---
name: "The Blackstaff of Waterdeep"
mana_cost: "{U}"
cmc: 1
type_line: "Legendary Artifact"
colors: ["U"]
color_identity: ["U"]
keywords: []
set: "AFR"
set_name: "Adventures in the Forgotten Realms"
collector_number: "48"
rarity: "rare"
artist: "Anna Steinbauer"
oracle_id: "a4faed58-4b1b-4cab-8a12-4fcd20b320ab"
canonical_url: "https://avascry.com/printing/the-blackstaff-of-waterdeep-afr"
legalities:
  commander: "legal"
  standard: "not_legal"
  modern: "legal"
  pioneer: "legal"
  legacy: "legal"
  vintage: "legal"
  pauper: "not_legal"
  penny: "legal"
---

# The Blackstaff of Waterdeep
- **Mana Cost:** `{U}` (CMC: 1)
- **Type:** Legendary Artifact

## Oracle Text
You may choose not to untap The Blackstaff of Waterdeep during your untap step.
Animate Walking Statue — {1}{U}, {T}: Another target nontoken artifact you control becomes a 4/4 artifact creature for as long as The Blackstaff of Waterdeep remains tapped. Activate only as a sorcery.

## Top 4096-Dim Neural Synergies
1. [Filigree Sages](/printing/filigree-sages-ala.md) — Artifact Creature — Vedalken Wizard
2. [Synod Artificer](/printing/synod-artificer-dst.md) — Creature — Vedalken Artificer
3. [Staff of Domination](/printing/staff-of-domination-brr.md) — Artifact
4. [Animate Artifact](/printing/animate-artifact-me4.md) — Enchantment — Aura
5. [Magus of the Unseen](/printing/magus-of-the-unseen-5ed.md) — Creature — Human Wizard
6. [Vedalken Certarch](/printing/vedalken-certarch-td2.md) — Creature — Vedalken Wizard

## Printing Details
- **Set:** Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR) #48
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Artist:** Anna Steinbauer
- **Total Printings:** 21 across all historical editions

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