Myr Retriever 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 dies, return another target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand.
Complete guide
Myr Retriever is a classic utility creature that provides excellent recursion for artifact-based decks. Despite its small stature, its ability to bring back powerful pieces from your graveyard makes it a staple in various combo and value strategies. Understanding the timing of its death trigger is key to maximizing its potential on the battlefield.
What It Does
Myr Retriever is a two-mana artifact creature with a triggered ability that activates when it moves from the battlefield to the graveyard. When this happens, you choose another target artifact card currently in your graveyard and return it to your hand. Note that the word 'another' is crucial; Myr Retriever cannot target itself because it is already in the graveyard when the ability is put onto the stack, but the ability specifically excludes the source itself.
Step-by-Step Resolution
First, Myr Retriever must die, meaning it moves from the battlefield to the graveyard. Once it is in the graveyard, its 'When this creature dies' ability triggers and is put onto the stack. At this point, you must choose a legal target artifact card in your graveyard. If there are no other artifact cards in your graveyard at the moment the ability targets, the ability is removed from the stack and does nothing. If a legal target is chosen, the ability resolves, and that card moves from your graveyard to your hand.
Common Mistakes
A frequent point of confusion involves simultaneous deaths. According to official rulings, if Myr Retriever dies at the exact same time as another artifact you control (for example, due to a board wipe), it can indeed target that other artifact. This is because both cards are in the graveyard by the time you need to choose a target for the trigger. However, remember that you cannot choose the same Myr Retriever that just died to return itself, as the ability explicitly says 'another' target artifact card.
When to Play It
Myr Retriever shines in decks that utilize sacrifice outlets or need to recover key pieces that have been destroyed. It is often used in loops to repeatedly cast low-cost artifacts. Because it is an artifact creature itself, it benefits from cost reducers and can be easily searched for using artifact-specific tutors, making it a reliable way to ensure your graveyard remains a secondary hand.
Interaction examples
Ornithopter of ParadiseIf your Ornithopter of Paradise was destroyed earlier in the game, you can play Myr Retriever and use it as a blocker. When Myr Retriever dies in combat, its ability triggers. You target the Ornithopter of Paradise in your graveyard, returning it to your hand so you can cast it again to rebuild your mana pool.
With Foundry Inspector on the battlefield, Myr Retriever costs only one generic mana to cast. If you have a way to sacrifice Myr Retriever and another way to bring it back, Foundry Inspector makes the process much more efficient. If you have two copies of Myr Retriever and a sacrifice outlet, you can use one to return the other to your hand, potentially creating a loop that costs very little mana thanks to the Inspector's discount.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Myr Retriever
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If Myr Retriever dies at the same time as another artifact you own, its ability can target that other artifact card.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Scrap Trawler + Myr Retriever + Krark-Clan Ironworks + Foundry Inspector
- 1Activate Krark-Clan Ironworks by sacrificing Myr Retriever, adding
. - 2When Myr Retriever dies, it triggers, returning Scrap Trawler from your graveyard to your hand.
- 3Cast Scrap Trawler by paying its mana cost, which is reduced by Foundry Inspector.
- 4Activate Krark-Clan Ironworks by sacrificing Scrap Trawler, adding .
- 5When Scrap Trawler dies, it triggers, returning Myr Retriever from your graveyard to your hand.
- 6Cast Myr Retriever by paying its mana cost, which is reduced by Foundry Inspector.
- 7Repeat.
Scrap Trawler + Myr Retriever + Krark-Clan Ironworks + Sol Ring
- 1Activate Krark-Clan Ironworks by sacrificing Myr Retriever, adding .
- 2Myr Retriever dies, triggering itself and Scrap Trawler.
- 3Resolve the Myr Retriever trigger, returning Junk Diver from your graveyard to your hand.
- 4Resolve the Scrap Trawler trigger, returning Sol Ring from your hand to your graveyard.
- 5Cast Sol Ring by paying
. - 6Activate Sol Ring by tapping it, adding .
- 7Activate Krark-Clan Ironworks by sacrificing Sol Ring, adding .
- 8Scrap Trawler triggers, choose not to return an artifact to your hand.
