Master Transmuter MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeArtifact Creature — Human Artificer
Power 1
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Capable of substantial card advantage by reusing artifact effects and dodging removals.
  2. Enables placing high-cost artifacts early, accelerating resource availability drastically.
  3. Operates at instant speed, offering strategic plays and preventing opponents’ plans.

Text of card

, , Return an artifact you control to its owner's hand: You may put an artifact card from your hand into play.

"Wasted potential surrounds us. Lend me that bauble, and let me see what it can be made to be."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Master Transmuter shines in providing a consistent card advantage. Its ability to return an artifact you control to your hand, then putting an artifact card from your hand onto the battlefield, allows you to reuse enter-the-battlefield effects or save key cards from removal, effectively growing your pool of usable resources.

Resource Acceleration: With Master Transmuter’s potent ability, players can skip the conventional mana curve by cheating powerful, high-cost artifacts onto the board early in the game. This resource acceleration can be a game-changer, giving you access to effects and board presence that are normally available only in the later stages of a match.

Instant Speed: The flexibility offered by Master Transmuter’s abilities being activated at instant speed cannot be overstated. This allows for surprise plays during your opponent’s turn, disrupting their strategies and protecting your own artifacts from targeted removal or board wipes. The threat of activation alone can lead to opponents hesitating to commit resources, giving you a tactical edge.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Master Transmuter necessitates that you bounce an artifact you control to your hand to use its ability. This can hinder your board presence, especially if the artifact played a key role in your strategy or if you’re short on artifacts to make its ability worthwhile.

Specific Mana Cost: Its activation requires blue mana, meaning that decks not running blue may struggle to incorporate the Transmuter effectively. Additionally, this can make it a liability in multicolored decks that can’t always guarantee the right mana at the right time.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Casting Master Transmuter itself requires four mana, which is significant, especially in formats where speed is crucial. While its potential is high, its initial cost demands a significant investment before you can utilize its artifact-swapping capabilities.


Reasons to Include Master Transmuter in Your Collection

Versatility: Master Transmuter offers a flexible role in artifact-heavy decks. Its ability to bounce and deploy artifacts provides utility across numerous board states and can shift the tide in your favor.

Combo Potential: This card can be the linchpin for various combos, allowing you to cheat high-cost artifacts onto the battlefield ahead of schedule or generate infinite interactions with the right setup.

Meta-Relevance: In formats where artifacts are a cornerstone of competitive play, Master Transmuter’s unique skill set can give you an edge against a range of popular deck archetypes.


How to beat Master Transmuter

The Master Transmuter stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a powerful artifact that offers control and flexibility to its user. It has the unique ability to return an artifact you control to your hand to cheat into play another artifact from your hand without paying its mana cost. This effect can be quite game-changing, leading to massive swings in board state and potential for abuse.

To counteract the dominance of Master Transmuter, players should consider direct removal spells that can target and eliminate it before its ability triggers. Efficient removal includes spells like Path to Exile or Fatal Push, which can dispose of the Transmuter at instant speed. The use of counterspells when the Transmuter is cast is also a highly effective strategy, Dispel or Negate can ensure the Transmuter never hits the field to begin with. Alternatively, you can deploy artifact disruption such as Abrade or Shatterstorm to disrupt the synergies and potential combos that Master Transmuter aims to establish.

For a more proactive approach, strategies focusing on quick aggro gameplay or disruptive denial can hinder a deck reliant on a Master Transmuter’s setup time, forcing the opponent on the defensive and making it harder to exploit the Transmuter’s powerful ability. Therefore, it is essential to maintain pressure and have a response ready to ensure the Master Transmuter doesn’t seize control of the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Master Transmuter is a cornerstone for artifact-based strategies in MTG, offering a blend of card advantage, tactical flexibility, and combo potential. Understanding its strengths and potential drawbacks is key to harnessing its full potential. If you’re crafting a deck that aims to manipulate artifacts for game-winning plays or simply love the complex dance of artifact synergy, Master Transmuter is a valuable addition to your collection. Dive deeper into its applications, learn to exploit its abilities to the fullest, and be ready to counteract its influence on the battlefield. Enhance your deck-building skills and outmaneuver your opponents by mastering the art of artifact manipulation. Join us to delve into more strategies and become adept at navigating the intricate world of MTG artifacts.


