Inventor's Goggles MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeArtifact — Equipment
Abilities Equip

Key Takeaways

  1. Boosts Artificer creatures’ stats with no equip cost, enabling mana efficiency in artifact decks.
  2. Specific to Artificer synergy, but may not align with all deck strategies and color requirements.
  3. Remains relevant in the MTG meta by enhancing creature abilities and deck versatility.

Text of card

Equipped creature gets +1/+2. Whenever an Artificer enters the battlefield under your control, you may attach Inventor's Goggles to it. Equip (: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Inventor’s Goggles doesn’t directly generate card advantage, but it pairs effectively with Artificer creatures, effectively acting as an additional creature on the board when equipped for free.

Resource Acceleration: While not accelerating mana, the Goggles can be considered a form of resource acceleration by saving mana. The ability to equip automatically to an Artificer means zero equip cost, which conserves mana for other spells.

Instant Speed: Although Inventor’s Goggles are not an instant, its quick equip feature when an Artificer enters the battlefield offers a form of instant speed interaction, immediately boosting your creature’s stats during the combat phase or in response to abilities that target Artificers.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Despite offering a boost to equipped creatures, Inventor’s Goggles can be a setback when they hit the discard pile due to a sacrifice effect or during deck streamlining. Losing an artifact can be particularly costly in decks that synergize with artifact counts.

Specific Mana Cost: The goggles demand a specific colorless mana for equipping, which may not seem much but can disrupt mana flow in multicolored decks that require precise mana allocation for more impactful plays.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the initial cost of the goggles is low, the aggregate investment required to consistently utilize their equipping ability can sum up to a steep price, especially in fast-paced games where mana efficiency dictates the victor.


Reasons to Include Inventor’s Goggles in Your Collection

Versatility: Inventor’s Goggles can be a welcome addition to any deck that values equipment or prioritizes artifact synergies. This card easily attaches to Artificers, supporting strategies that rely on these types of creatures.

Combo Potential: With the ability to easily equip to certain creatures without cost, Inventor’s Goggles enhances combos by potentially beefing up creatures or enabling artifact-centric interactions without additional mana investment.

Meta-Relevance: As decks utilizing artifacts and aggressive creatures often cycle through the MTG metagame, Inventor’s Goggles remains relevant by providing a cost-effective way to protect and empower your creatures in these evolving strategies.


How to beat

Inventor’s Goggles is a tool that any artificer would be wise to wield in Magic: The Gathering. This equipment card gives the equipped creature a slight power boost and better protection for an almost negligible cost. Yet, even the best of gear has its vulnerabilities in the game. When facing an opponent who uses Inventor’s Goggles, your best bet is to focus on removing the creature it’s attached to or utilizing artifact destruction spells to dismantle the equipment itself. Cards like Disenchant are efficient ways to directly remove such artifacts from the battlefield, ensuring your adversary is denied the advantages Inventor’s Goggles provide.

Another strategy is to deploy creatures with abilities that can bypass the power boost given by the goggles. This can include using flyers or creatures with trample to mitigate the increased defensive capabilities. Additionally, countering the card before it becomes a nuisance can save you resources and tempo in the long run. Remember, timing is key, and a well-timed Naturalize or artifact-specific removal can swing the game in your favor, rendering the Inventor’s Goggles nothing more than a fancy table ornament.


Cards like Inventor's Goggles

Inventor’s Goggles is a unique piece of equipment in Magic: The Gathering, offering a straightforward yet powerful effect for artifact-centric decks. When compared to something like Swiftfoot Boots, another popular equipment, the Goggles don’t provide the hexproof or haste but instead focus on bolstering an artifact creature’s combat capabilities immediately on entry. Another comparable card could be the Bonesplitter, which, much like the Goggles, grants a power boost to creatures. However, Bonesplitter lacks the specific synergy with Artificers that Inventor’s Goggles provides, exemplified by its automatic attachment to any Artificer that enters the battlefield.

Moving to other equipment options, there’s Ghostfire Blade, which similarly boosts a creature’s power and toughness. While Ghostfire Blade is more flexible by supporting colorless creatures, Inventor’s Goggles caters exclusively to the artificer archetype, defining its niche role in deckbuilding. The automatic equipping feature is what truly distinguishes Inventor’s Goggles, reducing the tempo loss usually associated with playing and equipping other artifacts.

Analyzing these items side by side, Inventor’s Goggles earns a respectable position amongst creature-boosting equipment, particularly in decks that can fully utilize its artificer-enhancing properties.

Swiftfoot Boots - MTG Card versions
Bonesplitter - MTG Card versions
Ghostfire Blade - MTG Card versions
Swiftfoot Boots - Magic 2012 (M12)
Bonesplitter - Arena League 2003 (PAL03)
Ghostfire Blade - Khans of Tarkir (KTK)

Cards similar to Inventor's Goggles by color, type and mana cost

Glasses of Urza - MTG Card versions
Wooden Sphere - MTG Card versions
Sol Ring - MTG Card versions
Iron Star - MTG Card versions
Library of Leng - MTG Card versions
Black Vise - MTG Card versions
Urza's Chalice - MTG Card versions
Ivory Cup - MTG Card versions
Brass Man - MTG Card versions
Mana Vault - MTG Card versions
Soul Net - MTG Card versions
The Rack - MTG Card versions
Helm of Chatzuk - MTG Card versions
Obelisk of Undoing - MTG Card versions
Feldon's Cane - MTG Card versions
Throne of Bone - MTG Card versions
Meekstone - MTG Card versions
Crystal Rod - MTG Card versions
Thran Foundry - MTG Card versions
Cursed Scroll - MTG Card versions
Glasses of Urza - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Wooden Sphere - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Sol Ring - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Iron Star - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Library of Leng - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Black Vise - Revised Edition (3ED)
Urza's Chalice - Masters Edition (ME1)
Ivory Cup - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Brass Man - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Mana Vault - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Soul Net - Fifth Edition (5ED)
The Rack - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Helm of Chatzuk - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Obelisk of Undoing - Rinascimento (RIN)
Feldon's Cane - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Throne of Bone - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Meekstone - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Crystal Rod - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Thran Foundry - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Cursed Scroll - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Inventor's Goggles MTG card by a specific set like Kaladesh and Kaladesh Remastered, 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 Inventor's Goggles and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Inventor's Goggles Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-09-30 and 2020-11-12. Illustrated by Jason Felix.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-09-30KaladeshKLD 2182015normalblackJason Felix
22020-11-12Kaladesh RemasteredKLR 2462015normalblackJason Felix

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Inventor's Goggles has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2016-09-20 If the Artificer that entered the battlefield leaves the battlefield before Inventor's Goggles becomes attached, Inventor's Goggles stays as it was. If it's already attached to another creature, it remains attached to that creature.

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