Wirecat MTG Card


Wirecat’s return mechanism from the graveyard ensures ongoing card advantage and enhances overall gameplay impact. Its instant speed playability offers flexible responses to changing game conditions for both offense and defense. Despite its strengths, Wirecat’s discard requirement and specific mana cost may deter its usage in certain strategies.
Wirecat - Urza's Saga
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact Creature — Cat
Released1998-10-12
Set symbol
Set nameUrza's Saga
Set codeUSG
Power 4
Toughness 3
Number317
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byMichael Sutfin

Text of card

Wirecat cannot attack or block if an enchantment is in play.

Its purr is the sound of iron filings sliding down satin.


Cards like Wirecat

Within the arsenal of artifact creatures in Magic: The Gathering, Wirecat holds a particular niche. When comparing it to other four mana cost artifact creatures like Snare Thopter, Wirecat stands out due to its untapping mechanic. While Snare Thopter offers haste and flying, providing immediate impact on the game, Wirecat has the potential for repeated combat or blocker utility if you can consistently untap it.

Another card worth mentioning is the Filigree Familiar, an artifact creature that costs one less mana than Wirecat. While it doesn’t boast Wirecat’s untapping ability, it provides a form of life gain and card draw, thereby offering a different type of utility. Juggernaut is also in this category; a staple four mana artifact creature that must attack each turn if able. Unlike the conditional untapping of Wirecat, Juggernaut has forced aggression, making it predictable and sometimes a liability.

In essence, Wirecat’s unique untapping ability situates it as an intriguing option amongst four mana artifact creatures. It offers strategic flexibility that may fit into decks looking for recurrent use of a creature without the need for attacking or other triggers to untap. The comparison with these similar cards underscores the versatility and tactical depth Wirecat brings to Magic: The Gathering.

Snare Thopter - MTG Card versions
Filigree Familiar - MTG Card versions
Juggernaut - MTG Card versions
Snare Thopter - MTG Card versions
Filigree Familiar - MTG Card versions
Juggernaut - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Wirecat by color, type and mana cost

Jayemdae Tome - MTG Card versions
Juggernaut - MTG Card versions
Jade Monolith - MTG Card versions
Jade Statue - MTG Card versions
Mightstone - MTG Card versions
Dancing Scimitar - MTG Card versions
Icy Manipulator - MTG Card versions
Grinning Totem - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Processor - MTG Card versions
Patagia Golem - MTG Card versions
Lodestone Myr - MTG Card versions
Lich's Tomb - MTG Card versions
Krark-Clan Ironworks - MTG Card versions
Synod Centurion - MTG Card versions
Jade Idol - MTG Card versions
Ur-Golem's Eye - MTG Card versions
Jester's Cap - MTG Card versions
Bottled Cloister - MTG Card versions
Rod of Ruin - MTG Card versions
Gnarled Effigy - MTG Card versions
Jayemdae Tome - MTG Card versions
Juggernaut - MTG Card versions
Jade Monolith - MTG Card versions
Jade Statue - MTG Card versions
Mightstone - MTG Card versions
Dancing Scimitar - MTG Card versions
Icy Manipulator - MTG Card versions
Grinning Totem - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Processor - MTG Card versions
Patagia Golem - MTG Card versions
Lodestone Myr - MTG Card versions
Lich's Tomb - MTG Card versions
Krark-Clan Ironworks - MTG Card versions
Synod Centurion - MTG Card versions
Jade Idol - MTG Card versions
Ur-Golem's Eye - MTG Card versions
Jester's Cap - MTG Card versions
Bottled Cloister - MTG Card versions
Rod of Ruin - MTG Card versions
Gnarled Effigy - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wirecat’s ability to return to the hand from the graveyard after a spell is played grants a repeating opportunity for card advantage. This cyclical property ensures that drawing a card will reliably have increased impact as the game progresses.

Resource Acceleration: As part of its abilities, Wirecat can contribute to resource acceleration by synergizing with cards that benefit from creatures entering the battlefield or being cast. Through its recurring nature, it can trigger these effects multiple times, effectively accelerating your access to useful resources.

Instant Speed: The capability of Wirecat to be played at instant speed means versatility in gameplay, allowing you to adapt quickly to evolving board states. This advantage enables strategic depth in both offense and defense, maximizing its potential impact each turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Wirecat demands that players discard a card to utilize its abilities. This could be taxing during gameplay when hand size is crucial for maintaining strategic flexibility and advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Its casting cost requires both colorless and red mana, potentially hindering its integration into multi-colored or colorless decks that might not have a reliable source of red mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Wirecat brings certain benefits to the battlefield, its higher mana cost in relation to its offered advantages can be seen as prohibitive, especially when compared against other creatures in its mana range that might provide more immediate impact or utility.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Wirecat can seamlessly adapt to a variety of deck archetypes that need flexible artifact creatures, enhancing strategies where the type and amount matter.

Combo Potential: Its artifact nature opens up synergy with cards that care about artifacts either entering the battlefield or being present, like those with Affinity or Improvise abilities.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where artifacts play a key role, Wirecat’s presence ensures you have a reliable creature that can contribute to artifact-centric combos and strategies.


Understanding and Overcoming Wirecat

Wirecat stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a unique artifact creature with a compelling blend of abilities. Its inherent resistance to sorcery spells can create a defensive barrier, potentially controlling the game’s tempo. Players often find it tricky to remove Wirecat from the field because of its natural evasion of commonly used removal spells.

How to beat

To effectively combat the Wirecat card, players should consider instant-speed removal spells, which bypass its sorcery spell protection. Evolving game strategies to include versatile instant-speed interaction allows players to adapt to opponents using Wirecat’s capabilities. Including cards in your deck that offer exile effects or sacrificing mechanisms can also be a robust solution. This will provide you with opportunities to handle Wirecat during times it’s vulnerable, such as during the combat phase or in response to its activation. Additionally, exploiting its status as an artifact creature by utilizing artifact removal spells can offer a direct path to eliminating the Wirecat threat from the board.

By adjusting your strategy and including a diverse set of responses in your deck, you equip yourself against the resilience of the Wirecat card. This foresight ensures you remain poised to maintain control of the game whenever Wirecat enters the battlefield.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wirecat MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga, 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 Wirecat and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wirecat has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal