Greatsword MTG Card

Greatsword creates card advantage by enhancing creatures, often requiring multiple resources to counteract its threat. It fits well in decks combining proactive strategies with instant-speed responses, due to its synergies. The card’s power boost makes it a worthy consideration for aggro decks needing to enhance attack capability.

Magic 2012 (M12)
2011-07-15 - Number 209

Greatsword - Game Night: Free-for-All (GN3)

Game Night: Free-for-All (GN3)
2022-10-14 - Number 116

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Artifact — Equipment
Abilities	Equip

Text of card

Equipped creature gets +3/+0. Equip (: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)

The only blow that matters is the killing blow.

Cards like Greatsword

Greatsword is an intriguing artifact card that equips creatures with a significant power boost in Magic: The Gathering. It shares functional similarities with other equipment cards like Short Sword or Marauder’s Axe, which also provide a power increase to equipped creatures. Greatsword differentiates itself with its more robust power enhancement, giving the wielder a bigger advantage in combat.

Another card worth comparing is Bonesplitter, a popular choice among players for its low cost and substantial power boost. While Bonesplitter offers a comparable power increase for less mana, Greatsword compensates with a sturdier toughness bonus. This trade-off may appeal to players looking to ensure their creatures’ longevity in battle. Then there’s the Heirloom Blade, which not only enhances a creature’s strength but also has an added benefit of improving card draw for creature-focused decks upon the equipped creature’s death.

In sum, while mana investment and impact on game state vary among these options, Greatsword holds its position as a valuable equipment card. Its dual bonus to power and toughness makes it a formidable force in creature-based strategies, securing a place for itself in the diverse arsenal of MTG equipment cards.

Cards similar to Greatsword by color, type and mana cost

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Sword of Feast and Famine - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Equipping the Greatsword to a creature can effectively turn it into a significant threat, often forcing your opponent to deal with it. This can lead to advantageous trades or card advantage as opponents may need to use more than one card to address the threat.

Resource Acceleration: While equipping the Greatsword doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it indirectly boosts your offensive capabilities. By enhancing a creature’s power and toughness, the Greatsword can help to swiftly reduce an opponent’s life total, potentially shortening the game and reducing the overall resources they can draw upon.

Instant Speed: Although the Greatsword itself might not be an instant, it synergizes well with creatures that have flash or with strategies that leave mana open for instant-speed responses. This makes the Greatsword an excellent fit in decks that operate on both proactive and reactive plays during all phases of the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside of using Greatsword in your deck is the initial discard required to leverage its effect. This can potentially deplete your hand, making it more challenging to maintain card advantage against your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: To cast Greatsword, you’ll need to meet its color-specific mana prerequisites. This sometimes restrictive mana cost can hinder the card’s integration into multi-colored decks that may struggle with mana consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a substantially high casting cost, Greatsword demands a significant mana investment. This cost can lead to slower gameplay, as you might need to delay playing other cards or miss out on development of your board state in earlier turns.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Greatsword slots into a wide range of decks that thrive on boosting creature attack power. It’s a valuable addition to aggro builds or any deck looking to increase its damage output.

Combo Potential: This equipment pairs well with creatures that have abilities triggered by dealing combat damage to a player, amplifying their effects as well as providing a substantial power lift.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where quicker win conditions are prevalent, equipping Greatsword can turn even a modest creature into a significant threat, adapting your board to be more competitive.

How to beat

Greatsword in MTG can be described as a potent artifact, granting equipped creatures significant power boosts. Often, overcoming a card with such capabilities hinges on timing and disruption. Cards with artifact removal, such as Naturalize or Disenchant, promptly deal with Greatsword before its power can be leveraged. Timing is crucial; removing it in response to the equip ability can set your opponent back significantly, both in mana expenditure and tempo.

Alternately, countermagic plays a formidable role in disrupting the casting or equipping of Greatsword. Spells like Negate or Mana Leak ensure that Greatsword never poses a threat in the first place. Should it hit the battlefield, a control player can utilize various bounce spells that return the Greatsword to its owner’s hand, again forcing them to reinvest mana and turns to reuse it.

Directly addressing the equipped creature is another viable approach. This could include targeted removal such as Doom Blade or using a board wipe like Wrath of God to reset the board. In essence, dealing with Greatsword efficiently means being proactive and versatile, using removal and disruption to keep the battlefield under control.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Greatsword MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2012 and Game Night: Free-for-All, 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 Greatsword and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Greatsword Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2011-07-15 and 2022-10-14. Illustrated by Nic Klein.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2011-07-15	Magic 2012	M12		209	2003	Normal	Black	Nic Klein
2	2022-10-14	Game Night: Free-for-All	GN3		116	2015	Normal	Black	Nic Klein

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Greatsword has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Penny	Legal