Liquimetal CoatingHow it works & interactions with other cards

What Liquimetal Coating Does

Liquimetal Coating has a simple activated ability: by tapping it, you choose any permanent on the battlefield to become an artifact. This effect lasts until the end of the turn and does not remove the permanent's original types. For example, a creature will become an 'Artifact Creature,' and a land will become an 'Artifact Land.'

How It Resolves Step by Step

First, you activate the ability by tapping Liquimetal Coating and choosing a legal target, which can be any permanent including lands, planeswalkers, or even artifacts themselves. Once the ability resolves, the target gains the artifact type in addition to its other types. It maintains all its original colors, abilities, and power/toughness. This effect wears off during the cleanup step of the current turn.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A common misconception is that turning a permanent into an artifact changes its color or removes its abilities; official rulings clarify that the permanent retains its colors and all original text. Additionally, remember that you can target an object that is already an artifact; while this doesn't change its types further, it can be useful for triggering abilities that care about targets.

When to Play It

This card is best used in decks that feature artifact destruction or benefits. You can use it to turn an opponent's land into an artifact so you can destroy it with artifact removal, or use it on your own permanents to make them eligible for effects that buff artifacts or allow you to sacrifice them for value.

Interaction examples

Boosting Your Mana Rocks

Sol Ring

While Sol Ring is already an artifact, you can still target it with Liquimetal Coating. This won't change how Sol Ring functions, but it can trigger effects that occur whenever an artifact becomes the target of an ability.

Identifying Your Assets

Arcane Signet

If you have an effect that protects artifacts, you can tap Liquimetal Coating to target your Arcane Signet. Since Arcane Signet is already an artifact, the ability resolves successfully but its types remain unchanged, ensuring it remains an 'Artifact' for the rest of the turn.

Single Card Utility

During your opponent's turn, you can tap Liquimetal Coating to turn their most dangerous creature into an artifact. This opens a window for you to use spells that specifically destroy artifacts to remove that creature from the board before it can attack.