Restoration Gearsmith MTG Card
2016-09-30 - Number 185
2020-11-12 - Number 205
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Artificer |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Restoration Gearsmith is a strong card recovery tool for longer, resource-intense matches in MTG.
- Its two-color mana cost and higher casting cost may limit its playability in faster matches.
- Restoration Gearsmith remains a staple for its graveyard retrieval utility in strategic MTG deck designs.
Text of card
When Restoration Gearsmith enters the battlefield, return target artifact or creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
All she touches turns to well-oiled, delicately calibrated, perfectly balanced gold.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Restoration Gearsmith shines when it comes to retrieving key pieces from the graveyard, providing a clear path to regaining card advantage. This effective recovery mechanism can shift the momentum in your favor, particularly in longer, grindy matches where every resource counts.
Resource Acceleration: Although the Gearsmith doesn’t directly generate mana or additional lands, bringing back creatures or artifacts is a form of indirect resource acceleration. This can lead to quicker deployment of threats or re-utilization of powerful artifacts, maintaining pressure on your opponent and advancing your board state.
Instant Speed: While the Gearsmith itself isn’t an instant, it benefits greatly from entering the battlefield during the main phases, allowing you to immediately capitalize on revived artifacts or creatures. Its effect indirectly rewards instant-speed interaction by replenishing the resources that may have been spent earlier, keeping you ready to respond to new threats.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Restoration Gearsmith’s ability to retrieve an artifact or creature card from your graveyard to your hand is invaluable, but it can be a downside if your graveyard lacks viable targets, essentially negating a key aspect of this card’s utility.
Specific Mana Cost: Sporting a two-color mana cost that includes both white and black can challenge deck-building strategies, especially for those seeking to maintain a streamlined mana base in multiple-color decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, including two that are color-specific, Restoration Gearsmith sits at a higher mana threshold compared to other utility creatures. In fast-paced games, this might limit its playability and impact on the board state when more mana-efficient alternatives are available.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Restoration Gearsmith offers a flexible role in decks that concentrate on recurring key pieces from the graveyard. Its ability to return a creature or artifact to your hand makes it a valuable asset across various game situations, aiding in the recovery from board wipes or the loss of important combo pieces.
Combo Potential: Deck architects appreciate the Gearsmith for its inherent synergy with strategies that capitalize on casting or sacrificing artifacts and creatures. It’s a quiet enabler that could be the linchpin for setting off a sequence of plays that leads to a winning advantage.
Meta-Relevance: With the dynamic shifts in MTG’s competitive environment, Restoration Gearsmith holds its ground in metas where attrition and resource advantage determine the victor. It can repeatedly provide value in grindy matchups, making it a sleeper hit that could tip the scales in your favor.
How to beat
Dealing with Restoration Gearsmith can be a pivotal moment during a game. This multicolor ally known for retrieving a creature or artifact card from your graveyard to your hand presents a considerable advantage, making it crucial to strategically overcome this move. To counteract the Gearsmith’s effect, players could rely on graveyard control strategies, using cards such as Relic of Progenitus or Scavenging Ooze that can remove key cards before the Gearsmith has the chance to resurrect them.
Alternatively, playing cards that restrict casting from the graveyard or using those zones, such as Grafdigger’s Cage, can prevent the Gearsmith from ever utilizing its ability. Timing is essential when playing against Restoration Gearsmith—consider holding onto instant-speed removal until the opponent attempts to play the Gearsmith, thereby neutralizing the threat before it can impact the board. Denying your opponent the chance to retrieve precious resources is key to tipping the scales in your favor in MTG.
Remember, keeping your removal resources aligned with the threats the Gearsmith poses ensures that players maintain control over the game’s flow, effectively mitigating any value your opponent might gain from this cunning artificer.
Cards like Restoration Gearsmith
Restoration Gearsmith stands as a pivotal creature in MTG, offering a unique blend of utility and resilience. When it comes to retrieving precious cards from the graveyard, Restoration Gearsmith mirrors the functionality of creatures like Eternal Witness. While Eternal Witness allows for the recovery of any card type, Restoration Gearsmith specializes in bringing back artifact or creature cards, but with the added advantage of a stronger 3/3 body.
Another comparable card in this niche is Graveyard Marshal, which also facilitates the use of cards in the graveyard. Though Marshal excels in converting creatures into undead 2/2 threats, it lacks the direct return-to-hand ability that makes Gearsmith valuable for an immediate board presence. Conversely, we have Tarmogoyf – an iconic creature that grows with graveyard contents. Unlike Restoration Gearsmith, Tarmogoyf doesn’t offer card retrieval but it can become a formidable force on the battlefield.
Evaluating these cards against Restoration Gearsmith, it’s clear that Gearsmith’s balanced stat line and targeted reanimation are what distinguishes it in games of MTG. Especially in decks that value artifact or creature recursion, Restoration Gearsmith can repeatedly prove its worth on the board, matching the versatility that players seek in multi-functional cards.
Cards similar to Restoration Gearsmith by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Restoration Gearsmith 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 Restoration Gearsmith 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 Restoration Gearsmith Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-09-30 and 2020-11-12. Illustrated by John Severin Brassell.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-09-30 | Kaladesh | KLD | 185 | 2015 | normal | black | John Severin Brassell | |
| 2 | 2020-11-12 | Kaladesh Remastered | KLR | 205 | 2015 | normal | black | John Severin Brassell |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Restoration Gearsmith has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
