izzet engineer background question

[Aurich]

An izzet engineer background, amongst several others of the ravnica book, give a list of spells that become available to the character.

I have a bit of trouble understanding the exact wording and it's effect.
The character gains access to certain spells depending on the level of spellcasting he has.
What i want to know is, does the character get those spells as 'always available' to him, akin to domain spells, or just as extra choices.

I'm playing an artificer. I have 2 cantrips

Do i get the cantrips as extra cantrips so i have 4, or are they like you have x cantrips in the artificer cantrip list, and from the background, you have now 2 extra you can select from? but still only have 2 in the end, just a bigger collection to choose from?

[JackPhoenix]

The spells are added to your spell list, but you'll have to prepare them (or pick them as yours spells known, as appropriate to your class) normally.

[Aurich]

So, the cantrips that the background mention are not added to my list that i know, but mere extensions to the list of choices i have. I still only have 2 cantrips in the end. not 4 ( 2 from artificer and 2 from background).

so the background does not provide 'domain spell' like additions.

That was what i thought and understood, but wasn't sure about.

Thanks.

[Dr.Samurai]

Correct. They are not auto-known or always prepared, but rather expand the list from which you can choose or prepare spells from.

[Witty Username]

I don't actually remember how your supposed to do it, my group went the warlock method (add to the selectable spells, not to the known/prepared list). I only ever used it for firebolt for my bard-warlock if I remember right.
--
We had a simic paladin and a Selesnia (you know how its spelled, I am sure) druid.
They didn't use background spells much.

[Barbarian Horde]

I am confident that the Izzet Engineer gets the Izzet Guild Spells as extra choices that are added to their spell list, rather than as always available spells like domain spells.