Whir of Invention
Tracked across real Commander games played through TurnZero HQ.
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What it does
Improvise (Your artifacts can help cast this spell. Each artifact you tap after you're done activating mana abilities pays for {1}.)
Search your library for an artifact card with mana value X or less, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle.
Rulings
9 official rulings, in the order Wizards published them.
- 2017-02-09
Because improvise isn't an alternative cost, it can be used in conjunction with alternative costs.
- 2017-02-09
If an artifact you control has a mana ability with T in the cost, activating that ability while casting a spell with improvise will result in the artifact being tapped when you pay the spell's costs. You won't be able to tap it again for improvise. Similarly, if you sacrifice an artifact to activate a mana ability while casting a spell with improvise, that artifact won't be on the battlefield when you pay the spell's costs, so you won't be able to tap it for improvise.
- 2017-02-09
Tapping an artifact won't cause its abilities to stop applying unless those abilities say so.
- 2017-02-09
Improvise can't be used to pay for anything other than the cost of casting the spell. For example, it can't be used during the resolution of an ability that says "Counter target spell unless its controller pays 3."
- 2017-02-09
Improvise can't pay for , , , , , or mana symbols in a spell's total cost.
- 2017-02-09
When calculating a spell's total cost, include any alternative costs, additional costs, or anything else that increases or reduces the cost to cast the spell. Improvise applies after the total cost is calculated.
- 2017-02-09
Equipment attached to a creature doesn't become tapped when that creature becomes tapped, and tapping that Equipment doesn't cause the creature to become tapped.
- 2017-02-09
When using improvise to cast a spell with X in its mana cost, first choose the value for X. That choice, plus any cost increases or decreases, will determine the spell's total cost. Then you can tap artifacts you control to help pay that cost. For example, if you cast Whir of Invention (a spell with improvise and mana cost {X}{U}{U}{U}) and choose X to be 3, the total cost is 3. If you tap two artifacts, you'll have to pay 1.
- 2017-02-09
Improvise doesn't change a spell's mana cost or mana value.
Rulings are Wizards of the Coast's own, mirrored from Scryfall and refreshed nightly.
In the 99
Every deck whose current list includes Whir of Invention, whatever its commander.
Most played under
| Commander | Decks | Games | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urza, Lord High Artificer | 2 | 5 | 0% |
| Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer | 1 | 0 | — |
Colors it shows up in
- Mono-Blue 2 decks
- Izzet 1 deck
Every version of Whir of Invention
7 printings, newest first. Prices are the market figures Scryfall publishes, refreshed nightly — a printing with no figure shows a dash rather than a zero, because Scryfall genuinely publishes none for some of them.

Inverted
Special Guests
- Normal
- $8.45
- Foil
- $14.08

Inverted
Special Guests
- Foil
- $62.20

The List
- Normal
- $6.63

Inverted
Secret Lair Drop
- Normal
- $9.10
- Foil
- $9.94

Promo
Aether Revolt Promos
- Normal
- $6.72
- Foil
- $19.19

Aether Revolt
- Normal
- $7.18
- Foil
- $12.79

Promo
Aether Revolt Promos
- Foil
- $18.18
Prices from Scryfall, which tracks the TCGplayer and Cardmarket markets. They move daily and are a guide rather than a quote. Search TCGplayer for Whir of Invention — a name search across every version, for the printings TCGplayer publishes no direct link to.
Aggregated from Commander games tracked in TurnZero HQ. Every figure counts decks and games only — no individual deck list, player or playgroup is identified. Win rates are withheld below 5 completed games, where the sample is too small to mean anything.