Mana Vault

Mana Vault debuted in Limited Edition Alpha in August 1993. The original is a rare illustrated by Mark Tedin, catalogued as LEA #259, and available only in nonfoil. Alpha cards do not have a printed modern collector-number line, so #259 is a catalogue reference rather than a marking to expect on the card.

Premium shortcut: MPS #17 is Kirsten Zirngibl's Invention; PUMA #U29 is Choi's Ultimate Box Topper; 2X2 #394 is Prescott's borderless artwork. The etched 2X2 #560 and rainbow-foil SLD #796★ are separate entries with different finishes and artists.

Mana Vault costs {1} and taps to produce {C}{C}{C}. Its ability stopping it from untapping during your untap step is the essential difference from Sol Ring. It can supply an immediate burst, but it does not naturally reset for the next turn's mana production.

At the beginning of your upkeep, its triggered ability lets you pay {4} to untap it. That is a particular upkeep opportunity, not an activated ability allowing a four-mana payment at any time. Other effects that untap artifacts can work separately from this ability.

At the beginning of your draw step, if the Vault is tapped, its damage ability can deal one damage to you. Comparing old printed text with a modern copy can be confusing, so use the current wording in the live card details. A showcase frame does not remove either drawback, and a mana burst of this size is not the same as repeatable colour fixing.

Alpha establishes the first printing and original Mark Tedin artwork. Beta, Unlimited, Revised, Fourth Edition and Fifth Edition also belong to the early printing history. They provide several ways to collect that illustration, but the edition remains important: an old white-bordered copy is not an Alpha copy.

Kaladesh Inventions #17 arrived on 30 September 2016 with Kirsten Zirngibl's artwork. The set's decorative Masterpiece frame gives it a different visual language from the early cards. Wizards' Kaladesh release notes explain that Inventions have their own set identity and do not create new Constructed legality simply by appearing in boosters.

Ultimate Masters followed on 7 December 2018. Standard UMA #229 uses Christine Choi's illustration, as does the extended-art Ultimate Box Topper, PUMA #U29. The standard entry comes in nonfoil or traditional foil; the box topper is foil only.

Double Masters 2022 keeps Choi's image on standard #308, introduces Steve Prescott's borderless #394, and supplies a separate Choi etched record at #560. Those three numbers distinguish a change of artist from a change of finish.

Tedin is the starting point if your collection follows early Magic. Zirngibl's MPS #17 changes both illustration and frame, making it a particularly coherent companion to other Kaladesh artifact Inventions. It is a later Masterpiece, not a foil treatment applied to the Alpha artwork.

Choi's work connects UMA #229, PUMA #U29 and the standard or etched Double Masters 2022 versions. If you like that image, those entries let you compare frame and finish while keeping the artist. Prescott's 2X2 #394 is a different illustration, so it deserves to be judged as an art choice rather than simply a larger Choi card.

The 2024 Secret Lair entry, #796★, credits AKQA and is identified in the catalogue as a borderless, rainbow-foil, Universes Beyond bonus card. Its Fallout-themed presentation has a different appeal from a conventional fantasy artifact. It is not the same thing as a regular PIP-set printing.

The original Alpha Vault has no official foil version. For the Choi artwork, a standard UMA #229 or 2X2 #308 traditional foil is different from the extended-art PUMA #U29. Keep the PUMA set code and U-prefix when recording the box topper; a bare number 29 loses useful identification information.

In Double Masters 2022, #394 has nonfoil and traditional foil options with Prescott's illustration. Etched #560 is foil-etched only and uses Choi's art. A seller's description of “premium Double Masters Vault” is therefore insufficient to tell you which artist or finish is offered.

Secret Lair #796★ is rainbow foil only. Retain the star when matching its catalogue record, and do not infer a nonfoil edition from a marketplace that simplifies the number to 796. Likewise, MPS #17 is foil only, rather than a frame offered in every finish.

ManaScout's foil shimmer cannot reproduce the different physical surfaces or authenticate an offered card. Treat it as a preview, and use photographs to assess the Invention, etched or rainbow finish and the copy's condition.

For the first edition: choose Alpha after checking the physical edition. If the illustration matters more than first-printing status, compare the later early-set Tedin copies as separate options.

For a deck copy with modern artwork: compare UMA #229 and 2X2 #308 in similar condition and finish. Check current format legality and current listings before selecting a playable copy; a reprint does not make Mana Vault legal in every format.

For Choi's art with a premium presentation: PUMA #U29 offers extended art in foil, while 2X2 #560 offers the etched treatment. For another illustration in a nonfoil or traditional-foil choice, compare Prescott's #394.

For a display collection: MPS #17 suits a Kaladesh Invention theme. AKQA's SLD #796★ suits a Fallout or unusual Secret Lair collection. Choose according to the art and finish you want, rather than assuming that the most elaborate version is best for every collector.

Begin with UMA #229 against 2X2 #394 to decide between Choi and Prescott. If Choi is your preference, compare the standard, box-topper and etched presentations next. If neither interpretation fits the collection, the Invention and Fallout-themed card introduce different artists as well as different finishes.

The live explorer may highlight a ManaScout Pick. Treat it as a visual starting point and compare the exact printing, finish and available price data before deciding.

Sol Ring — Compare another Alpha mana artifact, including its different untap behaviour and Kaladesh Invention.

Arcane Signet — Contrast colour fixing with burst colourless mana and compare a modern artifact's special frames.

Lightning Greaves — Explore another artifact with a Masterpiece printing and an artwork-led borderless alternative.

Ancient Tomb — Compare another source of colourless acceleration with its own historical and premium editions.

Source links updated 5 November 2026; replacement support uses non-marketplace catalogue or official product references.

Printing details reviewed on 1 November 2026. The shortlist links to individual MTG.wtf catalogue records; official Wizards sources support the rules and product treatments. The live explorer retrieves its records and price fields from Scryfall.

MTG.wtf: Alpha printing, current wording and linked catalogue.

Wizards: Inventions product identity and legality.

MTG.wtf: Ultimate Box Topper finish and number.

MTG.wtf: foil-etched printing.

MTG.wtf: Secret Lair bonus card, artist and rainbow foil.

MTG.wtf: Secret Lair rainbow-foil product availability.