foundry activation, or another artifact trigger. Avoid firing Thought Monitor before making a land drop or artifact play that would visibly reduce its cost.

- Sequence Seat of the Synod as both land and artifact. Play it before Thought Monitor or Metallic Rebuke when the extra artifact lowers cost or supports improvise. When Kappa Cannoneer is already on board, prefer playing Seat of the Synod before combat if the trigger grants a larger or unblockable attack; after combat, play it only when preserving combat information matters more than damage.

- Time land drops around selection, not habit. If Ingenious Smith or Thought Monitor may draw into a needed land this turn, make the selection first when legal and when the current land drop is flexible. If a land is required to cast the selection spell or hold Metallic Rebuke, make the land drop first.

- Keep cheap artifacts available as future triggers when current mana is not constrained. Ornithopter, Springleaf Drum, Portable Hole, Retrofitter Foundry, and Seat of the Synod can each matter as artifact count, Kappa Cannoneer growth, Metallic Rebuke support, and Thought Monitor discount. Do not unload every zero- or one-mana artifact into sweepers unless the immediate payoff is clear.

- Treat Memory Guardian and Emporium Thopterist selection hooks as runtime-text dependent. Card text check required. If the rules engine exposes draw, graveyard, artifact-token, or filtering choices from either card, choose the option that preserves mana, artifact count, or board survival for the current turn rather than assuming a hidden combo role.

## Priority And Stack Rules

- Hold priority resources for the spell or ability that changes the game state most. Metallic Rebuke should counter sweepers, combo pieces, removal aimed at Kappa Cannoneer, high-impact planeswalkers or engines, and lethal burn or combat tricks before it counters ordinary creatures. Let low-impact spells resolve when Portable Hole, blockers, or Retrofitter Foundry can handle the resulting board.

- Use Metallic Rebuke only when the visible payment window supports it. Count untapped artifacts, creatures, and mana before choosing a counter line, because tapping Ornithopter, Esper Sentinel, Ingenious Smith, Emporium Thopterist, Thought Monitor, Retrofitter Foundry tokens, or Seat of the Synod can change combat, Springleaf Drum access, and later Thought Monitor turns. Preserve a blocker when survival depends on it.

- Respect Esper Sentinel triggers as tax pressure, not guaranteed cards. When the opponent casts a noncreature spell, let the rules engine determine whether payment is available and whether a draw trigger happens. Do not assume the opponent cannot pay unless the visible prompt or resulting game state proves it.

- Activate Retrofitter Foundry at the opponent's end step when mana would otherwise go unused. During the opponent's main phase, keep mana and untapped artifacts available for Metallic Rebuke if the matchup or visible board suggests a decisive spell. During combat, activate only when a token or untap line changes blocks, survival, or lethal pressure.

- Cast Portable Hole at sorcery speed when it unlocks tempo or survival. Remove a visible low-cost permanent before combat if it clears a blocker for Kappa Cannoneer or prevents a damaging attack next turn. Delay Portable Hole when holding it creates stronger Metallic Rebuke posture and the current permanent does not matter yet.

- Use Otawara, Soaring City and Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire only through visible legal windows. Channel Otawara, Soaring City to answer a permanent or spell-object whose temporary removal changes lethal, protects an engine, or breaks a lock. Channel Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire when the attacking or blocking creature is a meaningful combat object and the land slot is less valuable than removal.

- Cast artifacts before combat when Kappa Cannoneer needs a trigger. If Kappa Cannoneer is present and attacking this turn, prioritize legal artifact plays that add power or unblockable status before declaring attackers. Hold artifact plays until after combat only when Metallic Rebuke mana, Esper Sentinel tax pressure, or sweeper exposure is more important than the attack.

- Do not spend interaction into unknown stack texture. Respond to explicit targets, visible lethal pressure, and named engine pieces; otherwise prefer adding artifacts, drawing with Thought Monitor, or building Retrofitter Foundry. If the rules engine exposes a graveyard or exile interaction after sideboard, use Tormod's Crypt, Stone of Erech, Unlicensed Hearse, or Containment Priest only when the visible card or trigger matters now.

## Sideboard Map

- Sideboard by role first, then by visible pressure. Azorius Artifacts wants enough cheap artifacts for Thought Monitor, Kappa Cannoneer, Metallic Rebuke, Retrofitter Foundry, and Ingenious Smith, so do not overload on narrow nonartifact interaction unless the matchup makes that interaction decisive.

- Preserve the artifact count when adding graveyard cards. Tormod's Crypt, Stone of Erech, and Unlicensed Hearse are preferred hate pieces because they keep artifact density high while interacting with graveyard plans. Containment Priest is stronger against creature-entry engines but weaker for artifact-count turns.

- Add Fragment Reality against fast creature starts, cheap permanent engines, and low-curve battlefield pressure. Fragment Reality is weakest when the opponent's relevant threats are large, spell-based, graveyard-based, or planeswalker-style engines that do not present legal targets. Card text check required for any digital-only transformation or replacement effect; choose it only when the rules engine shows a legal target and the target matters more than possible downstream value.

- Add Metallic Rebuke and Spell Pierce against spell-centric decks. Metallic Rebuke is the broad sideboard counter for sweepers, combo pieces, and expensive engines once artifact count is stable. Spell Pierce is best on early turns against noncreature spells and loses value when the opponent can easily pay.

