Urza's Bauble MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact

Key Takeaways

  1. Urza’s Bauble enables informed plays by revealing an opponent’s hand, promoting strategic moves.
  2. It maintains card economy, being a zero-cost artifact that doesn’t deplete your mana resources.
  3. Instant speed usage provides tactical advantage, keeping strategy hidden until necessary.

Text of card

oc T: Sacrifice Urza's Bauble to choose a card at random from target player's hand; look at that card. Ignore this ability if that player has no cards left in hand. Draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Urza’s Bauble provides insight into your opponent’s hand, meaning you can make more informed decisions. The ability to draw a card after its sacrifice ensures you don’t lose card presence on the field.

Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t produce mana itself, Urza’s Bauble is a zero-cost artifact, which means it essentially accelerates your resources by not tapping into your mana pool; this keeps your options open to cast other spells or activate abilities.

Instant Speed: Urza’s Bauble can be sacrificed at instant speed, offering flexibility in your play. You can wait until the end of your opponent’s turn to use it, which helps you maintain the element of surprise and keep your strategies concealed.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Urza’s Bauble doesn’t force a discard, utilizing it means you’re potentially delaying access to essential cards. The card draws after the next upkeep, which can be a setback if you’re seeking immediate answers.

Specific Mana Cost: Urza’s Bauble is free to cast, making its mana cost irrelevant. However, its reliance on specific mana types in a deck for synergistic purposes might not always align with an optimal strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Urza’s Bauble itself does not require mana to cast, it’s worth considering the opportunity cost. Other zero-cost artifacts might offer more immediate or impactful effects, potentially relegating Urza’s Bauble to a lower priority in a tightly curated deck.


Reasons to Include Urza’s Bauble in Your Collection

Versatility: Urza’s Bauble offers broad application across various MTG decks, acting as a free artifact that synergizes with strategies emphasizing card draw or artifact count without disrupting your mana curve.

Combo Potential: This Bauble’s ability to glimpse an opponent’s hand while potentially drawing a card next turn fits seamlessly into combos that capitalize on knowledge manipulation or low-cost artifacts triggering effects.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where small artifacts play a pivotal role, the inconspicuous Urza’s Bauble can be a low-investment addition that subtly boosts your game plan against the prevalent strategies, keeping your deck competitive and current.


How to beat

Urza’s Bauble is a unique piece from the array of available artifacts in Magic: The Gathering. Regarded for its zero cost and ability to give its controller a glimpse of a random card in an opponent’s hand, Urza’s Bauble can be deceiving in its simplicity. Upon its usage, the subsequent draw it provides can be a modest boost in card advantage.

To outmaneuver Urza’s Bauble, one strategy stands out: minimize the information advantage it bestows on the controller. This can be achieved by maintaining a full hand, thus diluting the significance of any single card revealed. Key spells that require timing, like counterspells or combat tricks, should be played wisely to avoid giving the Urza’s Bauble user clear insights into your strategy.

Moving past mere concealment, disruptive plays such as targeted discard or hand disruption mechanics force the Bauble owner to act prematurely or risk losing their artifact to the graveyard without any benefit. In high-level play, timing is of the essence, and with no downfall associated with holding on to your cards until the last viable moment, outwitting Urza’s Bauble is a task that leans heavily on strategic hand management and opportunistic play.


BurnMana Recommendations

Descending into the strategic depths of MTG, Urza’s Bauble emerges as a subtle yet incisive tool for any savvy player who values insight and timely card advantage. While its immediate impact might seem slight, the understanding it imparts and the fulfillment it promises the following turn create ripples that can dictate the tides of a duel. Whether you’re looking to refine a finely-tuned machine or brew a cunning new concoction, embracing the finesse that Urza’s Bauble adds to your arsenal can be a game-changer. Dive deeper into the strategies and synergies that Urza’s Bauble can unlock in your deck. Take your gameplay to new heights with the insights and tactics waiting for you at BurnMana.


Cards like Urza's Bauble

In the realm of zero-cost artifacts in MTG, Urza’s Bauble offers a unique glimpse into an opponent’s hand while eventually granting card replacement. It’s often compared to Mishra’s Bauble, which also provides delayed card draw without mana investment but peeks at the top card of a library instead. Both baubles delay gratification but keep the card flow moving without dipping into your mana pool.

Exploring further parallels, Conjurer’s Bauble comes into play, bearing the ability to recycle a card from the graveyard to the bottom of the library, followed by a card draw. While it costs one mana, the cycling effect can be pivotal in combo decks. Then there’s Chromatic Sphere, straddling mana-fixing and card drawing. Although it provides immediate draw upon activation, it requires a mana to do so, contrasting with the free activation of Urza’s Bauble.

When stacking up these options, Urza’s Bauble maintains a niche spot. Despite its delayed draw, the zero mana cost and the peek at an opponent’s hand can be a subtle yet crucial advantage in the strategic depth of MTG gameplay.

Urza's Bauble - MTG Card versions
Mishra's Bauble - MTG Card versions
Conjurer's Bauble - MTG Card versions
Chromatic Sphere - MTG Card versions
Urza's Bauble - Ice Age (ICE)
Mishra's Bauble - Coldsnap (CSP)
Conjurer's Bauble - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Chromatic Sphere - Invasion (INV)

Cards similar to Urza's Bauble by color, type and mana cost

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Everflowing Chalice - MTG Card versions
Memnite - MTG Card versions
Black Lotus - Alchemy: Dominaria (YDMU)
Ornithopter - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Tormod's Crypt - The List (PLST)
Jeweled Amulet - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Zuran Orb - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Fountain of Youth - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Phyrexian Marauder - Visions (VIS)
Claws of Gix - Urza's Saga (USG)
Mana Crypt - Special Guests (SPG)
Mox Opal - Double Masters (2XM)
Gleemox - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Chalice of the Void - Judge Gift Cards 2019 (J19)
Welding Jar - Mirrodin (MRD)
Chrome Mox - Double Masters (2XM)
Orochi Hatchery - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Spellbook - Magic 2010 (M10)
Lotus Petal - The List (PLST)
Mox Diamond - From the Vault: Relics (V10)
Everflowing Chalice - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)
Memnite - The List (PLST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Urza's Bauble MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age and Fifth Edition, 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 Urza's Bauble and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Urza's Bauble Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1995-06-03 and 2007-09-10. Illustrated by Christopher Rush.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11995-06-03Ice AgeICE 3431993normalblackChristopher Rush
21997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 4061997normalwhiteChristopher Rush
32007-09-10Masters EditionME1 1701997normalblackChristopher Rush

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Urza's Bauble has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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