Urza, Lord High Artificer
Legendary Creature — Human Artificer
Legal Salt 2.31RampRank #797
When Urza enters, create a 0/0 colorless Construct artifact creature token with "This token gets +1/+1 for each artifact you control."
Tap an untapped artifact you control: Add .
: Shuffle your library, then exile the top card. Until end of turn, you may play that card without paying its mana cost.
1/4
Why is this card good?
Urza is a powerhouse for any blue artifact deck, and his three abilities stack into a value engine that snowballs fast.
Why he's good:
- The Construct scales with your board, often arriving as a 4/4+ that grows every artifact you drop.
- The mana ability is the real prize: every untapped artifact becomes a blue Sol Ring. With mana rocks, Mishra's Bauble, and cheap artifacts, you generate explosive mana for combos or counterspell-backed advantage.
- The ability turns your artifact mana into a repeatable free-cast wheel that pulls ahead in the late game.
Decks that want him: Artifact combo and storm shells (Thopter/Sword, Power Artifact + Basalt Monolith for infinite mana), affinity/tokens, and any blue deck leaning on rocks. He's a strong 99 inclusion or a dedicated commander for cEDH-adjacent artifact builds.
When not to play him: Decks light on artifacts get little — without a critical mass of cheap artifacts, the mana ability and Construct underwhelm. Skip in creature-centric or non-artifact blue control shells.
ability turns your artifact mana into a repeatable free-cast wheel that pulls ahead in the late game.
Decks that want him: Artifact combo and storm shells (Thopter/Sword, Power Artifact + Basalt Monolith for infinite mana), affinity/tokens, and any blue deck leaning on rocks. He's a strong 99 inclusion or a dedicated commander for cEDH-adjacent artifact builds.
When not to play him: Decks light on artifacts get little — without a critical mass of cheap artifacts, the mana ability and Construct underwhelm. Skip in creature-centric or non-artifact blue control shells.Related cards
Whir of Invention
Tutors artifacts, leveraging Urza's mana from tapping artifacts.
Sai, Master Thopterist
Another blue artificer that floods board with artifact tokens.
Emry, Lurker of the Loch
Cheap blue artifact-matters commander/synergy piece for artifact decks.
The Reality Chip
Card advantage engine in mono-blue artifact builds.
Arcum Dagsson
Artifact tutor-engine alternative for artifact-centric blue decks.
Thopter Foundry
Generates tokens to grow Urza's Construct and enable combos.
Power Artifact
Combos with mana rocks for infinite mana via Urza's ability.
Grand Architect
Untaps artifacts and ramps similarly in artifact strategies.
Printings (11)
Combos (8)
- Urza, Lord High Artificer + Forensic Gadgeteer + Sensei's Divining Top + Etherium Sculptor
→ Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Near-infinite storm count
- Urza, Lord High Artificer + Forensic Gadgeteer + Sensei's Divining Top + Foundry Inspector
→ Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Near-infinite storm count
- Urza, Lord High Artificer + Worldwalker Helm + Mechanized Production
→ Infinite blue mana, Exile your library, Cast all spells in your library
- Urza, Lord High Artificer + Thopter Foundry + Sword of the Meek
→ Cast all spells in your library, Infinite blue mana, Infinite creature tokens
- Urza, Lord High Artificer + Forensic Gadgeteer + Sensei's Divining Top + Cloud Key
→ Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Near-infinite storm count
- Drafna, Founder of Lat-Nam + Urza, Lord High Artificer + Sai, Master Thopterist
→ Infinite ETB, Infinite storm count, Infinite tapped creature tokens
Tokens & Emblemsthis card creates
Rulings (6)
- 2022-12-08
The token created by Urza's first ability will count itself, so it'll be at least 1/1.
- 2022-12-08
You can tap any untapped artifact you control to pay the cost of the mana ability, including an artifact creature you haven't controlled continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn. Tapping an Equipment this way won't affect its abilities or the equipped creature.
- 2022-12-08
If you don't play the card exiled with Urza's last ability, it remains in exile.
- 2022-12-08
Urza's last ability doesn't change when you can play the exiled card. For example, if you exile a sorcery card, you can cast it only during your main phase when the stack is empty. If you exile a land card, you can play it only during your main phase and only if you have an available land play remaining.
- 2022-12-08
If a spell has
in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. - 2022-12-08
If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those to cast the card.