Myr WelderHow it works & interactions with other cards

Building Your Machine

The Imprint ability of Myr Welder allows you to tap it to exile an artifact card from any graveyard. Once a card is exiled this way, Myr Welder gains all activated abilities of that card. An activated ability is always formatted as 'Cost: Effect.' If a card has multiple activated abilities, Myr Welder gains all of them. Note that Myr Welder only looks at cards it has personally exiled; if it leaves the battlefield and returns, it is considered a new object and will not have access to previously exiled cards.

Step-by-Step Resolution

First, you activate the Imprint ability by tapping Myr Welder and choosing a target artifact card in a graveyard. When the ability resolves, that card is moved to the exile zone. Immediately after resolution, Myr Welder's static ability applies, granting it any activated abilities found on the exiled card. If the ability on the exiled card refers to the card's original name, you treat it as if it refers to Myr Welder instead.

What It Doesn't Copy

A common mistake is assuming Myr Welder copies everything about a card. It strictly copies activated abilities. It does not gain triggered abilities (which start with 'When,' 'Whenever,' or 'At') or static abilities (like 'All creatures get +1/+1'). It also does not gain the card's types, colors, or power and toughness. It remains a 1/4 Myr creature, just with new ways to spend your mana or tap it.

Strategic Timing

Because the Imprint ability requires tapping, you generally want to use it at the end of your opponent's turn or in response to graveyard removal. Since Myr Welder can target cards in any graveyard, you can also use it as a form of disruption to stop opponents from reanimating their own powerful artifacts.

Interaction examples

Interaction with Solemn Simulacrum

Solemn Simulacrum

If you use Myr Welder to exile Solemn Simulacrum from your graveyard, Myr Welder gains nothing. Solemn Simulacrum has two triggered abilities—one that triggers when it enters the battlefield and one when it dies—but zero activated abilities. Because there is no 'Cost: Effect' text on Solemn Simulacrum, Myr Welder remains a basic 1/4 creature.

Interaction with Roaming Throne

Roaming Throne

If Myr Welder exiles Roaming Throne, it will not gain the Ward {2} or the ability to double triggers. These are static abilities, not activated abilities. Even if you chose 'Myr' for Roaming Throne while it was on the battlefield, Myr Welder only cares about the printed activated abilities of the card in exile. Since Roaming Throne has no colons in its text box, Myr Welder gains no new abilities.

Self-Sustaining Growth

When Myr Welder is alone on the battlefield, its primary function is its Imprint ability. You can tap it to exile an artifact card from your graveyard during your opponent's end step. On your following turn, Myr Welder will have those abilities ready to use, plus its own Imprint ability to continue collecting more power.