Affinity relies on cheap artifacts and Urza's Saga to flood the board and turn on Mox Opal's Metalcraft, so Damping Sphere directly taxes every spell they cast after the first each turn, which hurts a deck built on chaining cheap artifacts. Culling Ritual wipes their cheap permanents with mana value 2 or less (Mox Opal, Mishra's Bauble, Tormod's Crypt, Welding Jar, Weapons Manufacturing, plus Drone and Construct tokens) while ramping us, though it does not touch Pinnacle Emissary or Kappa Cannoneer. Surgical Extraction can strip a key Urza's Saga target or recurring threat. Force of Despair is too narrow since their board develops over multiple turns rather than in one burst, and March of Wretched Sorrow is often too slow against their fast clock, so both are trimmed for proactive artifact hate.