Warp Artifact
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant artifact
At the beginning of the upkeep of enchanted artifact's controller, this Aura deals 1 damage to that player.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Introductory Two-Player Set
- Price
- $12.00
- EDHREC rank
- #28038
Warp Artifact drains its enchanted artifact's controller for life equal to that artifact's converted mana cost at the beginning of their upkeep — a slow clock, but a real one. At one black mana, the cost is right; the problem is that most Commander tables will find faster ways to pressure opponents than enchanting a Sol Ring and waiting.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Warp Artifact is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, and Oathbreaker — but it sees almost no competitive play in any of them. In Commander, the drain is too incremental across four opponents and one target artifact; dedicated artifact-hate like Shatter or Steel Sabotage does more work for the same or less mana. In Legacy and Vintage, the format is too fast for an upkeep-trigger life drain to matter. Pauper is where Warp Artifact comes closest to relevance, since artifact-heavy opponents are common and the one-mana slot is less crowded, but even there, direct removal wins out.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
If the goal is pressuring opponents who rely on artifacts, Annex or Confiscate steal the permanent outright rather than draining around it — though those cost more mana. For pure disruption at one mana, Smelt or Shenanigans deal with the artifact immediately and don't require Warp Artifact's slow upkeep math.
Price Context
Current price
$12.00 mid tier
At $12.00, Warp Artifact sits in mid-tier pricing for what is, mechanically, a fringe card — the price is driven almost entirely by age and collector demand rather than play value. It doesn't hold value on gameplay merit, so treat it as a curiosity or a Reserved List collectible, not a competitive pickup.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.