Mechanical Mobster 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
When this creature enters, exile up to one target card from a graveyard. Target creature you control connives. (Draw a card, then discard a card. If you discarded a nonland card, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature.)
Complete guide
Mechanical Mobster is a versatile artifact creature that provides graveyard utility and card filtering all in one package. By utilizing the connive mechanic, this Villain ensures your hand stays fresh while potentially growing your board presence. Whether you need to remove a pesky recursion piece or boost your attackers, this card handles the dirty work efficiently.
What it Does
When Mechanical Mobster enters the battlefield, it triggers a two-part ability. First, you may exile up to one target card from any graveyard, which is excellent for disrupting strategy. Second, a target creature you control connives, allowing you to draw a card and then discard a card to potentially add a +1/+1 counter.
How it Resolves Step by Step
Once the ability is placed on the stack, you choose the targets for both the exile effect and the creature that will connive. As the ability resolves: 1. The targeted graveyard card is exiled. 2. You draw a card. 3. You discard a card. 4. If the discarded card was a nonland card, you put a +1/+1 counter on the target creature. Note that if the targeted creature leaves the battlefield before this resolves, you still draw and discard, but no counter is placed.
Common Mistakes
A common misconception is that opponents can respond to the +1/+1 counter being placed. Once the connive process starts, it resolves fully without priority being passed; opponents cannot wait to see what you discard before trying to destroy the creature. Additionally, if your hand is empty and an effect prevents you from drawing, you won't discard a card, and thus no counter will be placed.
When to Play it
Mechanical Mobster is best played when you have a high-value card in an opponent's graveyard you need to remove, or when you have a nonland card in hand that is redundant. It is also a great way to trigger abilities that care about discarding or drawing cards, turning a simple creature drop into a multi-layered tactical advantage.
Interaction examples
Roaming ThroneIf you control Roaming Throne and chose 'Robot' or 'Human' as it entered, Mechanical Mobster's enters-the-battlefield ability triggers twice. You can exile two different cards from graveyards and have your creatures connive twice, potentially gaining two +1/+1 counters and filtering through two cards.
Solemn SimulacrumIf your opponent has a Solemn Simulacrum in their graveyard and intends to return it to the battlefield, you can play Mechanical Mobster to exile it. Simultaneously, you can target your own Solemn Simulacrum on the battlefield to connive, discarding a nonland card to make it a 3/3 while looking for more resources.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Mechanical Mobster
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Once an ability that causes a creature to connive begins to resolve, no player may take any other actions until it's done. Notably, opponents can't try to remove the conniving creature after you discard a nonland card but before it receives a counter.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If no card is discarded, most likely because that player's hand is empty and an effect says they can't draw cards, the conniving creature does not receive a +1/+1 counter.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If a resolving spell or ability instructs a specific creature to connive but that creature has left the battlefield, the creature still connives. If you discard a nonland card this way, you won't put a +1/+1 counter on anything. Abilities that trigger "when [that creature] connives" will trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Mechanical Mobster
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