Restoration Specialist MTG Card


Excels in recovering artifacts and enchantments, crucial for resource advantage in MTG play. Can act at instant speed, allowing players to react and plan during opponents’ turns. Demands sacrifice and specific mana, which may limit its inclusion in some deck strategies.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Dwarf Artificer
Power 2
Toughness 1

Text of card

, Sacrifice Restoration Specialist: Return up to one target artifact card and up to one target enchantment card from your graveyard to your hand.

Dwarves' tools are priceless heirlooms handed down through generations.


Cards like Restoration Specialist

Restoration Specialist provides noteworthy utility in Magic: The Gathering, reminiscent of cards like Salvage Scout. Both are creatures designed to return valuable artifacts and enchantments from the graveyard to a player’s hand. The Specialist has the advantage of potentially retrieving two items with a single use, setting it apart from the more limited Scout.

Monk Idealist enters the conversation as well, sharing the ability to recover enchantments. Albeit similar, the Idealist brings them back immediately upon hitting the field, unlike the conditional and flexible activation of the Restoration Specialist. Auramancer is another card with enchantment recursion capabilities, though without the additional benefit of artifact retrieval that the Specialist offers.

Ultimately, Restoration Specialist is quite efficient within its niche. It allows savvy players to craft strategies that leverage both artifact and enchantment synergies, providing valuable versatility and potential for strategic depth in Magic: The Gathering decks favoring such permanents.

Salvage Scout - MTG Card versions
Monk Idealist - MTG Card versions
Auramancer - MTG Card versions
Salvage Scout - MTG Card versions
Monk Idealist - MTG Card versions
Auramancer - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Restoration Specialist by color, type and mana cost

White Knight - MTG Card versions
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Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions
Flumph - MTG Card versions
Soltari Priest - MTG Card versions
Luminarch Aspirant - MTG Card versions
White Knight - MTG Card versions
Soul Shepherd - MTG Card versions
Soltari Monk - MTG Card versions
Talon Sliver - MTG Card versions
Keeper of the Light - MTG Card versions
Faith Healer - MTG Card versions
Angelic Page - MTG Card versions
Avenger en-Dal - MTG Card versions
Royal Falcon - MTG Card versions
Spirit Weaver - MTG Card versions
Voice of the Blessed - MTG Card versions
Stoneforge Mystic - MTG Card versions
Drannith Magistrate - MTG Card versions
Leonin Lightscribe - MTG Card versions
Silver Knight - MTG Card versions
Longbow Archer - MTG Card versions
Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions
Flumph - MTG Card versions
Soltari Priest - MTG Card versions
Luminarch Aspirant - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

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

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Amalia ComboAmalia Combo PioneerAbzan Amalia ComboSat. 9:30 AM U.S. Regional Championship - Dreamhack Atlanta 2023
Abzan Amalia ComboAbzan Amalia Combo PioneerAbzan Amalia ComboPioneer Challenge 64 2023-11-24

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Restoration Specialist shines in decks with a focus on artifacts and enchantments. Upon activating its ability, you can bring back both types of cards from your graveyard to your hand, bolstering your in-game resources and giving you a strategic upper hand.

Resource Acceleration: This specialist accelerates your resource recovery remarkably. In a game where tempo is key, having the ability to retrieve critical pieces from the graveyard directly to your hand keeps your gameplay advancing smoothly without losing momentum.

Instant Speed: One of the key attributes of Restoration Specialist is its ability at instant speed, allowing for reactive play during your opponent’s turn or at the end of their turn for optimal surprise and strategic planning. This instant speed utility ensures that you maintain pressure and presence on the game board at all times.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: As a player, if you’re considering tapping into the abilities of Restoration Specialist, be prepared to sacrifice an artifact or enchantment. This requirement can be rigid and demanding, particularly in a pinch where your valuable assets are few or crucial for later turns.

Specific Mana Cost: Restoration Specialist’s casting demands specific mana types, a white and a generic. This can be restrictive, confining it to decks that are either mono-white or have a significant white mana base, potentially excluding a range of multicolored strategies where its services might be useful.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although a two mana cost might seem modest, in the hyper-competitive environment of MTG, there are multiple options available. You might find other cards that bring back artifacts or enchantments at a lower cost, or offer additional flexibility, nudging Restoration Specialist down the list of preferred choices in a deck builder’s arsenal.


Reasons to Include Restoration Specialist in Your Collection

Versatility: Restoration Specialist offers flexibility as a utility creature that can retrieve key artifacts and enchantments from your graveyard. This adaptability makes it useful in a variety of decks that strategize around those card types.

Combo Potential: With the ability to return specific card types to your hand, Restoration Specialist can be integral to combos that rely on recurring artifacts or enchantments for repeated effects or to achieve a powerful game-winning synergy.

Meta-Relevance: In game environments where removal spells keep important non-creature permanents at risk, having a card like Restoration Specialist can ensure resilience against disruption and maintain the effectiveness of your strategist theme.


How to beat

The Restoration Specialist is a versatile card, adept at reviving artifacts and enchantments from your graveyard. Its utility in Magic: The Gathering can be pivotal in decks that hinge on these types of cards. Facing off against a Restoration Specialist demands a strategic approach. Removal spells can effectively deal with the Specialist before it triggers its ability, therefore cards like Fatal Push or Path to Exile are valuable when timed right.

In addition, graveyard disruption is a robust tactic against Restoration Specialist. Implementing cards that exile graveyards, such as Relic of Progenitus or Bojuka Bog, can swiftly minimize the Specialist’s impact. It’s crucial to handle the Specialist swiftly, as allowing it to remain on the field can give your opponent the opportunity to capitalize on their graveyard resources, strengthening their position significantly.

Playing around the Restoration Specialist involves anticipatory measures and timing removal effectively. Keeping it off the battlefield and manipulating your opponent’s graveyard disables the card’s potential and can tilt the match in your favor, ensuring that their key pieces stay out of play.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the Restoration Specialist’s place in MTG can be a game-changer. This card thrives in decks abundant with artifacts and enchantments, enabling a comeback that can turn the tide of battle in your favor. Remember to weigh in the conditions and costs associated with its abilities; utilize it strategically to maintain tempo and recover vital resources. With an aptitude for instant-speed interaction and multifaceted recovery, it’s a clever addition to collections valuing adaptability and resilience. If these insights resonate with your play style, visiting our comprehensive guide will provide you with deeper strategies to harness this card’s full potential and keep you ahead of the competition.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Restoration Specialist MTG card by a specific set like Aether Revolt and Kaladesh Remastered, 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 Restoration Specialist and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Restoration Specialist Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-01-20 and 2020-11-12. Illustrated by David Palumbo.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-01-20Aether RevoltAER 212015NormalBlackDavid Palumbo
22020-11-12Kaladesh RemasteredKLR 282015NormalBlackDavid Palumbo

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Restoration Specialist has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Restoration Specialist card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2017-02-09 You can activate Restoration Specialist’s ability choosing no targets at all if you wish.