Scrap Trawler + Myr Retriever + Ashnod's Altar + Foundry Inspector
- 1Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Myr Retriever, adding .
- 2When Myr Retriever dies, it triggers, returning Scrap Trawler from your graveyard to your hand.
- 3Cast Scrap Trawler by paying its mana cost, which is reduced by Foundry Inspector.
- 4Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Scrap Trawler, adding .
- 5When Scrap Trawler dies, it triggers, returning Myr Retriever from your graveyard to your hand.
- 6Cast Myr Retriever by paying its mana cost, which is reduced by Foundry Inspector.
- 7Repeat.
Scrap Trawler + Myr Retriever + Krark-Clan Ironworks + Cloud Key
- 1Activate Krark-Clan Ironworks by sacrificing Myr Retriever, adding .
- 2When Myr Retriever dies, it triggers, returning Scrap Trawler from your graveyard to your hand.
- 3Cast Scrap Trawler by paying its mana cost, which is reduced by Cloud Key.
- 4Activate Krark-Clan Ironworks by sacrificing Scrap Trawler, adding .
- 5When Scrap Trawler dies, it triggers, returning Myr Retriever from your graveyard to your hand.
- 6Cast Myr Retriever by paying its mana cost, which is reduced by Cloud Key.
- 7Repeat.
Scrap Trawler + Myr Retriever + Krark-Clan Ironworks + Jhoira's Familiar
- 1Activate Krark-Clan Ironworks by sacrificing Myr Retriever, adding .
- 2When Myr Retriever dies, it triggers, returning Scrap Trawler from your graveyard to your hand.
- 3Cast Scrap Trawler by paying its mana cost, which is reduced by Jhoira's Familiar.
- 4Activate Krark-Clan Ironworks by sacrificing Scrap Trawler, adding .
- 5When Scrap Trawler dies, it triggers, returning Myr Retriever from your graveyard to your hand.
- 6Cast Myr Retriever by paying its mana cost, which is reduced by Jhoira's Familiar.
- 7Repeat.
Scrap Trawler + Myr Retriever + Krark-Clan Ironworks + Etherium Sculptor
- 1Activate Krark-Clan Ironworks by sacrificing Myr Retriever, adding .
- 2When Myr Retriever dies, it triggers, returning Scrap Trawler from your graveyard to your hand.
- 3Cast Scrap Trawler by paying its mana cost, which is reduced by Etherium Sculptor.
- 4Activate Krark-Clan Ironworks by sacrificing Scrap Trawler, adding .
- 5When Scrap Trawler dies, it triggers, returning Myr Retriever from your graveyard to your hand.
- 6Cast Myr Retriever by paying its mana cost, which is reduced by Etherium Sculptor.
- 7Repeat.
Scrap Trawler + Myr Retriever + Ashnod's Altar + Cloud Key
- 1Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Myr Retriever, adding .
- 2When Myr Retriever dies, it triggers, returning Scrap Trawler from your graveyard to your hand.
- 3Cast Scrap Trawler by paying its mana cost, which is reduced by Cloud Key.
- 4Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Scrap Trawler, adding .
- 5When Scrap Trawler dies, it triggers, returning Myr Retriever from your graveyard to your hand.
- 6Cast Myr Retriever by paying its mana cost, which is reduced by Cloud Key.
- 7Repeat.
Sai, Master Thopterist + Myr Retriever + Scrap Trawler + Krark-Clan Ironworks
- 1Activate Krark-Clan Ironworks by sacrificing Scrap Trawler, adding .
- 2When Scrap Trawler dies, it triggers, returning Myr Retriever from your graveyard to your hand.
- 3Cast Myr Retriever by paying
. - 4Sai triggers, creating a 1/1 Thopter artifact creature token.
- 5Activate Krark-Clan Ironworks twice by sacrificing the Thopter and Myr Retriever, adding .
- 6When Myr Retriever dies, it triggers, returning Scrap Trawler from your graveyard to your hand.
- 7Cast Scrap Trawler by paying
. - 8Sai triggers, creating a 1/1 Thopter artifact creature token.
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
