Manaforce Mace MTG Card

Manaforce Mace can tip the scales in battle, giving creatures a powerful boost tied to color diversity. It demands multicolored creatures for maximum benefit, a pivotal consideration when deckbuilding. Countering it requires specific strategies, like land disruption or targeted artifact removal.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Artifact — Equipment
Abilities	Domain,Equip
Released	2009-02-06
Set symbol
Set name	Conflux
Set code	CON
Number	139
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jeremy Jarvis

Text of card

Domain Equipped creature gets +1/+1 for each basic land type among lands you control. Equip

As the shards merged, relics once thought mundane regained forgotten powers.

Understanding Manaforce Mace in MTG

Manaforce Mace is a multifaceted equipment card that boosts a creature’s power and toughness in Magic: The Gathering. Rooted in the rich tapestry of MTG’s multicolor mechanics, the card offers a variable bonus based on the number of colors you control. It’s not unlike the card Edge of the Divinity, which also benefits from a color-specific enhancement, granting +2/+2 to a creature for each color among permanents you control. However, Edge of the Divinity triggers only when enchanting a multicolored creature, whereas Manaforce Mace can be applied to any creature, making it more versatile.

Cards like Manaforce Mace

Manaforce Mace shines in decks exploiting numerous colors. Its nearest relatives in function include the likes of Bonesplitter, a more straightforward equipment providing a static power bonus. While Bonesplitter is cheaper and easier to equip, it does not scale its benefits with the diversity of your mana base. Conversely, the celebrated Cranial Plating operates differently, boosting power based on the number of artifacts you control – a distinct theme but one that also scales with a specific board state.

Another interesting comparison is with the card Armory of Iroas, which incrementally increases a creature’s power and toughness through +1/+1 counters. Whereas Manaforce Mace offers immediate impact based on color presence, Armory of Iroas requires a building-up process and aligns more closely with strategies leveraging +1/+1 counters.

In decks that flourish on a wide range of colors, Manaforce Mace is a competitive option, rewarding players for their deck’s color diversity directly on the battlefield. It mirrors the play experience of hybrid mana spells and abilities, underscoring MTG’s commitment to creative deck building and strategic diversity.

Edge of the Divinity - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Manaforce Mace by color, type and mana cost

Krark-Clan Ironworks - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Manaforce Mace is particularly adept at equipping your creatures to become major threats. This can lead to your opponent needing to use more cards to deal with your enhanced creature, indirectly contributing to your card advantage by making them spend resources inefficiently.

Resource Acceleration: The multicolored mana boost provided by Manaforce Mace can be incredibly impactful in multicolored decks. It increases the potency of your creatures and can accelerate your game plan, by empowering creatures to achieve objectives sooner and more effectively.

Instant Speed: While Manaforce Mace itself does not operate at instant speed, it complements decks that need to keep mana open for responses. By enhancing a creature on your turn, you free up subsequent turns to focus on instant speed interactions, knowing your creatures are already set to pose a significant threat.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Manaforce Mace demands that you have a multicolored creature on the battlefield to unlock its full potential. This requirement can often lead to a suboptimal situation where the card remains a dead draw if your board lacks the necessary multicolored presence.

Specific Mana Cost: With an equip cost that necessitates one mana of any color plus two generic mana, Manaforce Mace’s activation can be clunky in mana bases that are not fine-tuned to accommodate it. This specific mana cost may deter its inclusion in many decks, especially those running a tight mana curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: In the fast-paced environment of MTG, the initial three mana investment for Manaforce Mace is steep, particularly for an equipment that does not immediately impact the board. Competing equipment cards or other mana-efficient spells might offer more immediate value or utility, making the Mace less appealing by comparison.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Manaforce Mace is a multi-faceted artifact that can adapt to a variety of decks. It enhances creatures of any color, making it ideal for multicolored decks in need of an equalizing power boost.

Combo Potential: This equipment shines when paired with creatures that benefit from its scaling bonuses or when used in tandem with domain strategies that capitalize on the number of basic land types you control. It’s a piece that complements engines reliant on artifact synergies.

Meta-Relevance: In games where board presence and sizeable creatures are key, Manaforce Mace can be a game-changer. This card can tip the scales in matches where incremental advantages lead to victory, especially in diverse mana environments.

How to Beat Manaforce Mace

Manaforce Mace is a versatile artifact that can prove troublesome for many MTG players. This card distinguishes itself by increasing in power proportionate to the domain – the number of basic land types among lands you control. It’s an asset in multicolor decks but can also be a target that needs to be neutralized swiftly.

To counteract Manaforce Mace’s advantages, one effective strategy is to limit the variety of lands your opponent has access to. Land destruction spells or effects that cause a player to search their library and replace a land can be vital in this aspect. Artifact removal is also critical; cards like Disenchant or Naturalize can dispose of the Mace before it becomes a significant threat.

Moreover, using counter spells to prevent Manaforce Mace from hitting the field in the first place is another sound tactic. Ultimately, the key is to stay ahead of your opponent’s domain strategy or limit their ability to benefit from such a versatile tool. This way, you keep the power of Manaforce Mace in check and maintain control over the game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Manaforce Mace MTG card by a specific set like Conflux, 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 Manaforce Mace and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Manaforce Mace has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2009-02-01	A number of nonbasic lands have basic land types. Domain abilities don’t count the number of lands you control — they count the number of basic land types among lands you control, even if that means checking the same land twice. For example, if you control a Tundra, an Overgrown Tomb, and a Madblind Mountain, you’ll have a Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest among the lands you control. Your domain abilities will be maxed out.
2009-02-01	How many lands you control of a particular basic land type is irrelevant to a domain ability, as long as that number is greater than zero. As far as domain is concerned, ten Forests is the same as one Forest.
2009-02-01	To determine the number of basic land types among lands you control, look at the lands you have on the battlefield and ask yourself whether the subtypes Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest appear within that group. The number of times you say yes (topping out at five) tells you how powerful your domain abilities will be.