Synthesizer Labship 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
Station (Tap another creature you control: Put charge counters equal to its power on this Spacecraft. Station only as a sorcery. It's an artifact creature at 9+.) 2+ | At the beginning of combat on your turn, up to one other target artifact you control becomes an artifact creature with base power and toughness 2/2 and gains flying until end of turn. 9+ | Flying, vigilance
Complete guide
Synthesizer Labship is a versatile Spacecraft that transforms your utility artifacts into airborne threats. By using the Station mechanic, you can power up this vessel to unlock stronger abilities and eventually turn it into a massive creature itself.
Harnessing the Station Mechanic
Synthesizer Labship features the Station ability, which allows you to tap another creature you control to place charge counters on the Labship equal to that creature's power. This can only be done at sorcery speed, meaning during your main phase when the stack is empty. As the Labship accumulates counters, it unlocks two different tiers of abilities: one at 2 or more counters and another at 9 or more counters.
Step-by-Step Resolution
First, you activate Station by tapping a creature; charge counters are added immediately upon resolution. Once the Labship has 2 or more counters, its triggered ability goes on the stack at the start of your combat phase. You choose up to one other target artifact you control. When that ability resolves, the target becomes a 2/2 artifact creature with flying until end of turn. If the Labship reaches 9 or more counters, it automatically becomes an artifact creature with flying and vigilance.
Common Pitfalls
A common mistake involves power and toughness layers. If you target an artifact that is already a creature, the Labship's effect will overwrite its base power and toughness to 2/2, though +1/+1 counters and other modifiers still apply. Note that if the Labship hits 9 counters, it becomes a creature permanently as long as the counters remain, but the targeted artifact effect from its 2+ ability still expires at the end of the turn.
When to Play It
Synthesizer Labship is best played early to start accumulating counters. It is particularly effective in decks with many non-creature artifacts, as it provides a way to turn mana rocks or utility pieces into evasive attackers. Since it only costs one blue mana, it is a low-investment engine that scales significantly into the late game.
Interaction examples
Sol RingWith 2 charge counters on Synthesizer Labship, at the beginning of combat, you target Sol Ring. The Sol Ring becomes a 2/2 artifact creature with flying until end of turn. You can still tap it for two colorless mana after it becomes a creature, provided it has been under your control since the start of the turn.
Arcane SignetIf you have a creature with 2 power, you can use the Station ability to put 2 counters on Synthesizer Labship. At the start of combat, you target Arcane Signet. The Signet becomes a 2/2 creature with flying. Even though it is now a creature, it retains its ability to tap for mana, allowing you to attack and then potentially use it for spells in your second main phase.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Synthesizer Labship
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If the target of Synthesizer Labship’s second ability was already a creature, its base power and toughness will become 2/2 until end of turn. This overwrites any previous effects that set its base power and/or toughness to specific values. Any power- or toughness-setting effects that start to apply after Synthesizer Labship’s second ability resolves will overwrite this effect. Effects that otherwise modify the target’s power and toughness, including +1/+1 counters, will still apply no matter when they took effect.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
The resulting artifact creature will be able to attack if it’s been under your control continuously since the turn began. That is, it doesn’t matter how long it’s been a creature, just how long it’s been on the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If Synthesizer Labship’s second ability causes a Vehicle to become an artifact creature, it doesn’t count as “crewing” that Vehicle for any ability that would trigger due to a Vehicle becoming crewed.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If Synthesizer Labship’s second ability causes a Vehicle to become an artifact creature, its base power and toughness will be set to 2/2. Crewing that Vehicle will not restore its power and toughness. Similarly, if the ability causes a permanent with station to become an artifact creature, putting an amount of charge counters on it greater than or equal to the amount required for it to become an artifact creature won’t overwrite the base power and toughness set by Synthesizer Labship’s second ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Marvin, Murderous Mimic + Synthesizer Labship + Lost Jitte
- 1Animate the land, if needed.
- 2At the beginning of your combat phase, Synthesizer Labship triggers, animating Lost Jitte.
- 3Activate Marvin using Synthesizer Labship's station ability by tapping the animated land, putting a number of charge counters on Marvin equal to the animated land's power.
- 4Activate Marvin using Lost Jitte's ability by removing a charge counter from it, untapping the animated land.
- 5Repeat from step 3.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Synthesizer Labship
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.