Sydri, Galvanic Genius MTG Card


Enables card advantage by pairing Sydri with artifacts that facilitate card draw. Sydri’s instant-speed abilities provide surprise maneuvers and flexible control. Her specific mana cost can limit deck building but ensures a strong synergy.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Artificer
Power 2
Toughness 2

Text of card

: Target noncreature artifact becomes an artifact creature with power and toughness each equal to its converted mana cost until end of turn.: Target artifact creature gains deathtouch and lifelink until end of turn.


Cards like Sydri, Galvanic Genius

Sydri, Galvanic Genius serves as a flexible commander capable of turning artifacts into creatures. A comparable figure in this niche is Karn, Silver Golem. Like Sydri, Karn also transforms noncreature artifacts into creatures, but each carries a distinct approach to this unique ability. Sydri also provides lifelink and deathtouch abilities to your artifact creatures, which Karn does not, this can lead to strategic plays that can disrupt opponents by eliminating threatening creatures in combat.

Another parallel can be drawn with March of the Machines, an enchantment that automatically converts all artifacts into creatures. While Sydri’s ability is activated and targeted, March of the Machines affects all artifacts consistently. However, it lacks the added layer of control and utility that Sydri offers. The lifelink and deathtouch bonus are pivotal in maintaining board presence and gaining life, something that is not to be overlooked during gameplay.

When considering options for artifact-centric strategies, Sydri’s combination of versatility in converting artifacts and enhancing them with lethal buffs makes her a compelling choice for decks that capitalize on artifacts and their potential as creatures. The value she provides extends beyond just creature conversion, leading to multifaceted strategies that can pivot the course of a game.

Karn, Silver Golem - MTG Card versions
March of the Machines - MTG Card versions
Karn, Silver Golem - MTG Card versions
March of the Machines - MTG Card versions

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sydri Galvanic Genius thrives on crafting a wealth of strategic options for players. When adeptly paired with cards that draw upon artifacts, Sydri can provide a continuous influx of new cards into your hand. This synergy propels you toward an advantageous position, allowing you to extend and diversify your on-field assets and tactics against opponents.

Resource Acceleration: Leveraging Sydri’s ability to animate artifacts, players can creatively turn otherwise non-mana-producing artifacts into valuable resources. This transformative skill can be used to ramp up your mana pool, granting access to more potent spells and abilities sooner than your adversaries expect. As a result, her presence on the battlefield can often lead to a formidable escalation in your resource management.

Instant Speed: The ingenious design of Sydri permits the activation of her abilities at instant speed, offering flexibility and surprise maneuvers during gameplay. This tactical advantage enables responsive plays, allowing you to adapt to threats or opportunities as they arise, even during your opponent’s turn. It enhances control over board state and turn sequencing, which are critical aspects of securing victory in a match.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Sydri, Galvanic Genius offers flexibility and control, one must be prepared for potential card disadvantage. As the deck revolves around Sydri’s abilities, players may find themselves discarding valuable cards to maintain the synergy and control that she provides. This can be particularly cumbersome when facing strategies that deplete the hand or disrupt the graveyard.

Specific Mana Cost: Commanding a precise mana configuration of blue, white, and black, Sydri requires a well-tuned mana base. This restricts her integration into decks and necessitates a resource allocation that can support her tri-color identity. In a game where mana flexibility can dictate the pace and successful execution of a strategy, such a specific requirement can be a significant limitation.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At three mana, one each of blue, white, and black, her initial casting cost is manageable. However, the real expense comes into play with her activated abilities. To consistently leverage these abilities, a substantial mana investment is necessary throughout the game. This can leave less room for other actions on a player’s turn, potentially slowing down the overall game plan and making it difficult to respond to opponents’ threats with equal force.


Reasons to Include Sydri Galvanic Genius in Your Collection

Versatility: Sydri, Galvanic Genius can adapt to various deck strategies, serving as an effective commander or an innovative inclusion in artifact-heavy decks. Her ability to turn artifacts into creatures with deathtouch and lifelink lends itself to defensive and offensive playstyles alike.

Combo Potential: With Sydri at the helm, you can devise powerful synergies, such as transforming non-creature artifacts into creatures that can be sacrificed for greater benefits, or using her to activate lethal board wipes by animating enemy artifacts and granting them deathtouch.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where artifacts are prevalent, Sydri’s unique abilities allow you to control the battlefield by neutralizing threats or turning your artifacts into life-gaining blockers, earning her a place in the metagame as a versatile and tactical asset.


How to beat

Sydri, Galvanic Genius is a unique commander with the ability to turn artifacts into creatures. Not only does this add versatility to your board, but with Sydri’s second ability, she can give these artifact creatures lifelink and deathtouch. This can quickly become a defensive nightmare, as any blocked or blocking artifact creature can destroy much more formidable foes.

To counter Sydri’s strategy, focus on removal spells that don’t target creatures, such as board wipes or exile effects. Cards like Merciless Eviction or Austere Command can reset the field, bypassing her lifelink and deathtouch abilities. Artifact hate cards, such as Vandalblast, can also be effective since they can remove the artifact creatures from the game before they become a threat. Additionally, countermagic can be a crucial tool to stop Sydri from modifying the battlefield to her advantage. Keeping a steady pace and applying pressure can prevent the Sydri player from leveraging their artifacts and abilities to the fullest.

By keeping the right counters in your deck and making strategic plays, you can effectively challenge Sydri, Galvanic Genius and maintain control over the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

If you’re fascinated by the strategic depth and versatility that Sydri, Galvanic Genius brings to the MTG table, there’s much more to explore. Understanding her potential to transform the battlefield by animating artifacts, and incorporating resource acceleration and instant speed plays into your strategies is key to mastery. The journey with Sydri is about leveraging every advantage, from card utility to meta shifts. If you’re eager to deepen your game knowledge and optimize your decks with Sydri’s unique abilities, we’re here to guide you. Delve into the nuanced aspects of MTG strategy with us and see how Sydri can elevate your gameplay to astonishing new heights.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sydri, Galvanic Genius MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2013 and Commander 2016, 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 Sydri, Galvanic Genius and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sydri, Galvanic Genius Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2013-11-01 and 2016-11-11. Illustrated by Terese Nielsen.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-11-01Commander 2013C13 2202003NormalBlackTerese Nielsen
22016-11-11Commander 2016C16 2242015NormalBlackTerese Nielsen

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sydri, Galvanic Genius has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2013-10-17 A noncreature permanent that turns into a creature can attack, and its abilities can be activated, only if its controller has continuously controlled that permanent since the beginning of their most recent turn. It doesn’t matter how long the permanent has been a creature.
2013-10-17 If an Equipment attached to a creature becomes a creature, it becomes unattached. An Equipment that is also a creature can’t equip another creature.
2013-10-17 If the noncreature artifact had any other supertypes, types, or subtypes, it will keep those. In most cases, the artifact creature won’t have any creature types.
2013-10-17 Multiple instances of deathtouch or lifelink on the same creature are redundant.