In Magic: the Gathering there are few sagas more iconic than that of The Brothers’ War. The epic confrontation between Urza and Mishra, two artificers of ancient Dominaria, battling out their philosophical differences with massive mechanical constructs. What better set than The Brothers’ War to release a series of Transformer cards for you to collect.
This edition of Magic: The Gathering Universes Beyond is set in The Brothers’ War and features 15 familiar characters from both the Autobots and Decepticons in card form. Every card is a legendary artifact creature and can transform into a different form under various conditions. All of these cards can be cast for their front side casting cost, or the alternate More Than Meets The Eye cost, to have it enter the battlefield converted on its back side, similar to transforming effects found on many werewolf cards.
15/15 Ratchet, Field Medic // Ratchet, Rescue Racer
Starting off we have Ratchet, Field Medic, a 2/4 with lifelink. Ratchet, Field Medic’s convert trigger is anytime you gain life, and when you do you can return an artifact with a converted mana cost less than or equal to the amount of life you gained straight to the battlefield.
While a fine creature, it converts into Ratchet, Rescue Racer, a 1/4 with lifelink that transforms back to Ratchet, Field Medic when an artifact is put into your graveyard from the battlefield. While not bad, it’s not very good compared to most of the other Transformers released in the set.
14/15 Prowl, Stoic Strategist // Prowl, Pursuit Vehicle
Prowl, Stoic Strategist is an interesting creature. When Prowl, Stoic Strategist attacks, you can exile another tapped creature or Vehicle. Its owner can then cast that card from exile whenever they like.
It then converts into Prowl, Pursuit Vehicle when a card exiled this way is cast, becoming a 2/3 that when another creature enters the battlefield under your control you put a +1/+1 counter on it. A constantly growing car that also exiles cards until its owner decides to recast it again is solid but takes too much time to grow.
13/15 Arcee, Sharpshooter // Arcee, Acrobatic Coupe
This Autobot starts small but can snipe all sorts of creatures while it grows. Arcee, Sharpshooter is a 2/2 creature with first strike, and you can pay one generic mana to remove any number of +1/+1 counters from it to deal that much damage to a creature.
Arcee, Sharpshooter does require a counter on it to transform to Arcee, Acrobatic Coupe. Once converted, Arcee, Acrobatic Coupe gains +1/+1 counters every time you target a creature with a spell and flips back to Arcee, Sharpshooter.
12/15 Jetfire, Ingenious Scientist // Jetfire, Air Guardian
Jetfire, Ingenious Scientist is a 3/4 flying creature that when conditions are met, can help ramp up mana. You can remove any number of +1/+1 counters across all artifacts you control to add that much mana to your mana pool, and then Jetfire, Ingenious Scientist transforms.
Jetfire, Ingenious Scientist is a card that you’ll almost always want to cast as Jetfire, Air Guardian. While transformed, you can pay three blue mana to convert Jetfire, Air Guardian back to its front side and put three +1/+1 counters on it.
11/15 Flamewar, Brash Veteran // Flamewar, Streetwise Operative
A free sacrifice outlet, and card draw on the front, evasion and deathtouch on the back, Flamewar, Brash Veteran comes with a bunch of abilities to help you later in the game. As Flamewar, Brash Veteran, you can sacrifice an artifact to put a +1/+1 counter on it and flip it.
As Flamewar, Streetwise Operative, it gains menace and deathtouch, making it harder to block and as well as more costly to throw creatures in front of it. When it deals damage to an opponent, Flamewar, Streetwise Operative will exile cards from your library equal to the amount of damage done face down with an intel counter on it. While back as Flamewar, Brash Veteran, you can also pay one generic mana to discard your hand and add all exiled cards to your hand.
10/15 Goldbug, Humanity's Ally // Goldbug, Scrappy Scout
Goldbug, Humanity's Ally does a great job at protecting Human creatures, preventing all combat damage done to them while they’re attacking, allowing you to safely swing all out with an army of humans. Once you play two spells in a turn, you convert it to Goldbug, Scrappy Scout.
Now converted to Goldbug, Scrappy Scout, your human spells cannot be countered, giving you the freedom to cast whatever you like. Once Goldbug, Scrappy Scout attacks with at least one other human, you draw a card and convert it back to Goldbug, Humanity’s Ally.
9/15 Blitzwing, Cruel Tormentor // Blitzwing, Adaptive Assailant
This Decepticon is all about punishing an already beaten-down opponent. At the end of your turn, an opponent of your choice loses life equal to the life they’ve already lost. If they haven’t lost life, you convert it to Blitzwing, Adaptive Assailant.
When converted to Blitzwing, Adaptive Assailant, you randomly choose either flying or indestructible and give it that ability until end of turn, then when Blitzwing, Adaptive Assailant connects with your opponent, you convert it back. With this ability Blitzwing, Cruel Tormentor can quickly double all the damage you’ve dealt for a surprise win.
8/15 Blaster, Combat DJ // Blaster, Morale Booster
This Gruul Autobot acts as a sort of lord for artifact creatures, giving them modular 1 so they enter the battlefield with a +1/+1, and when they die you can move that counter to another artifact creature. When Blaster, Combat DJ gains a counter of any type, it converts to Blaster, Morale Booster.
When converted, Blaster, Morale Booster has modular 3, and an activated ability. By paying X mana and tapping it, you can move X +1/+1 counters to another artifact, giving it haste as well until the end of the turn. Once Blaster, Morale Booster runs out of counters, it converts back to its front side.
7/15 Slicer, Hired Muscle // Slicer, High-Speed Antagonist
Slicer, Hired Muscle is a creature perfect for Commander games. With double strike and haste, it hits hard and quickly. When your opponent enters their upkeep, you can choose to have them gain control of Slicer, Hired Muscle, it gains goad so it has to attack a player other than you, and cannot be sacrificed. If you don’t give it to another player, it converts.
As Slicer, High-Speed Antagonist it switches out double strike for first strike, keeping haste, and when it deals combat damage to a player, it converts back to its front side.
6/15 Cyclonus, the Saboteur // Cyclonus, Cybertronian Fighter
This Decepticon takes a little time to build up, but is a strong creature with an interesting payoff once it converts. A 2/5 with flying, Cyclonus, the Saboteur connives when it deals combat damage to a player, letting you draw and then discard a card, and if it’s a nonland card, putting a +1/+1 counter on it. Then if Cyclonus, the Saboteur’s power is five or greater, it converts.
Now as Cyclonus, Cybertronian Fighter, a 5/5 base stat flying creature, likely an 8/8 after additional tokens. When it deals damage to a player you get an additional beginning phase after your combat, giving you the opportunity to untap all your lands, triggering upkeep effects, and letting you draw an additional card.
5/15 Ultra Magnus, Tactician // Ultra Magnus, Armored Carrier
This 7/7 Autobot is a powerhouse on its own, and with ward 2, it can be difficult for players to deal with it before you get to attack. When you do attack with Ultra Magnus, Tactician you can put an artifact creature into play from your hand tapped and attacking. If you do that, it converts at the end of the combat phase.
Now as Ultra Magnus, Armored Carrier, it gains haste, and the formidable keyword which states when it attacks, your attacking creatures gain indestructible until end of turn. Then, if those creatures you’re attacking with have a combined total power of eight or more, it converts back to Ultra Magnus, Tactician.
4/15 Megatron, Tyrant // Megatron, Destructive Force
The leader of the Decepticons, Megatron, Tyrant locks down the game during your turn by preventing your opponents from casting spells during combat. Then at the beginning of your postcombat main phase, you can choose to convert Megatron, Tyrant to its back side, adding one generic mana for each one point of life your opponents lost this turn.
As Megatron, Destructive Force it loses power, going from a 7/5 to a 4/5 but gaining a new ability. When Megatron, Destructive Force attacks, you may sacrifice an artifact and deal damage equal to its casting cost to a creature and any extra damage to your opponent. If damage is dealt to an opponent this way, you convert it back to its front side. In Commander, you can give yourself additional combat steps relatively easily, giving you multiple chances to cast artifacts and fling them at your opponent.
3/15 Starscream, Power Hungry // Starscream, Seeker Leader
Starscream, Power Hungry has a rather unique convert ability that triggers whenever you are dealt combat damage by another player. When converted to Starscream, Seeker Leader it gains menace and haste, and when it deals combat damage to a player, if there is no monarch, they become it.
Making an opponent the monarch seems odd, since you are giving them an extra draw during their end step, but it also paints a huge target for your other opponents to attack. When you become the monarch, you convert back to Starscream, Power Hungry, where if you’re the monarch, target opponent loses two life whenever you draw a card.
2/15 Soundwave, Sonic Spy // Soundwave, Superior Champion
This Esper Autobot requires some careful consideration before attacking. When one or more creature tokens deal combat damage to a player, you can choose an instant or sorcery with mana equal to exactly the amount of damage your tokens have done. You can choose to cast that spell for free, and if you do, convert Soundwave, Sonic Spy.
Now as Soundwave, Superior Champion, an artifact that gives you a Ravage token, a legendary 3/3 Robot with menace and death touch when you cast a spell with an odd converted casting cost, or Laserbeak, a legendary 2/2 Robot token with flying and hexproof. Regardless of what you get, Soundwave, Superior Champion reverts back to its other side.
1/15 Optimus Prime, Hero // Optimus Prime, Autobot Leader
The most iconic Transformer of them all, Optimus Prime, Hero is a beefy 4/8 that bolsters 1 at the beginning of each end step, giving the creature you control with the lowest toughness +1/+1. If Optimus Prime, Hero would die, however, it returns to the battlefield converted.
As Optimus Prime, Autobot Leader, he becomes a 6/8 with trample, and when he attacks he bolsters 2, giving that creature trample as well. If the target creature deals combat damage to a player, it converts back to its front side.
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