This 1995 Magic: The Gathering card features Urza's Avenger, a powerful Rare Shapeshifter from the Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border set.
Urza's Avenger
1995 • Magic: The Gathering • Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border
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Description
Urza's Avenger stands as a formidable presence in the Magic: The Gathering Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border set, released in 1995. Identified by card number 355, this Rare Artifact Creature — Shapeshifter carries a mana cost of six, demanding significant strategic planning to deploy effectively on the battlefield. Designed with the distinctive aesthetic of its era, the card showcases the artwork by Amy Weber, capturing the essence of the Urza block's technological and magical themes without relying on complex lore assumptions. The card’s mechanical identity revolves around its versatility as a Shapeshifter. With a power and toughness of 4/4, Urza's Avenger provides a solid defensive baseline that can be enhanced through its unique activated ability. By paying zero mana, the controller can assign a -1/-1 counter to the creature to gain a choice of combat abilities: banding, flying, first strike, or trample. This flexibility allows players to adapt the creature's role dynamically during combat, whether they need to evade blockers, push through damage, or coordinate attacks with other creatures sharing the banding keyword. Collectors often seek out this print for its historical significance within the Fourth Edition release, which remains a cornerstone for many vintage Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts. The Foreign Black Border designation indicates a specific regional distribution, adding a layer of geographic interest for completists building diverse collections. As a Rare card, Urza's Avenger represents the tiered rarity structure that defined early Magic design, making it a recognizable piece for those studying the game's evolution. Whether you are a player looking to understand classic Shapeshifter mechanics or a collector interested in the Urza saga's artifact themes, this card offers a tangible connection to 1995 Magic history. Its enduring design and functional rules text make it a staple in discussions about early set construction. For those interested in expanding their vintage holdings, this product represents a key component of the Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border identity, appealing to those who value both the strategic depth and the nostalgic appeal of early Magic: The Gathering releases.
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Card Details
The catalog profile below summarizes the card identity, featured subject, and notable collectible traits.
Catalog Profile
The core identity of the card within the set.
Featured Subject
The subject, team, league, and sport context tied to this card.
Featured
Urza's Avenger
Game
Magic: The Gathering
TCG Attributes
Rarity, print treatment, and game-specific stats for this card.
Rare
Amy Weber
Card Stock
English
{6}
Artifact Creature — Shapeshifter
4 / 4
Card Text
Abilities, attacks, oracle text, and flavor text printed on the card.
{0}: This creature gets -1/-1 and gains your choice of banding, flying, first strike, or trample until end of turn. (Any creatures with banding, and up to one without, can attack in a band. Bands are blocked as a group. If any creatures with banding you control are blocking or being blocked by a creature, you divide that creature's combat damage, not its controller, among any of the creatures it's being blocked by or is blocking.)