- Add Pithing Needle against decks centered on activated abilities from a visible or known permanent class. Pithing Needle is strong when a named permanent type repeatedly matters, but it is low value against decks that win through normal combat, triggered abilities, or many interchangeable threats. If the rules engine asks for a name and the correct name is not clear from public information, use matchup context but do not invent hidden cards.

- Add Tormod's Crypt against graveyard decks that need a single graveyard at a key moment. Tormod's Crypt is best when zero mana interaction lets the deck keep Metallic Rebuke, Retrofitter Foundry, or Thought Monitor sequencing intact. It is low value against decks that only incidentally use the graveyard or can rebuild without committing.

- Add Stone of Erech against graveyard recursion, death-loop, sacrifice-recursion, and decks where opposing creatures entering graveyards are part of the engine. Stone of Erech is better than one-shot hate when the graveyard axis is repeated. It is lower value against spell-only graveyard use, large battlefield threats, or matchups where spending mana on a hate artifact delays Kappa Cannoneer too much.

- Add Unlicensed Hearse against graveyard decks that also give time to grow a permanent artifact threat. Unlicensed Hearse is best when repeated exile matters and when crewing or artifact count can later pressure the opponent. It is low value against decks that force immediate battlefield survival before graveyard pressure matters.

- Add Containment Priest against decks that put creatures onto the battlefield without casting them or rely on creature recursion entering directly. Containment Priest is low value when the opponent casts creatures normally, plays mostly spells, or can remove a small creature before the relevant entry event. Protect it with Metallic Rebuke only when its static effect is stopping the opponent's actual visible plan.

Fast creature and cheap permanent pressure
Side in: 4 Fragment Reality
Cut: 1 Memory Guardian; 1 Emporium Thopterist; 1 Metallic Rebuke; 1 Thought Monitor

- This plan increases early removal while preserving the artifact shell. Reduce main-deck emphasis on slower card-flow creatures when the first three turns are about not falling behind. Keep Portable Hole and cheap artifacts because they stabilize and still feed Thought Monitor and Kappa Cannoneer.

Graveyard recursion or graveyard combo
Side in: 2 Tormod's Crypt; 3 Stone of Erech; 1 Unlicensed Hearse; 1 Containment Priest
Cut: 4 Portable Hole; 1 Emporium Thopterist; 1 Memory Guardian; 1 Thought Monitor

- This plan uses artifact-based graveyard hate first and adds Containment Priest when creature-entry replacement matters. Portable Hole is the cleanest reduction when opposing threats are not primarily cheap battlefield permanents. If the opponent also presents many early creatures, keep more Portable Hole and reduce emphasis on slower nonessential threats instead.

Spell combo or sweeper-heavy control
Side in: 1 Metallic Rebuke; 1 Spell Pierce; 2 Pithing Needle
Cut: 4 Portable Hole

- This plan turns dead removal into stack and engine interaction. Name with Pithing Needle only when public information or matchup identity gives a clear activated-ability target; otherwise prefer adding pressure and holding counters. Esper Sentinel becomes more important in these matchups because it taxes noncreature spells and can force awkward sequencing.

Artifact, enchantment, or small-engine permanents
Side in: 4 Fragment Reality; 2 Pithing Needle
Cut: 3 Memory Guardian; 1 Emporium Thopterist; 1 Thought Monitor; 1 Metallic Rebuke

- This plan answers low-cost permanents while giving Pithing Needle a role against activated engines. Reduce main-deck emphasis on slower value cards when the opponent's board piece must be answered immediately. Keep Kappa Cannoneer because artifact mirrors and engine boards often struggle with a large protected finisher if the early permanent is contained.

Creature-combo with graveyard or noncast entry patterns
Side in: 2 Tormod's Crypt; 3 Stone of Erech; 1 Containment Priest; 1 Metallic Rebuke
Cut: 4 Portable Hole; 1 Memory Guardian; 1 Emporium Thopterist; 1 Thought Monitor

- This plan blends graveyard denial with a small stack upgrade. Containment Priest is the role card when the opponent's creatures enter through effects rather than normal casting. If the rules engine shows only normal cast creatures and no graveyard dependency, pivot toward Fragment Reality plans instead of keeping narrow hate.

Midrange removal piles
Side in: 1 Metallic Rebuke; 1 Spell Pierce; 1 Unlicensed Hearse
Cut: 2 Portable Hole; 1 Ornithopter

- This plan improves against removal, sweepers, and graveyard value without diluting threats heavily. Unlicensed Hearse pressures graveyards while remaining an artifact for affinity and Kappa Cannoneer. Keep Retrofitter Foundry because it converts spare mana into bodies and gives the deck a way to play through one-for-one removal.

- Add role cards: Fragment Reality and Portable Hole effects are the main battlefield-answer package against low-cost permanents. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Memory Guardian and Emporium Thopterist are the first slower cards to de-emphasize when early survival matters. Card text check required for Memory Guardian and Emporium Thopterist if runtime choices affect whether they should stay in a specific matchup.

- Add role cards: Tormod's Crypt, Stone of Erech, Unlicensed Hearse, and Containment Priest are the graveyard-entry package. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Portable Hole is weaker when the opponent's important cards function from the graveyard, stack, or library rather than as cheap permanents.

- Add role cards: Metallic Rebuke, Spell Pierce, and Esper Sentinel pressure the opponent's noncreature spell turns. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Portable Hole and Fragment Reality effects are lower priority when the opponent presents few legal battlefield targets.

- Keep Kappa Cannoneer in nearly every sideboard configuration. It is the primary close against control, midrange, graveyard decks after hate slows them, and creature decks after early interaction buys time. Lower its emphasis only if the matchup is so fast that six-mana affinity threats are consistently stranded despite artifact count.

- Keep Springleaf Drum and Seat of the Synod unless a future exact plan proves mana flooding or artifact count problems. They make Thought Monitor cheaper, Metallic Rebuke easier to support, and Kappa Cannoneer faster. Removing too much cheap artifact infrastructure makes the sideboard cards look interactive while weakening the deck's actual engine.

## Matchup Guidance

- Aggro: Preserve life total first, then turn the corner with Kappa Cannoneer, Thought Monitor, Retrofitter Foundry, and artifact bodies. Add role cards: Fragment Reality and the fourth Metallic Rebuke when the opponent commits cheap creatures or low-cost permanent engines. Reduce main-deck emphasis: slower Memory Guardian, one Emporium Thopterist, or one Thought Monitor when the opening turns are defined by battlefield survival. Keep Portable Hole high because early tempo matters more than long-game purity.

- Control: Present layered pressure without overcommitting into sweepers, and make Esper Sentinel, Retrofitter Foundry, Thought Monitor, Metallic Rebuke, Spell Pierce, and Kappa Cannoneer carry the matchup. Add role cards: Spell Pierce, Metallic Rebuke, and Pithing Needle when public information shows planeswalkers, activated engines, or expensive noncreature spells. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Portable Hole when the opponent has few cheap battlefield targets. Do not spend Metallic Rebuke on low-impact filtering if Kappa Cannoneer, Thought Monitor, or a sweeper fight is likely soon.

- Combo: Identify whether the combo is stack-based, graveyard-based, activated-ability based, or battlefield-permanent based before choosing interaction. Add role cards: Spell Pierce and Metallic Rebuke against spell chains, Pithing Needle against known activated pieces, Tormod's Crypt, Stone of Erech, Unlicensed Hearse, and Containment Priest against graveyard or noncast creature-entry plans. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Portable Hole only when the combo does not rely on cheap permanents. Pressure matters; do not keep a hand that only disrupts but cannot end the game.

- Tempo: Force the opponent to answer cheap artifacts, then protect the first high-impact threat rather than trading every spell. Esper Sentinel is strong when it taxes cantrips or protection turns, and Metallic Rebuke is best when it stops the tempo deck from landing or protecting its threat. Add role cards: Fragment Reality for cheap threats and Spell Pierce when the opponent fights on the stack. Reduce main-deck emphasis: the slowest value creature if the opponent's plan is to win before Thought Monitor stabilizes.

- Midrange: Make every exchange leave behind artifact count, cards, or a threat that taxes removal. Retrofitter Foundry is a core card because it turns spare mana and artifact bodies into ongoing pressure. Ingenious Smith and Thought Monitor help rebuild after one-for-one removal, while Kappa Cannoneer punishes midrange decks that tap low. Add role cards: Unlicensed Hearse when the opponent uses graveyard value, Metallic Rebuke and Spell Pierce against sweepers or planeswalker turns, and Fragment Reality when cheap permanents dominate the battlefield. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Portable Hole only if the visible threats are too large or not legal targets.

- Big mana: End the game before the opponent's expensive spells invalidate incremental value. Prioritize fast artifact deployment, Springleaf Drum acceleration, Thought Monitor refuel, and an early Kappa Cannoneer. Add role cards: Spell Pierce, Metallic Rebuke, and Pithing Needle when the opponent's payoff or mana engine is vulnerable to stack or activated-ability disruption. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Portable Hole when it has no early target. Do not spend counters on setup spells if a visible payoff turn is imminent and the opponent can pay for Metallic Rebuke later.

- Graveyard: Treat graveyard decks as engine decks unless the visible board demands immediate creature removal. Add role cards: Tormod's Crypt for one-shot graveyard denial, Stone of Erech for repeated creature-graveyard suppression, Unlicensed Hearse for repeated exile plus artifact pressure, and Containment Priest when creatures enter without being cast. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Portable Hole when the important resources are graveyard cards rather than cheap permanents. Use hate before the opponent can convert the graveyard into material, but do not fire Tormod's Crypt into low-value graveyards unless the legal action window may disappear.

- Artifact/enchantment: Answer the engine piece without abandoning your own artifact density. Add role cards: Fragment Reality and Pithing Needle when the opposing plan depends on cheap artifacts, enchantments, or activated abilities. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Memory Guardian, one Emporium Thopterist, or one slower draw threat when the matchup is about stopping a specific permanent early. Card text check required for Fragment Reality before assuming the exact exchange is always favorable; use it when the legal target and expected result are acceptable from visible information.

- Go-wide: Stabilize with cheap interaction, flying blockers, and Retrofitter Foundry bodies while setting up a larger Kappa Cannoneer clock. Ornithopter can buy time with Springleaf Drum and blocks small flyers, but do not treat it as a permanent answer to wide boards. Add role cards: Fragment Reality for early creature density and the fourth Metallic Rebuke if the opponent has a key anthem or payoff spell. Reduce main-deck emphasis: slower card-flow cards when the battlefield is already threatening lethal.

