Urza's Sylex MTG Card
2022-11-18 - Number 40
2022-11-18 - Number 312
2002-06-24 - Number 105648
2022-11-18 - Number 7
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Legendary Artifact |
Text of card
, , Exile Urza's Sylex: Each player chooses six lands they control. Destroy all other permanents. Activate only as a sorcery. When Urza's Sylex is put into exile from the battlefield, you may pay . If you do, search your library for a planeswalker card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
Understanding Urza’s Sylex
Urza’s Sylex stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a powerful artifact with the unique ability to reset the game’s board state. It is reminiscent of cards like Obliterate and Apocalypse, both of which also clear the board. However, Urza’s Sylex does so by destroying all nontoken permanents that aren’t originally printed in the current game’s set or earlier. This selective purge spares certain elements, drawing a strategic line in deck building and gameplay.
Cards like Urza's Sylex
When comparing Urza’s Sylex to its counterparts, Nevinyrral’s Disk comes to mind. The Disk is capable of wiping out creatures, artifacts, and enchantments, but unlike the Sylex, it doesn’t differentiate by printing timeframes and it doesn’t affect lands, making the consequences less severe. Another parallel can be drawn with Cyclonic Rift, a blue instant known for its ability to return all nonland permanents an opponent controls to their hand, again without the unique filtering based on the set origin that Urza’s Sylex introduces.
Urza’s Sylex offers a distinctive tactical advantage, especially in games with a diverse range of sets. Its set-based conditionality can be both a limiter and a formidable tool, depending on the context. In essence, Urza’s Sylex carves a niche for itself among board wipes, offering a calculated and historical reference point for an upheaval that few other cards can match.
Cards similar to Urza's Sylex by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Urza's Sylex. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | W | Standard | Traditional Standard Ranked Decklists: March 18, 2024 | |
 | Selesnya Midrange | Standard | Selesnya Midrange | Traditional Standard Ranked Decklists: March 18, 2024 |
| Mono-White Angels | Standard | Mono-White Angels | Traditional Standard Ranked Decklists: March 4, 2024 |
| Boros Midrange | Standard | Boros Control | BLACK - FRI - 11AM - Chicago 75K Standard Open |
 | Orzhov Control | Standard | Orzhov Control | BLACK - FRI - 11AM - Chicago 75K Standard Open |
 | Selesnya Ramp | Standard | Selesnya Control | Jaffer's Mini Mosh - Standard |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Urza’s Sylex can provide a significant tactical advantage by altering the state of the board, often leaving you with more resources than your opponent. It sweeps away numerous permanents, helping to ensure that your late-game threats land on a cleared table.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana or color fixing, using Urza’s Sylex can indirectly accelerate your resources by resetting the board. This can negate any mana advantage your opponent has built up, making your subsequent plays more impactful in comparison to their diminished resources.
Instant Speed: Although Urza’s Sylex is an artifact and not an instant, it has a profound impact on your play strategy similar to that of instant-speed effects. By threatening activation at any point, it can dictate the pace of the game and force your opponent to play more cautiously, often holding back their own resources to avoid overcommitting to a board that could be reset.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One of the limitations of Urza’s Sylex comes from the necessity to discard a card to activate its unique effect. This can be particularly taxing for players who have already spent their hand crafting the perfect plays, leaving them at a significant disadvantage against opponents with a fuller grip of options.
Specific Mana Cost: Urza’s Sylex demands a diverse mana investment, requiring a specific combination of colors. This can potentially restrict its inclusion in decks to those that can reliably produce the required mana types, potentially sidelining the card in mono-colored or color-restricted builds.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When you weigh the mana cost of Urza’s Sylex against its impact on the game, it’s evident that the initial investment is on the higher side. There are alternative cards within the game that bring impactful effects to the battlefield at a lower, more manageable cost, which might be more appealing, especially in fast-paced games where efficiency is key.
Reasons to Include Urza’s Sylex in Your Collection
Versatility: Urza’s Sylex offers a unique tool for decks that want a powerful reset button. Flexibly fitting into a variety of archetypes, it can be a critical piece in controlling the board state and shifting the tides of the game.
Combo Potential: This card works seamlessly within strategies that capitalize on artifact synergies or wish to manipulate graveyards. It creates opportunistic plays and can functionally disrupt opponents’ carefully laid plans.
Meta-Relevance: Given the fluctuating nature of the competitive scene, Urza’s Sylex’s ability to clear the slate can be particularly impactful. In metas overrun by permanents or synergy-dependent decks, it serves as a crucial equalizer.
How to beat
Confronting Urza’s Sylex in Magic: The Gathering can be quite the challenge due to its game-altering ability. As a powerful artifact, it has the capability to completely reset the battlefield, removing all permanents except for lands. Players wielding Urza’s Sylex must strategically decide the perfect moment to activate it, as it requires the sacrifice of the artifact and also sets that player’s mana pool back significantly.
Beating this card involves smart deck construction and timing. Including cards that grant indestructibility or regenerate properties to your permanents is one way to bypass the destructive wave of the Sylex. Another strategy is to pressure the Urza’s Sylex holder, forcing them to activate it prematurely, thus minimizing the impact. Alternatively, countering the artifact with instant-speed removal or utilizing discard effects to make the opponent get rid of it before it can be activated can tilt the match in your favor.
Mastering the art of resource management also plays a crucial role. By not overextending and playing fewer, more impactful cards, you can make the aftermath of the Sylex less devastating. Keeping these strategies in mind will help equip you for victory against the historic might of Urza’s Sylex.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Urza's Sylex MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and The Brothers' War, 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's Sylex 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
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Printings
The Urza's Sylex Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2022-11-18 and 2022-11-18. Illustrated by Joseph Meehan.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 105648 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Joseph Meehan | ||
| 2 | 2022-11-18 | The Brothers' War | BRO | 40 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Joseph Meehan | |
| 3 | The Brothers' War Art Series | ABRO | 7 | 2015 | Art series | Borderless | Joseph Meehan | ||
| 4 | 2022-11-18 | The Brothers' War | BRO | 312 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Joseph Meehan |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Urza's Sylex 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 |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Urza's Sylex card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2022-10-14 | The triggered ability of Urza's Sylex will resolve before the activated ability. This means that you choose whether to pay and search your library before any player chooses lands. Notably, this means that the other players will get to know which planeswalker card you searched for before choosing any lands. |