Urza, Lord High Artificer MTG Card
2019-06-14 - Number 75
2021-06-18 - Number 11
2023-01-13 - Number 296
2023-01-13 - Number 423
2023-01-13 - Number 71
2023-08-04 - Number 502
2023-08-04 - Number 130
2023-08-04 - Number 674
2023-08-04 - Number 1060
2002-06-24 - Number 91229
2019-06-05 - Number 13
2023-08-04 - Number 53
| Card sets | Released in 12 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Human Artificer |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
When Urza, Lord High Artificer enters the battlefield, create a 0/0 colorless Construct artifact creature token with "This creature gets +1/+1 for each artifact you control." Tap an untapped artifact you control: Add . : Shuffle your library, then exile the top card. Until end of turn, you may play that card without paying its mana cost.
Cards like Urza, Lord High Artificer
Urza, Lord High Artificer stands out in the realm of artifact synergy cards within MTG. This legendary blue creature brings a unique set of abilities that make it not just a card, but a powerful engine on its own. Similar to cards like Arcum Dagsson, Urza transforms your artifacts into powerful tools for digging through your deck. However, Urza takes it a step further by also generating a Karnstruct with its entrance onto the battlefield, an aspect Arcum Dagsson lacks.
Then we have Tezzeret, Artifice Master, another powerful blue planeswalker capable of creating artifact creature tokens. While Tezzeret excels at drawing cards and fueling artifact strategies, Urza excels by offering an additional mana advantage with its ability to turn artifacts into blue mana sources. The impact of this on gameplay extends the capabilities of artifact decks by providing a consistent form of mana acceleration that Tezzeret cannot. Lastly, Teferi, Temporal Archmage also shares a similar ability to untap artifacts, but Urza’s ease of integrating into artifact-centric decks makes it a favored choice in the MTG community.
In the pantheon of artifact-centric cards, Urza, Lord High Artificer provides versatility and power that is hard to match, marking it as a go-to choice for players who want to accelerate their game and dominate the battlefield through ingenious artifact manipulation.
Cards similar to Urza, Lord High Artificer by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Urza, Lord High Artificer. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Thopter Combo | Modern | Thopter Combo | Modern Challenge 64 2024-04-06 |
 | U | Modern | Modern Challenge 32 2024-04-29 | |
 | Izzet Upheaval | Modern | Izzet Upheaval | Modern Preliminary 2024-04-17 (1) |
 | Affinity | Modern | Affinity | Modern Challenge 64 2024-04-14 (1) |
| Azorius Bomberman | Legacy | Bomberman | 104 / The 104th Legacy at Home |
 | Esper Tinker | Vintage | Blue Tinker | Vintage Challenge 32 2024-04-12 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Urza, Lord High Artificer turns all your artifacts into sources of card advantage by enabling you to tap an untapped artifact you control to add a blue mana. This fuels your deck with the necessary mana to cast more spells, effectively allowing you to utilize your cards at an increased pace.
Resource Acceleration: Urza’s ability to create a 0/0 colorless Construct artifact creature token that gets +1/+1 for each artifact you control when he enters the battlefield is pivotal. This not only enhances your board presence but also adds to your artifact count, which can be tapped for additional resources, hence speeding up your gameplay.
Instant Speed: The most formidable aspect of Urza is his ability to shuffle your deck and then exile the top card, which you may play at instant speed. This unpredictable and versatile feature can shift the tide of the game at any moment, as it allows for sudden plays that can catch an opponent off guard.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While not directly applicable as Urza, Lord High Artificer doesn’t require discarding cards, players often utilize synergistic artifacts that could deplete their hand, potentially leaving them with fewer options.
Specific Mana Cost: Urza demands a precise mana arrangement of one blue and four generic, which might pose a difficulty for multicolored decks not heavily invested in blue resources.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost totaling five mana, Urza sits at a higher threshold, which could slow down the speed of deploying other pivotal pieces in artifact-centric strategies.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Urza, Lord High Artificer slips into an array of deck archetypes with ease. As a commander, he spearheads artifact-centric decks, while in other formats, he supports strategies focusing on both artifact synergies and raw power generation.
Combo Potential: This card is a linchpin in numerous combos, able to generate infinite mana with the right setup, giving players the fuel to execute game-ending plays or cast high-cost spells much earlier than usual.
Meta-Relevance: In competitive play, Urza, Lord High Artificer remains a formidable presence, adapting to various meta shifts. His ability to churn out construct tokens bolsters board presence while his mana ability and card manipulation maintain a steady pace against control and combo decks alike.
How to beat
Urza, Lord High Artificer is a pivotal card in many artifact-based strategies, offering both a mana advantage and a powerful ability to play with the top card of your library. To outplay an opponent wielding this versatile card, disrupting the board is key. Targeted removal spells that can take Urza off the board are essential, as allowing him to generate value over several turns can quickly tip the scales.
Counterspells are also effective, especially if you can counter Urza on the stack before he has a chance to enter the battlefield and start his engine. Without Urza’s mana-generating construct, the opponent loses a significant ramp which often fuels their win conditions. Additionally, applying pressure with your own threats can divert their resources to defense rather than building around Urza.
Ultimately, understanding when to interrupt the synergy that Urza provides is fundamental. Removing him from play or preventing his casting altogether stymies your opponent’s strategy, putting you in a commanding position for victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Urza, Lord High Artificer MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Modern Horizons Art Series, 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 Urza, Lord High Artificer 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
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Printings
The Urza, Lord High Artificer Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2019-06-14 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 91229 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Grzegorz Rutkowski | ||
| 2 | Modern Horizons Art Series | AMH1 | 13 | 2015 | Art series | Borderless | Grzegorz Rutkowski | ||
| 3 | 2019-06-14 | Modern Horizons | MH1 | 75 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Grzegorz Rutkowski | |
| 4 | 2021-06-18 | Modern Horizons 1 Timeshifts | H1R | 11 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Grzegorz Rutkowski | |
| 5 | 2023-01-13 | Dominaria Remastered | DMR | 296 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Grzegorz Rutkowski | |
| 6 | 2023-01-13 | Dominaria Remastered | DMR | 423 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Greg Staples | |
| 7 | 2023-01-13 | Dominaria Remastered | DMR | 71 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Grzegorz Rutkowski | |
| 8 | 2023-08-04 | Commander Masters | CMM | 502 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Grzegorz Rutkowski | |
| 9 | 2023-08-04 | Commander Masters | CMM | 130 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Grzegorz Rutkowski | |
| 10 | Commander Masters Art Series | ACMM | 53 | 2015 | Art series | Borderless | |||
| 11 | 2023-08-04 | Commander Masters | CMM | 674 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Grant Griffin | |
| 12 | 2023-08-04 | Commander Masters | CMM | 1060 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Grant Griffin |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Urza, Lord High Artificer has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Restricted |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Urza, Lord High Artificer card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2022-12-08 | If a spell has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. |
| 2022-12-08 | If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those to cast the card. |
| 2022-12-08 | If you don’t play the card exiled with Urza’s last ability, it remains in exile. |
| 2022-12-08 | The token created by Urza’s first ability will count itself, so it’ll be at least 1/1. |
| 2022-12-08 | Urza’s last ability doesn’t change when you can play the exiled card. For example, if you exile a sorcery card, you can cast it only during your main phase when the stack is empty. If you exile a land card, you can play it only during your main phase and only if you have an available land play remaining. |
| 2022-12-08 | You can tap any untapped artifact you control to pay the cost of the mana ability, including an artifact creature you haven’t controlled continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn. Tapping an Equipment this way won’t affect its abilities or the equipped creature. |