Discover Uthros' Scanship in MTG's Edge of Eternities

Understanding Uthros Scanship and Its Role in Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering is set to release its upcoming sci-fi set, Edge of Eternities. This set has a challenging task ahead—following up on the best-selling set of all time, Final Fantasy, while also leading into what is expected to be another major set of the year, Spider-Man. Additionally, the outer-space theme of Edge of Eternities aims to introduce a new setting and aesthetic at a time when many players are hoping for a return to more traditional Magic themes.

Despite these challenges, Edge of Eternities seems to be making a strong impression so far. The Sothera system feels familiar yet fresh, and the mechanics introduced have potential for expansion. The art has also been praised, with one of the most exciting new features being the stationing mechanic. This mechanic is central to the exclusive preview card, Uthros Scanship.

How Uthros Scanship Works

At first glance, Uthros Scanship’s ability to draw two cards and discard one may seem similar to other cards like Roiling Dragonstorm from Tarkir. However, the cost of four mana might make it appear less efficient. But with the introduction of the stationing mechanic, this card could become more powerful than it initially appears.

Stationing allows you to tap creatures to add charge counters equal to their power to Uthros Scanship. Once it has eight or more counters, it becomes a 4/4 flying artifact creature. However, the goal isn’t necessarily to turn it into a creature. Instead, think of Uthros Scanship as a tool that provides an easy way to tap your creatures and trigger other effects.

Recent Standard-legal sets have featured a tapped-matters theme. Duskmourn had survival abilities that trigger if a creature is tapped before your second main phase, and Edge of Eternities includes many cards that activate when something is tapped. For example, Chrome Companion gives you one life, Starfighter Pilot surveils, and Sami, Ship’s Engineer creates creature tokens if you have enough tapped creatures.

When viewed as a tool rather than a creature, Uthros Scanship becomes much more appealing. It offers hand advantage, provides a way to tap creatures without needing them to attack, and counts as an artifact for Uthros, Titanic Godcore, a Planet that can also be stationed to generate a large amount of blue mana.

Is Uthros Scanship Good Enough for Standard?

The question remains: where will Uthros Scanship fit in the Standard format when Edge of Eternities launches? A few weeks ago, the answer seemed clear, as it was a way to discard Omniscience in the then-popular Azorius Omniscience decks. However, the banning of Abuelo’s Awakening changed things. Since this card was the main way to reanimate Omniscience from the graveyard, the deck quickly fell out of favor and is no longer among the top 15 most popular Standard decks on MTG Goldfish.

Currently, Uthros Scanship may be too slow for Standard. Situations where you’d want to draw two and discard one are already covered by Roiling Dragonstorm, and Duskmourn alone wasn’t enough to make tap-matters a dominant strategy. However, it’s possible that Edge of Eternities could provide the boost needed for Uthros Scanship to see play, potentially becoming a core part of the format.

Uthros Scanship in Commander

There is more potential for Uthros Scanship in Commander than in Standard. One of the first commanders that comes to mind is Archelos, Lagoon Mystic. Uthros Scanship serves as great redundancy after Springleaf Drum, allowing you to tap him down at the end of your turn to ensure all opponents’ permanents come in tapped on their turns.

Another commander that benefits from Uthros Scanship is Unctus, Grand Metatect. Tapping any creature to station Uthros will let you draw and discard a card, and once it becomes a creature, it receives a +1/+1 buff.

Additionally, Kilo, Apogee Mind, one of the two face commanders in Edge of Eternities’ Counter Intelligence precon, is a strong fit. Whenever it becomes tapped, you proliferate, which speeds up how quickly you can station Uthros Scanship while also adding counters to more impactful pieces simultaneously.

Edge of Eternities is set to launch on August 1, and Uthros Scanship is one of the standout cards to watch. Whether in Standard or Commander, it offers unique utility and potential for creative deck-building.