Explosive Apparatus MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeArtifact

Key Takeaways

  1. Explosive Apparatus can help control the board, protecting creatures and removing threats without needing to draw cards.
  2. The ability to activate at instant speed offers flexibility, allowing for strategic responses to opponents’ plays.
  3. While not a resource accelerator, its low cost complements mana curves, enabling efficient use of mana each turn.

Text of card

, , Sacrifice Explosive Apparatus: Explosive Apparatus deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

"Souls are volatile things. When compressed and loaded into a handheld device, their destructive potential is quite impressive." —Dierk, geistmage


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Although Explosive Apparatus doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, it can function as board control, preserving your key creatures while removing threats. This keeps your board presence strong and maintains the momentum of the game in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Explosive Apparatus doesn’t directly accelerate your resources. However, the low cost of this artifact means it fits easily into a curve, leaving mana open for more impactful plays. By effectively utilizing your mana pool each turn, you can gain a subtle advantage over time.

Instant Speed: The ability to sacrifice Explosive Apparatus at instant speed gives you the flexibility to respond to your opponent’s actions on their turn. This allows for strategic plays, such as eliminating a freshly summoned creature before it can become a greater threat or even in response to an opponent’s spell or ability that targets the card.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One limitation of Explosive Apparatus in gameplay is the lack of a discard requirement. While this may seem trivial, cards that facilitate discarding can be beneficial for strategies involving the graveyard or madness abilities. The absence of this dynamic does limit certain synergy possibilities within the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Explosive Apparatus demands one colorless mana for its deployment plus an additional two colorless mana to activate its ability. This specificity in mana cost can impact flexibility, especially in decks that are mana-hungry or operate under strict color requirements.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating its overall efficiency, Explosive Apparatus presents a relatively high mana investment for its effect. The total cost of three mana to deal two damage to any target is comparatively steep when measured against other low-costing damage-dealing spells or permanents which may offer greater damage output or additional benefits at a similar or reduced cost.


Reasons to Include Explosive Apparatus in Your Collection

Versatility: Explosive Apparatus fits a unique role in decks that need a low-cost artifact or a flexible removal option. It’s a valuable option for both aggressive and control strategies, offering utility in early or late-game scenarios.

Combo Potential: This card has synergy with strategies that capitalize on artifacts. The ability to sacrifice it for damage plays well with mechanics that trigger upon artifacts entering or leaving the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: If creatures with one toughness are common in your play environment, Explosive Apparatus can serve as an efficient removal tool. Plus, it’s colorless, so it can slip into any deck composition without affecting mana consistency.


How to beat

Explosive Apparatus offers strategic versatility on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering, but it comes with vulnerabilities that can be exploited. This artifact is known for its ability to deal a small amount of damage at the cost of three mana and sacrificing itself. Making the most of this card involves assessing the appropriate moment to trigger its ability, ideally disrupting an opponent’s strategy or removing key creatures.

Beating this card often involves playing around its activation cost. Since it requires a total of four mana to play and activate—consuming resources that could otherwise go toward more impactful plays—it can sometimes become a speed bump rather than a game changer. Furthermore, cards with higher toughness can withstand the damage from Explosive Apparatus, rendering it ineffective as a removal tool. Players can also employ enchantment removal spells or artifact destruction cards to eliminate Explosive Apparatus before it can be used to any significant effect.

To summarize, by understanding its mana requirements and limited damage output, players can navigate around Explosive Apparatus, rendering it less of a threat. Integrating answers to artifacts within your deck and playing securely around its damage potential are key strategies for neutralizing this card’s impact during the game.


Cards like Explosive Apparatus

Explosive Apparatus is an intriguing utility artifact for Magic the Gathering players seeking versatile options. It sits alongside cards like Pyrite Spellbomb in terms of providing direct damage to creatures or players. What distinguishes Explosive Apparatus is its simplicity; for a total investment of four mana, it deals two damage. Pyrite Spellbomb can be sacraficed for fewer mana, although it does require red mana to activate this ability, whereas Explosive Apparatus is colorless, giving it more flexibility across different decks.

Considering other comparable cards, Ghirapur AEther Grid offers a reusable damage effect but requires a heavier board presence of artifacts to function. Conversely, Explosive Apparatus is a one-time effect that can be used without other artifacts on the field. Another similar card is Barrage of Boulders, which can deal damage to each creature your opponents control. While not a direct comparison, it shows how Explosive Apparatus offers a focused single-target solution over a broader sweep.

In conclusion, while not the most mana-efficient damage artifact, Explosive Apparatus provides MTG players with a flexible and immediate option to deal damage, making it a considerable choice for decks that don’t rely on specific colors to function.

Pyrite Spellbomb - MTG Card versions
Barrage of Boulders - MTG Card versions
Pyrite Spellbomb - Mirrodin (MRD)
Barrage of Boulders - Khans of Tarkir (KTK)

Cards similar to Explosive Apparatus by color, type and mana cost

Glasses of Urza - MTG Card versions
Wooden Sphere - MTG Card versions
Sol Ring - MTG Card versions
Iron Star - MTG Card versions
Library of Leng - MTG Card versions
Black Vise - MTG Card versions
Urza's Chalice - MTG Card versions
Ivory Cup - MTG Card versions
Brass Man - MTG Card versions
Mana Vault - MTG Card versions
Soul Net - MTG Card versions
The Rack - MTG Card versions
Helm of Chatzuk - MTG Card versions
Obelisk of Undoing - MTG Card versions
Feldon's Cane - MTG Card versions
Ivory Tower - MTG Card versions
Meekstone - MTG Card versions
Triangle of War - MTG Card versions
Throne of Bone - MTG Card versions
Crystal Rod - MTG Card versions
Glasses of Urza - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Wooden Sphere - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Sol Ring - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Iron Star - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Library of Leng - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Black Vise - Revised Edition (3ED)
Urza's Chalice - Masters Edition (ME1)
Ivory Cup - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Brass Man - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Mana Vault - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Soul Net - Fifth Edition (5ED)
The Rack - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Helm of Chatzuk - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Obelisk of Undoing - Rinascimento (RIN)
Feldon's Cane - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Ivory Tower - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Meekstone - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Triangle of War - Visions (VIS)
Throne of Bone - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Crystal Rod - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Explosive Apparatus MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad and Core Set 2019, 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 Explosive Apparatus and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Explosive Apparatus Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2016-04-08 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Lindsey Look.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-04-08Shadows over InnistradSOI 2552015normalblackLindsey Look
22018-07-13Core Set 2019M19 2332015normalblackLindsey Look
32023-03-21Shadows over Innistrad RemasteredSIR 2502015normalblackLindsey Look

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Explosive Apparatus has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks