Chief Engineer MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Vedalken Artificer
Power 1
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Chief Engineer’s convoke ability turns artifacts into versatile mana sources, enabling faster gameplay.
  2. Artifact-centric decks gain explosive combo potential and game-winning opportunities with this card.
  3. Chief Engineer’s unique convoke mechanic distinguishes it from similar mana-accelerating cards.

Text of card

Artifact spells you cast have convoke. (Your creatures can help cast those spells. Each creature you tap while casting an artifact spell pays for or one mana of that creature's color.)

An eye for detail, a mind for numbers, a soul of clockwork.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Chief Engineer offers an edge by allowing you to effectively bypass mana costs through its unique ability. By tapping an untapped artifact you control, you can convoke the Engineer’s effect to deploy other artifacts more efficiently, thus maintaining a steady flow of resources while keeping your hand filled with viable plays.

Resource Acceleration: This card excels in resource acceleration by converting your array of artifacts into potential mana sources. A table packed with inexpensive artifacts suddenly turns into a wealth of untapped potential, enabling you to cast high-cost artifacts earlier than usual and often catching opponents off guard with the rapid development of your board state.

Instant Speed: While Chief Engineer itself operates at sorcery speed, the artifacts it helps cast could have instant-speed applications or flash, combining well with the Engineer’s ability to swiftly empower your board presence at crucial moments. This flexibility can pivot the course of the game, especially when optimized in a synergistic artifact deck.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Chief Engineer necessitates having creatures to tap, indirectly demanding discarding potential attackers or blockers, which might hinder your board presence and overall strategy during the game.

Specific Mana Cost: The Engineer requires blue mana, thereby restricting its integration exclusively to blue-inclusive decks or necessitating a well-tuned mana base that may complicate deck construction and consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of two mana, one of which must be blue, there may be more efficient creatures or spells that could occupy this slot in a deck. This mana investment also competes with other pivotal two-mana plays within the game, which may yield immediate results or board impact.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Chief Engineer enables artifact-heavy decks to explode with potential, offering a way to convoke artifacts, essentially turning all your creatures into mana sources. This significantly widens your strategic options each turn.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well in artifact-centric decks, unlocking explosive plays by allowing you to cast costly artifacts much earlier. It’s a linchpin in combos that revolve around deploying and utilizing artifacts rapidly for a game-winning move.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where artifacts play a critical role, Chief Engineer stands out as a key player. The capacity to churn out artifacts at a faster pace can be the difference-maker in matches, ensuring your board state is always a step ahead.


How to beat

Chief Engineer represents a unique challenge for players in Magic: The Gathering, specifically due to its ability to convoke, allowing the casting of artifact spells by using creatures you control as mana sources. This can quickly escalate the game in favor of the player utilizing artifacts effectively. To combat the advantage that Chief Engineer offers, it’s imperative to prioritize removing it from the battlefield as swiftly as possible.

Targeted removal spells like Murder, Path to Exile, or Abrupt Decay are useful tools to dispatch Chief Engineer before it can engineer a formidable board state. Moreover, employing counterspells such as Counterspell or Mana Leak when Chief Engineer is cast ensures that the spell never resolves, thus maintaining the balance of play. Board wipes including Wrath of God or Supreme Verdict can reset the playing field if Chief Engineer’s influence has already begun to snowball.

Ultimately, the key to overcoming Chief Engineer’s convoke advantage is to anticipate and disrupt the synergies before they can be fully executed. Quick action and a strategic approach to managing the battlefield can nullify the threat posed by Chief Engineer, keeping your opponent from constructing an insurmountable artifact armada.


BurnMana Recommendations

If you’re captivated by the strategic depth that Chief Engineer can inject into your MTG deck, you’ll find it’s a card that defies conventional play. It transforms your artifacts into more than just tools or accessories; they become the core of a formidable strategy. The Engineer’s capacity to free up your mana and accelerate your game puts you well ahead of the curve in artifact-rich environments. Interested in weaving this powerful card into your deck and transforming your artifacts into an unstoppable force? Expand your collection and strategy with Chief Engineer today. Step into our world for more insights and unparalleled MTG wisdom.


Cards like Chief Engineer

Chief Engineer holds a unique position within the Magic the Gathering arsenal due to its ability to convoke artifacts. Comparable in nature is Etherium Sculptor, which reduces the cost of artifact spells, making them more mana-efficient. While both cards favor strategies that heavily involve artifacts, Chief Engineer allows players to deploy heavy-hitters early by tapping their existing creatures, rather than just reducing costs.

Another card worthy of comparison is the famed Grand Architect. This creature not only turns other blue creatures into mana sources for artifact spells but also pumps them up, giving them a power boost. The grand architect can thus create massive board presence and mana acceleration simultaneously. Chief Engineer, in contrast, doesn’t offer a stat boost, but provides the convoke flexibility across all creatures regardless of color.

Though each of these cards brings a distinct flavor to the table, Chief Engineer remains a staple for players crafting decks laden with artifacts. Its convoke mechanic offers an inventive twist on mana generation, propelling artifact-centric decks forward with surprising tempo and efficiency.

Etherium Sculptor - MTG Card versions
Grand Architect - MTG Card versions
Etherium Sculptor - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Grand Architect - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)

Cards similar to Chief Engineer by color, type and mana cost

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Phantasmal Sphere - MTG Card versions
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Storm Crow - MTG Card versions
Aquamoeba - MTG Card versions
Soratami Cloudskater - MTG Card versions
Minamo Sightbender - MTG Card versions
Vodalian Soldiers - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Zephyr Falcon - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Giant Albatross - Homelands (HML)
Phantasmal Sphere - Alliances (ALL)
Skyshroud Condor - Tempest (TMP)
School of Piranha - Exodus (EXO)
Coral Merfolk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Wu Light Cavalry - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Sea Eagle - Starter 1999 (S99)
Overtaker - Mercadian Masques Promos (PMMQ)
Hazy Homunculus - Prophecy (PCY)
Darting Merfolk - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Thought Eater - Odyssey (ODY)
Spellstutter Sprite - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Sneaky Homunculus - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Coral Eel - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Storm Crow - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Aquamoeba - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Soratami Cloudskater - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Minamo Sightbender - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Chief Engineer MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Magic 2015 Promos, 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 Chief Engineer and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Chief Engineer Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2014-07-17 and 2016-11-11. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 538242015normalblackRyan Barger
22014-07-17Magic 2015 PromosPM15 472015normalblackRyan Barger
32014-07-18Magic 2015M15 472015normalblackSteven Belledin
42016-11-11Commander 2016C16 862015normalblackSteven Belledin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Chief Engineer has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2014-07-18 Multiple instances of convoke on a single spell are redundant.
2021-03-19 If a creature you control has a mana ability with in the cost, activating that ability while casting a spell with convoke will result in the creature being tapped before you pay the spell’s costs. You won’t be able to tap it again for convoke. Similarly, if you sacrifice a creature to activate a mana ability while casting a spell with convoke, that creature won’t be on the battlefield when you pay the spell’s costs, so you won’t be able to tap it for convoke.
2021-03-19 When calculating a spell’s total cost, include any alternative costs, additional costs, or anything else that increases or reduces the cost to cast the spell. Convoke applies after the total cost is calculated. Convoke doesn’t change a spell’s mana cost or mana value.
2021-03-19 You can tap any untapped creature you control to convoke a spell, even one you haven’t controlled continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn.

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