Karnstruct Tokens in MTG: Rules, History, and Best Cards

Construct | Illustration Victor Adame Minguez

As a humble Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer player, I’m a fan of big tokens. And few tokens are quite as big as the dreaded Karnstruct, an artifact creature that shows up on a few flavorful Karn and Urza cards, plus a couple stragglers.

Interested in making tokens that’d put a 20/20 indestructible Marit Lage in its place? Continue on, and keep your hands off the machinery.

What Are Karnstructs in MTG?

Construct | Illustration by Matteo Bassini

Karnstructs are 0/0 Construct tokens with an ability that reads: “This token gets +1/+1 for each artifact you control.” They’re not quite “deciduous” tokens like Treasure or Clues, but they’ve show up on occasion, usually in relation to cards that reference Urza or Karn.

Note that the power and toughness modulates as artifacts enter and leave your side of the battlefield. The stats aren’t “locked in” at the time you create the token.

Where Does the Name Karnstruct Come From?

“Karnstruct” is a portmanteau of “Karn” the artifact planeswalker, and “Construct”, a creature type in Magic.

It refers to a token that’s created by multiple cards. Karn, Scion of Urza was the first card printed to create this exact token, and thus the name Karnstruct was born, despite no other Karn cards being printed that make this token.

Are Karnstructs Good?

Yes, Karnstruct tokens are very strong in artifact decks. Much like cards with affinity for artifacts, they put all your artifacts to good use and reward you for sticking to a central artifact-based gameplan.

Karnstructs can become massive under the right circumstances, and most of the cards that create them are inherently powerful already.

Tokens Similar to Karnstructs

Dollhouse of Horrors creates a token very similar to a Karnstruct, with the only differences being that it’s a copy of another creature instead of a virtual vanilla, and that the copy only counts constructs you control, not artifacts in general.

The Gnome Soldier created by the front and back halves of Thousand Moons Smithy/Barracks of the Thousand are strictly better Karnstructs that count creatures you control in addition to artifacts.

The History of Karnstructs in MTG

Karn, Scion of Urza was printed in Dominaria as the first card to produce this token. That established a sort of link between this token type and the character Urza, and the Karnstruct would go on to be reused on other Urza-related cards like Urza's Saga, Urza, Lord High Artificer, and Urza's Command. It has made a few “guest appearances” on one-off artifact-related cards like Digsite Engineer and Simulacrum Synthesizer.

Do Karnstructs Count Themselves?

Yes, the ability on Karnstructs doesn’t refer to “other” artifacts you control, so they always count themselves. They’re always a baseline 1/1 even with no other artifacts in play.

Do Karnstructs Count Other Artifact Tokens?

Yes, Karnstructs count anything you control with the artifact card type, whether they’re tokens or cards.

What’s the Mana Value of a Karnstruct?

Karnstructs have a mana value of 0.

Does Dress Down Kill Karnstruct Tokens?

Yes, Dress Down results in Karnstructs losing their ability, which means they’ll no longer get +1/+1 for each artifact you control. With no ability to define how large they are, they’ll just be 0/0s on the battlefield and die as a state-based action. This is true of any card that removes their abilities, not just Dress Down.

Gallery and List of Karnstruct Token Cards

Best Karnstruct-Making Cards

#4. Simulacrum Synthesizer

Wanning in and out of Standard competitiveness, Simulacrum Synthesizer generates Karnstructs with ease. Mana value 3 or greater is a very generous range of cards that trigger this, made all the easier by running affinity cards with high mana values that you can cast for cheap. It’s funny they thought scry 2 was necessary to make this playable.

#3. Urza, Chief Artificer

While Urza, Chief Artificer exists in the same league as its mono-colored counterpart, it’s a little less universally played, mostly restricted to being a Commander powerhouse. It’s Top 100 material in that domain, though, as a “lord” for Karnstructs and other artifact creatures, and a commander that evades commander tax quite handily.

#2. Urza, Lord High Artificer

Former Commander Game Changer Urza, Lord High Artificer was an example of definitional power creep when Modern Horizons released. The Construct is almost secondary to the unprecedented mana ramp Urza generates, and it even provides a mana sink that filters infinite mana into card draw. This was the first real iteration of Urza in card form, and it delivered.

#1. Urza’s Saga

Urza's Saga exists almost entirely to make a joke about the set of the same name, but that joke turned into one of the strongest lands ever printed. This saga is capable of spitting out two Constructs before it tags out into your best 0- or 1-mana artifact. It’s played as an entire gameplan in Modern and Eternal formats, and it’s a staple of Vintage Cube artifact decks.

Wrap Up

Urza, Lord High Artificer | Illustration by Grzegorz Rutkowski

Alright, workshop’s closing for the night. Hopefully you’ve seen all you need to see of Karnstructs, not that they need much convincing. They’re the artifact-lover’s dream token, like a couple Servos that hit the gym a little bit too hard.

How are you using Karnstruct tokens in your decks? Do you think we’ll be seeing these tokens again any time soon? Let us know in the comments down below or in the Draftsim Discord, and check out The Daily Upkeep newsletter to stay up to date on all the latest MTG news.

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