Unctus's Retrofitter 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
Toxic 1 (Players dealt combat damage by this creature also get a poison counter.) When this creature enters, up to one target artifact you control becomes an artifact creature with base power and toughness 4/4 for as long as this creature remains on the battlefield.
Complete guide
Unctus's Retrofitter is a versatile Phyrexian Artificer that turns your inanimate treasures into massive threats while threatening poison victory. By transforming utility artifacts into 4/4 creatures, it provides an immediate presence on the board that demands an answer. Whether you are upgrading a simple mana rock or empowering an existing creature, this Phyrexian brings the perfection of the machine to your battlefield.
Converting Chrome to Muscle
When Unctus's Retrofitter enters the battlefield, you can target up to one artifact you control to become a 4/4 artifact creature. This effect lasts as long as the Retrofitter stays on the battlefield. Crucially, the target artifact keeps all of its original abilities, types, and subtypes; it simply gains the 'creature' type and a new base power and toughness. If the target was already a creature, its base power and toughness are overwritten to become 4/4.
Resolution and Timings
The ability triggers the moment Unctus's Retrofitter successfully enters the battlefield. You choose the target artifact as the ability is put on the stack. If the Retrofitter is destroyed or leaves the battlefield in response to this trigger, the ability will resolve but do nothing—the target will never become a creature. Additionally, remember that the new creature will have 'summoning sickness' unless it has been under your control since the start of your turn, even if it only just became a creature.
Toxic Mechanics and Strategy
Retrofitter features Toxic 1, meaning any player dealt combat damage by it also receives a poison counter. This occurs alongside the loss of life. Note that Toxic is a static ability that results from damage; it is not a triggered ability and does not use the stack. Furthermore, if you increase the Retrofitter's power, it still only deals one poison counter unless you have effects that specifically modify how many counters a player receives.
Common Pitfalls
A common mistake is assuming that continuous power/toughness modifiers are ignored. While the Retrofitter sets the 'base' P/T to 4/4, any +1/+1 counters or temporary buffs like those from spells are still applied on top of that 4/4 base. Another mistake is forgetting that if Unctus's Retrofitter leaves the battlefield later, the artifact immediately reverts to its original stats and card types, which may remove it from combat if it was attacking.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumYou have a Solemn Simulacrum (a 2/2) on the battlefield. You cast Unctus's Retrofitter. When it enters, you target the Simulacrum. The Simulacrum now becomes a 4/4 artifact creature. It retains its ability to draw you a card when it dies, but it is now a much more significant threat in combat.
Roaming ThroneWith Roaming Throne on the battlefield (naming 'Artificer'), you play Unctus's Retrofitter. Because Roaming Throne doubles the triggered abilities of your Artificers, the Retrofitter's 'enters' ability triggers twice. You can now target two different artifacts to become 4/4 creatures, or target the same artifact twice (though the second resolution would simply redundanty set the P/T to 4/4).
Poison CounterUnctus's Retrofitter attacks an opponent directly and is not blocked. It deals 2 combat damage. The opponent loses 2 life and simultaneously receives 1 Poison Counter. If that player reaches 10 Poison Counters at any point, they lose the game immediately as a state-based action.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Unctus's Retrofitter
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Unctus's Retrofitter doesn't remove any abilities the target artifact has.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
The target artifact retains any types, subtypes, and supertypes it has.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If the artifact was already a creature, its base power and toughness will become 4/4. 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 Unctus's Retrofitter's ability resolves will overwrite this effect.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Effects that modify a creature's power and/or toughness, such as the one created by Blazing Crescendo or a +1/+1 counter, will apply to the creature no matter when they started to take effect.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
The resulting artifact creature will be able to attack on your turn 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.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If Unctus's Retrofitter leaves the battlefield before its enters-the-battlefield ability resolves, that ability will have no effect. The target artifact won't become an artifact creature at all.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
A player with ten or more poison counters loses the game. This is a state-based action and doesn't use the stack. In other words, it happens immediately and players can't respond to it, just like a player losing the game due to having 0 or less life.
Card named in this ruling
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
Toxic doesn't change the amount of combat damage a creature deals. For example, if a 2/2 creature with toxic 1 deals combat damage to a player, that creature will deal 2 damage. The results of that damage are the player loses 2 life and gets a poison counter.
Card named in this ruling
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
Any other effects of that damage, such as life gain from lifelink, still apply.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature with toxic deals combat damage to a creature or planeswalker, or if it deals noncombat damage, toxic has no effect and no player gets poison counters.
Card named in this ruling
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
Damage dealt by a creature with toxic grants the same number of counters regardless of how much damage is dealt. Notably, if a replacement effect modifies the damage in some way (such as that of Gratuitous Violence), the number of counters given remains unchanged.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #12· Wizards of the Coast
Conversely, replacement effects that apply to the number of counters put on a player can modify the counters placed this way. For example, Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider's last two abilities can apply to counters placed this way.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #13· Wizards of the Coast
Multiple instances of toxic are cumulative. For example, if a creature has toxic 2 and gains toxic 1 due to another effect, combat damage that creature deals to a player will cause that player to get 3 poison counters.
Card named in this ruling
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