Tablet of Epityr MTG Card
1994-03-04 - Number 67
2011-01-10 - Number 230
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Artifact |
Text of card
o1: You gain 1 life every time one of your artifacts goes to the graveyard. Can only give 1 life each time an artifact reaches the graveyard.
Originally considered the work of Urza, this tablet was created by forgers seeking to imitate Urza's masterpieces.
Cards like Tablet of Epityr
The Tablet of Epityr is a unique artifact in the world of Magic: The Gathering, offering a subtle yet strategic advantage for deck builders. As with other artifacts like the Howling Mine, the Tablet allows for a card draw benefit, though with Howling Mine the advantage is granted to each player at the beginning of their draw phase. In contrast, the Tablet of Epityr requires a more controlled approach, giving you a card only when another artifact hits the graveyard, allowing you to manage the card advantage.
Looking at the Library of Leng, we find another artifact that manipulates card advantage by allowing a player to choose where to place their discarded cards. It doesn’t directly provide additional draws but influences hand management and card retention. Skullclamp is a similarly intriguing comparison; designed to boost card draw when a creature dies, it nudges players toward utilitarian use of their own creatures for a greater good.
In essence, Tablet of Epityr doesn’t simply provide a direct card advantage but asks players for a nuanced strategy to optimize its potential. It holds its ground in Magic: The Gathering as a card that rewards planning and situational awareness.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While Tablet of Epityr itself does not draw cards, its ability to convert clue tokens into actual card draws provides a steady stream of new options for your hand, drastically contributing to maintaining card advantage in longer games.
Resource Acceleration: As a low-cost artifact, Tablet of Epityr can be played early on. Its synergy with artifacts that produce clue tokens can lead to an efficient conversion of resources, subtly speeding up your gameplay as you accumulate value over time.
Instant Speed: The action of sacrificing a clue to draw a card with Tablet of Epityr can be executed at instant speed. This grants flexibility and allows players to react to their opponents’ moves by drawing cards at the most opportune moments, without having to commit to it on their own turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Players must discard a card to activate Tablet of Epityr’s ability, which can be a setback when your hand size is crucial for maintaining game advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Tablet of Epityr’s cost to play requires generic mana, but its activation cost demands colorless mana, demanding a deck built to generate this type of resource reliably.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While not expensive to cast, the activation cost in conjunction with the discard requirement can accumulate to a notable resource investment for the advantage gained, especially when up against options that do not require a discard or involve lower costs for similar effects.
Reasons to Include Tablet of Epityr in Your Collection
Versatility: Tablet of Epityr is a great addition to any collection due to its ability to seamlessly integrate into artifact-centric decks. Its low casting cost means it can be played early in the game, setting up your board for future maneuvers without a significant mana investment.
Combo Potential: This artifact offers solid combo potential, especially in decks that favor drawing and cycling through cards. When paired with cards that trigger on drawing or discarding, Tablet of Epityr helps fuel these interactions, making it a subtle but powerful enabler.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where card advantage can make or break a match, the consistent, albeit minor, card advantage provided by Tablet of Epityr can be enough to tip the scales in your favor, particularly in longer, grindier games where every card drawn counts.
How to beat
Tablet of Epityr is a unique artifact from the classic era of Magic the Gathering. This card is appealing to players who yearn for incremental advantages, as it provides an opportunity to draw additional cards when casting artifacts. The strategy to outmaneuver Tablet of Epityr requires understanding its reliance on other artifacts to function effectively. By limiting its support, you hinder its usefulness.
Directly addressing the artifact synergy is a concrete approach. Employing artifact removal spells like Naturalize or the versatile shattering effects like Shatterstorm can disrupt the chain of drawing cards. Additionally, since Tablet of Epityr activates upon the casting of artifacts, countering those key artifacts with spells like Negate or Mana Leak can nip the potential card advantage in the bud. It’s crucial to focus on the timing of these disruptions, ensuring that your opponent doesn’t accumulate value over the course of the game.
Consistently applying pressure while managing the board state can shift the scales in your favor. Strategies that involve swift threats and diverse forms of disruption can often outpace the slow card advantage that Tablet of Epityr provides. By employing this multi-angled assault, you can effectively subdue the influence of Tablet of Epityr and maintain control of the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Tablet of Epityr MTG card by a specific set like Antiquities and Masters Edition IV, 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 Tablet of Epityr and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Tablet of Epityr Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1994-03-04 and 2011-01-10. Illustrated by Christopher Rush.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994-03-04 | Antiquities | ATQ | 67 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Christopher Rush | |
| 2 | 2011-01-10 | Masters Edition IV | ME4 | 230 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Christopher Rush |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Tablet of Epityr has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |