Sunglasses of Urza MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 12 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeArtifact

Key Takeaways

  1. Sunglasses of Urza enhance mana flexibility, beneficial for mono-white and Boros decks.
  2. They permit instant speed spells, optimizing strategic play with mana adaptability.
  3. Despite its utility, the sunglasses’ high mana cost can limit deck inclusion.

Text of card

White mana in your mana pool can be used as either white or red mana.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: When it comes to maintaining an upper hand in the game, the Sunglasses of Urza offers a unique form of card advantage. It doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, but by permitting the use of white mana as though it were red mana, it potentially expands the cards you’re able to play, effectively increasing your usable resources and thereby your overall options.

Resource Acceleration: This artifact does wonders for mana flexibility in mono-white and Boros decks. While it does not accelerate mana in the traditional sense by providing more mana, it offers the kind of acceleration that comes from improved resource utility, ensuring you’re less likely to be constrained by color requirements and more likely to be able to play the spells in your hand when you need to.

Instant Speed: The Sunglasses of Urza can be played at any time you could play an artifact, providing flexibility in how you manage your plays. While not an instant itself, it enables better utilization of your mana at instant speed, which means sneaking in those crucial red or white instant spells without worrying about the colors of mana you have available.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of the Sunglasses of Urza is that using it effectively in a game can sometimes mean having to let go of valuable cards. Discarding can put a dent in your hand, which might be detrimental during crucial moments when card advantage is key.

Specific Mana Cost: The Sunglasses of Urza demands a precise mana investment to get into play. Requiring both generic and white mana, it can be restrictive and isn’t always easily slotted into multicolor decks that might be mana-hungry for other colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an initial mana cost that some players might find steep relative to its impact on the game, the Sunglasses of Urza may not always be the most mana-efficient play. There are alternatives available that might provide a more immediate or powerful effect for the same, or even a lesser, mana investment.


Reasons to Include Sunglasses of Urza in Your Collection

Versatility: Sunglasses of Urza offers utility across various deck archetypes. As an artifact, it can seamlessly integrate into strategies that capitalize on artifact synergies or require mana fixing.

Combo Potential: This card can enable combo plays by granting red mana sources the ability to produce white mana, opening up avenues for powerful red-white interactions and multi-color combo frameworks.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where white spells play a critical role, Sunglasses of Urza gains importance by ensuring that your red mana can adapt to the demands of your white spells, making it a strategic addition in the right context.


How to beat

Sunglasses of Urza is a unique artifact from the early days of Magic: The Gathering with the ability to convert mana from plains into red mana. This ability might seem modest but in the right deck, it transforms a simple mana pool into a versatile powerhouse. Tackling a player using Sunglasses of Urza requires a strategic approach.

Artifacts by nature are susceptible to a variety of removal spells. Shattering Spree, Disenchant, or Naturalize are excellent spells for removing troublesome artifacts directly from the field. More aggressive strategies could include using something like Vandalblast for a one-sided sweep of all the artifacts an opponent controls. It’s also wise to consider the value of artifact disruption over straightforward destruction. Cards such as Stony Silence or Collector Ouphe can render artifacts like Sunglasses of Urza useless without actually removing them from the board, potentially bypassing strategies reliant on artifacts entering the graveyard.

Ultimately, overcoming the Sunglasses of Urza’s advantage lies in being prepared. Include some countermeasures in your deck to deal with artifacts promptly. This not only diminishes the Sunglasses’ effectiveness but maintains the flow of the game in your favor.


Cards like Sunglasses of Urza

Delving into the realm of artifact cards in MTG, the Sunglasses of Urza present an interesting comparison to its peers. Like the well-known card, Chromatic Lantern, Sunglasses of Urza provide mana flexibility. They both break the color barrier to some extent and facilitate the utilization of mana as needed. Yet, the Lantern translates all your lands into a rainbow of possibilities, while the Sunglasses are more selective, focusing solely on converting red mana to white without impacting lands.

Mana flexibility can also be found in Celestial Prism, an artifact that, for an additional cost, filters mana through its prism, although it doesn’t hold the same thematic charisma or historical significance as the Sunglasses. Another compeer is Prophetic Prism, which also filters mana and provides the added boon of card draw upon its entrance to the battlefield, a feature the Sunglasses lack. However, the Sunglasses of Urza offer unconditional conversion of red mana which can be repeatedly used without further cost.

The artifacts mentioned carve out their unique spaces within MTG, but the Sunglasses of Urza stand out for their ability to consistently alter the color of mana without extra input, thus holding a special place in the annals of MTG for both function and nostalgia.

Chromatic Lantern - MTG Card versions
Celestial Prism - MTG Card versions
Prophetic Prism - MTG Card versions
Chromatic Lantern - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Celestial Prism - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Prophetic Prism - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)

Cards similar to Sunglasses of Urza by color, type and mana cost

Celestial Prism - MTG Card versions
Runed Arch - MTG Card versions
Clay Pigeon - MTG Card versions
Ashnod's Altar - MTG Card versions
Jalum Tome - MTG Card versions
Patchwork Gnomes - MTG Card versions
The Stasis Coffin - MTG Card versions
Captain's Hook - MTG Card versions
Spellweaver Helix - MTG Card versions
Scale of Chiss-Goria - MTG Card versions
Lightning Coils - MTG Card versions
Loxodon Warhammer - MTG Card versions
Sword of Feast and Famine - MTG Card versions
Training Drone - MTG Card versions
Pristine Talisman - MTG Card versions
Alloy Myr - MTG Card versions
Guardians of Meletis - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Shackles - MTG Card versions
Herald's Horn - MTG Card versions
Manalith - MTG Card versions
Celestial Prism - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Runed Arch - Ice Age (ICE)
Clay Pigeon - Unglued (UGL)
Ashnod's Altar - The Brothers' War Retro Artifacts (BRR)
Jalum Tome - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Patchwork Gnomes - Odyssey (ODY)
The Stasis Coffin - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Captain's Hook - Rivals of Ixalan Promos (PRIX)
Spellweaver Helix - Mirrodin (MRD)
Scale of Chiss-Goria - Mirrodin (MRD)
Lightning Coils - Mirrodin (MRD)
Loxodon Warhammer - Tenth Edition (10E)
Sword of Feast and Famine - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Training Drone - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Pristine Talisman - New Phyrexia Promos (PNPH)
Alloy Myr - Jumpstart (JMP)
Guardians of Meletis - Magic Origins (ORI)
Vedalken Shackles - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Herald's Horn - Treasure Chest (PZ2)
Manalith - Hour of Devastation (HOU)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sunglasses of Urza MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Sunglasses of Urza and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sunglasses of Urza Magic the Gathering card was released in 11 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by Dan Frazier.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 2711993normalblackDan Frazier
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 2721993normalblackDan Frazier
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 2721993normalwhiteDan Frazier
41993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 2721993normalblackDan Frazier
51993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 2721993normalblackDan Frazier
61994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 2761993normalblackDan Frazier
71994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 2761993normalwhiteDan Frazier
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 2761993normalwhiteDan Frazier
91995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 3471993normalwhiteDan Frazier
101995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 3471993normalblackDan Frazier
112022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 5651997normalblackDan Frazier
122022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 2682015normalblackDan Frazier

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sunglasses of Urza has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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