Junkyard Genius MTG Card

Junkyard Genius offers consistent card advantage by filtering unwanted cards for pivotal game pieces. Instant speed activation of its ability provides flexibility and tactical surprise during gameplay. While powerful, its utility is balanced by specific mana requirements and a higher casting cost.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Artificer
Released	2022-11-18
Set symbol
Set name	The Brothers' War
Set code	BRO
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	214
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Rémi Jacquot

Text of card

When Junkyard Genius enters the battlefield, create a tapped Powerstone token. (It's an artifact with ": Add . This mana can't be spent to cast a nonartifact spell.") , Sacrifice another creature or artifact: Until end of turn, other creatures you control get +1/+0 and gain menace and haste.

Cards like Junkyard Genius

Junkyard Genius adds a fresh twist to the roster of artifact-centric cards within MTG. It bears resemblance to artificers like Trash for Treasure, which also revolves around the reanimation of artifacts from the graveyard. However, Junkyard Genius notches up the gameplay by allowing you to not only retrieve an artifact but also to potentially transform any artifact into a threat on the battlefield. In contrast, Trash for Treasure’s sole focus is on exchanging artifacts, missing out on the adaptive versatility that Junkyard Genius offers.

Analogously, Daretti, Scrap Savant presents a kindred spirit to Junkyard Genius, with an ability to swap artifacts from hand to graveyard and vice versa. Daretti however leans more towards a planeswalker’s role in maintaining card advantage and board presence. Then we have Goblin Welder, an established player in artifact manipulation. It shares the intent to recur valuable artifacts from the graveyard but does so on a much smaller scale and at a faster pace, given its lower cost and simpler ability.

Considering the unique abilities and costs associated with these artifact aficionados, Junkyard Genius finds its niche in MTG, offering a multifaceted approach to artifact play strategies and ensuring its place in decks that favor inventive synergies and tactical comebacks.

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Decks using this card

MTG decks using Junkyard Genius. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#	Name	Format	Archetype	Event
	Rakdos Sacrifice	Standard	Rakdos Sacrifice	2023Players Convention Aichi 2023 Standard Open

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Junkyard Genius provides a consistent and repeatable way to sift through your deck. Every time you activate its ability, you’re effectively drawing a card by discarding one you don’t need and replacing it with a potentially more useful one.

Resource Acceleration: By enabling you to discard artifacts and then bring them back from the graveyard to the battlefield, Junkyard Genius acts as a form of resource acceleration. This synergy can be especially powerful with cards that have enter-the-battlefield effects or with strategies that capitalize on artifact recursion.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of triggering Junkyard Genius’s ability at instant speed means you can make the most of your cards during any point of the game. Whether it’s on your turn or in response to an opponent’s move, its instant speed activation keeps your opponents guessing and allows you to adapt to the ever-changing battlefield.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To activate Junkyard Genius’s ability, a player must discard another card. This can be particularly taxing in game situations where hand size is crucial to maintaining strategic options.

Specific Mana Cost: Junkyard Genius has a precise mana cost that includes both colorless and colored mana, which can make it challenging to cast in multi-color decks that may not consistently have the right mana available.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that is substantial in terms of early game plays, Junkyard Genius faces competition from other cards in the same mana range that might offer immediate impact or value without the discard drawback.

Reasons to Include Junkyard Genius in Your Collection

Versatility: Junkyard Genius presents a multi-use dynamic to your arsenal, easily integrating into artifact-centric builds or strategies that thrive on the synergy between creatures and non-creature spells.

Combo Potential: Its ability to interact with both artifacts and creatures opens up a myriad of combo possibilities, allowing for some game-changing plays that can turn the tide in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: With the shifting landscapes of competitive play, a card like Junkyard Genius can adapt to various meta environments, proving its worth against a range of deck styles.

How to beat

Junkyard Genius introduces a novel dynamic to Magic: The Gathering’s landscape of artifact-centric strategies. At the core of circumventing this card’s power lies the ability to manage and minimize the pool of artifacts within one’s graveyard. One approach to disrupting Junkyard Genius’s synergy is through the use of graveyard hate cards like Tormod’s Crypt or Leyline of the Void, which can exile artifacts from the graveyard, rendering the Genius’s ability irrelevant.

Additionally, counterplay strategies can be centered around preemptively neutralizing artifacts before they reach the graveyard. Cards like Naturalize or Shatterstorm can be invaluable, allowing players to dismantle their opponent’s battlefield and keep artifact counts low. Moreover, focus on keeping pressure with swift, aggressive plays that outpace the incremental value Junkyard Genius can create over time.

In summary, through vigilant graveyard management, strategic artifact removal, and maintaining a proactive game plan, one can mitigate the impact of Junkyard Genius in a match, ensuring that this savvy artificer doesn’t tip the scales in favor of your opponent.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Junkyard Genius MTG card by a specific set like The Brothers' War, 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 Junkyard Genius and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Junkyard Genius has restrictions

Format	Legality
Standard	Legal
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Future	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Junkyard Genius card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2022-10-14	Although all the cards in The Brothers' War that create Powerstone tokens create a tapped Powerstone token, entering the battlefield tapped isn't part of the token's definition. Notably, if you create a token that is a copy of a Powerstone token, the token copy won't enter the battlefield tapped.
2022-10-14	Powerstone tokens are a kind of predefined token. Each one has the artifact subtype "Powerstone" and the ability ": Add . This mana can't be spent to cast a nonartifact spell."
2022-10-14	You can use the added by a Powerstone token on anything that isn't a nonartifact spell. This includes paying costs to activate abilities of both artifact and nonartifact permanents, paying ward costs, and so on.