Gnomeball Machine MTG Card

Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Artifact — Contraption
Released	2017-12-08
Set symbol
Set name	Unstable
Set code	UST
Number	184
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Borderless
Illustred by	Jason Felix
Un-set :-)	This card is part of an Un-set

Key Takeaways

Gnomeball Machine excels in creating card advantage and applying consistent battlefield pressure.
It enables early threat deployment via resource acceleration through artifact token generation.
The ability to generate tokens at instant speed grants flexibility in response to opponents’ moves.

Text of card

Whenever you crank Gnomeball Machine, create two 1/1 colorless Gnome artifact creature tokens.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gnomeball Machine slots into decks that are looking to cultivate a lead through sustained card draw. Its ability to produce Gnome artifacts can be critical in outpacing opponents, enabling you to effectively stockpile resources while applying pressure on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: The Gnome artifacts created by Gnomeball Machine can serve as a form of ramp, allowing you to accelerate your game plan. By converting these tokens into mana, you’re able to deploy your threats earlier than expected, giving you a notable edge.

Instant Speed: The swift nature of Gnomeball Machine’s effect allows for reactive play. With the capacity to generate Gnome artifacts at instant speed, you gain the flexibility to wait until the most opportune moment to shift the scales in your favor, whether that’s end of turn or in response to an opponent’s actions.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing the Gnomeball Machine card involves a strategic drawback since you’re asked to discard certain cards to activate its abilities. This can put you at a significant disadvantage, particularly if your hand is already depleted, or you’re forced to get rid of key components in your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: The Gnomeball Machine requires a unique blend of mana to get it onto the battlefield. This specificity can be restrictive as it demands resources that may not be readily available in all types of decks, potentially causing delays in your gameplay or even rendering the card unusable in mana-tight situations.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that stands on the higher end of the spectrum, the Gnomeball Machine might not always be the most economic choice for your deck. In a game where efficiency is key, there are alternative cards that could achieve similar effects at a lower mana investment, leaving your resources free for other spells and abilities.

Reasons to Include Gnomeball Machine in Your Collection

Versatility: The Gnomeball Machine card can seamlessly adapt to numerous deck builds, making it an asset for players who enjoy experimenting with different strategies. Its ability to generate artifact creature tokens means it can be a critical component in decks that focus on artifact synergy or token proliferation.

Combo Potential: This card’s inherent capability to churn out artifact tokens at a rapid pace allows it to serve as a foundation for combo-focused decks. These tokens can activate synergies with other cards that capitalize on the presence of artifacts or creatures, potentially setting the stage for game-winning plays.

Meta-Relevance: Gnomeball Machine could prove crucial in a meta dominated by grindy matches or stalemated boards. It offers continuous pressure and the potential for a substantial board presence, making it a considerable threat in prolonged games where establishing and maintaining a dominant position can dictate the outcome.

How to beat

Gnomeball Machine introduces a unique dynamic to Magic: The Gathering, becoming a notable piece on the battlefield due to its ability to churn out artifact creature tokens. When considering strategies to overcome this card, it’s essential to focus on disrupting this token generation process or dealing with the tokens themselves promptly.

Artifact removal spells such as Shatter or Naturalize can directly target and eliminate the Gnomeball Machine before it spews out a substantial number of tokens. Board clearing spells like Wrath of God are also highly effective as they can eradicate multiple creature tokens with one sweep, nullifying the Machine’s influence. It’s noteworthy to have these types of removal in your deck when facing artifact-heavy opponents.

Diving further into MTG’s vast card pool, cards like Stony Silence can stifle the abilities of artifacts such as Gnomeball Machine, preventing it from functioning entirely. On the same note, taxing effects like Thalia, Guardian of Thraben can make it costly for your opponent to utilize artifact tokens, hampering their game plan. Analyzing your deck to include such answers is key in gaining the upper hand against artifact-centric strategies.

Cards like Gnomeball Machine

Gnomeball Machine is a unique artifact card in the enthralling world of Magic: The Gathering. It’s not easy to find a direct comparison, yet its mechanics are akin to cards like Bottle Gnomes, which provides a life boost when sacrificed. However, Gnomeball Machine brings its novelty to the table with the potential to create Gnome tokens. Unlike Bottle Gnomes, Gnomeball Machine offers a proactive strategy beyond life gain.

Delving into cards that interact with tokens, there’s Pentavus. Pentavus offers a similar modular token dynamic, but it lacks the specific focus on Gnomes. Pentavus deals with more generic tokens and comes with a steeper mana investment, whereas Gnomeball Machine targets a niche token strategy that could synergize exceptionally well with other Gnome-focused spells and abilities.

From a standpoint of generating creature presence, Gnomeball Machine holds its ground and can play a crucial role in decks that are built around token strategies, whereas alternative cards might offer broader functionalities but without the charm and specialization that a Gnomeball Machine deck might enjoy.

Cards similar to Gnomeball Machine by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gnomeball Machine MTG card by a specific set like Unstable, 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 Gnomeball Machine and other MTG cards:

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Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Gnomeball Machine card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2018-01-19	Any Contraption that’s on the battlefield and wasn’t assembled immediately heads to the scrapyard. However, if it’s a not an actual Contraption card (like Copy Artifact isn’t), it goes to your graveyard as normal. Non-Contraption cards can’t be in the scrapyard.
2018-01-19	At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control any Contraptions, move the CRANK! counter to the next sprocket. You may then crank any number of Contraptions on that sprocket, causing their abilities to trigger. Cranking a Contraption is always optional.
2018-01-19	Contraptions are artifacts. Anything that interacts with artifacts will interact with Contraptions.
2018-01-19	Contraptions aren’t put into your main deck. They go into a separate deck called the Contraption deck.
2018-01-19	If a Contraption would leave the battlefield and go to any zone other than exile, it instead goes to the scrapyard, the Contraption deck’s version of the graveyard. Things that affect the graveyard do not affect the scrapyard. You can exile Contraptions just fine.
2018-01-19	If you crank multiple Contraptions, their abilities can be put onto the stack in any order. The ability put onto the stack will resolve first.
2018-01-19	If you or a permanent you control are instructed to assemble a Contraption, reveal the top card of your Contraption deck. Put it onto the battlefield on one of the three sprockets.
2018-01-19	If you or a permanent you control assembles a Contraption and your Contraption deck is empty, nothing happens. You don’t lose the game.
2018-01-19	In Constructed formats, a Contraption deck must have at least fifteen different Contraption cards and no more than one of each.
2018-01-19	In Limited formats, a Contraption deck may include any number of Contraption cards in your card pool. You don’t have to include every Contraption card you draft or open in sealed deck. In those formats, your Contraption deck may include duplicates.
2018-01-19	In silver-bordered games using Contraptions, you have three sprockets, illustrated on the back of Contraption cards. At the start of the game, put a CRANK! counter on sprocket 3.
2018-01-19	While Contraptions you control are on the battlefield, the Contraption deck is not, even if you are using it to signify the three sprockets.