Golgari LocketHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

At its core, Golgari Locket is a mana rock that taps for either Black or Green mana. Unlike many other mana stones, it features a powerful activated ability that allows you to sacrifice it for four hybrid mana to draw two cards, ensuring you don't run out of steam in the late game.

How It Resolves Step by Step

When you use the mana ability, you simply tap the Locket to add Black or Green to your mana pool; this does not use the stack. To use the draw ability, you must pay four mana (any combination of Black or Green), tap the Locket, and sacrifice it as a cost. Once the ability is on the stack, it will resolve and you will draw two cards even if your opponent tries to destroy the Locket in response, as it is already in the graveyard.

Common Mistakes

The most common error is forgetting that the Locket must be untapped to activate the sacrifice ability. Because the ability requires you to tap the artifact as part of the cost, you cannot tap it for mana and then sacrifice it in the same turn unless you have a way to untap it. Additionally, remember that hybrid mana {B/G} can be paid with either one Black or one Green mana for each symbol.

When to Play It

Golgari Locket is ideal for slower Midrange or Control decks that need to fix their mana colors early. It shines in the late game when you have excess mana and need to dig for threats or answers, transforming a redundant mana source into fresh cards.

Interaction examples

Ramping and Fixing

Arcane Signet

In a Commander game, having both Golgari Locket and Arcane Signet allows you to rapidly accelerate your mana production. While Arcane Signet is cheaper to cast, the Locket provides the safety net of being able to replace itself with two cards later in the game if you draw into too many lands.

Immediate Utility

Swiftfoot Boots

If you need to use the Locket's draw ability the moment it enters the battlefield, you generally can as long as you have the mana, because artifacts are not affected by summoning sickness. However, if the Locket were to become a creature, you would need to equip Swiftfoot Boots to give it haste so you could tap and sacrifice it immediately.