Bloodthorn Flail MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact — Equipment |
| Abilities | Equip |
| Released | 2023-11-17 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan |
| Set code | LCI |
| Number | 93 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Igor Kieryluk |
Key Takeaways
- Bloodthorn Flail can transform any creature into a formidable aggressor by boosting its power.
- Its instant speed equip offers surprise tactics, vitalizing your tempo and game control.
- Demands discard for activation, and specific mana colors, which could limit its utility.
Text of card
Equipped creature gets +2/+1. Equip— Pay or discard a card.
"This weapon embodies both the strength and the weakness of the Legion of Dusk. They will endure any pain to achieve their ends, but they suffer pointlessly just to prove their dedication." —Huatli
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Bloodthorn Flail enhances your ability to press the advantage when drawing it by augmenting the stats of your creature and potentially turning any creature into a significant threat.
Resource Acceleration: This card not only buffs your creatures but also provides the potential for an aggressive tempo increase since it can help to rapidly close out games, thereby shortening the window your opponent has to stabilize and mount a comeback.
Instant Speed: Although Bloodthorn Flail itself is not an instant, it can be equipped at instant speed, meaning you can adapt reactively to the state of the game. This element of surprise can disrupt opponents’ plans and force them to play around your open mana and untapped creatures.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Bloodthorn Flail demands a card be discarded when you activate its ability. This can potentially hinder your hand, leaving you at a strategic disadvantage if you’re already struggling with card availability.
Specific Mana Cost: The activation cost of Bloodthorn Flail requires both red and black mana, making it less flexible. Decks not focused on these colors may find it challenging to include and use this equipment effectively.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The four mana needed to cast Bloodthorn Flail—along with additional resources for its activation—can be on the higher side. Competing cards in the same cost bracket may offer more immediate or impactful advantages without the additional discard cost.
Reasons to Include Bloodthorn Flail in Your Collection
Versatility: Bloodthorn Flail is a card that can be integrated into a wide array of decks. Its ability to provide equipped creatures with both a power boost and trample makes it a significant threat in aggressive builds, as well as a solid addition to midrange decks that require an extra push to close out games.
Combo Potential: With the right setup, Bloodthorn Flail can serve as a powerful combo piece. Its interaction with cards that benefit from dealing combat damage or cards that capitalize on the equipping mechanic presents various avenues for inventive plays and synergies that can swiftly change the tide of a match.
Meta-Relevance: Given its inherent flexibility and power enhancement, Bloodthorn Flail holds its ground in diverse metas. In an environment where creature combat is key, giving your heavy hitters trample can be the difference between chipping away at an opponent’s defenses and landing a decisive blow to their life total.
How to beat
Bloodthorn Flail can prove to be a relentless nightmare for opponents in MTG due to its potential to turn creatures into significant threats. It becomes crucial to adopt a strategic approach to mitigate the game-altering impact this artifact can have. To effectively neutralize the danger posed, players can focus on cards that disrupt artifact synergies or neutralize creatures before the Flail’s abilities can be leveraged.
Consider employing instant-speed removal spells or abilities that can target and destroy artifacts directly. Engaging cards like Naturalize or Disenchant to dismantle the Bloodthorn Flail before it secures a foothold on the battlefield is a wise move. In multi-colored decks, cards such as Kolaghan’s Command offer flexibility in targeting either the creature equipped with the Flail or the Flail itself. This dual-purpose approach can be invaluable in maintaining control over the flow of the game.
Timely creature removal is another tactic to contemplate. By eliminating potent threats before they get equipped, you can evade the enhanced damage and life gain scenarios the Flail presents. Ultimately, quick and decisive actions, along with a carefully curated selection of cards in your deck, stand as your best defense against the formidable Bloodthorn Flail.
Cards like Bloodthorn Flail
The Bloodthorn Flail is an enticing equipment piece in the vast arsenal of Magic: The Gathering artifacts. It holds certain affinities with cards like Embercleave, which also bestows double strike and a power boost to creatures. Nevertheless, the Bloodthorn Flail goes a step further by not only providing trample but also by offering a unique trade-off where the equipped creature gets +X/+X, with X being its power, at the cost of losing toughness equal to its power.
Comparable to Grafted Wargear, another equipment card, Bloodthorn Flail doesn’t carry the downside of sacrificing a creature upon the artifact’s removal. In contrast, Fireshrieker extends the benefit of double strike without altering power and toughness but lacks the bonus trample effect and added power amplification Bloodthorn Flail grants.
Assessing the role each equipment plays, savvy players will note that Bloodthorn Flail offers a calculated risk with a high reward potential, especially in aggressive decks that capitalize on swooping in for immense, possibly game-ending combat damage, situating it as a formidable piece of gear in MTG’s broad equipment category.
Cards similar to Bloodthorn Flail by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Bloodthorn Flail MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, 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 Bloodthorn Flail and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Bloodthorn Flail has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |