by Mishra Planeswalker

Created on: October 19, 2010

Power Matrix is a rare Magic: The Gathering card from the Mercadian Masques expansion, released in 1999.  It is a 4 mana artifact which can tap to give a creature +1/+1 until end of turn, as well as either flying, first strike or trample.   

The effect of Power Matrix is an underpowered one, when you compare it to one-shot effects like Wildsize and Seize the Initiative.  Hence, it is necessary to improve the functionality of this card by taking full advantage of the fact that you can gain this effect over multiple turns.  

One of the few advantages of a card like Power Matrix is that it reduces the possibility for a blowout by a timely counterspell or removal spell.  If you attack with a 2/2 Runeclaw Bears and your opponent blocks with a 3/3 Hill Giant, and then you attempt to cast a one-shot effect like Giant Growth, one spell from your opponent will dispatch both your spell and your creature.  Your opponent has now achieved what is known as “card advantage”, and you must regain that in order to have a better shot at winning the game.  

However, consider the situation described above, except that instead of a Giant Growth you have a Power Matrix that is already on the battlefield.  Now you can make the same attack, and your opponent will most likely not block.  If they do, and you activate your Power Matrix, you’re much more well off.  For one, a counterspell is irrelevant against a resolved Power Matrix, giving your opponent fewer profitable plays.  Second, in the case that they have a removal spell, such as a Terror, they are trading their one card (Terror) for your one card (Runeclaw Bears).  Thus you are even in terms of card advantage, and the threat of your matrix has caused them to trade a better card for one of your worse ones. 

As alluded to earlier, the value you get out of Power Matrix comes when you can get multiple uses out of it over the course of multiple turns.  The typical example of a card that would help in this regard is Voltaic Key, which allows you to untap an artifact every turn.  Now you have 2 Power Matrices for less mana than normal.  

The final strength of Power Matrix is the fact that it allows you to ensure that your creatures have the edge in combat.  It plays very nicely with the set of Infect creatures from the Scars of Mirrodin block, as you can give them flying or trample to make sure that  your opponent suffers poisonous damage in lieu of normal damage.  To get value from repeatedly killing your opponent’s creatures you can give your guys first strike, weakening your opponent’s creatures with -1/-1 counters before they have a chance to hit your creature back.  

While not a powerhouse by any standard, Power Matrix can provide an aggro deck the edge it needs to take on other creatures and come out on top in most combat scenarios.  

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