Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh MTG Card
2022-02-18 - Number 84
2022-02-18 - Number 304
2022-02-18 - Number 84p
2022-02-18 - Number 376
2022-02-18 - Number 84s
2022-02-18 - Number 419
2024-02-09 - Number 120
2002-06-24 - Number 97947
2022-02-18 - Number 54
| Card sets | Released in 9 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Legendary Planeswalker — Tezzeret |
| Loyalty | 4 |
Text of card
The first activated ability of an artifact you activate each turn costs less to activate.
+1: Draw two cards. Then discard two cards unless you discard an artifact card.
-2: Target artifact becomes an artifact creature. If it isn't a Vehicle, it has base power and toughness 4/4.
-6: You get an emblem with "Whenever an artifact you control becomes tapped, draw a card."
Cards like Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh
Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh carves out its unique niche within the pantheon of planeswalker cards in Magic: The Gathering. Standing shoulder to shoulder with illustrious counterparts like Teferi, Hero of Dominaria, Tezzeret brings his own game warping abilities to the table. While Teferi is celebrated for his untapping lands feature and card advantage, Tezzeret takes a more aggressive approach, converting artifacts into 5/5 creature tokens, effectively turning latent board presence into immediate threats.
Daretti, Scrap Savant is another card that echoes some of Tezzeret’s artifact synergies. Daretti’s ability to sacrifice and retrieve artifacts from the graveyard, though powerful, is rendered in a different tactical light when compared to Tezzeret’s on-the-spot transformation. Indeed, Tezzeret’s capability to animate artifacts can quickly tilt the scales in a player’s favor, similar to how Karn, Scion of Urza generates formidable construct tokens. Nevertheless, Karn’s constructs’ power and toughness are variable, dependent on the number of artifacts controlling the battlefield, while Tezzeret’s are a consistent threat once animated.
When it comes to breathing life into inert artifacts and making each piece of hardware serve a dual purpose, Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh stands out as a robust choice for players looking to create an overwhelming board state with their artifact strategies in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Land Destruction | Modern | Land Destruction | Modern Challenge 64 2024-02-19 |
 | Azorius Midrange | Gladiator | Sword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 06 2024 | |
 | Mono-Blue Artifacts | Standard | Mono-Blue Artifacts | Traditional Standard Ranked Decklists: April 1, 2024 |
| WU | Standard | Traditional Standard Ranked Decklists: February 19, 2024 | |
 | Grixis Sacrifice | Standard | Grixis Sacrifice | Traditional Standard Ranked Decklists: March 25, 2024 |
 | Grixis Midrange | Standard | Grixis Sacrifice | MAGIC REGIONAL QUALIFIER TOURNAMENT (DreamHack RCQ (1-slot) Round 6) |
| Azorius Control | Standard | Azorius Artifacts | HBMO24 - Common Ground Games Standard RCQ |
| Esper Reanimator | Standard | Esper Reanimator | HBMO24 - Common Ground Games Standard RCQ |
 | Sultai Aggro | Standard | Sultai Ninjas | 16 Day2 |
 | Dimir Aggro | Standard | Sultai Ninjas | 16 Day1 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh can significantly boost your card advantage by allowing you to look at the top five cards of your library and put an artifact card from among them into your hand. This translates to potent drawing potential, particularly in decks that are densely populated with artifacts.
Resource Acceleration: This versatile planeswalker also embodies resource acceleration; with the ability to create Etherium Cells, which can be tapped and sacrificed for extra mana, you have an immediate means to ramp up your mana resources and unleash powerful spells or activate abilities sooner than usual.
Instant Speed: Tezzeret’s ability to instantly transform artifacts gives you the tactical advantage to catch opponents off guard. By turning artifacts into creature threats during the end of your opponent’s turn, you maintain the element of surprise, potentially altering the battlefield landscape in your favor at a moment’s notice.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One drawback of Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh is that activating its key abilities requires you to discard another card. This effect can be a double-edged sword, offering powerful on-the-spot advantages while potentially depleting your hand of important resources or strategic options further down the line. Ensuring you have a card to discard or choosing which one to let go can sometimes be a tough call, especially in tight game situations.
Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost of Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh includes blue and black mana symbols, necessitating a commitment to both colors in your deck. This can restrict the card’s incorporation primarily to decks that are tailored around these colors, potentially limiting the card’s versatility across a wider range of deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that is at the higher end of the spectrum, Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh can be a late-game play. Players may find its impact delayed compared to other lower-costed planeswalkers or spells that can be used more flexibly throughout the game. When every mana counts, it’s important to consider whether the investment in Tezzeret yields the best return on resources compared to other card choices that might offer similar or greater value more efficiently.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh seamlessly integrates into a multitude of deck archetypes. Its ability to animate artifacts gives aggro decks an edge and offers control decks a way to turn defenses into potential win conditions.
Combo Potential: With its emblem granting affinity for artifacts, Tezzeret can turn a board full of artifacts into a cost-effective arsenal. This opens up explosive combo plays that can swiftly change the course of the game.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment where artifact strategies are prevalent, this powerful planeswalker can often tip the scales, providing significant strategic advantage through its flexible abilities and impacting gameplay across various competitive formats.
How to beat
Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh brings an innovative dynamic to the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering, particularly for artifact-centric strategies. With the ability to animate artifacts into creature threats, Tezzeret requires a calculated approach to counter effectively. It’s a potent enabler in artifact decks, and thus one must tailor their strategy to mitigate its impact.
One method to combat Tezzeret is through direct removal spells. Destroying or exiling Tezzeret before its loyalty abilities can be activated is key. Cards like Murder or Vraska’s Contempt offer immediate solutions to remove Tezzeret from the game. Alternatively, pressuring the planeswalker with creature attacks can prevent it from gaining value over time. It’s also crucial to manage the board by keeping artifact threats to a minimum, thus reducing Tezzeret’s influence if it sticks around.
Counterspells shine as well in this matchup, providing a preventive measure against Tezzeret’s casting. Disallow or Negate keeps the planeswalker from taking over the game before it starts. Remember, anticipation and timely disruption can swing the match in your favor when facing this crafty artificer. Keeping these strategies in mind can help ensure Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh doesn’t turn the tide against you.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, 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 Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
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- Card Market
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- MTG Mint Card
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Printings
The Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2022-02-18 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 97947 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lack | ||
| 2 | 2022-02-18 | Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty | NEO | 84 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Bryan Sola | |
| 3 | 2022-02-18 | Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty | NEO | 304 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Lack | |
| 4 | 2022-02-18 | Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Promos | PNEO | 84p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Bryan Sola | |
| 5 | 2022-02-18 | Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty | NEO | 376 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Maekawa Yuichi | |
| 6 | 2022-02-18 | Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Promos | PNEO | 84s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Bryan Sola | |
| 7 | Neon Dynasty Art Series | ANEO | 54 | 2015 | Art series | Borderless | |||
| 8 | 2022-02-18 | Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty | NEO | 419 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Maekawa Yuichi | |
| 9 | 2024-02-09 | Murders at Karlov Manor Commander | MKC | 120 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Bryan Sola |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2022-02-18 | If Tezzeret's second loyalty ability causes a Vehicle to become an artifact creature, it doesn't count as “crewing” that Vehicle for any ability that would trigger off of a Vehicle becoming crewed. |
| 2022-02-18 | If you activate Tezzeret's second loyalty ability targeting a Vehicle, it will have its printed power and toughness. |
| 2022-02-18 | If you begin to activate an ability that costs mana before activating any mana abilities you need to pay for it, that ability will be the one to get Tezzeret's discount. The total cost for that ability becomes locked in, and then you can activate mana abilities to pay for it. |
| 2022-02-18 | Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh's first ability reduces the cost of the first activated ability of an artifact that you begin to activate each turn. The second ability (and any subsequent abilities) of an artifact you activate that turn won't cost less to activate, even if the first ability you activated didn't cost any mana to begin with. Notably, this does not exclude mana abilities. |