Guidelight MatrixHow it works & interactions with other cards

A Smooth Entrance and Easy Activation

When Guidelight Matrix enters the battlefield, its triggered ability goes on the stack, allowing you to draw a card immediately. Once in play, it offers two distinct activated abilities. The first ability allows you to pay two mana and tap the Matrix to make a Mount 'saddled' without needing to tap other creatures. The second ability turns a Vehicle into an artifact creature until end of turn, bypassing its crew requirement. Note that the saddle ability is restricted to sorcery speed, while the vehicle animation can be done any time you could cast an instant.

Resolving the Abilities Step-by-Step

To activate Guidelight Matrix, first choose which mode you are using. For a Mount, pay two generic mana, tap the Matrix, and target a Mount you control. Once it resolves, any 'whenever this creature becomes saddled' abilities will trigger exactly as if you had used creatures to saddle it. For a Vehicle, the process is similar: pay the mana and tap the Matrix to target a Vehicle. It becomes an artifact creature with power and toughness equal to its printed values until the end of the turn.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Players often forget that the saddle ability can only be activated during their own main phase while the stack is empty. Additionally, remember that animating a Vehicle with the Matrix does not count as 'crewing' it; abilities that trigger 'whenever [this Vehicle] is crewed' will not fire because the crew action was never performed. Lastly, if the Vehicle or Mount has summoning sickness, it still cannot attack or tap for abilities even after being animated or saddled unless it has haste.

Interaction examples

Powering the Matrix

Sol Ring

You can tap Sol Ring to produce two colorless mana, which exactly covers the activation cost of either of Guidelight Matrix's abilities. This allows you to animate a Vehicle or saddle a Mount early in the game without tapping your precious creatures.

Fixing Your Mana for Utility

Arcane Signet

If you lack the specific colors needed for other spells, you can use Arcane Signet to produce the mana required for Guidelight Matrix. Because the Matrix requires generic mana for its abilities, any color provided by the Signet will effectively fuel the automation of your Mounts and Vehicles.