Copy Artifact MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 12 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Copy Artifact excels in generating card advantage by duplicating powerful mana rocks or game-changing equipment.
  2. Demanding two blue mana for casting, its color specificity might restrict usability in multicolored decks.
  3. Phyrexian Metamorph and Sculpting Steel are similar cards, but Copy Artifact’s efficiency and cost stand out.

Text of card

Select any artifact in play. This enchantment acts as a duplicate of that artifact; enchantment copy is affected by cards that affect either enchantments or artifacts. Enchantment copy remains even if original artifact is destroyed.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Copy Artifact offers a unique way to effectively double your most impactful artifacts on the battlefield. Whether copying a powerful mana rock or a game-altering equipment, it can be a source of significant card advantage without the need for extra draws.

Resource Acceleration: By duplicating an artifact that produces mana, Copy Artifact provides a notable boost in resource acceleration. This can be a pivotal move that enables casting high-cost spells earlier than your opponents expect, potentially changing the course of the game.

Instant Speed: While Copy Artifact is not cast at instant speed, its existence on the battlefield can deter opponents from playing out their best artifacts, giving you the tempo advantage. Additionally, since it remains on the field, it continually threatens to clone any new powerful artifacts that come into play, remaining relevant at every stage of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Copy Artifact allows you to duplicate powerful artifacts, it does nothing to mitigate the setback if the original artifact requires a discard as part of its activation. This can strain your hand size and potentially deprive you of critical resources during gameplay.

Specific Mana Cost: Copy Artifact demands a very particular mana investment of two blue mana. This color-specific requirement could pose a challenge for multicolor decks that may not always have the necessary blue mana sources readily available, thus hindering the card’s timely deployment.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that involves two mana, it may not seem exorbitant at a glance. However, given the context of blue-dominated formats where tempo is paramount, the investment might be seen as steep, especially when you consider that you are only copying an artifact and not gaining an additional board presence or immediate impact on the game state.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Copy Artifact stands out as a powerhouse for its ability to clone any artifact in play. Whether it’s duplicating a mana rock for ramp or a high-value engine for sustained advantage, this card’s flexibility makes it a match for a range of strategies and deck builds.

Combo Potential: The real excitement comes from the combo opportunities it presents. Pairing it with cards that offer benefits when artifacts enter the battlefield or when specific artifacts are present can lead to game-winning loops or overwhelming board states.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where artifacts play a key role, Copy Artifact gives you a crucial edge. It can adapt to prevailing trends, allowing you to mimic key pieces of your opponent’s setup, or double down on your own artifact-based tactics, ensuring that it remains a relevant and powerful card to have in your arsenal.


How to beat

Copy Artifact is a card that can prove challenging to handle when faced on the battlefield. It’s a powerful enchantment, able to clone any other artifact in play. This means that the versatility of your opponent’s deck can exponentially increase. To tackle this, focusing on enchantment removal spells like Disenchant or Naturalize can be effective. Such cards provide a straightforward solution to removing the Copy Artifact enchantment itself.

Another strategy against Copy Artifact revolves around the careful management of your own artifacts. If you limit the number of powerful artifacts in play, you reduce the value that Copy Artifact can provide to your opponent. It’s also worth mentioning that artifact-specific removal like Abrade or Shatter will disrupt the synergy by targeting the copied artifacts directly.

Ultimately, the key to triumphing over Copy Artifact lies in recognizing the threat it poses and promptly dealing with it. By utilizing targeted removal or adjusting your strategy to minimize its impact, you can negate the advantage it grants your opponent, turning the tide in your favor within the diverse world of Magic the Gathering.


BurnMana Recommendations

Copy Artifact is a classic MTG card that offers clever strategies and game-changing potential. By enabling you to clone the most impactful artifacts on the battlefield, it can dramatically shift the dynamics of your matches. With its ability to accelerate resources and threaten to copy newly played powerful artifacts, it remains a relevant threat throughout the game. If you’re keen to harness the power of artifacts, expand your strategic plays, and gain an edge in your MTG games, Copy Artifact is a must-have for your collection. Dive deeper with us and explore the strategies that can make Copy Artifact a cornerstone of your victorious deck.


Cards like Copy Artifact

Copy Artifact is an intriguing spell in the realm of MTG that allows players to clone any artifact on the battlefield. Its close relative, Phyrexian Metamorph, offers a similar effect, albeit with a broader scope, capable of copying any artifact or creature. However, Phyrexian Metamorph demands Phyrexian mana for its cost, which provides versatility but at the cost of life points if not paid with blue mana.

Another akin card is Sculpting Steel, which mirrors the ability to copy artifacts but lacks the potential cost reduction that Copy Artifact offers if the artifact to copy has a converted mana cost of less than three. Clever Impersonator extends this cloning concept to encompass any nonland permanent, providing a higher flexibility in what it can copy compared to Copy Artifact, yet it demands more mana investment.

When evaluating functionality and cost efficiency, Copy Artifact holds its ground because it provides an economical and efficient means to replicate powerful artifacts already on the table. Its ability to seamlessly integrate into strategies centered around artifacts makes it a card worth considering for players looking to maximize synergy and impact.

Phyrexian Metamorph - MTG Card versions
Sculpting Steel - MTG Card versions
Clever Impersonator - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Metamorph - New Phyrexia Promos (PNPH)
Sculpting Steel - Mirrodin (MRD)
Clever Impersonator - Khans of Tarkir Promos (PKTK)

Cards similar to Copy Artifact by color, type and mana cost

Invisibility - MTG Card versions
Power Leak - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Terrain - MTG Card versions
Creature Bond - MTG Card versions
Stasis - MTG Card versions
Lifetap - MTG Card versions
Power Artifact - MTG Card versions
Psychic Venom - MTG Card versions
Venarian Gold - MTG Card versions
Homarid Spawning Bed - MTG Card versions
Soar - MTG Card versions
Flooded Shoreline - MTG Card versions
Dance of Many - MTG Card versions
Teferi's Veil - MTG Card versions
Legacy's Allure - MTG Card versions
Chill - MTG Card versions
Buoyancy - MTG Card versions
Mana Maze - MTG Card versions
Psionic Gift - MTG Card versions
Immobilizing Ink - MTG Card versions
Invisibility - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Power Leak - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Phantasmal Terrain - Invasion (INV)
Creature Bond - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Stasis - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Lifetap - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Power Artifact - Antiquities (ATQ)
Psychic Venom - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Venarian Gold - Legends (LEG)
Homarid Spawning Bed - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Soar - Mirage (MIR)
Flooded Shoreline - Visions (VIS)
Dance of Many - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Teferi's Veil - Weatherlight (WTH)
Legacy's Allure - Tempest (TMP)
Chill - Tempest (TMP)
Buoyancy - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Mana Maze - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Psionic Gift - Odyssey (ODY)
Immobilizing Ink - Odyssey (ODY)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Copy Artifact MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Copy Artifact and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Copy Artifact Magic the Gathering card was released in 11 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 531993normalblackAmy Weber
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 541993normalblackAmy Weber
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 541993normalwhiteAmy Weber
41993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 541993normalblackAmy Weber
51993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 541993normalblackAmy Weber
61994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 531993normalwhiteAmy Weber
71994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 531993normalblackAmy Weber
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 531993normalwhiteAmy Weber
92002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 656502015normalblackMagali Villeneuve
102011-01-10Masters Edition IVME4 441997normalblackAmy Weber
112022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 532015normalblackAmy Weber
122022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 3501997normalblackAmy Weber

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Copy Artifact has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 The artifact to copy is chosen at the time this card enters the battlefield. If there is no valid artifact to choose, then this card enters the battlefield as an enchantment that has no effect.
2004-10-04 The copy is both an artifact and an enchantment, so it is an artifact-enchantment (perhaps even an artifact-creature-enchantment). It can be affected by anything which affects either type of permanent.
2004-10-04 The copy of the artifact is not still blue. It copies the color of the thing it is copying.

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