Pointed Discussion

The Oracle wording here is dodgy. Since the artifact-countering is listed as part of the effect rather than the cost, this becomes a one-drop, in a card-advantage-weak colour, which has a 50/50 chance of drawing you an extra card each turn, with effectively no drawback. That's pretty much changed one of the most mocked and useless creatures ever printed to a certifiable star.

The artifact is still countered if you lose the flip. If the countering of your spell was a cost it would always be countered but that's not what is supposed to happen. You either get a card or your ccard gets countered. That way it about evens out in the card advantage area.

I believe what stygimoloch is referring to is that the oracle text has removed the timing restrictions. It no longer requires an artifact spell to be on the stack when you activate the ability. Whether or not you can activate an ability without a target I do not know, but if so then the losing effect would have nothing to counter and would thus fizzle.

I agree with styg's thoughts on the card, though my opinion may be biased because I use this card in a deck along with Krark's Thumb and Chance Encounter, among others.

Yes, if you take the Oracle text word for word, you can activate the ability any time, because there's no line at the end saying, "You can only use this ability when your opponent casts an artifact spell."
So, if you go by the Oracle text, this card is a diamond in the rough, and a card that would definitely be used today.
If you go by the original, it's very lacking because it requires that your opponent plays an artifact for it to do anything.

The ability requires a target. If there is no artifact on the stack the spell has no target and the whole thing fizzles. You can't even play it.

@StoneEvolution: Actually, the coin flip still happens, as it is the first part of the effect. It's the same as flipping a coin 24363453 times with Frenetic Efreet or Frenetic Sliver (activating the ability on the stack that many times). Even when either of them are not in play anymore, you still flip a coin for each time the ability activates. It's only the final effect that fizzles if there are no legal targets or whatever.

@nammertime: No, if there's no legal target, you can't even activate the ability.If there is a legal target but it becomes illegal, the whole ability would be countered. The coin flip never happens unless there's a valid target as the spell resolves.

WotC, please give us some clarification on how this card currently works.

There's no need for a clarification. StoneEvolution and IainM are correct, of course.

@Lurker: I'd rather have actual clarification, as it's more of a bimodal card, with the second mode being countered upon resolution, as I'm looking at it. Could be wrong, but that's the reason Oracle text is made, and why it still needs to be updated on a few instances.

"No! No! The whatsits go here and the thingamabobs go on top of the doohicky!"
"Yes boss. Oh, boss?"
"What?"
"Where does the whatchamacallit go?"

@AdenNeda and Weretarrasque : You can't activate an ability (or cast a spell) unless you are able to choose all appropriate targets for it. Without an artifact spell on the stack, Artisans' ability can't be activated. This confused me too for a while, but it's in the Comprehensive Rules, so they don't need to specify it. (It's basically the same rule that says "you can't cast Shatter targeting nothing to get it out of your hand" and etc. I can look up the rule number later, if I think of it.)

If there is an artifact spell on the stack targeted by Goblin Artisans, and for some weird reason the spell gets removed from the stack before Artisans' ability resolves -- maybe by Venser, Shaper Savant bouncing the artifact spell -- then the ability fizzles, because it did not have legal targets upon resolution.

SO MANY WRONG INTERPRETATIONS OF THIS CARD.

As a judge, here's what you need to know:

-There needs to be an artifact that you cast on the stack for this to target in order for you to be allowed to activate it. If that artifact spell is already a target of an Artisan, it's not a legal target.
-If you lose the flip, the artifact is countered. If you win the flip, you draw a card. Otherwise, your artifact is countered. Nothing else happens.
-If one Artisan's ability resolves and doesn't counter the spell, you can then put another Artisan's ability on the stack targeting the same spell.
-Krark's Thumb is indeed boss with this card, as is Karplusan Minotaur.

I have this as a Japanese Blackborder Chronicles.

WALL OF KANJI!!!! :D

Note that while it requires a target, it does work with a target that can't be countered (eg. if you use it with Vexing Shusher and make the artifact uncounterable.) In that case, it will resolve; you get to draw a card if you win the flip, while if you don't, it will try to counter the artifact, fail, and do nothing.

So, this gets you free cards regardless with Mishra, Artificer Prodigy. Either your spell gets countered and you pull it from the grave with Mishra's ability, or you draw a free card. Win-win, really. And it's a one drop? Lovely. 4/5.