The printing of this card so close to the aptly named 'Scars of Mirrodin' makes me feel sick with uneasiness. I don't think I will ever get over the damage Mirrodin block did to the game, and this guy is a member of the guilty party.
SethLarz
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Gonna be good with cards like Steel Overseer floatin' around. I hope Scars of Mirrodin brings the pain, artifact beatdown style.
don_miguel
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(4 votes)
please print this as a common at least one more time!
SleetFox
★☆☆☆☆ (1.2/5.0)(2 votes)
This guy is going to be great in the Fall. Right now, it's merely alright. Zero mana is a great bargain for what you get, but at the cost of both a card from your hand and a slot in your deck, there's just not too much of a reason to use these in most decks.
But don't worry, Mirrodin-haters. Don't automatically assume that "artifact block" means "block with something as broken as affinity for artifacts and artifact lands." Ornithopter will not be a piece of anything diabolical this time; Wizards learned their lesson I assume.
001010011100101110
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(19 votes)
Turn 1: Lay down 4 Ornithopters.
Turn 2: Attack FTW!!!
IRHennessy
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
If played right, these things win drafts.
Dr.Cannon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Great for quick, easy defense.
TheSwarm
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(5 votes)
Turn 1, 4 ornithopters, tolarion academy, play 2 ancestral recalls and draw/play 4 phyrexian walkers and 2 otehr cards.... what could they beeeee?
"But don't worry, Mirrodin-haters. Don't automatically ***ume that "artifact block" means "block with something as broken as affinity for artifacts and artifact lands." Ornithopter will not be a piece of anything diabolical this time; Wizards learned their lesson I ***ume."
@ TheSwarm: There's a couple things wrong with your plan. 1: Ancestral Recall and Tolarian Academy are both Banned/Restricted, so you won't have two Recalls to play and most people in that particular format are going to have at least one or two ways to stop an Overrun. 2:You can't play that Overrun anyways, since you only have 1 green mana source.
divine_exodus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ 001010011100101110:
Ornithopter has 0 attack. There is absolutely no point in fighting with him unless you boost him up some how. (holy strength, unholy strength, giant growth, bla bla bla)
Htoth3izzO
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Okay, for anybody saying ornithopter is "broken", you need to understand that this card itself isn't in any way. In Mirrodin block, was Ornithopter making the game entirely unfair because almost every deck used it? NO. Ornithopter was good in one deck, and the "broken" part of that deck wasn't the artifact lands or the ornithopter, it was the mechanic affinity for artifacts. The mechanic made it so easy to get things out early and made the game unfair, not some zero mana 0/2 flyer, that's not really helping anybody. What I do know about "broken" cards is Ancestral Recall, Black Lotus, and Demonic Tutor are broken because basically any deck can stick them in and that deck will be better. Neither Vampire Hexmage or Dark Depths are broken, the combo between them is broken and so they ban one of the cards in the combo even though neither of those two cards alone dominate the entire format. Why do you think every single freaking vintage deck runs all five moxes and lotus and Recall? They are broken. That is what BROOKENN is. STOP OVERUSING THE WORD BROOOOOOOKEEENNN!!!!!
@tcollins I could think of about 100,000 first turn combos that are better than that. Good luck getting that perfect six card hand. Oh did I mention if you eventually do get it I have Force of Will in hand?
@divine_exodus I think that's the point of his comment, it's ironic.
Weary_PSI
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(7 votes)
This really is the best thopter art. It's the first time it's looked like a creature instead of something that should be equipment.
tazman321
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I have won games with this card in Standard.
__Silence__
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Works pretty nicely in an exalted deck for attacking...
RPJesuzz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
used in an aura deck a few of these guys get out turn one, no mana. if all goes right, a few umbras later, game winner.
BloodJunkie
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
0/2 Flying for 0 cmc?
This card is amazing. Now that we have Memnite and Master of Etherium, you can throw 4 of each, with some baubles, maybe Ponders and you have a turn 1 wrecking ball.
It takes some careful planning to make a card like this good. But a good strategist would see this as an invaluable asset to almost any artifact deck.
5/5
freakmaw
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
An artifact played for 0 with evasion and a toughness higher than nearly all one drop creatures out there. How can it not be a 5/5?
tcollins
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Bring back the retro artwork. This art looks like a flying spider-thingy...the other one at least looked remotely passable as a flying machine. Also great card in any deck and a staple for artifact decks. Fits well into storm decks, artifact decks, ninja decks (usually you'll be able to get at least one hit in with your seemingly innocent 0/2 flyer before an opponent realises what they're up against). Overall a great creature.
iPreferStormCrow
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(3 votes)
This plus Exlporer's Scope!
Pwnsaw
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Bro, ornithopter doesn't any help to be a good card. Your opponent wont know what to do about ornithopter. Doesn't even die from go for the throat.
sly92
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
won a game using these and cranial plating.... also love the artwork on this printing, looks like one of da vinci's flying machines...
DacenOctavio
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I think Kuldotha Red has better uses for thopters than Steel Artifact does. Much better uses.
Artan
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(4 votes)
So i was playing goblins against this guy and had a playset of ornithopters to feed Kuldotha Rebirth. After bringing him to 10 life, he Pyroclasmed and wiped my board away. I quickly recovered, brought him to 2 life, then a Slagstorm showed up and ruined my board again. Getting dangerously close to that point where aggro decks have no choice but to lose, I became desperate. The solution came in the form of this little guycombined with a contested war zone. My opponent quickly conceded before facing a slow death by ornithopter.
My friend was so busy with other removal of supposed good cards like Master of Etherium, Steel Overseer and Master Transmuter he neglected to see the 7/9 Ornithopter chilling on the side of my board.
That is, until he ran out of removal and then got beat to death with it.
Zoltantf
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
A charming, old kite like creature. Don't be fooled by this little guy, he is a key that can unlock a world of pain. 5/5 for nostalgia 4/5 for use.
BlackAlbino
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(8 votes)
It can wall storm crow! Good enough for me! But seriously, easily fits into any deck
Demonic_Math_Tutor
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(9 votes)
Turn one win Mountain, Ornithopter, Black Lotus Sac Black Lotus for Tinker Sac Ornithopter Search library for Blightsteel colossus Tap mountain for Burst of Speed You win
The_Trendkill
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(33 votes)
If developing artificers never fail to invent the Ornithopter, regardless of century, plane, or species, why isn't it in M12?
jsttu
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(8 votes)
The lack of this in 2012 makes my tempered steel deck a sad panda.
repete
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(4 votes)
The synergy with ninjas is great. The flavor of this seemingly innocent flying machine hiding a cutthroat ninja is perfect. And the looks on your opponents' faces are too.
LordRandomness
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Thop thop thop
Atogatogatog
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The looming, terrifying Ornithopter fits perfectly on Innistrad. I'm sure we'll be see a reprint soon.
AnonymousNinja
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
this card is awesome in my ninja deck, just plain awesome
Totema
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I seriously hope that in the next Un- set, there's a twisted version of this called "Roflthopter".
MisterAction
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
I have four of these in my ninja deck, but I only use the original art. It's much harder to take seriously... and thus, far deadlier.
Trygon_Predator
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Thopters gonna thop.
dlgn
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
The hilarious thing is that if you read The Brothers' War, no one but Urza has any idea what they're looking at when they find one, directly contradicting the flavor text.
wholelottalove
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
I've played against a guy who was using this with Ninjutsu. Nasty combo, I mean who is gonna waste cards on a 0/3 flier for 0 mana?
Locthar
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
I like to pump this guy for game, since no one ever blocks him.
Ancestral_Forget
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Thop thop thop goes the ornithopter.
azure_drake222222
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
White bird in the art, below? What's your power and toughness?
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
XaiviarNightwing
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Funny this is one of the 8 zero cost creatures that can survive being cost that way. Cool. Funny all have zero power, except one.
MojoVince
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I was searching a good one drop for battallion and end on this , so cool !
Never has a flavor text tried so hard and so transparently to justify why the same card keeps appearing in core sets over and over.
DoragonShinzui
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
You know, I'm beginning to think this flavor text might be a bit of a lie. Either that or artificers in Innistrad, Ravnica, and Theros have been some lazy bums.
DmitryM
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
PLEASE REPRINT IN M14
OlvynChuru
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm not sure if this is common knowledge or not (and I'm sorry if it is and I sound condescending), but in real life, ornithopters can't really fly very well (or at all). Some people in history have been pretty successful at gliding with ornithopters (such as Otto Lilienthal), but the idea of flying with a machine that has flappable wings doesn't work.
The flavor text of this card is pretty fitting, though. People for a long time in history have noticed that birds flap their wings when they fly (and many settings in Magic have similar birds), and so, people in both Magic and real life have often made ornithopters, only to discover that there is more to flying than just flapping wings.
Comments (56)
But don't worry, Mirrodin-haters. Don't automatically assume that "artifact block" means "block with something as broken as affinity for artifacts and artifact lands." Ornithopter will not be a piece of anything diabolical this time; Wizards learned their lesson I assume.
Turn 2: Attack FTW!!!
Turn 2, forest, overrun.
Tell that to Voltaic Key.
Turn 2- Island, attack with thopter, Aether Tradewinds thopter and their land, replay thopter
1: Ancestral Recall and Tolarian Academy are both Banned/Restricted, so you won't have two Recalls to play and most people in that particular format are going to have at least one or two ways to stop an Overrun.
2:You can't play that Overrun anyways, since you only have 1 green mana source.
Ornithopter has 0 attack. There is absolutely no point in fighting with him unless you boost him up some how. (holy strength, unholy strength, giant growth, bla bla bla)
@tcollins
I could think of about 100,000 first turn combos that are better than that. Good luck getting that perfect six card hand. Oh did I mention if you eventually do get it I have Force of Will in hand?
@divine_exodus
I think that's the point of his comment, it's ironic.
This really is the best thopter art. It's the first time it's looked like a creature instead of something that should be equipment.
This card is amazing. Now that we have Memnite and Master of Etherium, you can throw 4 of each, with some baubles, maybe Ponders and you have a turn 1 wrecking ball.
It takes some careful planning to make a card like this good. But a good strategist would see this as an invaluable asset to almost any artifact deck.
5/5
My friend was so busy with other removal of supposed good cards like Master of Etherium, Steel Overseer and Master Transmuter he neglected to see the 7/9 Ornithopter chilling on the side of my board.
That is, until he ran out of removal and then got beat to death with it.
But seriously, easily fits into any deck
Mountain, Ornithopter, Black Lotus
Sac Black Lotus for Tinker
Sac Ornithopter
Search library for Blightsteel colossus
Tap mountain for Burst of Speed
You win
Cool.
Funny all have zero power, except one.
NOW!!
The flavor text of this card is pretty fitting, though. People for a long time in history have noticed that birds flap their wings when they fly (and many settings in Magic have similar birds), and so, people in both Magic and real life have often made ornithopters, only to discover that there is more to flying than just flapping wings.