Cards like Master Transmuter

Master Transmuter stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a beacon of strategic depth and versatility. Resembling the likes of cards such as Arcum Dagsson, the Master Transmuter offers players a different twist on the artifact manipulation theme. While Arcum Dagsson requires sacrificing an artifact to fetch another directly from the deck, Master Transmuter simply bounces an artifact you control to your hand. This allows you to save key pieces from removal or reset artifacts with enter-the-battlefield triggers.

Another similar card worth mentioning is Emry, Lurker of the Loch. Both cards revolve around artifacts; Emry allows you to cast artifacts from your graveyard, playing into the theme of artifact recurrence. However, Master Transmuter’s ability to put artifacts directly onto the battlefield from your hand, bypassing their mana costs, sets it apart. Contrastingly, Emry requires the mana to cast the artifacts, albeit at a reduced cost.

Considering these unique abilities and the potential for impactful plays, Master Transmuter certainly claims an esteemed position among artifact-centric cards in Magic: The Gathering. Its capacity for swift adaptation gives it an edge in setups where immediate and impactful board changes are crucial.

Arcum Dagsson - MTG Card versions
Emry, Lurker of the Loch - MTG Card versions
Arcum Dagsson - Coldsnap (CSP)
Emry, Lurker of the Loch - Throne of Eldraine Promos (PELD)

Cards similar to Master Transmuter by color, type and mana cost

Blue Mana Battery - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Metamorph - MTG Card versions
Machine God's Effigy - MTG Card versions
Cobalt Golem - MTG Card versions
Filigree Sages - MTG Card versions
Mindlock Orb - MTG Card versions
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Dukhara Peafowl - MTG Card versions
Chipper Chopper - MTG Card versions
Tezzeret's Gatebreaker - MTG Card versions
Filigree Attendant - MTG Card versions
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Mindsplice Apparatus - MTG Card versions
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Synthesis Pod - MTG Card versions
Surgical Metamorph - MTG Card versions
Invasion of Vryn // Overloaded Mage-Ring - MTG Card versions
Blue Mana Battery - Renaissance (REN)
Phyrexian Metamorph - Murders at Karlov Manor Commander (MKC)
Machine God's Effigy - The Brothers' War Commander (BRC)
Cobalt Golem - Mirrodin (MRD)
Filigree Sages - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Mindlock Orb - The List (PLST)
Faerie Mechanist - The List (PLST)
Cumber Stone - Conflux (CON)
Dukhara Peafowl - Kaladesh Remastered (KLR)
Chipper Chopper - Unstable (UST)
Tezzeret's Gatebreaker - Core Set 2019 (M19)
Filigree Attendant - Commander Masters (CMM)
Futurist Sentinel - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)
Encroaching Mycosynth - Phyrexia: All Will Be One (ONE)
Transplant Theorist - Phyrexia: All Will Be One (ONE)
Mindsplice Apparatus - Phyrexia: All Will Be One (ONE)
Tamiyo's Immobilizer - Phyrexia: All Will Be One (ONE)
Synthesis Pod - Phyrexia: All Will Be One Commander (ONC)
Surgical Metamorph - Alchemy: Phyrexia (YONE)
Invasion of Vryn // Overloaded Mage-Ring - March of the Machine (MOM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Master Transmuter MTG card by a specific set like Conflux and Archenemy, 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 Master Transmuter and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Master Transmuter Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2009-02-06 and 2022-11-18. Illustrated by Chippy.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12009-02-06ConfluxCON 312003normalblackChippy
22010-06-18ArchenemyARC 72003normalblackChippy
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 4222003normalblackChippy
42020-08-07Double Masters2XM 582015normalblackChippy
52020-09-26The ListPLST CON-312003normalblackChippy
62022-11-18The Brothers' War CommanderBRC 871997normalblackChippy

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Master Transmuter has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-08-07 Master Transmuter can be returned to its owner's hand to pay the cost of its activated ability.
2020-08-07 The artifact card you put onto the battlefield when the ability resolves may be the same card that you returned to your hand when you paid the cost. If so, it returns to the battlefield as a new object with no relation to its previous existence.

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