Dancing Sword MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeArtifact — Equipment
Abilities Equip

Key Takeaways

  1. Dancing Sword can become a creature, maintaining board presence and enabling card advantage.
  2. It provides resource acceleration by boosting creatures without casting more spells.
  3. Instant speed interactions allow for surprise plays and momentum shifts in combat.

Text of card

Equipped creature gets +2/+1. When equipped creature dies, you may have Dancing Sword become a 2/1 Construct artifact creature with flying and ward . If you do, it isn't an Equipment. Equip


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dancing Sword offers a unique card advantage by potentially turning itself into a creature once it’s equipped creature dies. This transition not only retains board presence but can also lead to gaining additional card draws if the player can utilize the transformed creature effectively in combat or through other card interactions.

Resource Acceleration: By equipping the Dancing Sword to a creature, players can magnify their offensive resources without the need for casting additional spells. This acceleration is most impactful when the equipment is placed on a creature with abilities that synergize with higher power and toughness or when additional creatures enter the battlefield ready to wield the sword.

Instant Speed: While Dancing Sword itself is not an instant, it does offer the possibility of instant-speed interaction. When equipped to a creature with flash or when using instant speed equip abilities found in the MTG universe, Dancing Sword can swiftly alter the board, catching an opponent off guard during their turn and potentially swinging the momentum of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Dancing Sword demands a specific card type to discard in order to activate its capabilities, limiting its flexibility and potentially straining your hand if resources are already stretched thin.

Specific Mana Cost: With a requirement for white mana, Dancing Sword may not seamlessly integrate into multicolored decks, favoring mono-white or decks heavy in white mana sources, thus affecting deck construction decisions.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Dancing Sword offers a unique equip ability, its initial mana cost is demanding considering alternative equipment cards or creature buffs available at a lower cost, potentially slowing down your early game momentum.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Dancing Sword offers flexibility in a variety of decks, functioning well as an equipment that boosts creature stats or as a flying creature itself once its transformed condition is met.

Combo Potential: This card holds potential for synergy in decks revolving around artifacts and death triggers, providing opportunities for inventive combo plays when paired with the right cards.

Meta-Relevance: Given its adaptability and the way it can slot into several strategies, Dancing Sword remains a relevant choice, lining up smoothly with decks that emphasize resilience and tactical play.


How to Beat

Dancing Sword is an intriguing artifact equipment card that transforms the battlefield dynamics in MTG. The card’s ability to animate and become a 1/1 creature with flying and ward when its wielder dies can surprise opponents by shifting the pace of the game. To effectively counter this transformation, consider cards that neutralize artifact abilities, such as artifact removal spells. Adding cards like Disenchant, which can destroy enchantments or artifacts, to your deck can dismantle the Dancing Sword’s threat without triggering its animation.

Timing is crucial when attempting to outmaneuver Dancing Sword’s reactive nature. Engage it on your terms by using instant speed removal spells when it tries to equip, or during your opponent’s end step to avoid any unwelcome surprises. By preventing it from sticking around and becoming a creature, you reduce the pressure on your battlefield presence. This ensures you maintain control of the game tempo and limits your opponent’s capacity to utilize Dancing Sword’s full potential.

In summary, incorporating precise artifact control elements into your strategy enables you to keep Dancing Sword in check, ensuring it doesn’t dance away with the game.


Cards like Dancing Sword

Dancing Sword from Magic: The Gathering offers an intriguing dynamic as it transforms from an Equipment into a flying Artifact Creature upon the death of the equipped creature. This duality is reminiscent of cards like Bloodsoaked Altar which also combines utility with the potential to become a creature. However, Bloodsoaked Altar demands a greater sacrifice for its activation, unlike Dancing Sword’s automatic trigger upon the equipped creature’s demise.

Next, consider Moonsilver Spear, another Equipment that creates a creature albeit in a different form – through token generation. While Moonsilver Spear generates 4/4 Angel tokens with flying, it lacks the transformation aspect of Dancing Sword. It also comes with a higher initial investment of four mana for equipping whereas Dancing Sword’s equip cost is relatively modest in comparison.

Assessing the uniqueness of Dancing Sword within the realm of Equipment cards, we see that its ability to offer both offensive boost and latent creature potential provides players with a versatile tool that adapts fluidly to the battlefield’s changing tides.

Bloodsoaked Altar - MTG Card versions
Moonsilver Spear - MTG Card versions
Bloodsoaked Altar - Core Set 2020 (M20)
Moonsilver Spear - Avacyn Restored Promos (PAVR)

Cards similar to Dancing Sword by color, type and mana cost

Marble Diamond - MTG Card versions
Lion Sash - MTG Card versions
Kayla's Music Box - MTG Card versions
Leonin Sun Standard - MTG Card versions
Ethersworn Canonist - MTG Card versions
Metallurgeon - MTG Card versions
Trigon of Mending - MTG Card versions
Cathedral Membrane - MTG Card versions
Gold Myr - MTG Card versions
Knight of the Kitchen Sink - MTG Card versions
Jackknight - MTG Card versions
Glass Casket - MTG Card versions
Shining Armor - MTG Card versions
Old Guard - MTG Card versions
Cogworker's Puzzleknot - MTG Card versions
Ancestral Blade - MTG Card versions
Halvar, God of Battle // Sword of the Realms - MTG Card versions
Valkyrie's Sword - MTG Card versions
Arcbound Prototype - MTG Card versions
+2 Mace - MTG Card versions
Marble Diamond - Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate (CLB)
Lion Sash - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Promos (PNEO)
Kayla's Music Box - The Brothers' War Commander (BRC)
Leonin Sun Standard - Mirrodin (MRD)
Ethersworn Canonist - Double Masters (2XM)
Metallurgeon - Archenemy (ARC)
Trigon of Mending - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Cathedral Membrane - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Gold Myr - Duel Decks: Mirrodin Pure vs. New Phyrexia (TD2)
Knight of the Kitchen Sink - Unstable (UST)
Jackknight - The List (Unfinity Foil Edition) (ULST)
Glass Casket - Wilds of Eldraine (WOE)
Shining Armor - The List (PLST)
Old Guard - Unsanctioned (UND)
Cogworker's Puzzleknot - Kaladesh Remastered (KLR)
Ancestral Blade - Commander Masters (CMM)
Halvar, God of Battle // Sword of the Realms - Kaldheim (KHM)
Valkyrie's Sword - Kaldheim (KHM)
Arcbound Prototype - Jumpstart: Historic Horizons (J21)
+2 Mace - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dancing Sword MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Dancing Sword and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Dancing Sword Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-07-23 and 2021-07-23. Illustrated by Wisnu Tan.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 926402015normalblackWisnu Tan
22021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten RealmsAFR 82015normalblackWisnu Tan
32021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten Realms PromosPAFR 8s2015normalblackWisnu Tan
42021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten Realms PromosPAFR 8p2015normalblackWisnu Tan
52021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten Realms PromosPAFR 8a2015normalblackWisnu Tan
62021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten RealmsAFR 3602015normalblackWisnu Tan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dancing Sword has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Dancing Sword card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2021-07-23 If a player casts a spell that targets multiple permanents their opponent controls with ward, each of those ward abilities will trigger. If that player doesn't pay for all of them, the spell will be countered.
2021-07-23 If you choose not to have Dancing Sword become a creature as its triggered ability resolves, it will remain an Equipment and can be equipped to another creature as normal.

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