- Single-threat: Save premium answers for the threat that actually wins the game, and avoid spending Portable Hole or Fragment Reality on low-pressure support permanents if a larger threat is likely next. Kappa Cannoneer races well when the opponent has one blocker or one removal spell, especially if artifact entries can keep it unblockable. Add role cards: Fragment Reality, Metallic Rebuke, Spell Pierce, or Pithing Needle according to whether the single threat is a creature, spell, or activated permanent. Reduce main-deck emphasis: none automatically; choose based on visible threat type.

- Burn: Protect life total, keep Esper Sentinel pressure relevant, and use Metallic Rebuke or Spell Pierce on damage spells that change the race. Hallowed Fountain and Adarkar Wastes life payments matter; choose painless or lower-pain mana when the legal action still supports the turn. Add role cards: Spell Pierce and Metallic Rebuke when burn is spell-dense, Fragment Reality when creatures or cheap damage permanents are present. Reduce main-deck emphasis: the slowest card advantage creature when it will not affect the race before lethal.

- Removal-heavy decks: Do not rely on one creature unless it is Kappa Cannoneer and the opponent is constrained by ward. Spread threats across Retrofitter Foundry, Thought Monitor, Ingenious Smith, Esper Sentinel, and artifact-token production. Add role cards: Spell Pierce and Metallic Rebuke to protect key turns, plus Unlicensed Hearse if graveyard value is part of the removal plan. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Portable Hole when opposing threats are few or too large. Make the opponent spend removal before committing Kappa Cannoneer if you can still advance artifact count.

## Specific Matchup Notes
- General/archetype-only note: Exact opponents are not supplied, so treat these notes as matchup heuristics rather than fixed reads. Revealed cards override assumptions; once the rules engine exposes a specific threat, graveyard engine, activated permanent, sweeper, or stack fight, choose from current legal actions and visible information rather than following a generic sideboard label.

- Aggro and go-wide: Prioritize stabilizing before drawing extra cards. Likely sideboarding adds Fragment Reality and sometimes the fourth Metallic Rebuke when the opponent has a key anthem, haste payoff, or noncreature engine; priority targets are early creatures that make Portable Hole live, cheap permanents that multiply damage, and spells that turn a manageable board into lethal. Keep Ornithopter when it enables Springleaf Drum and blocks flyers, but do not count it as a real stabilizer without Retrofitter Foundry or Emporium Thopterist support.

- Control and removal-heavy decks: Prioritize threat diversity and force the opponent to answer different card types. Likely sideboarding adds Spell Pierce, Metallic Rebuke, and sometimes Pithing Needle if a visible activated permanent is central; priority targets are sweepers, planeswalker-style engines, and removal windows that expose Kappa Cannoneer. Esper Sentinel is best early when it taxes setup, Retrofitter Foundry is the safest long-game engine, and Thought Monitor should be held only when waiting does not miss pressure or mana efficiency.

- Graveyard decks: Prioritize denying conversion turns, not merely shrinking graveyards. Likely sideboarding adds Tormod's Crypt, Stone of Erech, Unlicensed Hearse, and Containment Priest when the revealed plan uses graveyard cards or noncast creature entry; priority targets are graveyard cards that produce immediate battlefield, mana, or lethal pressure. Do not overuse Portable Hole unless the opponent also presents cheap permanents that matter independently of the graveyard.

- Combo and big mana: Prioritize a clock plus one decisive disruption point. Likely sideboarding adds Spell Pierce, Metallic Rebuke, Pithing Needle, and graveyard hate only when the revealed engine needs it; priority targets are the spell, activated ability, or graveyard turn that actually starts the win. Kappa Cannoneer is the preferred closer when artifact count is high, while Thought Monitor is the refill that keeps pressure and interaction available after the first exchange.

- Artifact, enchantment, and single-permanent engines: Prioritize answering the permanent that changes future turns, not the first legal target. Likely sideboarding adds Fragment Reality and Pithing Needle, with Card text check required before assuming Fragment Reality creates a favorable exchange in every board state. Portable Hole remains strong against cheap legal targets, but Retrofitter Foundry and Springleaf Drum should not be sacrificed in sequencing unless the visible engine must be stopped immediately.

## Risk Summary
- Mana risk: This deck can stumble when Springleaf Drum lacks a creature, when Seat of the Synod is the only blue source exposed to artifact hate, or when Hallowed Fountain and Adarkar Wastes life payments matter against burn. Prefer painless sequencing when the same legal line preserves Metallic Rebuke, Portable Hole, or Thought Monitor timing.

- Matchup risk: The deck can mis-role itself by playing like pure control against combo or big mana, or like pure tempo against aggro. Use Esper Sentinel, Ingenious Smith, Retrofitter Foundry, Thought Monitor, and Kappa Cannoneer according to the visible race, not the deck label.

- Draw risk: Hands with cheap artifacts but no payoff can flood the board without leverage, while hands with Thought Monitor, Kappa Cannoneer, and Metallic Rebuke but too few artifacts can be slow. Mulligan and early sequencing should protect artifact count, blue access, and at least one meaningful engine or closer.

- Over-sideboarding risk: Removing too many artifacts weakens Springleaf Drum, Thought Monitor, Metallic Rebuke improvise support, Kappa Cannoneer pressure, and Retrofitter Foundry texture. Sideboard cards must answer a revealed axis; do not dilute the deck with Tormod's Crypt, Stone of Erech, Unlicensed Hearse, Containment Priest, Pithing Needle, Fragment Reality, Spell Pierce, and Metallic Rebuke all at once unless the opponent truly spans those axes.

- Graveyard risk: Graveyard hate can be mistimed by firing Tormod's Crypt too early, tapping Unlicensed Hearse when a larger graveyard swing is imminent, or relying on Stone of Erech when the opponent's key resource is already on the battlefield. Use visible graveyard contents, stack timing, and legal windows before committing hate.

- Sweeper and removal risk: Overcommitting Esper Sentinel, Ingenious Smith, Emporium Thopterist, Memory Guardian, and Thought Monitor into a known sweeper can lose the long game. Spread pressure through Retrofitter Foundry and preserve Metallic Rebuke or Spell Pierce for turns where losing the board would remove both clock and card flow.

- Closer risk: Kappa Cannoneer can win quickly, but tapping out too early into open interaction or a wider opposing board may waste the deck's best finisher. Commit it when artifact count, ward pressure, and follow-up artifact entries make the clock real.

- Interaction and sequencing risk: Metallic Rebuke gets worse when artifacts are tapped or absent, Portable Hole can be stranded against large threats, and Fragment Reality requires text and target discipline. Sequence Ornithopter, Springleaf Drum, Seat of the Synod, and cheap artifacts so interaction remains legal at the moment it matters.

## Test Feedback Checklist
- Deciding factor: After each game, identify whether the match turned on early artifact density, a protected Kappa Cannoneer, Retrofitter Foundry inevitability, Thought Monitor refill, Metallic Rebuke timing, Portable Hole tempo, or sideboard hate; tie the answer to visible turns and legal choices rather than matchup labels.
- Mulligans: Record whether opening hands had enough lands, a creature for Springleaf Drum, cheap artifacts for Thought Monitor and Metallic Rebuke, and at least one real payoff such as Ingenious Smith, Retrofitter Foundry, Emporium Thopterist, Memory Guardian, or Kappa Cannoneer.
- Mana: Track whether Adarkar Wastes and Hallowed Fountain life payments mattered, whether Seat of the Synod exposed the mana base to artifact interaction, and whether Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire or Otawara, Soaring City was better as a land or spell-like channel option.
- Velocity: Check whether Ornithopter, Esper Sentinel, Portable Hole, Retrofitter Foundry, and Springleaf Drum created meaningful early tempo, or whether the deck spent too many turns enabling affinity-style discounts without adding pressure or defense.
- Engines: Note whether Retrofitter Foundry produced enough material, whether Esper Sentinel actually taxed opposing development, whether Ingenious Smith found relevant artifacts, and whether Memory Guardian or Emporium Thopterist generated board texture before the opponent stabilized.
- Removal and interaction: Ask whether Portable Hole hit the right cheap permanent, whether Metallic Rebuke was held for a decisive spell instead of a low-impact exchange, and whether Fragment Reality, Spell Pierce, Pithing Needle, Tormod's Crypt, Stone of Erech, Unlicensed Hearse, or Containment Priest would have changed the critical turn.
- Sideboard execution: Verify that sideboard cards were added for a revealed axis, not from fear alone; graveyard cards should answer graveyard conversion, Pithing Needle should name a visible activated permanent, and Fragment Reality should answer a permanent whose removal changes the game.
- Closing: Record whether Kappa Cannoneer ended the game once committed, whether Thought Monitor kept the hand full enough to close, and whether Retrofitter Foundry tokens converted into lethal pressure before the opponent recovered.
- Role accuracy: Judge whether the deck played control, tempo, or engine midrange according to the board; mark mistakes where it stayed passive against combo or overextended against removal-heavy control.
- Mistakes: Flag visible sequencing errors such as tapping artifacts that were needed for Metallic Rebuke, playing Springleaf Drum without a usable creature, casting Thought Monitor before preserving interaction, or exposing Kappa Cannoneer when waiting one turn was clearly safer.
- Stranded cards: List every Portable Hole, Metallic Rebuke, Kappa Cannoneer, Thought Monitor, Fragment Reality, Spell Pierce, Pithing Needle, Tormod's Crypt, Stone of Erech, Unlicensed Hearse, or Containment Priest that stayed unusable, and explain whether the cause was matchup, mana, timing, or sideboarding.
- Overperformers and underperformers: Separate cards that won games from cards that merely looked active; Retrofitter Foundry, Esper Sentinel, Ingenious Smith, Memory Guardian, Emporium Thopterist, Thought Monitor, and Kappa Cannoneer should be evaluated by actual pressure, cards, mana saved, or damage prevented.

## First Tuning Questions
- Card quantity: If artifact count was too low for Thought Monitor, Metallic Rebuke, and Kappa Cannoneer, should the list preserve all 4 Ornithopter, 4 Springleaf Drum, 4 Retrofitter Foundry, and 4 Portable Hole, or is one of the three-copy creatures failing to justify its slot?
- Mana base: If games were lost to pain or awkward colors, should the balance among Adarkar Wastes, Hallowed Fountain, Seachrome Coast, Hengegate Pathway, Plains, Seat of the Synod, Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire, and Otawara, Soaring City change, or were losses caused by keep decisions instead?
- Aggro plan: If small creature decks overwhelmed the deck before Kappa Cannoneer mattered, should more sideboard emphasis go to Fragment Reality or the fourth Metallic Rebuke, and is Portable Hole still enough as the main-deck stabilizer?
- Control plan: If removal-heavy opponents answered every threat, should the deck lean harder on Retrofitter Foundry, Esper Sentinel, and Thought Monitor, or does it need sideboard space beyond Spell Pierce, Metallic Rebuke, and Pithing Needle for stack and engine fights?
- Graveyard plan: If graveyard decks won through hate, determine whether Tormod's Crypt, Stone of Erech, Unlicensed Hearse, and Containment Priest were drawn too late, used too early, or mismatched to the opponent's actual graveyard axis.
- Closer mix: If Kappa Cannoneer was stranded or answered too often, ask whether the deck needs more protection timing discipline, more artifact density, or a different balance between Memory Guardian, Emporium Thopterist, and Thought Monitor as closing support.
- Role conflict: If hands contained both control cards and engine cards but did neither job, identify whether Metallic Rebuke, Portable Hole, Retrofitter Foundry, and Thought Monitor are competing for the same turns or whether sequencing needs correction.
- Sideboard slots: If Pithing Needle, Containment Priest, Unlicensed Hearse, Stone of Erech, Tormod's Crypt, Fragment Reality, Spell Pierce, or the extra Metallic Rebuke were rarely decisive, tie each weak slot to the matchups actually faced before changing quantities.

## Veles Tactical Policy

### Policy: Artifact-Density Mulligan Gate
Priority: High
Decision families: mulligan
Cards: Ornithopter; Esper Sentinel; Ingenious Smith; Retrofitter Foundry; Springleaf Drum; Thought Monitor; Kappa Cannoneer
Phase windows: opening hand, mulligan decisions
Runtime cues: opening_hand; action:keep; action:mulligan
Use when: choose whether a hand can produce mana, artifact count, and either pressure, interaction, or card flow by turn two.
Avoid when: rules engine reports forced keep/mulligan constraints or hidden-card assumptions are needed.
Instructions: Keep hands with two functional mana sources and early artifacts unless they lack all payoff and interaction; ship hands with no land, one fragile mana line without a castable card, or expensive cards only. Value Ornithopter plus Springleaf Drum higher when Esper Sentinel, Ingenious Smith, Retrofitter Foundry, or Thought Monitor is present.
Pilot skill floor: light-model
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Early Enabler Setup
Priority: Medium
Decision families: mana; priority
Cards: Ornithopter; Esper Sentinel; Retrofitter Foundry; Springleaf Drum; Seat of the Synod
Phase windows: turns one and two main phases
Runtime cues: action:cast Ornithopter; action:cast Esper Sentinel; action:cast Retrofitter Foundry; action:cast Springleaf Drum; action:play Seat of the Synod
Use when: sequencing the first artifact, creature, land, or engine permanent from visible legal actions.
Avoid when: holding up Metallic Rebuke or Spell Pierce answers a visible immediate threat.
Instructions: Deploy zero- and one-mana artifacts first when they unlock Springleaf Drum, Thought Monitor discount, Metallic Rebuke, or Kappa Cannoneer. Prefer Esper Sentinel early against spell-heavy opponents and Retrofitter Foundry early when the game is likely to go long.
Pilot skill floor: light-model
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Land And Life Sequencing
Priority: Medium
Decision families: mana
Cards: Adarkar Wastes; Hallowed Fountain; Seachrome Coast; Hengegate Pathway; Plains; Seat of the Synod; Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire; Otawara, Soaring City
Phase windows: land play steps, spell payment prompts
Runtime cues: action:play; action:pay
Use when: choosing land drops or colored payments with visible alternatives.
Avoid when: a legal action uniquely requires one mana source and no alternative payment exists.
Instructions: Preserve life against aggressive boards by using Seachrome Coast, Plains, Seat of the Synod, or untapped non-pain sources when possible. Treat Seat of the Synod as both mana and artifact count; treat Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire and Otawara, Soaring City as lands unless their channel text is legally offered and materially answers the board.
Pilot skill floor: light-model
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Springleaf Drum Payment Execution
Priority: Low
Decision families: mana
Cards: Springleaf Drum; Ornithopter; Esper Sentinel; Ingenious Smith; Emporium Thopterist; Memory Guardian
Phase windows: mana payment prompts
Runtime cues: action:activate Springleaf Drum
Use when: the selected spell or ability requires mana and the legal action text offers Springleaf Drum activation using an untapped creature.
Avoid when: tapping that creature changes declared attackers, blockers, or a currently available Metallic Rebuke plan.
Instructions: Use Springleaf Drum to convert spare small creatures into colored mana after confirming the tapped creature is not needed for combat or convoke-like artifact count. Prefer tapping Ornithopter when combat damage is irrelevant and Esper Sentinel when the tax trigger already mattered this turn.
Pilot skill floor: light-model
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Thought Monitor Commitment
Priority: Medium
Decision families: priority; mana
Cards: Thought Monitor; Ornithopter; Springleaf Drum; Retrofitter Foundry; Seat of the Synod
Phase windows: main phases, affinity-style cost prompts
Runtime cues: action:cast Thought Monitor
Use when: Thought Monitor is legal and the hand needs cards or a flying body.
Avoid when: casting it taps artifacts needed for Metallic Rebuke against a known stack threat or prevents deploying a more urgent stabilizer.
Instructions: Cast Thought Monitor when artifact count makes it efficient and the refill supports the next turn. Delay when the board demands Portable Hole, Fragment Reality, or held-up permission more than extra cards.
Pilot skill floor: light-model
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Kappa Cannoneer Tap-Out Gate
Priority: High
Decision families: priority; mana
Cards: Kappa Cannoneer; Metallic Rebuke; Spell Pierce; Retrofitter Foundry; Thought Monitor
Phase windows: main phases before combat, post-combat main phases
Runtime cues: action:cast Kappa Cannoneer
Use when: deciding whether to commit Kappa Cannoneer into visible mana, board pressure, and available follow-up artifacts.
Avoid when: opponent has a visible or previously revealed answer window and waiting preserves Metallic Rebuke or Spell Pierce without losing the race.
Instructions: Commit Kappa Cannoneer when ward pressure plus artifact follow-up can end the game or stabilize immediately. Wait when cheaper plays develop artifact count while keeping interaction open.
Pilot skill floor: light-model
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Metallic Rebuke Permission Gate
Priority: High
Decision families: interaction; priority
Cards: Metallic Rebuke; Spell Pierce; Ornithopter; Retrofitter Foundry; Springleaf Drum; Seat of the Synod
Phase windows: opponent main phases, combat trick windows, stack responses
Runtime cues: action:cast Metallic Rebuke; action:cast Spell Pierce
Use when: a counterspell is legal against a visible spell or ability on the stack.
Avoid when: the target is low impact, already manageable with board actions, or countering it consumes artifacts needed for a stronger follow-up line.
Instructions: Counter spells that beat Kappa Cannoneer, erase Retrofitter Foundry, swing the race, or enable the opponent’s primary engine. Preserve Metallic Rebuke for decisive stack fights; use Spell Pierce earlier when the opponent cannot pay and the target matters now.
Pilot skill floor: light-model
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Portable Hole Target Discipline
Priority: Medium
Decision families: interaction; selection
Cards: Portable Hole
Phase windows: main phases, removal target prompts
Runtime cues: action:cast Portable Hole; action:target Portable Hole
Use when: Portable Hole is legal and the engine exposes target candidates.
Avoid when: only low-impact permanents are available and the hand has a stronger development play.
Instructions: Use Portable Hole on cheap permanents that produce immediate damage, mana, combo progress, or hate against artifacts. Do not spend it on a harmless target merely to raise artifact count unless Thought Monitor, Metallic Rebuke, or Kappa Cannoneer requires that artifact and the board is stable.
Pilot skill floor: light-model
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Retrofitter Foundry Engine Activation
Priority: Medium
Decision families: priority; combat; mana
Cards: Retrofitter Foundry; Ornithopter; Emporium Thopterist; Memory Guardian
Phase windows: end steps, main phases, combat before blockers, post-combat
Runtime cues: action:activate Retrofitter Foundry
Use when: a Retrofitter Foundry activation is legal and mana or creatures can be converted into board material.
Avoid when: activation prevents holding Metallic Rebuke, Spell Pierce, Fragment Reality, or a needed blocker.
Instructions: Activate at opponent end step when possible to preserve information and interaction. Use tokens to stabilize against attackers, pressure control, and create artifacts that support Thought Monitor and Kappa Cannoneer.
Pilot skill floor: light-model
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Ingenious Smith Selection
Priority: Medium
Decision families: selection
Cards: Ingenious Smith; Portable Hole; Retrofitter Foundry; Springleaf Drum; Thought Monitor; Kappa Cannoneer; Tormod's Crypt; Pithing Needle; Stone of Erech; Unlicensed Hearse
Phase windows: enter-the-battlefield selection prompts
