Atmosphere Surgeon MTG Card


Enhances card selection through deck sifting at instant speed, crucial for finding answers or strategies. Can provide a significant tempo advantage by allowing quicker access to spells and abilities. Versatility lies in its instant nature, enabling strategic plays in response to opponent actions.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Phyrexian Wizard
Power 2
Toughness 1

Text of card

Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, put an oil counter on Atmosphere Surgeon. Remove an oil counter from Atmosphere Surgeon: Target creature gains flying until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery.

It is Jin-Gitaxias's deepest exasperation that any part of his domain still requires maintenance.


Cards like Atmosphere Surgeon

Atmosphere Surgeon is another intriguing card in the versatile toolbox of Magic: The Gathering players. It shares similarities with creatures like Faerie Mechanist, which also excels in giving you a peek into the top portion of your library. Atmosphere Surgeon, though, allows you to rearrange those cards instead of just drawing one, offering a strategic advantage in setting up your subsequent draws.

Looking at Etherium Sculptor, there’s a parallel in how both cards interact with artifacts – Etherium Sculptor reduces the cost of artifact spells, potentially accelerating your gameplay, while Atmosphere Surgeon orchestrates the future plays by sorting the top cards of your library. Aethersnipe is another kin, enforcing control over the battlefield by returning nonland permanents to their owner’s hand, yet it doesn’t offer the same deck manipulation that Atmosphere Surgeon does, making the latter card particularly unique in managing your game plan.

Ultimately, Atmosphere Surgeon can be a valuable asset, especially in a deck that benefits from ordering the library’s top cards to set up powerful combos or ensure a smooth draw, distinguishing itself within the pantheon of creatures in Magic: The Gathering.

Faerie Mechanist - MTG Card versions
Etherium Sculptor - MTG Card versions
Aethersnipe - MTG Card versions
Faerie Mechanist - MTG Card versions
Etherium Sculptor - MTG Card versions
Aethersnipe - MTG Card versions

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Vodalian Soldiers - MTG Card versions
Zephyr Falcon - MTG Card versions
Lord of Atlantis - MTG Card versions
Giant Albatross - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Sphere - MTG Card versions
Soldevi Sage - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Condor - MTG Card versions
School of Piranha - MTG Card versions
Coral Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Wu Light Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Sea Eagle - MTG Card versions
Overtaker - MTG Card versions
Hazy Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Darting Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Thought Eater - MTG Card versions
Spellstutter Sprite - MTG Card versions
Sneaky Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Coral Eel - MTG Card versions
Storm Crow - MTG Card versions
Aquamoeba - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Atmosphere Surgeon allows players to sift through their deck, giving the opportunity to filter out unneeded cards and find crucial strategies or answers for the current game state, thus bolstering their card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: By enabling players to access additional spells or abilities quicker than usual, the Atmosphere Surgeon can effectively speed up gameplay and provide a tempo boost when timing is essential.

Instant Speed: Being an instant, the Atmosphere Surgeon offers versatility in response to an opponent’s actions, allowing players to utilize their mana efficiently and keep up with the fast-paced nature of competitive play.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Atmosphere Surgeon’s ability necessitates discarding a card, potentially putting you at a card disadvantage if you’re already low on hand resources.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost includes blue mana, which could restrict its integration into decks not focused on or supporting blue mana strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that might be seen as steep for its effects, Atmosphere Surgeon faces competition from other cards that provide utility or impact the game at a lower cost.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Atmosphere Surgeon brings flexibility to gameplay as it allows for manipulation of the stack, aiding decks that want control over spell resolution timings and norms.

Combo Potential: This card is a linchpin in strategies that aim to utilize spells or abilities multiple times, enabling powerful synergies with instant and sorcery-focused decks.

Meta-Relevance: Given the card’s ability to interact with other spells on the stack, it can be exceptionally powerful in a meta where stack-based strategies or counter wars are prevalent.


How to beat

Overcoming the Atmosphere Surgeon in MTG involves strategic gameplay and timing. As a versatile tool in blue-red decks, this creature allows players to peek at the top card of their library anytime they cast an instant or sorcery spell, potentially drawing a useful card by discarding another. To counteract this card’s advantage, one effective method is to limit the opponent’s card drawing opportunities by using cards that restrict or punish draw activities. Hand disruption spells can also be a nuisance, forcing the player to discard the Surgeon or essential instants and sorceries they might need to activate its abilities.

Moreover, removal spells are a traditional yet efficient solution to deal with creatures like Atmosphere Surgeon. Quick removal can disrupt the opponent’s tempo and deny them the anticipated value. Board wipes are another route, although less targeted, they can reset the playing field. Finally, countering the Surgeon as it’s being cast, ensures that its ability never becomes a factor. Remember to weigh each approach against the context of your deck and strategy – picking the most efficient way to prevent the Surgeon from taking over the game.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Atmosphere Surgeon MTG card by a specific set like Phyrexia: All Will Be One and Phyrexia: All Will Be One Art Series, 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 Atmosphere Surgeon and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Atmosphere Surgeon Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2023-02-03 and 2023-02-03. Illustrated by Campbell White.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be OneONE 412015NormalBlackCampbell White
22023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be One Art SeriesAONE 122015Art seriesBorderlessCampbell White

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Atmosphere Surgeon has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal