March of the Machines MTG Card
2003-10-02 - Number 42
2007-07-13 - Number 91★
2007-07-13 - Number 91
2010-06-18 - Number 6
2020-09-26 - Number MRD-42
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment |
Key Takeaways
- Makes artifacts dual-purpose, enhancing board presence and maximizing utility in gameplay.
- Provides options for aggressive or resourceful play, catering to various strategic approaches.
- Poses deck-building challenges due to its specific mana requirements and higher cost.
Text of card
Each noncreature artifact is an artifact creature with power and toughness each equal to its converted mana cost. (Equipment that's a creature can't equip a creature.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: March of the Machines dramatically transforms all noncreature artifacts into creatures, which can effectively turn your previously non-threatening artifacts into an army of attackers or blockers. This can maximize the utility of artifacts you already have on the board, providing a considerable card advantage by making your non-creature spells dual-purpose.
Resource Acceleration: By animating your artifacts, including mana rocks, March of the Machines can potentially provide an acceleration in resources. Your artifacts that were solely for ramp can now contribute to your board presence and threat level, offering a dual benefit as both mana sources and creatures in the fray.
Instant Speed: Though March of the Machines is an enchantment played at sorcery speed, it can immediately affect the board the moment it comes into play. The instant transformation of artifacts can catch opponents off-guard, particularly because it can turn seemingly benign artifacts into considerable threats in the blink of an eye. Additionally, artifacts that enter the battlefield after can immediately be creatures without waiting for summoning sickness to wear off, making March of the Machines a pivotal card in responsive playstyles.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: March of the Machines necessitates a sizable upfront investment of cards from your hand to transform artifacts into creatures. This can be unfavorable if your hand is already running low on actionable plays or if you need to maintain a defensive stance with cards in hand.
Specific Mana Cost: This enchantment comes with a mana cost that requires both blue and generic mana to play, which can sometimes pose deck-building restrictions. Players running multicolored decks might find it challenging to consistently meet the blue mana requirement for the card, especially in the early game.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing four mana to cast, March of the Machines has a steep entry point that could potentially slow down your early game momentum. In faster-paced matches, the mana spent on this card could be allocated to more immediate threats or board presence, making it a situational choice rather than a universal fit.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: March of the Machines is an asset for players who enjoy converting their artifact-rich boards into a formidable army. This card seamlessly switches gears between defensive setups and aggressive tactics, adapting to varied gameplay styles with ease.
Combo Potential: Its ability to animate artifacts opens up a plethora of combo possibilities, interacting with cards that care about creature presence or artifacts to unlock new levels of strategic depth.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment teeming with artifact-based decks, March of the Machines elevates its significance by countering opponents’ strategies or reinforcing your own, making it a relevant and impactful choice in current play.
How to beat
March of the Machines is a unique enchantment that turns all noncreature artifacts into creatures with power and toughness each equal to their mana costs. To effectively combat this card, a strategic approach is essential. Firstly, prioritize removal spells that can target multiple artifacts at once. Cards like Shatterstorm or Vandalblast can disrupt this synergy by eliminating numerous threats with a single spell. Secondly, consider adding more instant-speed interaction in your deck. Abilities that counter spells or destroy enchantments can halt your opponent’s plans before they solidify their board presence.
Additionally, adapting your gameplay to expect and react to March of the Machines can turn the tide in your favor. For example, playing fewer artifacts or ones with zero mana cost will reduce the impact of the enchantment. Finally, incorporating flexible permanents that can function both as creatures and noncreature spells can help maintain board presence without aiding your opponent’s strategy.
In adaptation and clever card selection lies the key to outmaneuvering an opponent reliant on March of the Machines. Control the field, anticipate artifact transformations, and neutralize this potent enchantment to secure victory.
Cards like March of the Machines
March of the Machines stands out in the realm of artifact manipulation in Magic: The Gathering. It shares a thematic lineage with cards like Titania’s Song, both curating environments where artifacts are transformed, affecting the flow of the game significantly. However, March of the Machines takes a rigid approach – converting all non-creature artifacts into creatures as long as they’re on the battlefield, with their power and toughness equal to their converted mana costs.
Enshrined to this particular niche, we encounter Mycosynth Lattice, a card that pushes the boundaries by turning all permanents into artifacts in addition to other effects. While Mycosynth Lattice doesn’t directly animate artifacts like March of the Machines, in synergy, it’s capable of creating a dynamic where all permanents can potentially become creatures. Then there is Ensoul Artifact, a targeted version of artifact animation. Ensoul Artifact requires a single artifact, offering a cost-efficient way to create a significant threat early in the game, but it lacks the sweeping transformation that March of the Machines promises.
Delineating these cards illustrates March of the Machines as a unique game-changer, capable of shifting the entire board’s dynamic, situating it notably within MTG’s wide array of transformative artifact cards.
Cards similar to March of the Machines by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase March of the Machines MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin and Tenth Edition, 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 March of the Machines and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See Magic products
Printings
The March of the Machines Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2003-10-02 and 2010-06-18. Illustrated by Ben Thompson.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2003-10-02 | Mirrodin | MRD | 42 | 2003 | normal | black | Ben Thompson | |
| 2 | 2007-07-13 | Tenth Edition | 10E | 91★ | 2003 | normal | black | Ben Thompson | |
| 3 | 2007-07-13 | Tenth Edition | 10E | 91 | 2003 | normal | black | Ben Thompson | |
| 4 | 2010-06-18 | Archenemy | ARC | 6 | 2003 | normal | black | Ben Thompson | |
| 5 | The List | PLST | MRD-42 | 2003 | normal | black | Ben Thompson |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where March of the Machines has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering March of the Machines card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-12-01 | Each artifact land has a converted mana cost of 0. March of the Machines makes them 0/0 creatures, which are put into the graveyard as a state-based action. |
| 2004-12-01 | If a noncreature artifact is also another card type, such as enchantment or land, it will retain those types in addition to being an artifact creature. |
| 2004-12-01 | If an Equipment becomes a creature, it can no longer equip a creature. If it’s currently attached to a creature, it becomes unattached (but remains on the battlefield). You can activate the Equipment’s equip ability, but it won’t do anything. |
| 2007-07-15 | If a noncreature artifact becomes an artifact creature this way and then another effect animates it, the new effect overrides March of the Machines’s effect. For example, Chimeric Staff is a 4/4 creature while March of the Machines is on the battlefield. If you activate Chimeric Staff’s ability and choose X = 5, Chimeric Staff will be a 5/5 artifact creature for the rest of the turn. |
| 2009-10-01 | A noncreature permanent that turns into a creature is subject to the “summoning sickness” rule: It can only attack, and its abilities can only be activated, if its controller has continuously controlled that permanent since the beginning of their most recent turn. |
