Karn is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Each noncreature artifact you control is an artifact creature with power and toughness each equal to its mana value.
Complete guide
Karn is a legendary Vanguard card that transforms your entire board state without spending a single mana. By turning your inanimate artifacts into a mechanical army, this card rewards players who fill their deck with powerful, high-cost utility pieces.
Living Metal: How It Works
Karn features a continuous effect that applies to all noncreature artifacts you control. It changes their type to 'Artifact Creature' and sets their power and toughness to be equal to their mana value. Unlike activated abilities that animate artifacts for a single turn, Karn's effect is always active as long as he is in the command zone or on the battlefield in Vanguard formats.
The Layer System and Resolution
The transformation happens in Layer 4 (type-changing) and Layer 7b (power and toughness setting). Because this is a continuous effect, an artifact like Sol Ring becomes a 1/1 creature the moment it enters the battlefield. Note that since these artifacts are now creatures, they are subject to 'summoning sickness' and cannot attack or use tap abilities unless you have controlled them since the beginning of your most recent turn.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A frequent error involves artifacts with a mana value of 0, such as certain tokens or lands that have become artifacts. If a noncreature artifact has a mana value of 0, it becomes a 0/0 creature and will be put into the graveyard as a state-based action unless an anthem effect increases its toughness. Additionally, keep in mind that Karn does not change the mana value of the artifacts; it simply uses that value to define their combat stats.
Strategic Timing
You should play Karn when your deck is built around artifacts with high mana values that normally lack defensive capabilities. Because this effect is passive, it provides an immediate block against aggressive decks. However, remember that turning your artifacts into creatures makes them vulnerable to creature-specific board wipes like Wrath of God.
Interaction examples
While Karn's Sylex is on the battlefield, Karn's Vanguard ability makes it a 3/3 artifact creature because its mana value is 3. It can now attack or block, but it can still be exiled to activate its board-clearing ability.
Sol RingWhen you play Sol Ring, it enters as a 1/1 creature. Because it is now a creature, you cannot tap it for two colorless mana immediately unless you have a way to grant it Haste, due to summoning sickness.
If you control both cards, Karn, Legacy Reforged is already a creature, so the Vanguard ability does not affect it. However, the Vanguard ability makes Karn's Sylex a creature. Karn, Legacy Reforged will check the mana value of all artifacts you control (including the Sylex) to determine its own power and toughness.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Karn
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
No additional ruling has been published for this card.
Interactions with other cards
These cards' text mentions Karn.
Karn's power and toughness are each equal to the greatest mana value among artifacts you control. At the beginning of your upkeep, add {C} for each artifact you control. This mana can't be spent to cast nonartifact spells. Until end of turn, you don't lose this mana as steps and phases end.
(You may cast a legendary sorcery only if you control a legendary creature or planeswalker.) Target player takes an extra turn after this one. Return up to one target nonland permanent to its owner's hand. Exile Karn's Temporal Sundering.
+4: Target player exiles a card from their hand. −3: Exile target permanent. −14: Restart the game, leaving in exile all non-Aura permanent cards exiled with Karn. Then put those cards onto the battlefield under your control.
Whenever Karn blocks or becomes blocked, it gets -4/+4 until end of turn. {1}: Target noncreature artifact becomes an artifact creature with power and toughness each equal to its mana value until end of turn.
Karn's Sylex enters tapped. Players can't pay life to cast spells or to activate abilities that aren't mana abilities. {X}, {T}, Exile Karn's Sylex: Destroy each nonland permanent with mana value X or less. Activate only as a sorcery.
Vigilance, trample When Karn enters, draw a card for each color among other artifacts you control.
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