Shall we agree to disagree? My goal here isn’t to convince anyone – I’m just trying explain my reasoning, and I hope I’ve done that at least.

Sylvok Lifestaff is a mediocre common, made slightly better in an infect deck trying to race a non-infect deck. Lifestaff is also playable only in aggressive decks with lots of low cmc creatures, Rust Tick is playable in literally every deck in the format, all the time. The two cards aren’t very close. Darksteel Axe (bonesplitter) is a much more defensible pick over Rust Tick, and probably correct in infect.

As far as cantrips, I just think people overplay useless spellbombs/TJD/Wellsprings even when they have no upside as useless filler, etc, when they could be playing impact cards. It may be right to side out Lens for TJD against a super aggressive metalcraft deck, but playing TJD over lens in infect is wrong far more than it is right.

Why do you say cantrips are overrated?

Lifestaff was the better card for the deck. I will never be unhappy with a Lifestaff in my 7 (or even two or three of them, so if I get another later, great!), but Rust Tick requires that the opponent control an artifact worth tapping. While that condition isn’t uncommon at all in this format, it is still a restriction, where Lifestaff simply needs a creature to hold it.

I don’t believe I’d cut Rust Tick from the deck either, but I wouldn’t pick it over Lifestaff while drafting Infect. In that deck, the ‘Staff almost becomes Bonesplitter with a bonus, and I can never have too many of those.

Because the infect curve includes no 1 drops (ignoring vector asp) you want 2-3 of these equipment to allow you to curve out. Lens and Lifestaff are also fantastic due to low equip cost, so you can play another 2 drop on 3 when you equip and still increase your board presence. Lens’ cheap cost to play and equip and infects lack of evasive creatures makes it an auto-include in these decks.

People tend to vastly overrate cantrips. TJD is decent filler or a good sideboard card, but not something I would strive to play.

Also, I just went over your picks, what was the thought process behind lifestaff P2P2 over Rust Tick? Not only is Lifestaff common and likely to show up later, but Rust Tick is just a better card, it can play defense or tap down multiple artifact defenders/lock down problem artifacts. I have never cut Rust Tick from my 40.

I guess I wasn’t understanding your points very well. I apologize.

Still, thanks for commenting!

@ Plejades:

Your points are good, concise, and cogent. I appreciate the contribution, but would you mind deliberating on the fourth one?

while I usually try to stay out of heated discussions (not sure why, actually….) I would like to add my two cents to the “Infiltration Lense” debate. I consider myself a decent drafter and have played my fair share of Mirrodin block drafts. Not as much as I would like but I do think I have a good grasp of the format. Personally I will usually play one Infiltration Lense in a poison deck if I don’t have everything chock full of bombs and removal- which happens rarely. The reasons for me are mostly:

1. Infect creatures are usually small and love the ability to stay unblocked.

2. Opponents often make the mistake to block equipped creatures to early/late.

3. If you have Tangle Angler along with multiple blockers it’s usually game over.

4. The disadvantage of not being very useful in a defense position holds true for many cards in the formats.

I like Tel-Jilad Defiance as it is often a very flexible card with many applications but I do feel I would have played the Lens. I can understand that players have different preferences which makes it so much more interesting.

Keep up the good work

Suppose you are in a defensive position, your opponent just tapped out to put more threats to the battlefield, you have 3 infect creatures and an Untamed Might in your hand, he has 5 creatures. You attack with a Plague Stinger. He will gladly block it with his Glint Hawk. You can use your Untamed Might to kill it and save your creature, and that’s it. Now if you have Lens equipped, you have two chances to draw the blockers/removal you need. If he thinks it is a bluff, it’s even better: you win. If the non-weak opponent always thinks it’s a bluff, then the card reads: equipped creature is unblockable. Pretty good, huh?

Of course there are many assumptions for this scenario. If the opponent has mana and instant speed removal, then you are doomed, but then you are doomed anyway.

If you play aggro and dont want to block anyway, then of course it is useless for your opponent. But if you do want to block, you won’t, and that’s pretty good from such a cheap card.