Dimir Machinations MTG Card

Dimir Machinations - Ravnica: City of Guilds

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery
Abilities	Transmute
Released	2005-10-07
Set symbol
Set name	Ravnica: City of Guilds
Set code	RAV
Number	84
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Greg Staples

Key Takeaways

Dimir Machinations is a tutor card that improves deck consistency by fetching three-cost cards.
The card accelerates your strategy by allowing graveyard shuffling and resource management.
Its sorcery speed is mitigated by enabling flexible, instant-speed plays for the user.

Text of card

Look at the top three cards of target player's library. Remove any number of those cards from the game, then put the rest back in any order. Transmute (, Discard this card: Search your library for a card with the same converted mana cost as this card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play only as a sorcery.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dimir Machinations, as a MTG card, offers the strategic advantage of tutoring for any three-cost card, effectively thinning your deck and improving the chances of drawing impactful cards in subsequent turns.

Resource Acceleration: By allowing you to shuffle unwanted cards from the top of your library into your graveyard, Dimir Machinations can accelerate your resource availability, setting up potent graveyard strategies and synergizing with reanimation or flashback abilities.

Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, this sorcery can set up instant-speed interactions by fetching cards that can be cast on an opponent’s turn, thereby maintaining flexibility and surprise within your gameplay.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The playability of Dimir Machinations depends on a player’s willingness to part with other valuable cards in their hand. This discard cost can sometimes backfire, especially when your hand size is critical for your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Costing both blue and black mana, this card demands a tight commitment to the Dimir color pair. Players dabbling in more than two colors may find the mana requirement for Dimir Machinations restrictive.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that leans on the higher side for its effects, some MTG players may view Dimir Machinations as a less efficient option. Deck builders often look for lower cost cards that deliver similar advantages to maintain tempo.

Reasons to Include Dimir Machinations in Your Collection

Versatility: Dimir Machinations is a card that can slide into various decks, keenly fulfilling roles from tutoring specific cards to acting as a disruptor in control settings.

Combo Potential: With its ability to search your library for a card with a converted mana cost of three and place it on top, this card can reliably set up key combos, enhancing decks built around synergy.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the shifting MTG landscape, Dimir Machinations maintains relevance. Its utility in disrupting opponents’ plans and setting up the next strategic move makes it a savvy choice for competitive play.

How to beat

Dimir Machinations can be quite the conundrum for players across the table. This compelling MTG card offers flexibility with its transmute ability, allowing players to search their library for a card with the same converted mana cost. It’s a tactical advantage that can be likened to a Swiss Army knife within the game, enabling precise deck manipulation and strategizing.

However, overcoming this card requires a keen understanding of your opponent’s strategy and timing. Interruption is key; employing counter spells or using cards that restrict your opponent’s ability to search their library can pull the rug from under Dimir Machinations. Consider Aven Mindcensor, a card that significantly narrows the search radius of an opponent’s library, or Leonin Arbiter, making library-search an expensive venture. Additionally, hand disruption techniques, such as Thoughtseize, can preemptively remove this card from the equation before it’s even played.

Ultimately, facing Dimir Machinations calls for proactive measures and strategic foresight. Disrupt their plans, control the tempo, and render their machinations futile to secure your victory in the thrilling world of Magic: The Gathering.

BurnMana Recommendations

Dimir Machinations offers a tactical edge in the ever-evolving meta of Magic: The Gathering. Its tutoring capability, graveyard synergy, and unique disruption tactics provide versatile strategies, especially for control-focused decks. If you relish the thought of precisely sculpting your draws and outmaneuvering opponents with guile, embracing the Dimir playstyle could be your next strategic leap. Discover how to intricately weave Dimir Machinations into your decks, refine your gameplay, and turn the tables in your favor. Ready for deeper dives into strategy and deck optimization? Connect with us to further hone your MTG arsenal and reign supreme in your next duel.

Cards like Dimir Machinations

Dimir Machinations is a unique and versatile tool for players delving into control tactics using blue and black decks. This card draws parallels to Transmute spells like Shred Memory in terms of tutoring abilities. Both allow you to search your library for a card with a specific mana cost, increasing your chances of drawing into your strategic pieces. One edge that Dimir Machinations has is the ability to attack the opponent’s strategy by rearranging their library, a subtle disruption tactic emblematic of the Dimir guild’s style of play.

Comparing it to cards such as Demonic Tutor or Vampiric Tutor reveals differences in flexibility versus specificity. While Dimir Machinations is locked into finding cards with a mana value of three, the classic tutors are unrestricted in their search, albeit at different mana costs and speed. Yet, Dimir Machinations offers something they don’t — a pseudo-control element over your opponent. Another card worth mentioning is Clutch of the Undercity. Both are part of the same mechanic, with Clutch offering a disruption ability by bouncing an opponent’s permanent while having a higher mana value requirement.

In evaluating Dimir Machinations within its family of similar cards, we acknowledge its niche role. It’s a card that requires a strategic deck to maximize its potential, blending search and subtle manipulation to guide the course of the game.

Clutch of the Undercity - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Dimir Machinations by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dimir Machinations MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds, 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 Dimir Machinations and other MTG cards: