All 2 Black Artifact Removal Cards in Magic Ranked

Gate to Phyrexia | Illustration by Sandra Everingham

Artifact removal isn’t exactly something that black is known for, but it does exist! You just sometimes have to squint a little bit. If you’re running a mono-black deck, sometimes you need to make do with what you’re given and not look the gift horse in the mouth!

Today we’re reviewing the tools black has at its disposal to deal with artifacts. You probably should’ve included some green in your deck, but we’re past that point now!

What Are Black Artifact Removal Cards in MTG?

Rats of Rath | Illustration by John Matson

Black artifact removal spells are pretty much what it says on the tin, black cards that can deal with problematic artifacts on the board. This could be by destroying them, exiling them, making your opponent sacrifice them, or something else. They’re not super common, though, so you won’t see many effects like this.

Note, that cards like Mythos of Nethroi wouldn’t apply here because you need to spend green and white mana to remove artifacts with it.

Honorable Mention: Rats of Rath

Rats of Rath can’t quite make the true list because it can’t get rid of your opponents’ artifacts, but it does allow you to deal with your own artifacts. Sacrifice effects are likely just better, but this can help out in a pinch or an edge case and deserves at least a mention.

#2. Phyrexian Tribute

Since black doesn’t usually allow you to flat-out destroy artifacts, it generally comes at a heft cost when it lets you do it. Phyrexian Tribute comes with a pretty big one. Not only does it cost 3 mana, but you also need to sacrifice two creatures. Of course, this can be turned into an upside, but it’s still a definite cost, which is a lot for a one-off effect.

#1. Gate to Phyrexia

In a similar vein to Phyrexian Tribute, Gate to Phyrexia requires you to sacrifice your own creatures to deal with opposing artifacts. The bonus here is that you only need to sacrifice one per upkeep and also that it’s somewhat repeatable given that you can activate it once in every upkeep. Still not as good as some other colors can do, but it’s still an interesting card.

Alternative Ways to Deal with Artifacts

Unfortunately, that seems to be all there is at black's disposal when it comes to removing artifacts. However, there are some alternatives available within black’s portion of the color pie.

Discard

Discard is something that black does fantastically, and what better way to deal with tricky cards is there than making sure it can’t be cast in the first place? Whether you’re using targeted discard like Thoughtseize or just getting rid of your opponent’s whole hand with something like Mind Twist, you can make sure those pesky colorless problems won’t bother you… although you may paint a target on yourself!

Sacrifice Permanents

Other than making opponents discard cards, black is also very good at making your opponents sacrifice their stuff. Often this comes in the form of having to discard non-land permanents, because forcing them to sacrifice artifacts doesn’t exist quite yet. But, using something like Shard of the Void Dragon or even Phyrexian Obliterator is one way to deal with artifacts if your opponent manages to get them down.

Wrap Up

Shard of the Void Dragon | Illustration by Alex Konstad

Dealing with artifacts really isn’t something that black was designed to do, and the color pie and its restrictions are part of what makes Magic what it is. Mono-colored decks have drawbacks, and that’s part of the fun. However, with black getting more ways to deal with enchantments, like Feed the Swarm, maybe we’ll see similar effects for artifacts in the near future.

Personally, I’ve never felt that I’ve been particularly weak to artifacts when playing black decks, and you have enough other things going on to find another way around. Do you wish there was a way to get rid of them cleanly, though? Do you think the move with enchantment removal in recent years is something you’d like to see repeated? Or do you believe that restrictions bring innovation, and enjoy that puzzle?

Let us know down in the comments or over on Twitter, and I hope to see you next time.