Arcbound Overseer MTG Card
2004-02-06 - Number 99
2020-09-26 - Number DST-99
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 8 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Artifact Creature — Golem |
| Abilities | Modular |
| Power | 0 |
| Toughness | 0 |
Text of card
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature with modular you control. Modular 6 (This comes into play with six +1/+1 counters on it. When it's put into a graveyard, you may put its +1/+1 counters on target artifact creature.)
Cards like Arcbound Overseer
Arcbound Overseer shines as a unique creature card within the affinity archetype of Magic: The Gathering. It shares similar traits with other cards that increase their power through counters, such as Steel Overseer. Steel Overseer, while lacking the innate power increase of Arcbound Overseer, has the ability to distill strength across all artifacts you control every turn, potentially leading to a more distributed threat across the board.
Moving towards another family member, Arcbound Ravager offers an alternative approach. Instead of gradual growth, Ravager can explode in power by sacrificing other artifacts to fuel its strength, turning any artifact on the battlefield into potential combat prowess. Although it doesn’t provide the long-term growth potential of Arcbound Overseer, its flexibility can be a game-changer in the right situation.
To encapsulate, Arcbound Overseer offers a formidable presence in decks that are already leveraging +1/+1 counters. While there may be alternatives like Steel Overseer or Arcbound Ravager with their own unique advantages, Arcbound Overseer’s consistent strength growth and formidable late-game presence ensure its niche among MTG’s modular artifact creatures.
Cards similar to Arcbound Overseer by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Arcbound Overseer ensures a steady advantage over time by offering consistent incremental increases to your creatures’ power. Each turn it amps up a creature without the need to spend extra cards, which can lead to a dominating board presence.
Resource Acceleration: As an affinity engine, this powerful automaton synergizes with artifact-heavy decks, allowing you to leverage your artifacts on the field for a potentially reduced casting cost. This can effectively accelerate your resource deployment by having a significant threat on the board earlier than usual.
Instant Speed: While Arcbound Overseer itself isn’t an instant-speed spell, its modular ability can interact beneficially during end phases or in response to removal, ensuring that even if it’s leaving the battlefield, it’s passing on its counters to another artifact creature instantly. This results in no loss of resources and even potential immediate power boosts right when you need them.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Carrying the hefty discard requirement, Arcbound Overseer could deplete your hand and hamper your strategic flexibility in the match, particularly in games where card advantage is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: Arcbound Overseer asks for a precise combination of mana, which can sometimes be a stumbling block for decks that juggle a diverse color palette or operate under restrictive mana bases.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an overwhelming eight mana to cast, Arcbound Overseer’s entry onto the battlefield comes at a premium. In fast-paced games or environments where mana efficiency is key, this cost may be too steep to justify its inclusion over lower-cost alternatives with comparable or faster impact.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Arcbound Overseer can be a linchpin in artifact-centric decks as well as modular-focused builds. With its ability to scale in power over time, it provides sustained value in prolonged games.
Combo Potential: Capitalize on the +1/+1 counter theme with this card. It synergizes well with proliferate mechanics or other counter-doubling effects, creating formidable board states that can overwhelm opponents.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where artifact decks are prevalent, Arcbound Overseer stands out as a key player. Its inherent resilience coupled with synergies in counter-based decks makes it a relevant choice in evolving metagames.
How to beat
Arcbound Overseer is a potent force in the realm of artifact creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Boasting a feature that boosts other artifact creatures on the battlefield at the start of your upkeep, this card can become the lynchpin of a formidable artifact-focused strategy. However, overcoming it isn’t out of reach. As with other high-cost creatures, Arcbound Overseer is vulnerable to removal spells that bypass its bulk, such as Path to Exile or Doom Blade.
Control decks often have an array of counter spells and bounce effects which can effectively deal with the Overseer before it has a chance to dominate the battlefield. Detaining it with cards like Detention Sphere or countering it with something like Mana Leak can negate its impact. It’s also possible to exploit its singular nature by employing land destruction strategies or stalling techniques until you can establish stronger board control.
Ultimately, while Arcbound Overseer promises exponential growth for artifact creatures, strategic play, and the right combination of spells can ensure that this behemoth is kept in check, preserving the balance of the match in your favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Arcbound Overseer MTG card by a specific set like Darksteel and The List, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Arcbound Overseer and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Arcbound Overseer Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2004-02-06 and 2004-02-06. Illustrated by Carl Critchlow.
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Arcbound Overseer has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Arcbound Overseer card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2006-09-25 | If this creature gets enough -1/-1 counters put on it to cause its toughness to be 0 or less (or the damage marked on it to be lethal), modular will put a number of +1/+1 counters on the target artifact creature equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on this creature before it left the battlefield. |