Synod Artificer MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Vedalken Artificer
Released	2004-02-06
Set symbol
Set name	Darksteel
Set code	DST
Power	1
Toughness	2
Number	34
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Mark Zug

Key Takeaways

Synod Artificer excels in artifact decks, offering card advantage and turning artifacts into versatile tools.
Its instant speed abilities enable strategic plays, offering flexibility and reactivity in MTG games.
Resource acceleration is another plus, allowing quicker plays and more complex strategies in matches.

Text of card

, : Tap X target noncreature artifacts. , : Untap X target noncreature artifacts.

Memnarch shared a touch of his power with the vedalken in return for their service. It is a debt he intends to collect.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Synod Artificer serves as a force multiplier, transforming your array of artifacts into a toolbox of answers or enablers. With the ability to tap or untap multiple artifacts each turn, it essentially converts each artifact into a potential card advantage engine, which can be particularly powerful in decks with a heavy artifact theme.

Resource Acceleration: This card’s untap ability can be harnessed to reinvigorate mana-producing artifacts. This can lead to significant resource acceleration, allowing you to cast more spells or activate more abilities in a single turn, giving you a considerable lead in developing your board state.

Instant Speed: Due to the nature of its ability to tap or untap artifacts at instant speed, Synod Artificer allows you to remain reactive and flexible. This means you can wait until the most strategic moment during your opponent’s turn to potentially disrupt their plans or to maximize your artifacts’ utility without telegraphing your moves in advance.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Synod Artificer doesn’t directly impose discarding, activating its abilities relies on having enough artifacts on the battlefield, which means other card resources might be wasted or become unavailable for the sake of maintaining its utility.

Specific Mana Cost: Synod Artificer requires both blue mana and generic mana to cast, constraining its inclusion to decks that can reliably produce blue mana, which may not always align with a player’s broader deck strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activation cost that can add up quickly in an artifact-heavy deck, Synod Artificer demands a significant mana investment to fully utilize its capabilities, often competing with other high-impact plays available at similar or lower mana costs.

Reasons to Include Synod Artificer in Your Collection

Versatility: Synod Artificer offers flexibility in deck building, adapting well to a wide range of blue-based strategies, be it control or artifact-centered decks. His ability to either tap or untap artifacts provides a toolset adaptable to various in-game situations.

Combo Potential: For enthusiasts of intricate plays, this card can be a key component in combos. It can tap down an opponent’s artifacts to clear the way for your attacks or untap your combo pieces for repeated uses in a single turn.

Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-present role artifacts play in numerous formats, Synod Artificer remains a relevant choice. In environments heavy with artifact usage, he can become a linchpin in executing your strategic plans or disrupting your opponents’.

How to beat

Synod Artificer is a unique card that can have a strong influence on any artifact-focused deck in Magic: The Gathering. The card’s ability to tap or untap artifacts can cleverly manipulate the game’s pace and create opportunities for locking down opponents’ resources or accelerating your own gameplay. To effectively counter Synod Artificer, it’s critical to employ strategies that can disrupt its ability to interact with artifacts.

Removal spells that can target creatures regardless of their size or protective measures are particularly effective. This includes spells that can bypass hexproof or indestructibility, ensuring that Synod Artificer leaves the battlefield before it can become a strategic anchor for your opponent. Another tactic is to limit the number of artifacts in play. With fewer artifacts available to manipulate, Synod Artificer’s utility drastically decreases. Strategies that include artifact destruction or exile effects can be pivotal in diminishing the power Synod Artificer wields.

Playing cards that restrict a player’s ability to tap or untap permanents also presents a solid plan to mitigate Synod Artificer’s impact. Effects that freeze or lock down permanents can prevent the card from becoming a persistent threat. When facing Synod Artificer, always consider the broader context it operates within and target the enablers of its potent abilities. This targeted approach will maximize your chances of maintaining control and emerging victorious in your MTG matches.

Cards like Synod Artificer

Within the intricate world of artifact manipulation in MTG, Synod Artificer emerges as a key player. Likewise, other cards such as Voltaic Key and Manifold Key offer the potential to untap, yet with a significant difference in execution. Synod Artificer requires mana and tapping itself plus the need to control a sufficient number of artifacts to untap others.

Delving into similar territory, Unwinding Clock is a card that untaps all artifacts you control during other players’ untap steps. While not as targeted as Synod Artificer, it provides a more passive and widespread untapping mechanism. Conversely, Synod Artificer offers precise control, enabling strategic untapping or tapping of artifacts which can be pivotal at crucial moments in gameplay.

To summarize, while each card in this category contributes uniquely to the dynamics of artifact-centric decks, Synod Artificer stands out for its ability to directly influence the state of numerous artifacts at once, a benefit that demands both tactical forethought and a robust artifact presence to be fully leveraged in MTG matches.

Cards similar to Synod Artificer by color, type and mana cost

Volrath's Shapeshifter - MTG Card versions

Animating Faerie // Bring to Life - MTG Card versions

Ghost of Ramirez DePietro - MTG Card versions

Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar - MTG Card versions

Queen of Ice // Rage of Winter - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Synod Artificer MTG card by a specific set like Darksteel, 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 Synod Artificer and other MTG cards: