Pointed Discussion

I'm blue da ba dee da ba die!

Amazingly powerful lord for blue.

Prophetic prisms can convert the tapped mana into mana that can be used for anything.

Tap a blocking argent sphinx for mana while it's blocking, then phase it out!

This guy is awesome for ramping out artifacts! Anybody want a huge Chimeric Mass?

Taps the turn it comes into play. At worst, it's a smaller Thran Dynamo in certain decks. At best, it's a Heritage Druid

This dude is the SAUCE. But good luck find blue creatures to tap!

Dude looks like about to give a concert. With those blue lights y'know?

good in a merfolk deck as another lord

If someone knows the answer for sure, please clear this up: An artifact creature is wearing the equipment Nim Deathmantle, making it black. Grand Architect pays U to turn it blue until the end of turn. Once this ability resolves, does the creature resume being black due to the equipment or does it in fact remain blue until the end of the turn?

I personally believe the equipment, being a static effect, will override right after Grand Architect's ability resolves. This scenario is also seen with Auras like Spreading Seas when something uses an ability to change the basic land type.

BossCrab: Spreading Seas is a bit different from the effect of Nim Deathmantle.

Spreading Seas alters the typeline of an land (i.e., If you use spreading seas on a swamp, the typeline changes from "Basic Land - Swamp" to "Basic Land - Island"). A card can have only one typeline, so if a basic land has the subtype "island", it can only be an island.

Nim Deathmantle alters the COLOR of the card, not the type. A card can have two (or more) colors at one time. So, if a creature is equipped with Nim Deathmantle, it is a black creature (in addition to it's other colors). If you target that creature with the ability of Grand Architect, the creature will be both Blue and Black until the EOT. At EOT, the creature will cease to be blue and will then only be black (in addition to it's original colors).

Example: A red creature is equppied with Nim Deathmantle. It is then Red and Black. If you target it with the ability of Grand Architect, the creature will be Red, Black, and Blue until EOT. At EOT, the creature will then be Red and Black.

@Apollogod & BossCrab: Neither of you are right. Whenever two effects would set a trait (power/toughness, color, creature type and so on), it's the last applied effect that counts. This means that the creature would be blue until end of turn and then resume being black, assuming it's still equipped with the deathmantle.

Also, Nim Deathmantle does indeed overwrite the equipped creature's original type and color(s), as it doesn't say "In addition to it's other types and colors". Compare to Shifting sky and Painter's servant

Pili-Pala.

I know its still decent but considering it needs blue creatures to be used at its best, and artifacts to ramp out, it doesnt really end up working well, maybe in legacy or something, but in most decks you cant base your deck on 1 card without a tutor, so drawing your expensive artifact without this is worthless, and drawing this without the artfact is bad, its just clunky really.

We had merfolk lords... now we have blue in general lords, huzzah!

The other abilities are just a bonus, not to mention him being tougher.

tap all you blue creature cosi trickster, trinket mage, whatever to play a super kicked everflowing chalice, and there you have eldrazi blue

Much stronger than I thought in Limited.

Liquimetal Coating +Geth, Lord of the Vault + lots o mana = "i'll take one of those, and two of these ; oh you're playing blue! i'll take all of those. thank you see you next turn.
p.s. everflowing chalice

this guy would go great in my artifact Deck. At his worst he is a 1/3 that taps for 2 colorless for your artifacts. If You want to use the mana for spells besides just artifacts spread the mana through mana fixing artifacts like Prophetic Prism for type 2 or Prismatic Lens for type 1. And its not too bad to buff your artifacts with his ability either. In My opinion he is a solid and great card.

This is a great card in any blue artifact deck. It helps Steel Hellkite get bulked up and make things explode, makes it easier to equip Nim Deathmantle to a creature and also gets Darksteel Sentinel out faster.

@Cyrsis- No to everthing you said. Tutor is for crap decks, you don't need tutors just make a consistent deck that can build off of any combination of cards....Make your deck as flawless as you can and you can use cards like this effectively without the use of tutors.

I give this guy a 5/5 for several reasons. First of all, it's a card with a serious amount of power behind it, but it's niche enough (that is, having the blue creatures and artifacts) that you have to build around it, rather than just sticking this guy into a deck.

The second reason I absolutely love this card is the flavor. "Grand Architect" sounds cool, the picture (a Vedalken visionary infusing the masses with his fervor, or just his schemes), and the fact that he gives all other Blue creatures a bonus (which I think of as a "morale bonus") is very nice. Plus, you have to tap other blue creatures to get the most out of him, which means he'd have to convert others to see things his way.

One of my favorite cards from a flavor standpoint in a long time, and he's got the mana acceleration to boot, if you're using the right cards. Shame he isn't a wizard, though, or I'd Wizardcycle (Vedalken Æthermage) him in a heartbeat.

Also, if you need a blue staple creature that works well with him and other artifacts, why not use Etherium Sculptor?

Grand Architect and Masticore Mk. III tend to go and have a few beers after having thrown some fish into their enemies' faces. True story.

T1: Kraken Hatchling
T2: Riddlesmith? Plated Seastrider?
T3: Grand Architect.

Chimeric Mass for 6, Dreamstone Hedron or Everflowing Chalice for mana ramp (that's 12 mana on turn 4 folks; more than enough for some Eldrazi fun), Mindslaver, Steel Hellkite, Triskelion, Wurmcoil Engine, Molten-Tail Masticore (with regen mana available), Argentum Armor, and finally Sword of Vengeance and Sword of Body and Mind and Nim Deathmantle can all be plopped down/equipped.

On. Turn. Three.

Fun times.

Even on his own, I just realised this guy gives you wurmcoil engine on turn 4. That's...wow. Or you can just make enormous chalices and crush with some other enormous beasts. They say there's no beatdown deck like a blue beatdown deck (Faeries, Legacy Merfolk), and this guy might be an all-star in such a beast in standard. Unreal good.

This guy loves to party with Trinket Mage.

He is like a palladium myr with haste, and some lesser lording action.

He may also get along well with Riddlesmith.

Vedalken Engineer and Etherium Sculptor now have an overseer. The Trinke Mage + Brittle Effigy pair also gets quite fast with this.

In the same block, Golem Artisan could get rather scary with this guy.

Overall, I do like the design of this card. He's very poweful but nichey enough that he's not an auto 4-of.

I have a casual deck that goes something like this, including this card
Golem Foundry, Battered Golem, 2 Myr Retrievers, and a sac engine of your choice.

Pay one {U} to make Battered Golem blue. Sac a Myr Retriever. Tap the Battered Golem, using the Grand Architect ability to produce {2}. Play a Myr Retriever. Battered Golem untaps. Sac the Myr Retriever, returning the other one to your hand. Wash, rinse, repeat.

All the while, your Golem Foundry is producing counters, which produce Golems. Do it 999 times, pop 333 Golems.

For extra kicks, drop a Coat of Arms.

The best part after playing a Wurmcoil Engine on turn 3 is having it become 7/7 for one blue mana. Or watching my opponent cringe as he wasn't expecting a 6/6 Steel Hellkite blocking his Demigod of Revenge.
Very good in Standard and I bet it will become awesome in Extended as well.
5/5!

if i turn an artifact does it lose its artifact type or is it a blue artifact????

Use grand architect to get soliton out fast and make it blue, now 1 blue mana = 2 colorless.

PERFECT WIN FOR BLUE:

if you're playing a blue deck, I'm sure most would not expect Blightsteel Colossus to hit the field (he seems more of a green card to me). But with this on the field, and a few other blue weenies, you can get Blightsteel to come out on turn 4! Tell me that's not impressive?! TELL ME!!!

T1: one land. play 1 blue one drop. (one creature)
T2: one land. play 2 blue one drops. (three creatures)
T3: one land. play this. (four creatures) Tap all four blue creatures for 8 colorless mana for artifacts and play what ever fits your needs.
T4: one land. 4 lands + (4 blue creatures x 2 colorless each) = 12 mana = Blightsteel Colossus = win.

Not to mention you can use the tap ability as soon as this comes into play. So turn three taps you out of lands but still nets you 8 colorless mana to play damn near anything artifact! Play a Mirrorworks, wait until T5 to play Blightsteel, and then net yourself two of them! Although, I think I would play Phyrexian Juggernaut instead of Mirrorworks on T3. Then on T4 attack with it (since you have to) and let the defending player waste all of their efforts. Then, on your 2nd main phase, BAM!! Blightsteel!!

No one suspects blue of infect and that's what I think is great about it!! (Corrupted Consciene, proliferate, etc etc etc.)

I like blue.

I think Grand Architect's third ability is a mana abillity. Anyone say otherwise? Refer to Rule 605.5
This works amazing with Pili-Pala and Commet Storm.

Turn 4 wurmcoil? yes please! :)

mentally insane card, its a 1/3 for 3 with some amazing abilities,

combine it with shimmering myr and you can do one of my favourite things, use your creatures to block, then tap all your creatures for abilities (in this case to play big flashed in creatures to swing at your opponent) and then sacrifice them to additional abilities.

If you use it with Etherium Sculptor then you can tap Etherium Sculptor the turn it comes into play effectively making it almost free and reducing the costs of all other artifacts

this guy is good enough just for the +1/+1 ability... look at previous cards that gave blue creatures +1/+1

@homicidalgecko
Now throw Mycosynth Lattice in there. Spend one of the mana you gained from tapping Soliton as blue to untap it. Whoops, infinite mana.

I use this in my UB Standard deck.

My opening hand had 1 Grand Architect, 2 Mox Opal, 1 Ornithopter, 1 Wurmcoil Engine, and two islands.

Dropped the island, both mox, and the ornithopter, then cast the Grand Architect. Turn two dropped my second island turned my Ornithopter Blue and tapped it and the architect for 4 and the two mox for 6 and dropped the Wurmcoil on the second turn. Now I know that was about the best draw I could have possibly got but still major power in this card. I played a turn 3 Tezz and turned my Ornithoper into a 5/5 game was over before it could even start.

@Lampmode. What you're doing is wrong. Mox Opal is a LEGENDARY Artifact. If you play both Moxes it will just go into the graveyard as a statebased action. You should pay attention to the small details.

@MyrBattlecube (awesome name by the way):
"Now throw Mycosynth Lattice in there. Spend one of the mana you gained from tapping Soliton as blue to untap it. Whoops, infinite mana."

Isn't it wonderful how many cards you can totally break just by throwing in the phrase "throw Mycosynth Lattice in there"? :)


This is one of the few niche cards that I would rate 5/5. Usually, if a card is this limited in its application (needing to have blue AND artifact, along with competing with some very, very strong blue artifact mana acceleration in the 2-3 drop slots), I knock off a half star or so even if it's very good, but it just works so well in so many ways that it demands the highest marks possible.

First, as others have pointed out, you can get a lot more mileage out of your Etherium Sculptors with this, since otherwise they're either blocking one-power creatures or swinging for 1 damage per turn. Once you get down one Architect, each Etherium Sculptor becomes a 2-drop that reduces casting cost AND can give you two mana, making an already indispensable card absolutely stellar. As Pwnsaw mentioned, other blue creatures with static, triggered, or CIP abilities benefit greatly too, and blue artifact decks have plenty of those. For example, Vedalken Archmage goes from "enchantment with legs" to "enchantment with legs and Palladium Myr while it's at it." Plus, effectively having haste means that this guy by himself boosts your mana base at the same rate as the already stellar Vedalken Engineer in addition to his other benefits

A second enormous boon of this card is that not only does it give you huge benefit the turn it comes down, it gets better as the game wears on. Vedalken Engineer, Palladium Myr, even Grim Monolith all do little more for you on turn 10 than on turn 2. They have some synergies like Power Artifact and Myr Galvanizer that help them out, but in general, their usefulness doesn't scale as the game wears on. But Archie (I'm going to call him that from now on if he doesn't mind) gives you more and more to work with for every new creature you drop. And unlike lots of creatures with static abilities, multiple Architects are in no way redundant (apart from the second ability), since each can tap itself for mana, in addition to the extra +1/+1.

Which leads me to the last point: the lord bonus. First, granting a bonus to all blue creatures, not just one tribe, is excellent. Being able to spread the love to as many artifact creatures as you have U to pay for is phenomenal. But the best part, in my opinion, is how crucial this is against aggro decks, particularly Kuldotha Red. While some decks with the right draws can take you out (or at least down to burn range) by turn 2, in most games, turns 3-4 are extraordinarily perilous in artifact ramp vs. aggro. They're either getting their 3-drops, which is where the power curve really starts to climb, or emptying their hands of their smaller creatures, which is often just as bad if not worse. Meanwhile, you're spending those turns getting your mana engine online, or ramping affinity, or trying to get Master of Etherium pumped far enough enough to slow down your opponent's assault. But if you drop an Architect, not only are you kicking your mana ramp up considerably, you're also giving your Vedalken Certarchs, Etherium Sculptors, or Vedalken Engineers that little extra bump in stalling potential, which in many games is enough to hold out until your ramp comes online or you tutor out your combo. And if you're running Shimmering Myr, you can even hold off your opponent's attack, then tap them to drop your next round of creatures.

I know that was long, but this card is just so wonderful in so many ways that I couldn't help myself. He manages to hold his own and come out looking great even in one of the preeminent mana ramp deck archetypes. He does what he's supposed to do, and does it better than most any other card you can find - creature, artifact, or otherwise.


Also, this has to be my favorite creature art since the Planechase version of Meddling Mage or Time Spiral's Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir. Perfect concept, staging, mood, and execution. The billowing cape seen through the podium, the spotlight, the curious dome they seem to be gathered under, the detail on his garb, the colors, and the (certainly intentional) blankness on the crowd members' faces compared to the Architect's cool but obviously immense passion are all beautifully realized and evocative.

Its funny because he's better in a esper style deck

Myr Superion

Too Bad This Thing Dies To Removal!

@lampmode not sure how you pulled that combo off considering the mox opal is legendary can't be two on the field at once.

O dear MasterOfEtherium has another copy cat.

@dragonking:

Does that make 4 now? I've lost count.

The triumvirate of blue Vedalken artifact mana ramp: Vedalken Engineer, Etherium Sculptor, and Grand Architect.

I played a fun casual deck that used this and Mirran Spy really well together. It was mono blue infect with 2 cost artifact creatures like Necropede and such. Free creatures are always appreciated.

Soo..
Turn 1: Phantasmal Bear
Turn 2: Lord of the Unreal
Turn 3: Grand Architect; Wurmcoil/Hellkite

Seems like awfully quick damage for blue.

So, let me get this straight: If I have this guy on the table with a Prototype Portal that has an Etherium Sculptor imprinted, I can reduce the casting cost of all my artifacts by 1 at the cost of tapping the previous token? And with Unwinding Clock I can do this on each player's turn?
My friends are going to hate me in FFA matches.

Keep an eye on this guy in the upcoming Standard. There were always just not quite enough playable cheap blue creatures to support him, but the new under-costed Illusions we're seeing spoiled in M12 could really push him over the top. Mono-blue beatdown with relatively consistent turn 3 Wurmcoil Engines seems pretty damn powerful. The deciding factors will be how much non-creature support he gets (Mana Leak is good, but not enough) and just how good Red decks become, but I have high hopes.

Currently my favorite card in Magic. I adore blue and artifacts, but it seems so well designed. It has an extremely powerful ability...for the right deck. That's the key, it isn't like Sol Ring or Sensei's Divining Top. Most decks won't have a lot of use for the guy, which is how good cards should be designed. It has a niche, but it fills it extremely well. Plus, said ability is something rare: blue mana 'ramping'. I'm always fond of abilities that tweak the color pie but stay in flavor. I certainly hope WotC prints more cards with this kind of spot-on utility.

last ability is kinda unfair, especiallt with wurmcoil engine, but whatever

painter's servant

Considering you can use his tap ability on himself first turn, if you were going to play an artifact card same turn as him, he only costs {U} (provided you have {1} and {U}{U} to spend). That is pretty good. From there (if not used to block), all artifacts cost {2} less. Seems like a upgraded version of Training Grounds for artifact decks to me.

It's too bad this card basically has anti-synergy with Nim Deathmantle, since Grand Architect-produced mana can't be used to pay for triggered abilities, and Deathmantle turns creatures black.

I like it. But it feels more like Esper than Mirrodin.

Infinite mana with Horseshoe Crab.

@K9black: That's basically my standard blue deck right there. Of course typically you need to ponder a turn or two before wurmcoil engine comes out to say 'hi'. Still, a turn four wurmcoil is not half bad. Especially if you clone it and/or Grand architect.

Grand Architect + 2 Myr Galvanizer + 3 Myrs of any kind + 3 Blue mana = infinite mana (for artifacts), add Steel Hellkite and its a near-automatic win. This is actually alot more viable than it may seem

@ Saltar
Infinite mana plus Steel Hellkite doesnt get around the fact that you can only activate the hellkite once per turn...

And its still easier to get 2 myr galvanizers and 1 palladium myr that it is to get the rest of those.

All it takes is this and Pili-Pala for infinite colored mana. That can be used for anything.
This combo says nothing about the architect. It says lots about the untap symbol though.

I tried and tried to build a successful deck around this guy, but finally gave up. I owe Grand Architect a lot though because he's largely responsible for me finally starting to understand the cost of dependency that comes with the benefit of synergy:
http://birdsofparadise-mtg.blogspot.com/2011/10/synergy-vs-power.html

Combo with Wind Zendikon for infinite mana to cast Gleemax

T1: Phantasmal Bear/Delver of Secrets
T2: Lord of the Unreal/Phantasmal Image/Phantasmal Bear/Delver of Secrets
T3: Grand Architect, Wurmcoil Engine?!

The best part is that no one sees it coming, despite seeming so obvious afterwards.

Oh yeah, and I suppose I don't even need to start on Pili-Pala...

How about Gilder Bairn guys? Charge up all those Lux Cannons and whatnot your Architect's powering out.

@apollogod: Actually, no. Nim Deathmantle overrides the creature's colors. Because it does not say "In addition to its other colors/types," the creature equipped has its color identity replaced by "black" and its creature type changed to "zombie." It is no other type of creature or any other color. In regards to the interaction with this card, the most recent effect is what is true. Therefore, a red artifact dragon creature resurrected with the Deathmantle would now be a black zombie (it would no longer be either red or a dragon). It would still be an artifact, though, so by paying {U} with this dude on the board, it would become a BLUE zombie until end of turn, when it would revert to black again (if it is still equipped with the Nim Deathmantle).

Aside from all the combos, I just noticed that this can turn an artifact creature blue until EOT to pump it, which seems like it would be a pretty big surprise. The little things like that make me love cards like this

This card would be the best if sword of the meek wasn't banned in standard. you could pull off invite creatures, mana, and artifact mana all at the same time with this, the sword, and thopter foundry.

It's not tricky people, Grand Architect is used to cast your Myr Galvanizer's, other mana Myr, Treasure Mage searches for your Steel Hellkite, Mindslaver, Argentum Armour, Wurmcoil Engine or best of all, Myr Battlesphere; Treaure Mage also helps you cast this stuff with Grand Architect's awesome ability. All this artifact mana is just as easily making Prototype Portal go crazy, and casting the Myr as quickly as possible let's you go infinite on a Blue Sun's Zenith for instant mill fast. Add Phyrexian Metamorph for more Myr Galvanizer and Grand Architect captain bonuses and add Stoic Rebuttal and/or Spellskite for combo protection. Finally, 20 Islands and some Buried Ruin never hurts. This is Scars block people, Grand Architect is the King.

Turn 1: Play an island.
Turn 2: Play an island, then cast a Pili-Pala.
Turn 3: Play an island, then attack with Pili-Pala--without getting it killed, of course. Next, cast a Grand Architect. After this, use this absurdly abusable combo to get infinite mana, which is then used to cast a Spawnsire of Ulamog. Activate the Spawnsire's ability that lets you cast eldrazi from outside of the game. Can you say "good game"?

R&D's originally proposed flavor text: "Build a mono-Blue artifact deck with this."

Also, forget the haters — you're crazy if you aren't using this with Spined Thopter, which as a Blue artifact-creature is legitimately a perfect match for this card.

Thopter Foundry + Sword of the Meek + Grand Architect = Unlimited 1/1 Blue Artifact Fliers and life.

My favorite card from Scars. I think Wizards did a nice job with this one. The UU in the mana cost keeps it soundly in U where it will always be a target for removal, but not necessarily impossible to protect. The ability to ramp into artifacts is powerful, but not broken since he likely won't be coming out till turn 4 -- enough time to get other blue creatures on the field, and keep an island open to facilitate the pump. And, the pump ability is really nice. Many people overlook the pump and then they've got a 7/7 lifelink/deathtouch wurm eating their titans.

In many ways, he's similar to mishra, artificer prodigy in that he has the capability of flooding the field with artifacts and comes out at about the same speed. However, where Mishra is sort of on auto-pilot grabbing extra copies of cranial plating or whatever, Grand Architect lets you go in a lot of different directions, whether that be beat-down with something huge, combo with pili-pala, or enabling otherwise high-costed activated abilities such as mindslaver or molten-tail masticore. I've even seen what was basically a high-tide deck (sans high tide) that used him as the engine to cast a bunch of cheap-o artifacts and then storm a brain freeze.

All in all, 5/5. Even though the architect may not be entirely tournament viable (at this time), it's a super fun card to play and build around which is far more important.

@ blindloyalty: Actually you forgot a word in your proposed flavor text. It was "Build a mono-Blue Commander artifact deck with this."

Hmmm... Commander of choice... I'm going to have to go with... Memnarch. I might want a Pili-Pala in the deck too...

One of my all-time favorite cards. In any artifact heavy deck this guy is just ridiculous. And yet he doesn't feel overpowered.

@NecroticNobody: You could use the mana to equip the Nim Deathmantle, but not pay for the triggered ability.

This guy is amazing in a deck with Lightning Greaves :)

I could be wrong, but I don't think Sword of the Meek works with Thopter Foundry here, as Grand Architect would make those blue thopters 2/2.

This plus Gilder Bairn with a Paradise Mantle attached is just a jolly good ol' time. Instant Planeswalker ultimates and Darksteel Reactors for everyone!

Even if it were to do nothing else, this card would be good enough as a monoblue anthem with a 1/3 body. If you ask me, all the rest of that stuff is gravy.

Mirran Spy and 1-mana cantripping artifacts (a la Conjurer's Bauble) can generate mana for you.

Mirran Spy and Etherium Sculptor let you do it with 2-mana cantripping artifacts (Every spellbomb; mana prisms like Prophetic Prism, Chromatic Sphere, Chromatic Star, Kaleidostone and the Egg cycle; Ichor Wellspring; etc).

Two Mirran Spies let you do it with any artifact that costs 3 or less.

Then what do you do? Mox Lotus

Tap your Basalt Monolith with this for the most winny wins ever!

Quite easy to drop Lodestone Golems and Sundering Titans off of this guy.