Armillary Sphere MTG Card
Card sets | Released in 13 setsSee all |
Mana cost | |
Converted mana cost | 2 |
Rarity | Common |
Type | Artifact |
Text of card
, , Sacrifice Armillary Sphere: Search your library for up to two basic land cards, reveal them, and put them into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
The mysterious purpose of two of the rings had eluded Esper mages—until now.
Cards like Armillary Sphere
The Armillary Sphere is a unique fixture in the MTG universe, offering a reliable means for players to stabilize their mana sources. It draws a parallel with the likes of Wayfarer’s Bauble, another mana-fixing artifact that allows players to search their library for a basic land card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. However, the Armillary Sphere adds to your hand instead, providing a strategic advantage in fueling land drops for subsequent turns.
Additionally, we see similar functionalities in cards like Burnished Hart, granting players the power to search for lands. Albeit more costly, this card immediately accelerates land placement onto the battlefield. Pilgrim’s Eye offers a more modest comparison, retrieving a basic land to hand but also providing a creature presence on the board. Though it doesn’t offer the double land tutoring like Armillary Sphere, it has its distinct role in various strategies.
Indeed, in the realm of mana-fixing artifacts, the Armillary Sphere holds its place, offering a predictable and unhindered path to land consistency. It excels for its balance between generating immediate board impact and planning ahead, ensuring smooth gameplay for MTG enthusiasts.
Cards similar to Armillary Sphere by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Armillary Sphere is excellent for deck thinning as it lets you search your library for up to two basic land cards, ensuring more consistent draws.
Resource Acceleration: By fetching lands directly from your deck, this artifact helps in securing the land drops needed to accelerate the deployment of your pivotal cards.
Instant Speed: Although the activation isn’t at instant speed, it can be used at the end of your opponent’s turn to ensure you have the mana you need when it’s most crucial, effectively not hindering your own turn’s interaction capacity.
Card Cons
Specific Mana Cost: The Armillary Sphere requires a two-mana investment upfront, which can be restrictive in the early game stages when mana resources are at a premium.
Discard Requirement: While the sphere itself does not have a discard requirement, obtaining the basic lands from your deck is contingent on sacrificing the Armillary Sphere, which can feel like a loss of a resource, especially if board presence is crucial.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although the initial cost is two mana, the activation also demands an additional two, totaling a four-mana commitment for the effect. This is often seen as high considering the streamlined and efficient alternatives available in the format for land fetching.
Reasons to Include Armillary Sphere in Your Collection
Versatility: Armillary Sphere seamlessly integrates into virtually any deck that might be mana-strapped. It’s not restricted by color, making it an excellent choice for multicolored decks seeking consistent land draws.
Combo Potential: As a mana-fixing artifact, it can support decks built around artifact synergies or landfall mechanics, setting the stage for powerful plays and maintaining a healthy mana curve.
Meta-Relevance: In a variety of metagames, the reliability of land drops is crucial. Armillary Sphere ensures land drop consistency, which can be pivotal in games that stretch into the late stages.
How to beat
Armillary Sphere serves as an asset for players looking to stabilize their mana base in Magic: The Gathering. The simplicity of the artifact lies in being able to fetch two basic lands from your deck, ensuring your ability to execute your strategy without mana hiccups. Unlike ramp spells that put lands onto the battlefield, this card places them into your hand, preparing you for future turns.
When facing off against an opponent utilizing the Armillary Sphere, disruption is your hallmark to success. Cards such as Naturalize allow you to swiftly remove it from play before your adversary can benefit from the lands. Counterspells can preemptively neutralize the Sphere as it hits the stack, preserving the state of the game in your favor. Similarly, discard mechanics that force your opponent to lose cards from their hand can strip them of the advantage before they can utilize the searched lands.
Ultimately, thwarting the effect of Armillary Sphere pivots on your capacity to foresee your enemy’s maneuvers and undercut their resources strategically. Maintaining control over the board by efficiently managing your removal and counter resources can nullify the benefits the Sphere provides.
BurnMana Recommendations
Drawing upon the insights shared about Armillary Sphere, it’s clear that mastering MTG involves knowing more than the strengths and weaknesses of any single card. Integrating artifacts like Armillary Sphere in your deck can offer strategic advantages in mana stabilization and aid in executing powerful combos. Indeed, a deeper understanding of card mechanics can transform your playstyle. Ready to deepen your skill set and enrich your MTG experience? Embark on a journey with us as we reveal intricate strategies, deck-building secrets, and much more. Expand your MTG wisdom and join a community devoted to conquering the game, one draw at a time.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Armillary Sphere MTG card by a specific set like Conflux and Duel Decks: Knights vs. Dragons, 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 Armillary Sphere 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
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Armillary Sphere Magic the Gathering card was released in 13 different sets between 2009-02-06 and 2020-11-20. Illustrated by Franz Vohwinkel.
# | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2009-02-06 | Conflux | CON | 134 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Franz Vohwinkel | |
2 | 2011-04-01 | Duel Decks: Knights vs. Dragons | DDG | 62 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Franz Vohwinkel | |
3 | 2011-06-17 | Commander 2011 | CMD | 242 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Franz Vohwinkel | |
4 | 2012-03-30 | Duel Decks: Venser vs. Koth | DDI | 64 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Franz Vohwinkel | |
5 | 2012-06-01 | Planechase 2012 | PC2 | 108 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Franz Vohwinkel | |
6 | 2013-11-01 | Commander 2013 | C13 | 235 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Franz Vohwinkel | |
7 | 2016-11-25 | Planechase Anthology | PCA | 108 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Franz Vohwinkel | |
8 | 2017-06-09 | Commander Anthology | CMA | 207 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Franz Vohwinkel | |
9 | 2017-08-25 | Commander 2017 | C17 | 203 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Franz Vohwinkel | |
10 | 2019-08-23 | Commander 2019 | C19 | 209 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Franz Vohwinkel | |
11 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1545 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Franz Vohwinkel | |
12 | The List | PLST | C17-203 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Franz Vohwinkel | ||
13 | 2020-11-20 | Commander Legends | CMR | 298 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Franz Vohwinkel |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Armillary Sphere has restrictions
Format | Legality |
---|---|
Commander | Legal |
Legacy | Legal |
Paupercommander | Legal |
Modern | Legal |
Oathbreaker | Legal |
Pauper | Legal |
Vintage | Legal |
Duel | Legal |
Predh | Legal |