Runtime cues: action:select Ingenious Smith
Use when: Ingenious Smith reveals legal artifact choices.
Avoid when: the engine presents no legal selection or only hidden-library assumptions would decide.
Instructions: Take the artifact that fixes the current bottleneck: Portable Hole for urgent cheap permanents, Retrofitter Foundry for long games, Springleaf Drum for mana, Thought Monitor for cards, and sideboard artifacts for the matchup axis they were boarded to answer.
Pilot skill floor: light-model
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Esper Sentinel Tax Awareness
Priority: Low
Decision families: priority; interaction
Cards: Esper Sentinel
Phase windows: early turns, opponent noncreature spell turns
Runtime cues: trigger Esper Sentinel; action:draw
Use when: Esper Sentinel trigger or tax-related information appears in the prompt.
Avoid when: prompt is mandatory or engine already resolved the trigger.
Instructions: Treat Esper Sentinel as pressure plus card flow, not as hard permission. When the opponent pays, use the tempo gained; when they decline, convert the card advantage into land drops, artifact density, or interaction.
Pilot skill floor: no-api
No-API allowed: yes
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Combat With Artifact Bodies
Priority: Medium
Decision families: combat
Cards: Ornithopter; Esper Sentinel; Ingenious Smith; Emporium Thopterist; Memory Guardian; Kappa Cannoneer; Thought Monitor
Phase windows: declare attackers, declare blockers, damage-adjacent priority
Runtime cues: action:attack; action:block
Use when: choosing attacks or blocks from multiple visible legal combat actions.
Avoid when: exactly one mandatory legal combat action exists or hidden tricks are the only reason to decide.
Instructions: Attack when damage advances a Kappa Cannoneer or flying-clock plan without giving up critical blockers. Block to preserve life against short clocks, but avoid sacrificing engine creatures when Retrofitter Foundry, Thought Monitor, or permission can stabilize next turn.
Pilot skill floor: light-model
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Artifact Entry For Kappa Cannoneer Pressure
Priority: Medium
Decision families: priority; combat
Cards: Kappa Cannoneer; Ornithopter; Retrofitter Foundry; Springleaf Drum; Portable Hole; Thought Monitor
Phase windows: precombat main phase, combat setup
Runtime cues: action:cast Ornithopter; action:cast Springleaf Drum; action:cast Portable Hole; action:activate Retrofitter Foundry; action:cast Thought Monitor
Use when: Kappa Cannoneer is on battlefield and an artifact entry is legal before attacks.
Avoid when: spending the artifact wastes needed removal, permission, or mana in a game where Kappa Cannoneer is not attacking this turn.
Instructions: Create or cast an artifact before combat when it makes Kappa Cannoneer unblockable this turn and the attack changes the clock. Prefer expendable artifact entries over removal or engine cards that have a more important later use.
Pilot skill floor: light-model
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Channel Land Interaction Gate
Priority: Medium
Decision families: interaction; mana
Cards: Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire; Otawara, Soaring City
Phase windows: combat, opponent end step, stack/priority windows where channel is legal
Runtime cues: action:channel Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire; action:channel Otawara, Soaring City
Use when: the channel action is legal and the target is visible.
Avoid when: using the land as mana is required for Kappa Cannoneer, Thought Monitor, Metallic Rebuke, or sideboard interaction on the next turn.
Instructions: Channel only when the effect materially changes combat, protects tempo, or answers a permanent that cannot be handled by Portable Hole or Fragment Reality. Treat the land drop value as real cost.
Pilot skill floor: light-model
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Graveyard Hate Deployment
Priority: Medium
Decision families: sideboard; interaction; priority
Cards: Tormod's Crypt; Stone of Erech; Unlicensed Hearse; Containment Priest
Phase windows: early main phases, opponent graveyard setup turns, response windows
Runtime cues: action:cast Tormod's Crypt; action:cast Stone of Erech; action:cast Unlicensed Hearse; action:cast Containment Priest; action:activate Tormod's Crypt; action:activate Unlicensed Hearse
Use when: graveyard sideboard cards are legal and public zones show graveyard dependence or replacement/timing pressure.
Avoid when: no public graveyard axis is present and deploying hate delays essential pressure or interaction.
Instructions: Deploy static or repeatable hate early when it restricts the opponent’s plan. Hold one-shot exile effects until the graveyard contains the resource the opponent is about to use, unless waiting risks losing the only legal window.
Pilot skill floor: light-model
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Pithing Needle Naming Gate
Priority: High
Decision families: sideboard; interaction; selection
Cards: Pithing Needle
Phase windows: main phases, name selection prompts
Runtime cues: action:cast Pithing Needle; action:choose name Pithing Needle
Use when: Pithing Needle is legal and a visible or known public activated permanent/card name can be identified.
Avoid when: no relevant activated ability source is public, revealed, or matchup-certain from rules-engine context.
Instructions: Name the card whose activated ability is currently enabling the opponent’s engine, mana, combo, or removal plan. Do not guess a hidden card name solely from archetype if another legal play develops the board.
Pilot skill floor: light-model
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Fragment Reality Removal Gate
Priority: Medium
Decision families: sideboard; interaction; selection
Cards: Fragment Reality
Phase windows: main phases, stack response windows if legal, removal target prompts
Runtime cues: action:cast Fragment Reality; action:target Fragment Reality
Use when: Fragment Reality is legal against a visible permanent.
Avoid when: the target is low impact or the possible replacement risk is worse than the permanent being answered.
Instructions: Use Fragment Reality on permanents that block the deck’s artifact engine, present a fast clock, or enable combo. Respect the engine output for legal targets and replacement results; never assume the transformed object will be harmless.
Pilot skill floor: light-model
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Sideboard Plan Selection
Priority: High
Decision families: sideboard
Cards: Fragment Reality; Spell Pierce; Metallic Rebuke; Pithing Needle; Tormod's Crypt; Stone of Erech; Unlicensed Hearse; Containment Priest; Portable Hole; Ornithopter; Memory Guardian; Emporium Thopterist; Thought Monitor
Phase windows: between games, sideboard lock
Runtime cues: sideboard_options; action:submit sideboard
Use when: choosing a legal registered-75 sideboard configuration after seeing opponent strategy.
Avoid when: requested swaps violate registered main-deck or sideboard counts.
Instructions: Add graveyard hate only against graveyard conversion, Fragment Reality against permanent pressure or hate, Pithing Needle against activated engines, and extra permission against stack-centric decks. Reduce the slowest or least-targeted main-deck cards, while preserving enough artifacts for Thought Monitor, Metallic Rebuke, and Kappa Cannoneer.
Pilot skill floor: light-model
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Deterministic Pass With Empty Stack
Priority: Low
Decision families: priority
Cards: none
Phase windows: opponent end step, empty-stack priority, no-action cleanup windows
Runtime cues: action:pass
Use when: legal actions contain pass, the stack is empty, no mana is floating, no attack/block declaration is pending, and no cast or activated action is available in the current legal action list.
Avoid when: any non-pass legal action is visible, a trigger requires ordering/targeting, or combat declaration is pending.
Instructions: Choose pass when the engine exposes no other legal action and the game state will advance by passing.
Pilot skill floor: no-api
No-API allowed: yes
Light-model allowed: yes
