When it comes to building a powerful deck in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the right equipment can make all the difference. Equipment cards provide significant enhancements to your creatures, helping them become formidable threats. In this article, we’ll explore the best equipment MTG has to offer, focusing on cards that boost stats, grant new abilities, and offer unique advantages in a variety of decks.
What Makes Equipment Good in MTG?
In MTG, equipment cards function as powerful tools that attach to creatures, usually granting them improved combat abilities, such as increased power, toughness, or new keyword abilities like trample or lifelink. Equipment can help you control the tempo of the game, enhance synergy with your creatures, and provide value across multiple turns. The best equipment MTG players seek out often share key traits: low mana costs, versatility, and impactful effects that can change the tide of battle.
Top 5 Best Equipment MTG Cards
There are numerous equipment cards in MTG, but only a select few stand out for their power, versatility, and impact on the game. Here’s a list of some of the most popular and effective equipment cards:
- Blackblade Reforged – Known for its massive potential, Blackblade Reforged can turn any creature into a powerhouse. It gives the equipped creature +X/+X, where X is the number of lands you control. This makes it a fantastic late-game card in land-heavy decks or ramp strategies, as the creature it’s attached to becomes a serious threat.
- Sword of Fire and Ice – As part of the “Sword of X and Y” cycle, Sword of Fire and Ice is one of the most iconic equipment cards in MTG. Not only does it grant the equipped creature +2/+2, but it also triggers a powerful effect on combat damage. When the equipped creature deals combat damage, you can deal 2 damage to any target and draw a card. This versatility provides both removal and card advantage.
- Batterskull – A quintessential piece of equipment in many control decks, Batterskull offers a great balance of offense and defense. It gives a creature lifelink and a huge toughness boost (+4/+4), and the ability to return it to your hand to avoid removal spells makes it difficult for opponents to deal with. Its high toughness and lifelink ability make it a great card for stabilizing against aggressive opponents.
- Umezawa’s Jitte – One of the most widely played equipment cards in MTG, Umezawa’s Jitte can turn the tide of any battle with its versatility. It provides +2/+2 to the equipped creature, but its true power lies in its counters. Whenever the equipped creature deals combat damage, you can remove two charge counters from the Jitte to either gain 2 life, deal 2 damage to any target, or put -1/-1 counters on a creature. This card provides control and versatility in a single piece of equipment.
- Anchored Shield – Anchored Shield is a unique piece of equipment that offers great utility in certain decks. While not as widely used as some of the other cards listed here, it provides a solid defense with its ability to grant protection from specific colors. It’s particularly effective against decks relying on specific colors of magic, allowing you to shut down important threats.
Best Strategies for Using Equipment in MTG
While having the best equipment MTG offers is important, how you use that equipment is just as crucial. Here are some strategies to get the most out of your equipment cards:
- Equip Aggressively: In aggressive decks, the goal is often to get in as much damage as quickly as possible. Equipment that boosts power and grants keyword abilities like trample or double strike can turn a creature into a formidable threat. Cards like the Sword of Fire and Ice or Blackblade Reforged are perfect for these strategies, as they help deal damage while offering additional benefits like card draw and removal.
- Defend with Lifegain: Equipment that grants lifelink can be particularly valuable in slower, more controlling decks. Cards like Batterskull and Grafted Exoskeleton not only boost creature power and toughness but also help you regain life, which can be a game-changer in attrition-based matchups. Lifegain helps you stabilize and survive against aggressive opponents while you build up a powerful board presence.
- Synergy with Creatures: Some equipment cards work exceptionally well with creatures that have specific abilities or characteristics. For example, Darksteel Plate is a perfect pairing for creatures that have indestructibility or cards that allow for recursion. By pairing the right equipment with the right creature, you can maximize the potential of both.
- Use Equipment for Control: Control decks often benefit from equipment that can remove or hinder your opponent’s creatures. Cards like Umezawa’s Jitte and Sword of Feast and Famine offer effects that can disrupt your opponent’s game plan. Whether it’s through removal, forcing your opponent to discard cards, or tapping their creatures, these equipment cards provide powerful tools for controlling the battlefield.
How to Choose the Best Equipment for Your Deck
Choosing the right equipment depends on your deck’s strategy and overall goals. If you’re playing an aggressive deck, you’ll likely want equipment that boosts power, grants keywords like trample or first strike, and provides added value through combat damage triggers. On the other hand, if your deck focuses on control or midrange strategies, you’ll want equipment that provides defensive benefits, like lifelink or regeneration, or that allows you to disrupt your opponent’s plays. Consider the colors in your deck, the creatures you’re using, and the type of interaction you need to optimize your equipment choices.
Conclusion
The best equipment MTG has to offer can drastically change the outcome of a game. Whether you’re looking for ways to enhance your creature’s power, add versatile abilities, or control the battlefield, the right equipment card can make all the difference. By carefully selecting equipment that complements your strategy and deck’s synergies, you can increase your chances of victory and add a new dimension to your gameplay. Whether you’re building a new deck or refining an existing one, these powerful pieces of equipment should be considered for any collection.