---
name: "Maverick Thopterist"
mana_cost: "{3}{U}{R}"
cmc: 5
type_line: "Creature — Human Artificer"
colors: []
color_identity: ["R", "U"]
keywords: ["Improvise"]
set: "C18"
set_name: "Commander 2018"
collector_number: "185"
rarity: "uncommon"
artist: "Zack Stella"
oracle_id: "71ba6f1b-2fa6-4d4c-8778-f0765b1a5d8e"
canonical_url: "https://avascry.com/printing/maverick-thopterist-c18"
legalities:
  commander: "legal"
  standard: "not_legal"
  modern: "legal"
  pioneer: "legal"
  legacy: "legal"
  vintage: "legal"
  pauper: "not_legal"
  penny: "not_legal"
---

# Maverick Thopterist
- **Mana Cost:** `{3}{U}{R}` (CMC: 5)
- **Type:** Creature — Human Artificer
- **Keywords:** Improvise

## Oracle Text
Improvise (Your artifacts can help cast this spell. Each artifact you tap after you're done activating mana abilities pays for {1}.)
When this creature enters, create two 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature tokens with flying.

## Top 4096-Dim Neural Synergies
1. [Wind-Kin Raiders](/printing/wind-kin-raiders-aer.md) — Creature — Human Artificer
2. [Nimble Thopterist](/printing/nimble-thopterist-dft.md) — Creature — Vedalken Artificer
3. [Experimental Aviator](/printing/experimental-aviator-kld.md) — Creature — Human Artificer
4. [Aviation Pioneer](/printing/aviation-pioneer-m19.md) — Creature — Human Artificer
5. [Thopter Engineer](/printing/thopter-engineer-c21.md) — Creature — Human Artificer
6. [Ghirapur Gearcrafter](/printing/ghirapur-gearcrafter-ddu.md) — Creature — Human Artificer

## Printing Details
- **Set:** Commander 2018 (C18) #185
- **Rarity:** Uncommon
- **Artist:** Zack Stella

## Format Legalities
Commander: `legal` | Standard: `not_legal` | Modern: `legal` | Pioneer: `legal` | Legacy: `legal` | Vintage: `legal` | Pauper: `not_legal` | Penny: `not_legal`

## Official Rulings
- *(2018-07-13)* 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.
- *(2018-07-13)* 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 Saheeli's Directive and choose X to be 3, the total cost is {3}{R}{R}{R}. If you tap two artifacts, you'll have to pay {1}{R}{R}{R}.
- *(2018-07-13)* 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.
- *(2018-07-13)* Improvise can't pay for {W}, {U}, {B}, {R}, {G}, or {C} mana symbols in a spell's total cost.
- *(2018-07-13)* Improvise doesn't change a spell's mana cost or mana value.
- *(2018-07-13)* 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}."