Urza, Academy Headmaster 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: Head to AskUrza.com and click +1. −1: Head to AskUrza.com and click -1. −6: Head to AskUrza.com and click -6.
Complete guide
Urza, Academy Headmaster is a five-color legendary planeswalker that brings the ultimate unpredictability to the Magic table. As the legendary headmaster of the Tolarian Academy, Urza doesn't have fixed text for his abilities, requiring players to consult an outside source to determine his impact on the game. Being a silver-bordered card, he invites a level of chaos and digital interaction that few other cards can match.
Unpredictable Loyalty
Urza, Academy Headmaster functions like a standard planeswalker in terms of loyalty and activation timing, but the effects of his +1, -1, and -6 abilities are randomized. When you activate one of these abilities, you must go to AskUrza.com and click the corresponding button. Because the ability is not determined until it resolves, your opponents must decide whether to respond before they know what Urza is actually going to do.
Targeting and Resolution
Normally, you must choose targets for an ability when it is placed on the stack. Urza breaks this rule. Since you don't know the effect until the ability resolves, you choose targets as part of the resolution process. If a randomized effect requires a target and no legal targets exist, you simply click the button again to generate a new effect. If legal targets do exist, you must choose them and proceed, even if the outcome isn't ideal for your current board state.
Common Mistakes
The most common error is trying to respond to the specific effect shown on the website. Once you have clicked the button and the effect is revealed, the ability is already resolving; it is too late for players to cast spells or activate abilities in response. Another mistake is forgetting that Urza is all five colors; you need white, blue, black, red, and green mana to cast him, making him a difficult but powerful addition to five-color decks.
Strategic Implementation
Because Urza's effects are generally beneficial for you or detrimental to your opponents, he is best played when you can protect him. His high starting loyalty and the variety of possible effects—ranging from token generation to board wipes—mean he can adapt to many situations. However, since you cannot guarantee a specific outcome, you should always have a backup plan in case you don't get the removal or card draw you were hoping for.
Interaction examples
You activate Urza, Academy Headmaster's +1 ability. You and your opponent have a chance to cast instants or activate abilities. If no one responds, you go to AskUrza.com and click +1. If the website says 'Create a 1/1 white Soldier creature token,' you place a token on the battlefield. The ability has now finished resolving.
Liliana, Dreadhorde GeneralYou control Urza and Liliana, Dreadhorde General. You activate Urza's -6 ultimate. Your opponent cannot wait to see if Urza generates a sacrifice effect before deciding to use an ability to save their creatures. They must respond to the activation of the -6 while the effect is still unknown.
Elspeth, Storm SlayerYou activate Urza's -1 ability. Upon resolution, you click -1 and the result is 'Deal 3 damage to target creature.' Even though Elspeth, Storm Slayer is your only creature, if she is a legal target and your opponent controls no creatures, you may be forced to target your own Elspeth if the ability doesn't specify 'an opponent controls.' However, if there are absolutely no creatures on the board, you click the button again for a new effect.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Urza, Academy Headmaster
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Urza, Academy Headmaster is just like any other planeswalker, except you're never quite sure what his abilities are going to do. Urza is very unpredictable. To find out what happens, head to AskUrza.com. There you will find three buttons: +1, -1, and -6. Click the button for the loyalty ability that's resolving, and follow whatever instructions appear.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Urza's abilities work a little differently with respect to targeting. Unlike other abilities, you may have to choose the targets for an ability as part of that ability resolving. If the ability that comes up requires a target and there are no legal targets available, click again until that's not true.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If an ability comes up that requires a target and there are legal targets available, you must use that ability even if you may not want to. However, the effects are all good for you or bad for your opponent. In some cases, you may not be able to take advantage. For example, if it ends up that creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn but you don't control any creatures, you're out of luck. But nothing bad will happen.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Players can respond to the activation of any of Urza's abilities, but not after players know what effect is going to happen.
No other card is named in this ruling.
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