Price$0.05 – $11.89
Buy on TCGplayerOrnithopter
Artifact Creature — Thopter
LegalRank #740
Flying
0/2
KeywordsFlying
Why is this card good?
Ornithopter is a free artifact that happens to be a creature — and that combination is what makes it playable, not its flying or 0/2 body.
Where it shines:
- Affinity/artifact decks want cheap artifact bodies to power things like Cranial Plating, Arcbound Ravager, and metalcraft enablers. Costing nothing makes it a perfect equipment carrier or sac fodder.
- Cheerios/storm decks ([[Urza]], [[Jhoira]] artifact builds) love free permanents that trigger "whenever you cast an artifact" or build construct/thopter synergies.
- It's a fine early equipment recipient — slap Cranial Plating or Skullclamp on it and swing or draw.
When NOT to play it:
- In any deck that doesn't specifically reward casting cheap artifacts or needs a free body, it's just a 0/2 flier doing nothing. Don't run it for "value."
Bottom line: a build-around enabler, not a generically good card. Include it only when your deck is actively counting artifacts or abusing free creatures.
Related cards
Memnite
Another 0-cost artifact creature for affinity and cheap aggro starts.
Phyrexian Walker
Zero-mana artifact creature to fuel artifact synergies.
Shield Sphere
Free artifact creature for affinity and chump blocking.
Signal Pest
Cheap artifact creature with evasive battle cry for aggro decks.
Etched Champion
Affinity payoff that benefits from cheap artifact creatures like Ornithopter.
Arcbound Ravager
Sacrifices artifacts; loves free artifact creatures as fodder.
Cranial Plating
Equipment that turns evasive Ornithopter into a real threat in artifact decks.
Ensoul Artifact
Turns 0-cost Ornithopter into a 5/5 flier cheaply.
Printings (27)
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Combos (8)
- Mirran Spy + Emry, Lurker of the Loch + Ornithopter + Grinding Station
→ Infinite ETB, Infinite LTB, Infinite mill
- Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle + Salvager of Ruin + Ornithopter + Blasting Station
→ Infinite damage, Infinite death triggers, Infinite ETB
- Mortuary + Viscera Seer + Gwenom, Remorseless + Ornithopter
→ Infinite LTB, Infinite ETB, Infinite sacrifice triggers
- Mortuary + Umbral Collar Zealot + Gwenom, Remorseless + Ornithopter
→ Infinite LTB, Infinite ETB, Infinite sacrifice triggers
- Koll, the Forgemaster + Sai of the Shinobi + Ornithopter + Goblin Bombardment
→ Infinite damage, Infinite death triggers, Infinite ETB
- Koll, the Forgemaster + Goblin Bombardment + Shuko + Ornithopter
→ Infinite damage, Infinite death triggers, Infinite ETB