Tamiyo's Immobilizer MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact |
| Released | 2023-02-03 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Phyrexia: All Will Be One |
| Set code | ONE |
| Number | 69 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Daren Bader |
Key Takeaways
- Control the board by tapping key opponent pieces with Tamiyo’s Immobilizer’s instant speed ability.
- Be mindful of the discard cost and specific mana requirements that come with playing this card.
- Despite its limitations, its versatility can be essential for certain deck synergies and metagame strategies.
Text of card
Tamiyo's Immobilizer enters the battlefield with four oil counters on it. , Remove an oil counter from Tamiyo's Immobilizer: Tap target artifact or creature.
Visitors to the Surgical Bay often become permanent residents.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Tamiyo’s Immobilizer can tap down a nonland permanent, which may disrupt your opponent’s plans and create opportunities for you to take the lead. This ability can help maintain control of the board, leading to eventual card advantage by denying your opponent the full use of their resources.
Resource Acceleration: While this card doesn’t directly accelerate resources, controlling key pieces on the board allows you to optimize your own resources more effectively. By immobilizing potential threats or key utility pieces, you ensure that your mana and cards are spent proactively rather than reactively.
Instant Speed: The ability to tap a nonland permanent at instant speed gives you the flexibility to respond to threats or opportunities at the most opportune times. You can wait until your opponent’s end step to tap a creature, ensuring it doesn’t untap during their next untap step or catch them off guard by disabling an activated ability source during a crucial moment in their turn sequence.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Tamiyo’s Immobilizer necessitates discarding a card to activate its tap ability. This can be detrimental during gameplay when every card in hand is vital, potentially putting players at a greater disadvantage if unable to maintain a robust hand size.
Specific Mana Cost: This card requires both blue and green mana to cast, which might not always be readily available. It’s a bit restrictive as it can only be seamlessly integrated within decks that are dedicated to or can support these colors, otherwise, it might remain a dead card in a player’s hand.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a requirement of three mana, which includes one blue and one green, Tamiyo’s Immobilizer may be considered costly for the effect it brings to the table. Some players might find that there are other options that provide similar control abilities without the need for such a specific and sometimes burdensome mana cost.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Tamiyo’s Immobilizer can adapt to a variety of decks that leverage tap-down mechanics. Its ability to control the battlefield by restricting opponent’s creatures from untapping adds a layer of defense to your strategy.
Combo Potential: This card pairs excellently with tap-ability synergies or with cards that inflict damage to tapped creatures, effectively removing key threats from your opponent’s side while enabling various powerful interactions within your own deck.
Meta-Relevance: Given that creature-based tactics are common in many MTG metagames, the inclusion of Tamiyo’s Immobilizer can be a game-changer, stymieing aggro strategies and creating openings for your win conditions.
How to beat
Tamiyo’s Immobilizer can be a challenging card to face in Magic: The Gathering. Decked out with the ability to lock down an opponent’s creature, its presence on the battlefield can significantly disrupt your game plan. To strategically overcome this nuisance, focusing on versatile removal spells that can target enchantments is key. Consider incorporating cards like Disenchant, which are not only cost-effective but also instant speed, allowing you to act swiftly and regain control. Another option is to deploy creatures with hexproof or use counterspells to prevent Tamiyo’s Immobilizer from coming into play in the first place.
Moreover, if Tamiyo’s Immobilizer is already in play, utilizing abilities that offer indirect interaction such as mass bounce effects, like Cyclonic Rift, might be beneficial. They can temporarily clear the board, giving you an opportunity to swing in for damage or re-establish your board presence without the hindrance of tapped creatures. Flexibility in your sideboard to combat specific threats is crucial in the ever-evolving meta.
Ultimately, understanding the anticipated metagame and planning your main and sideboard strategy accordingly, will increase your resilience against cards like Tamiyo’s Immobilizer and improve your odds of victory.
Cards like Tamiyo's Immobilizer
Tamiyo’s Immobilizer is a unique card in MTG that can disrupt your opponent’s plan by freezing their key permanents. It’s akin to cards like Frost Lynx, which also enters the battlefield and taps a target creature an opponent controls. Where Tamiyo’s Immobilizer gains an edge is in its ability to keep the chosen permanent from untapping during its controller’s next untap step, whereas Frost Lynx allows the creature to untap as per usual in the following turn.
Another similar card is Icefall Regent, which taps a target creature when it enters the battlefield and makes its activated abilities cost more to activate. This dragon’s ability echoes Tamiyo’s Immobilizer’s control aspect but with more constraints on the opponent’s resources. Additionally, Icefall Regent’s effect endures as long as it remains on the battlefield, unlike Tamiyo’s Immobilizer which has a temporary, but significant, impact.
In comparing these cards, Tamiyo’s Immobilizer holds its own within the range of temporary lockdown cards in MTG. It offers players a strategic advantage by potentially sidelining an opponent’s critical card with a timely cast. This makes it a useful tool in decks that aim to control the pace of the game and limit the opposition’s options.
Cards similar to Tamiyo's Immobilizer by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Tamiyo's Immobilizer MTG card by a specific set like Phyrexia: All Will Be One, 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 Tamiyo's Immobilizer and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Tamiyo's Immobilizer has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |