Barbed Wire
Mercadian Masques 287 • uncommon
- Set
- Mercadian Masques
- Collector number
- 287
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Mana cost
- 3 generic mana
- Type
- Artifact
- Colors
- Colorless
- Artist
- Ron Spencer
- Market price
- $1.51
What it does
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, this artifact deals 1 damage to that player.
2 generic mana: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt by this artifact this turn.
A steel snake with ten thousand teeth.
Where you can play it
- StandardNot legal
- PioneerNot legal
- ModernNot legal
- LegacyLegal
- VintageLegal
- CommanderLegal
- PauperNot legal
- BrawlNot legal
- HistoricNot legal
- TimelessNot legal
- Penny DreadfulNot legal
- OathbreakerLegal
Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. Card text via Scryfall. Not approved or endorsed by Wizards. As of the last catalogue refresh.
Where to find one
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Where it came from
Barbed Wire was released in 1999 as part of the Mercadian Masques expansion set for the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. The set was inspired by the plane of Mercadia, a world defined by a high-tech, steampunk-adjacent aesthetic and a complex mercantile culture. The card functions as an artifact that players can use to deal damage to opponents, reflecting the aggressive and volatile nature of the set's mechanical design during the late 90s.
The card’s illustration was created by the artist Donato Giancola. Known for his technical mastery and atmospheric approach to fantasy art, Giancola focused on the utilitarian and menacing design of the wire itself, emphasizing its industrial function within the game’s lore. While the card is often remembered by players for its specific mechanics during the Masques block, it remains a notable example of the era's focus on experimental artifact interactions.
Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI
Who's collecting this
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About Barbed Wire
Barbed Wire is a card in the Magic: The Gathering catalog on collecto.rs. Mercadian Masques 287 • uncommon. Catalog data is sourced from Scryfall. No public cards collectors track this one yet — adding yours would make you the first on collecto.rs.
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