Very good in Limited and EDH. Still playable in Standard. Not really worth using in Legacy, but hey, it's a core-set common, it's not supposed to be.
If this were uncommon, I'd still say it was pretty good. As a common, 4/5.
DlCK
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(4 votes)
I'd prefer the signets from guildpact, but I will grant that this is an appropriate common for any deck.
dreanor
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(4 votes)
Still prefer an alloy myr.
Tommy9898
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(7 votes)
It doesn't matter that older cards where better. The fact is, this is what we have now and it is perfectly useful in fixing mana and ramping up to 5 on turn 4.
Dr.Pingas
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Rupture Spire and Darksteel Ingot laugh at this poor thing.
The_Trendkill
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Huh. I can't believe it took them this long to make a card this simple.
PhyrexianAdvocate
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
@ Decoy: As depicting a luminous version of the color "black" is somewhat tricky, it's often shown as being rather purple-y. Look at Onyx Mage.
AngusMcSillyWilly
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Duh, Its a play on words for Monolith.. And based on the nerdy participants on said play, and the large smooth black shape, it's likely specifically the 2001 Space Odyssey Monolith. If you have to look up 2001 space odyssey monolith to know what I’m talking about - Shame on your geekiness
4 out of 5 for for being a solid card. .5 for the clever reference
llirreh
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Type your comment here.
Zetan
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(8 votes)
Wow... does anyone else realize that this makes Magic 2012 the third base set with at least one common artifact? 4th and 5th edition had a few, but no base set before or since has had one. This is the first common artifact in a base set in over a decade. And it's a beauty.
tcollins
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Strictly better than Darksteel Ingo-
..oh wait.
bagilis
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
Limited-wise, very good. Mana acceleration fit for any color you would play is always good.
RichardJesperson
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Sounds like 'monolith', looks like a 'megalith'.
Either way, a good card.
JaxsonBateman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Fantastic in limited; not unplayable in constructed. Very worthy of a 4 out of 5.
The fact that it can tap for any color and is at common makes it a godsend for any 3+ color deck, which is a fair few limited decks given the power gained from splashing a power card like Fireball or a bomb rare (a Titan perhaps?).
Lash_of_Dragonbreath
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
A foil of this would probably look great.
Kryptnyt
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Worse than a good number of mana fixers, and still playable. Especially in Limited. Aggressive strategies are strong, but most of the common/uncommon five drops will destroy those strategies when they come down on turn four.
Yozuk
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
strictly better then the 5 faction based Obelisks from the Alara block.
Salient
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A card that promptly replaced my Coalition Relic in a Commander deck because in Commander you're allowed to ignore "strictly better than" and play inferior cards because they're pretty. And this card verges on downright ungodly beautiful. (See also Darkslick Shores, another incredibly beautiful card painted by the same artist.)
somegeek
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Lash_of_Dragonbreath - I have this in a foil and it's damn pretty.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Jaxson I run 4 of these in my mono constructed deck, along with 4 pristine and 4 spheres. I choose these over the mana myrs because creatures are so much more vulnerable then non creature artifacts, and they would get in the way of my board sweeps. I win my games buddy.
wacko07
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In my opinion Manalith goes better in Wolf Ramp than Sphere of the Suns, because now if you get the right draw you can do this: * Turn one: Birds * Turn two: Rampant Growth * Turn three: Manalith, Birds * Turn four: Titan
Proceed to win game. Sphere of the sun comes in tapped and is limited usage, Manalith can happen and give you another one mana for a Galvanic Blast or Birds of Paradise.
This is just my opinion though, I think it would work better.
Cybertronian
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This is a nice card.
Better than the 5 Alaran Obelisks? Yes.
Better than Darksteel Ingot? Not so much.
But what I really want to know is does this mean I won't see Spectral Searchlight (or have a good excuse to wear a Green Lantern Power Ring to a Magic game) in a future edition?
Oh yeah, it's also sad that this makes Alloy Myr and Darksteel Ingot (and Coalition Relic) obsolete. I still think there's room in a world for an automaton with bulbs and LEDs blinking in 5 different colors. ("Ai yi yi yi yi!") Same goes for a mana-producing indestructible by-product of metallurgy.
hubbcapp
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Strictly better than the Alara Obelisks and strictly worse than Darksteel Ingot. Really, when it comes down to it, I'd only use this in EDH if I was running a lot of colors and needed a second Darksteel Ingot. Beyond that, you really should just run four DS Ingots.
Still, the art is really cool and I like the flavor of it. I just wish it was a slightly better card. Maybe give it a enter the battlefield draw effect. I'd even be fine with it coming in tapped for that.
LordOfTheFlies87
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Beautiful design and art.
Saikuba
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Now that we have the manaliths from Sacrifice, they just need to print a Manahoar creature.
ntheawsome
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I have a foil one.
The art kicks ass.
Radagast
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Solid if not for its power, but for the straightforwardness of its design; it is also very nice to see a form of mana-fixing and acceleration for any color at common level.
Sure, it's not a Darksteel Ingot, but this flat-out replaces Obilisks from Alara and who knows how many other failed attempts over the years to make an artifact that simply provides mana of any color. Definitely a core-set staple for a good while, IMHO.
(A year passes) Okay, come on... this little fella should have become a core-set staple, vs. being in only 1 set!
Continue
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Surprised that this is a common — most artifacts are uncommon by default, and this is one of the better ones. Chromatic Lantern completely outclasses it, but it's still really good. Run both in EDH. 4.5/5
ShatterPalm
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I can see how this doesn't stand up to Darksteel Ingot, sorta can see Coalition relic, but honestly this is still damn handy in a lot of situations for a common. Seriously people, it's not that bad.
The_Erudite_Idiot
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is perfect! It is not the best at what it does, but it is super-elegant and it is playable. That is good enough for me.
Why it took nearly twenty years to get from Fellwar Stone to this?
Comments (39)
Sure it fits a curve somewhere...
COULD IT BE!?
Don't forget Coalition Relic.
And to think Alloy Myr was a top pick...
Turn two: Manalith, Birds of Paradise (optional)
Turn three: Any freakin' planeswalker out there.
If this were uncommon, I'd still say it was pretty good. As a common, 4/5.
4 out of 5 for for being a solid card. .5 for the clever reference
..oh wait.
Either way, a good card.
The fact that it can tap for any color and is at common makes it a godsend for any 3+ color deck, which is a fair few limited decks given the power gained from splashing a power card like Fireball or a bomb rare (a Titan perhaps?).
Especially in Limited. Aggressive strategies are strong, but most of the common/uncommon five drops will destroy those strategies when they come down on turn four.
I run 4 of these in my mono constructed deck, along with 4 pristine and 4 spheres. I choose these over the mana myrs because creatures are so much more vulnerable then non creature artifacts, and they would get in the way of my board sweeps. I win my games buddy.
* Turn one: Birds
* Turn two: Rampant Growth
* Turn three: Manalith, Birds
* Turn four: Titan
Proceed to win game. Sphere of the sun comes in tapped and is limited usage, Manalith can happen and give you another one mana for a Galvanic Blast or Birds of Paradise.
This is just my opinion though, I think it would work better.
Better than the 5 Alaran Obelisks? Yes.
Better than Darksteel Ingot? Not so much.
But what I really want to know is does this mean I won't see Spectral Searchlight (or have a good excuse to wear a Green Lantern Power Ring to a Magic game) in a future edition?
Oh yeah, it's also sad that this makes Alloy Myr and Darksteel Ingot (and Coalition Relic) obsolete. I still think there's room in a world for an automaton with bulbs and LEDs blinking in 5 different colors. ("Ai yi yi yi yi!") Same goes for a mana-producing indestructible by-product of metallurgy.
Really, when it comes down to it, I'd only use this in EDH if I was running a lot of colors and needed a second Darksteel Ingot. Beyond that, you really should just run four DS Ingots.
Still, the art is really cool and I like the flavor of it. I just wish it was a slightly better card. Maybe give it a enter the battlefield draw effect. I'd even be fine with it coming in tapped for that.
The art kicks ass.
Sure, it's not a Darksteel Ingot, but this flat-out replaces Obilisks from Alara and who knows how many other failed attempts over the years to make an artifact that simply provides mana of any color. Definitely a core-set staple for a good while, IMHO.
(A year passes) Okay, come on... this little fella should have become a core-set staple, vs. being in only 1 set!
Why it took nearly twenty years to get from Fellwar Stone to this?