Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Liquimetal Coating: How Un-sets Tell Tales with Art
In the vast, rolling multiverse of Magic: The Gathering, there are sets that lean into law and lore, and there are those that lean into whimsy, satire, and storytelling through the very fabric of the card art. The Un-sets may steal headlines for their humor and zany card names, but the broader story of MTG’s artistry is how illustrators and designers use image and text to conjure ideas that linger long after the game ends. This isn’t about defeating an opponent; it’s about narrative texture—the moment when a card’s paint, flavor text, and mechanics together whisper a tale you can retell at the kitchen table or the tournament stage. 🧙🔥💎
Liquimetal Coating, a reprint from Commander Anthology Volume II (CM2), embodies that storytelling spirit in a compact, almost brisk lesson on transformation. A two-mana artifact with a deceptively simple ability—tap to turn a permanent into an artifact until end of turn—offers a window into how artful design can prompt players to imagine new possibilities. The card’s art, by Johann Bodin, is a chrome-soaked meditation on metamorphosis, while the flavor text from Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, hints at the unsettling idea of assuming a new skin to fit a new role. It’s a perfect bridge between the Un-set’s playful storytelling and a more grounded, 2010s-2018 era of playability. ⚔️🎨
A quick primer on the card’s bones
- Name: Liquimetal Coating
- Mana cost: 2
- Type: Artifact
- Set: Commander Anthology Volume II (CM2)
- Rarity: Uncommon
- Flavor text: "They'll soon become accustomed to wearing skin that is not their own." — Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
- Oracle text: {T}: Target permanent becomes an artifact in addition to its other types until end of turn.
At first glance, it’s a modest, colorless skip that grants a single temporary ability. Yet that simplicity is the key to colorfully storytelling gameplay. The card invites you to imagine a world where any permanent—creature, land, or artifact—can momentarily don a metallic veneer and join the glittering parade of artifacts around your table. The power is not about raw punch; it’s about narrative leverage. The moment you tap Liquimetal Coating, you’re telling a story about identity, utility, and the malleable nature of enchantment and equipment in a world where metal can be worn like a new skin. 🧪⚙️
Art that speaks: how the image channels Un-set storytelling
Johann Bodin’s artwork for this piece leans into the tactile, industrial glamour of metal—polished surfaces, reflected light, a sense of pressure being applied to ordinary matter until it audibly hums into a new form. The Un-sets are famous for bending expectations and leaning toward a wink with their visuals, but Liquimetal Coating leans into a more mature form of storytelling. The art suggests not just a change of material, but a change of narrative for the card in play. When a player sees the gleam of metal and the line of the quote about wearing new skins, they’re nudged to think about how form and function can be reimagined—how a transient coating can unlock a different identity for a moment, and how that moment can ripple through your strategy. It’s the kind of storytelling that makes you pause and admire the craft, then plan your next move with a grin. 🧙♂️💎
Un-sets, cross-format magic, and CM2’s place in the story
The Un-sets have a storied place in MTG culture as a space for humor, inventive card designs, and meta-commentary. Liquimetal Coating sits outside that exact boundary—part of a traditional set, reprinted into a Commander-focused anthology—yet it still carries the spirit of storytelling that fans crave. The card’s lack of color identity and its artifact nature open doors to artifact-centric strategies in Commander, where players savor synergy with other colorless or color-splashing pieces. In CM2, which collects and reprints a broad swath of beloved formats, the card’s presence becomes a reminder: even in serious multiplayer circles, a well-placed artifact can change a board state and, with it, the story being told around the table. The flavor text adds a thread of ominousness—identity as a mutable thing—echoing the theme of metal as a mask, a tool, and a temporary costume in a grand, unfolding narrative. 🗺️🎲
Play ideas and story-driven strategies
- Temporary utility boost: Use Liquimetal Coating to turn a problematic non-artifact into an artifact just long enough to trigger synergy with other artifacts or to bypass certain protections that care about artifact types. The effect is short, but its narrative impact can be long—your opponent might momentarily misread your plan, providing a window for a dramatic swing. 💥
- Artifact-themed decks: In Commander, leaning into artifact synergies—think mana rocks, equipment, and artifact creatures—lets you weave metal lore into a coherent strategy. Liquimetal Coating offers a flexible, low-cost tool that can enable or accelerate combos, or simply enable a mid-game power play that feels cinematic. ⚔️
- Blending themes: The art and flavor encourage a storytelling approach: a narrative arc built around metamorphosis, disguise, and the question of what a thing “is” versus what a thing “can be.” It’s a perfect prompt for table talk that adds character to the match. 🧙♀️
Value, availability, and where to look beyond the card
As a reprint, Liquimetal Coating sits with a modest current market footprint. In captured pricing, you’ll see a few dollars in USD and a similar amount in EUR, a reminder that some cards carry value not just in power but in memory—the nostalgia of old art, the thrill of a well-timed gadget, and the joy of a clever narrative twist. Collectors often chase the complete CM2 run, and the uncommon slot for this card fits neatly into many trade lists and casual game nights. For fans who want to see the artwork in higher fidelity or compare printings, Scryfall’s catalog remains the go-to, with high-res imagery and reliable metadata to guide your appreciation. 🧩
Beyond the game, the card acts as a conversation starter about art as storytelling. In Un-sets or otherwise, MTG’s art often frames how we understand the world around the table: a chrome sheen over a familiar surface can imply new rules, new roles, and a new way to tell a favorite tale. Thematically, Liquimetal Coating fits perfectly into a prescribed arc of transformation, a reminder that identity—whether of a card or of a player’s strategy—can be flexible, surprising, and, at times, delightfully metallic. 🎨⚙️
For those who want to explore more about the card and related purchasing options, the linked product page offers a curated cross-promo path that blends gaming gear and tabletop collection—a nod to how the hobby intersects with lifestyle gear, desk setups, and even the occasional mouse pad that fans like to claim as their own. The story, like the metal itself, is always evolving. 🧙♂️🧩