Bosh, Iron Golem Avatar MTG Card

Rarity	Rare
Type	Vanguard
Released	2003-01-01
Set symbol
Set name	Magic Online Avatars
Set code	PMOA
Number	39
Frame	2015
Layout	Vanguard
Border	Black
Illustred by	UDON

Key Takeaways

Bosh can repeatedly convert artifacts into damage, offering a robust late-game strategy.
Instant speed allows flexibility to disrupt opponents’ plays or respond to threats quickly.
The high mana cost can be restrictive, making Bosh less suitable for fast-paced decks.

Text of card

, Sacrifice an artifact with converted mana cost X: Bosh, Iron Golem deals X damage to target creature or player.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Bosh, Iron Golem Avatar thrives in formats where having a robust late-game strategy is crucial. Being an artifact creature, Bosh can easily be recurred from the graveyard to the battlefield or hand in MTG, which potentially grants you repetitive access to its powerful ability—turning spare artifacts into direct damage.

Resource Acceleration: This formidable avatar encourages a strategy built around resource acceleration. In an artifact-heavy deck, Bosh can utilize excess artifacts that are no longer needed as resources for its ability. By converting artifacts into damage, you can transform even the most mundane of artifacts into important strategic assets, effectively using your resources to control the pace and outcome of the game.

Instant Speed: Bosh’s ability to sacrifice an artifact to deal damage is not tied to sorcery speed, allowing for strategic plays at instant speed. Whether you’re disrupting an opponent’s strategy during their turn or responding to threats in a pinch, Bosh offers the flexibility to adapt to the evolving battlefield without being restricted by the turn structure.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The requirement to discard another artifact card is essential to activate Bosh, Iron Golem’s ability. This could be a notable downside, particularly in situations where your hand is already depleted, and you’re in dire need of maintaining board presence or card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: This avatar demands a specific combination of mana to play, including three reds and five of any color. This steep requirement could restrict its integration into a wide range of decks, particularly those that do not support a heavy red mana base or those that aim for a fast-paced, aggressive playstyle where such a high mana curve is less desirable.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the ability to turn any artifact into direct damage can be powerful, the high mana investment to cast Bosh, Iron Golem can be seen as a disadvantage when compared to other creatures or spells. Many alternatives may offer similar or better value for a lesser mana cost, making Bosh a challenging card to incorporate effectively in a deck that needs to manage resources efficiently.

Reasons to Include Bosh, Iron Golem Avatar in Your Collection

Versatility: Bosh, Iron Golem Avatar stands as a flexible card, capable of integrating into a variety of deck builds. It shines in artifact-centric strategies, enabling the reshaping of your board presence or adapting to dynamic gameplay situations.

Combo Potential: With Bosh, the ability to toss artifacts for direct damage lends itself to numerous combos, turning late-game redundant artifacts or even lands transformed by effects like Mycosynth Lattice into unexpected victory conditions.

Meta-Relevance: As the landscape of the game changes, an easily accessible commander like Bosh can be particularly potent. In a meta with prevalent indestructible or hexproof threats, Bosh offers a consistent method to bypass traditional defenses and impact the board directly.

How to Beat

Encountering Bosh, Iron Golem in the battlefield often signals a heavy artifact strategy, bringing a unique set of challenges. This formidable avatar thrives in environments rich with artifacts to fling at opponents, dealing damage equivalent to the discarded artifact’s mana value. The key to overcoming Bosh lies in dismantling its support structure – the artifacts.

Effective strategies include maintaining a strong line of artifact removal spells, such as Abrade or Shatterstorm. These not only lessen the potential ammunition for Bosh but can hinder the opponent’s overall game plan. Control decks can keep Bosh in check by countering it outright or removing it once it hits the board. Cards like Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile can exile Bosh, bypassing its resilience to destruction.

Moreover, strategies that limit the player’s ability to sacrifice artifacts will nullify Bosh’s threat. Employing cards such as Damping Sphere challenges the artifact-heavy decks to operate under restrictions, ultimately making Bosh less effective. By focusing on these disruption tactics, players can mitigate the impact of Bosh, Iron Golem, and steer the game towards victory.

Cards like Bosh, Iron Golem Avatar

Bosh, Iron Golem Avatar is an iconic figure from the plane of Mirrodin, boasting the capacity to turn spare artifacts into direct damage. Cards with similar flares for artifacts include Goblin Welder and Daretti, Scrap Savant. Like Bosh, both have abilities that revolve around the manipulation of artifacts in play or in the graveyard. However, neither Goblin Welder nor Daretti can fling artifacts at opponents for damage.

Additionally, Atog presents a parallel by requiring the sacrifice of artifacts to gain a benefit, though in its case, it boosts its own power rather than dealing damage to a target. Trash for Treasure also shares the theme of sacrificing artifacts but focuses on the reanimation aspect, not direct damage. Nonetheless, Bosh distinguishes itself by combining the elements of sacrificing artifacts and dealing damage, amplifying its potential impact on the game state.

In sum, looking at Bosh’s unique combination of artifact interaction and damage output, it occupies a distinguished spot in the fabric of MTG cards. Its ability to transform excess iron into game-ending throws makes it a formidable asset in any artifact-centric deck.

Daretti, Scrap Savant - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bosh, Iron Golem Avatar MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Avatars, 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 Bosh, Iron Golem Avatar and other MTG cards: