Glasses of Urza MTG Card


Glasses of Urza reveals opponent’s hands, providing strategic insight and virtual card advantage. Insight from Glasses of Urza enables better resource management and play optimization. Although sorcery speed, the artifact’s timely use can significantly alter gameplay decisions.
Card setsReleased in 17 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact

Text of card

You may look at opponent's hand.


Cards like Glasses of Urza

Glasses of Urza are a classic piece in Magic: The Gathering’s history, allowing players to peek at an opponent’s hand without revealing any cards themselves. This artifact stands alongside other notable cards like Telepathy, which also unveils an enemy’s grip but does it for all opponents and without concealing the revealed information. While Glasses of Urza offers a more covert approach, Telepathy adds a layer of transparency to the game.

Another comparison is with Peek, a blue instant that not only reveals an opponent’s hand but also allows the caster to draw a card, adding value beyond just information gathering. Glasses of Urza, however, doesn’t require any mana to be used after it’s in play. Coercion is a black sorcery that not only reveals but also takes a card out of an opponent’s hand. Although Coercion provides a more aggressive disruption, it lacks the repeatability of Glasses of Urza’s ability.

Choosing Glasses of Urza in your deck brings a strategic advantage of ongoing intelligence, beneficial for mind games and informed decision making throughout the match, a steady advantage over the single-use nature or transparency of similar cards.

Telepathy - MTG Card versions
Peek - MTG Card versions
Coercion - MTG Card versions
Telepathy - MTG Card versions
Peek - MTG Card versions
Coercion - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Glasses of Urza by color, type and mana cost

Wooden Sphere - MTG Card versions
Sol Ring - MTG Card versions
Iron Star - MTG Card versions
Library of Leng - MTG Card versions
Black Vise - MTG Card versions
Urza's Chalice - MTG Card versions
Ivory Cup - MTG Card versions
Brass Man - MTG Card versions
Mana Vault - MTG Card versions
Soul Net - MTG Card versions
The Rack - MTG Card versions
Helm of Chatzuk - MTG Card versions
Obelisk of Undoing - MTG Card versions
Feldon's Cane - MTG Card versions
Ivory Tower - MTG Card versions
Meekstone - MTG Card versions
Triangle of War - MTG Card versions
Throne of Bone - MTG Card versions
Crystal Rod - MTG Card versions
Barbed Sextant - MTG Card versions
Wooden Sphere - MTG Card versions
Sol Ring - MTG Card versions
Iron Star - MTG Card versions
Library of Leng - MTG Card versions
Black Vise - MTG Card versions
Urza's Chalice - MTG Card versions
Ivory Cup - MTG Card versions
Brass Man - MTG Card versions
Mana Vault - MTG Card versions
Soul Net - MTG Card versions
The Rack - MTG Card versions
Helm of Chatzuk - MTG Card versions
Obelisk of Undoing - MTG Card versions
Feldon's Cane - MTG Card versions
Ivory Tower - MTG Card versions
Meekstone - MTG Card versions
Triangle of War - MTG Card versions
Throne of Bone - MTG Card versions
Crystal Rod - MTG Card versions
Barbed Sextant - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Glasses of Urza. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
The EPIC StormThe EPIC Storm LegacyThe EPIC StormLegacy League 2024-03-13

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Glasses of Urza may not directly enable you to draw additional cards, but it does offer a significant strategic insight by revealing your opponent’s hand. This type of information can create virtual card advantage, as it allows you to make more informed decisions, thereby using your cards more effectively.

Resource Acceleration: While Glasses of Urza does not inherently accelerate your resources in the form of mana or tokens, having the knowledge of your opponent’s hand can lead to better resource management. By planning your plays around their potential reactions, you ensure your spells and efforts aren’t wasted, effectively streamlining your game plan.

Instant Speed: Although Glasses of Urza operates at sorcery speed, the advantage of using it at the right moment cannot be overstated. Deploying it during a key turn when you need to decide how to commit your resources can be as good as having an instant. You’re able to peek at the opponent’s hand before making plays that could alter the course of the game, similar to the strategic use of instants.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Despite its ability to allow a peek at an opponent’s hand, Glasses of Urza also demands players to manage their hands wisely. Without a discard mechanic involved, players need to employ strategic timing to make the most out of the information gained.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring only colorless mana to play, Glasses of Urza offers flexibility in deck building. However, the specific mana cost means it competes with other potentially more impactful artifacts or spells in that mana slot.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While not excessively expensive, the card does consume one’s mana for the turn that could otherwise be used for more dynamic gameplay moves. In faster-paced games, this mana investment might not offer an immediate tangible advantage.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Glasses of Urza offers a unique transparency into your opponent’s strategy. This card slides easily into decks aiming to outmaneuver opponents with perfect information.

Combo Potential: This artifact can play a pivotal role in combination with cards that benefit from knowledge of the opponent’s hand, setting up strategic plays and disrupting their tactics.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where understanding your opponent’s moves is crucial, Glasses of Urza can be an invaluable tool, allowing for anticipatory plays and informed decision-making on the battlefield.


How to beat

The Glasses of Urza card brings a unique ability to the table in deck strategies, allowing you to look at an opponent’s hand. This provides valuable insight but doesn’t inherently protect you from threats. To gain the upper hand against this artifact, focus on strategies that limit the usefulness of that information. Running a deck with multiple redundant pieces, diverse threats, or simply an overload of choices can dilute the advantage Glasses of Urza offers. Making your plays less predictable, or using mechanics that operate from places other than your hand, like from the graveyard or library, are also effective methods.

Specific cards that directly counter artifacts, such as Naturalize or Shatter, are simple yet highly effective at removing Glasses of Urza from the game. Some decks may also incorporate instant-speed interaction to respond to the activation of the Glasses, such as discard effects or spells like Stifle, to prevent the activated ability from resolving. By understanding the type of advantage Glasses of Urza could give your opponent, you can proactively employ strategies or countermeasures that minimize the impact and maintain a strong position during the match.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Glasses of Urza MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Glasses of Urza and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Glasses of Urza Magic the Gathering card was released in 16 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by Douglas Shuler.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 2451993NormalBlackDouglas Shuler
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 2461993NormalBlackDouglas Shuler
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 2461993NormalWhiteDouglas Shuler
41993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 2461993NormalBlackDouglas Shuler
51993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 2461993NormalBlackDouglas Shuler
61994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 2491993NormalBlackDouglas Shuler
71994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 2491993NormalWhiteDouglas Shuler
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 2491993NormalWhiteDouglas Shuler
91995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 3211993NormalBlackDouglas Shuler
101995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 3211993NormalWhiteDouglas Shuler
111996-07-01Rivals Quick Start SetRQS 491993NormalWhiteDouglas Shuler
121996-12-31Introductory Two-Player SetITP 501993NormalWhiteDouglas Shuler
131997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 3741997NormalWhiteDouglas Shuler
141999-04-21Classic Sixth Edition6ED 2871997NormalWhiteDouglas Shuler
152011-01-10Masters Edition IVME4 2031997NormalBlackDouglas Shuler
162022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 5381997NormalBlackDouglas Shuler
172022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 2412015NormalBlackDouglas Shuler

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Glasses of Urza has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal