If this creature hadn't been in the same block
as Tinker, the world would have been quite a
different place. If Jhoira's "I win" button
hadn't been around, Copper Gnomes probably would
have been the go-to cost-cheating card for
artifact decks of the late 1990s, which probably
would have used more card-drawing and
traditional control elements to get something
like Phyrexian Colossus into play early (and the
very powerful artifact-based mana acceleration
of that era would probably have made that happen
sooner than the turn six implied by sum of the
Gnomes' casting and activation costs). Of
course, we know how history actually went, but -
and this applies to a lot of cards, but
especially this one - that doesn't mean you
can't do the same thing now, and that doesn't
mean that Copper Gnomes is not a fun way to
experience the crazy power of Urza's Saga's
artifacts in a safer and less domineering
manner.
Today's card of the day is Copper Gnomes which
is a two mana 1/1 that can be sacrificed for
four to put an artifact from hand into play.
There are multiple high mana cost artifacts that
this can enable in the early stages of the game
and a Colossus on turn four can be difficult for
most decks to handle. The low mana cost
for the Gnomes and number of potential targets
makes this a very strong card for acceleration
themed artifact decks.
In a Limited setting having this and a
worthwhile target may be unlikely, but it can
bypass countermagic plays be a psychological
threat to an opponent that may feel forced to
remove it as a precaution. As a two
colorless mana 1/1 there is little reason not to
include it in any Sealed build and as a rare
draft it has some potential to support a later
pick.
