Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas 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
+1: Look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal an artifact card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order. −1: Target artifact becomes an artifact creature with base power and toughness 5/5. −4: Target player loses X life and you gain X life, where X is twice the number of artifacts you control.
Complete guide
Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas is a powerful engine for any deck heavily invested in artifacts, offering card selection, offensive pressure, and a lethal finishing move. As a four-mana planeswalker, he provides immediate utility by digging for tools or transforming a utility piece into a 5/5 threat.
Artifact Acquisition and Transformation
Tezzeret's first ability lets you look at the top five cards of your library to find an artifact; unlike drawing, putting a card into your hand this way bypasses effects that restrict drawing. His second ability is a permanent transformation, turning any artifact into a 5/5 creature. Because this effect does not have an 'until end of turn' duration, the artifact remains a creature as long as it stays on the battlefield.
Calculating the Ultimate
When you activate the -4 ability, you target a player to lose life while you gain life. The value of X is determined only when the ability resolves, not when you pay the cost and put it on the stack. You count the number of artifacts you control at that specific moment, then double that number to calculate the life swing.
Layering and Type Interactions
If you target an artifact that is already a creature, its base power and toughness become 5/5, overwriting its previous printed values. It retains all other types; for example, an Artifact Land remains a land. However, if an Equipment becomes a creature, it cannot be attached to anything and will immediately unattach if it was currently equipping a creature.
Strategic Timing
Use the +1 ability early to find specific silver bullets or to build your artifact count. The -1 ability is best used on non-creature artifacts like mana rocks to create surprise blockers or attackers. Save the -4 ultimate for a finishing blow when you have at least 4 or 5 artifacts, representing a 16 to 20 point life swing.
Interaction examples
Narset, Parter of VeilsIf your opponent controls Narset, Parter of Veils, you are restricted to drawing only one card per turn. However, Tezzeret's +1 ability says to 'put it into your hand' rather than 'draw.' You can successfully use this ability to gain an extra card even if you have already drawn for the turn.
Jace, Wielder of MysteriesTezzeret's +1 ability looks at five cards and puts the unselected ones on the bottom of the library. While this doesn't mill you like Jace, Wielder of Mysteries, it allows you to dig through your deck faster to find artifacts that can protect Jace while you work toward his alternate win condition.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
The artifact targeted by the second ability will retain any types, subtypes, or supertypes it has. Notably, if an Equipment becomes an artifact creature, it usually can't be attached to another creature. If it was attached to a creature, it becomes unattached.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If the target of the second ability is already an artifact creature, its power and toughness will each become 5. This overwrites all previous effects that set the creature's power and toughness to specific values. Any power- or toughness-setting effects that start to apply after this ability resolves will overwrite this effect.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Effects that modify that creature's power or toughness, such as the effects of Giant Growth, will apply to it no matter when they started to take effect. The same is true for counters that change the creature's power or toughness (such as -1/-1 counters) and effects that switch its power and toughness.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
The number of artifacts you control is counted when the last ability resolves, not when it is activated.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Aetherflux Reservoir + Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
- 1Activate Tezzeret's second loyalty ability by removing a loyalty counter from it, causing Aetherflux Reservoir to become an artifact creature until end of turn.
- 2Give Aetherflux Reservoir lifelink.
- 3Activate Aetherflux Reservoir by paying 50 life, dealing 50 damage to any target and causing you to gain 50 life.
- 4Repeat step 3.
Legal formats
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