Charting Dwarven Weaponsmith: Visual Data on MTG Card Stats

In TCG ·

Dwarven Weaponsmith by Mark Poole — MTG card art, a stout dwarf artificer hammering metal

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Hands-on data: a data-driven look at a classic red dwarf

When we peek at Dwarven Weaponsmith, we’re peering into a microcosm of early MTG design: a cheap, aggressive red creature that leans into artifact shenanigans and tribal dwarven grit. Released on 1994-06-21 in the Summer Magic / Edgar core set, this uncommon is a reminder that red doesn’t always need to burn a path straight to the opponent. Sometimes it forges a path through your own board, rewarding you for playing into a mindset where artifacts aren’t just debris on the battlefield—they’re fuel for growth. 🧙‍♂️🔥

Data snapshot at a glance

  • Name: Dwarven Weaponsmith
  • Mana cost: {1}{R} (CMC 2)
  • Type: Creature — Dwarf Artificer
  • Power/Toughness: 1/1
  • Color: Red
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Set: Summer Magic / Edgar (Sum)
  • Artist: Mark Poole
  • Text: {T}, Sacrifice an artifact: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. Activate only during your upkeep.
  • Flavor text: "Work with zeal as hammers peal! Melt, anneal, and pound the steel!"
  • Legality (historical): Legal in Legacy and Vintage; reprint in non-foil form; playable in Commander formats that permit its inclusion
  • Foil/Print status: Nonfoil; Print run self-contained to older paper-based releases

From a purely visual standpoint, the card’s art captures the earthy warmth of dwarven forge-culture, with Poole’s sturdy line work echoing the tactile feedback you’d expect from a tool-wielding artisan. The flavor text doubles as a chorus line for the forge—an acknowledgement that progress often comes through disciplined, communal labor. In a meta that often rewards immediate aggression, Weaponsmith sits at an interesting crossroads: it’s a tempo piece that can accelerate your board state, but only if you’re ready to sacrifice artifacts to pump your creatures. 🎨⚔️

Why this card matters on the table

The core mechanic—activate during your upkeep—frames a deliberate pacing choice. You don’t get to spike a creature’s power the moment you need it; you either have an artifact to sacrifice or you don’t. This creates a feedback loop with artifact-heavy decks, encouraging players to plan a few turns ahead. The card’s color identity and mana cost keep it accessible in red-heavy builds that rely on recurring artifact payoffs, such as simple mana rocks or early-game treasures that might otherwise seem petty. The +1/+1 counter motif isn’t flashy, but it’s durable: a single artifact sacrifice can turn a previously modest volunteer into a fearsome threat by the time your upkeep rolls around again. And if you’re leaning into a board-sweeping or stax-like strategy, the tap-sack line of text can help you fund combat steps or stabilize a rough board state—without tapping out on your own turn. 🧙‍♂️💎

Visual storytelling: charting the arc of a red dwarf

Think of a data visualization workflow that maps Dwarven Weaponsmith’s value across a typical game timeline. On a horizontal axis, you track mana availability and artifact count; on the vertical axis, you plot creature power on the battlefield. With each upkeep, the counter-top of a creature may rise as you sacrifice artifacts, creating a staircase pattern of growth. In a deck that streams artifacts—golden treasure tokens, colorless rocks, or even vehicles from later eras—the card becomes a framing device for how fast you can convert artifacts into threats. The red zone is all about tempo, but Weaponsmith asks you to invest in tempo through careful resource management. The payoff is a cascade of +1/+1 counters that, when timed with a few pump spells or token generators, can turn a 1/1 into a legitimate late-game brute. And if your strategy includes recycling artifacts or replaying sacrificed pieces, the data curve becomes even more interesting: you’re not just increasing a single creature, you’re building a growing engine of offensive potential. 🧠📈

For collectors and historians, the card also tells a story about reprint culture and early MTG economics. It’s a nonfoil, uncommon reprint with aEUR 200 EUR price tag in some markets, which reflects both nostalgia value and the enduring appeal of strong illustrated, characterful red cards from the era. The flavor text, the forge imagery, and the push-pull between sacrifice and payoff all contribute to a tangible sense of place in the early years of tabletop magic. 🔥💎

Magsafe Phone Case with Card Holder Glossy Matte Polycarbonate

More from our network