Esperzoa MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact Creature — Jellyfish
Abilities Flying
Power 4
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Reuse artifact enters-the-battlefield effects for continuous card utility and strategic advantage with Esperzoa.
  2. Align Esperzoa with artifacts that activate at instant speed to enhance reactive gameplay and versatility.
  3. Recognize Esperzoa’s upkeep demand and mana cost as potential setbacks in maintaining a strong board presence.

Text of card

Flying At the beginning of your upkeep, return an artifact you control to its owner's hand.

The more metal it digests, the more its jelly will fetch on the alchemists' market.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Esperzoa’s ability to return an artifact to its owner’s hand each turn can be leveraged to reuse artifacts with beneficial enter-the-battlefield effects, thus gaining repeated value and card utility over multiple turns.

Resource Acceleration: By synergizing with artifacts that produce mana or reduce costs, Esperzoa can effectively amplify your resource acceleration, allowing for more potent plays earlier in the game.

Instant Speed: While Esperzoa itself may not act at instant speed, its continuous interaction with artifact cards can facilitate instant speed responses by recirculating artifacts that activate or trigger during an opponent’s turn, enhancing reactive gameplay and strategic depth.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Esperzoa demands a continuous investment as it requires you to return an artifact you control to your hand during your upkeep, potentially setting back your board development.

Specific Mana Cost: The mixed mana cost of blue and generic mana can be restrictive, necessitating a commitment to blue mana sources in your deck’s construction, which may not always align with your overall strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing three mana might seem reasonable, but for a creature that comes with a mandatory upkeep cost, this can be a drawback compared to other three-mana artifacts or creatures that provide value without ongoing conditions.


Reasons to Include Esperzoa in Your Collection

Versatility: Esperzoa provides a unique edge as it can adapt to multiple play styles. In artifact-centric decks, its ability to return another artifact to your hand each turn can be an advantage, allowing for repeated use of enter-the-battlefield triggers.

Combo Potential: With the right setup, Esperzoa can become a cornerstone of intricate combos. By returning artifacts that have cumulative upkeep costs or temporary boosts, you maximize their benefits every turn. This could also help you bypass certain downsides by essentially resetting your artifacts.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the fluctuating nature of the metagame, Esperzoa can hold its own in environments heavy with artifacts. Its capacity to consistently retrieve and replay key pieces makes it particularly potent when the meta favors long, drawn-out battles where value and efficiency reign supreme.


How to beat

Esperzoa presents a unique tactical challenge on the battlefield with its ability to act as a flying blocker and necessitate the return of artifacts to hand each turn. To effectively combat this card, it’s crucial to minimize the number of artifacts you have in play or utilize artifacts with enter-the-battlefield effects to capitalize on the potential synergy. Cards that offer artifact removal can be particularly effective in dismantling the strategies that are often built around Esperzoa.

Moreover, employing instant-speed removal or spells that can target this creature before the artifact return trigger occurs on your opponent’s upkeep ensures that the taxing aspect of Esperzoa’s ability is rendered irrelevant. Ensuring that Esperzoa becomes a liability for your opponent, rather than a consistent benefit, shifts the tide in your favor. With careful planning and strategic removal, this 4/3 flyer with its conditional drawback can be systematically neutralized, securing your pathway to victory.


Cards like Esperzoa

Esperzoa stands out as a unique artifact creature card in Magic: The Gathering. Its nearest relatives in terms of functionality might be Vedalken Archmage or Etherium Sculptor, both hailing from the same era in design, focusing on the synergy with artifacts. Yet, Esperzoa offers a rare repeatable mechanism where it returns another artifact you control to its owner’s hand during each of your upkeeps. This recurring action can be strategically used to re-trigger enter-the-battlefield effects or dodge removal spells that target artifacts on the board.

Comparatively, Vedalken Archmage rewards players for playing artifacts by allowing them to draw a card, which accentuates Esperzoa’s rerun advantage. It’s a boon for turning artifact play into card advantage. Etherium Sculptor, on the other hand, reduces the cost of artifact spells, enabling a smoother and more efficient casting experience. While it does not offer the direct card interaction that Esperzoa does, the cost reduction can lead to a cumulative advantage over several turns.

Each of these artifact-centric cards carries its weight in an artifact-laden deck, yet Esperzoa’s unique ability to manipulate the battlefield and maximize artifact potential secures its spot as a tactical choice for players who enjoy an inventive style of play in Magic: The Gathering.

Vedalken Archmage - MTG Card versions
Etherium Sculptor - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Archmage - MTG Card versions
Etherium Sculptor - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Esperzoa by color, type and mana cost

Proteus Staff - MTG Card versions
Crystal Shard - MTG Card versions
Wizard Replica - MTG Card versions
Chronatog Totem - MTG Card versions
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Implement of Examination - MTG Card versions
Portal of Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
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Icebind Pillar - MTG Card versions
Rod of Absorption - MTG Card versions
Etherium Spinner - MTG Card versions
Tome of the Infinite - MTG Card versions
Poppet Stitcher // Poppet Factory - MTG Card versions
Mysterious Tome // Chilling Chronicle - MTG Card versions
Proteus Staff - MTG Card versions
Crystal Shard - MTG Card versions
Wizard Replica - MTG Card versions
Chronatog Totem - MTG Card versions
Sarcomite Myr - MTG Card versions
Master of Etherium - MTG Card versions
Skill Borrower - MTG Card versions
Neurok Replica - MTG Card versions
Parasitic Strix - MTG Card versions
Trespassing Souleater - MTG Card versions
Spined Thopter - MTG Card versions
Implement of Examination - MTG Card versions
Portal of Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Midnight Clock - MTG Card versions
Icebind Pillar - MTG Card versions
Rod of Absorption - MTG Card versions
Etherium Spinner - MTG Card versions
Tome of the Infinite - MTG Card versions
Poppet Stitcher // Poppet Factory - MTG Card versions
Mysterious Tome // Chilling Chronicle - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Esperzoa MTG card by a specific set like Conflux and Modern Masters, 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 Esperzoa and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Esperzoa Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2009-02-06 and 2020-08-07. Illustrated by Warren Mahy.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12009-02-06ConfluxCON 252003NormalBlackWarren Mahy
22013-06-07Modern MastersMMA 432003NormalBlackWarren Mahy
32020-08-07Double Masters2XM 492015NormalBlackWarren Mahy

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Esperzoa has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2020-08-07 When Esperzoa's ability resolves, if you control no other artifacts, you'll have to return Esperzoa itself.

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