Strandwalker MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Artifact — Equipment
Abilities	Equip,Living weapon
Released	2011-02-04
Set symbol
Set name	Mirrodin Besieged
Set code	MBS
Number	137
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Igor Kieryluk

Key Takeaways

Strandwalker grants creatures significant power, offering both offensive and defensive advantages.
Its instant speed allows for surprise plays and unexpected battlefield shifts.
While potent, it can be costly and may not fit every deck’s mana curve.

Text of card

Living weapon (When this Equipment enters the battlefield, put a 0/0 black Germ creature token onto the battlefield, then attach this to it.) Equipped creature gets +2/+4 and has reach. Equip

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Strandwalker lets you effectively utilize your creature cards by granting an additional layer of utility. When your creature becomes more of a threat, opponents may need to use more resources to deal with it, potentially leading to card advantage on your side of the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: By enhancing a creature, Strandwalker effectively speeds up your game plan. Once imbued with this power, your creatures can pave the way to more formidable board states earlier than expected, pressuring your opponent and accelerating your path to victory.

Instant Speed: The instant speed nature of Strandwalker provides significant tactical flexibility. By casting it during your opponent’s turn, you maintain the element of surprise, and can respond to their actions with added precision, turning potential threats into surprise advantages.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Strandwalker brings with it a discard stipulation, necessitating the player to forfeit another card from their hand. This can pose quite a setback, especially when playing a tight game where every card is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting Strandwalker requires a precise mix of mana, including one that is color-specific. Decks not aligned with this mana requirement may find integrating Strandwalker challenging, limiting the card’s overall versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that’s on the higher side, Strandwalker demands a significant investment, especially when you consider alternative cards in the same cost bracket that can potentially offer more impact or immediate board presence.

Reasons to Include Strandwalker in Your Collection

Versatility: Strandwalker offers an adaptable trait for creature-based decks. Its ability to turn creatures into a formidable threat with both an increase in power and the trample mechanic makes it suitable for a broad range of strategies that want to push through damage efficiently.

Combo Potential: As an Equipment card, the inherent synergy with creatures that capitalize on being equipped or interacting with artifacts is substantial. Strandwalker can easily fit into and enhance various artifact-centric synergies or Voltron strategies where a single creature becomes the focal point of your offense.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where creature combat is prevalent, having a reliable Equipment like Strandwalker can markedly improve your board state. It ensures that your key creatures can effectively trade with the opponent’s threats and survive combat scenarios that they otherwise couldn’t, thanks to the bonus toughness provided.

How to beat Strandwalker

Strandwalker is an intriguing equipment card in Magic: The Gathering that has the ability to turn a creature into a significant threat. This card grants a creature +2/+4 and also the reach ability, which can cause opponents to rethink their aerial assault strategies. To counteract Strandwalker effectively, one straightforward strategy is to focus on removal spells that target artifacts or enchantments, neutralizing the equipment before it can have a substantial impact. Cards such as Naturalize or Disenchant are reliable choices that fit into most decks with ease.

Moreover, employing creatures with flying or those that can bypass creatures with reach, such as those with unblockable or shadow abilities, ensures your strategies remain unfazed by Strandwalker-boosted defenders. Creature sacrifice effects are another powerful solution, ensuring that the equipped creature is eliminated regardless of its size or abilities. Lastly, strategic planning concerning your attack and defense phases can mitigate Strandwalker’s effectiveness, encouraging you to capitalize on openings when your opponent is low on mana or resources to equip their creature, making it a less formidable obstacle.

By combining removal with evasion and precise timing, you can overcome the challenges posed by Strandwalker, ensuring your path to victory remains clear.

Cards like Strandwalker

Strandwalker stands as a unique fixture among artifact creature enchantments in Magic: The Gathering. As we delve into cards with similar capabilities, we can weigh Strandwalker against Cranial Plating, a prominent equipment in creature-based strategies. Cranial Plating also bolsters a creature’s power, proving to be substantially impactful especially in decks with numerous artifacts. However, unlike Strandwalker, it lacks the inherent creature aspect and doesn’t turn an artifact into a creature itself.

Other counterparts like Ensoul Artifact bring a direct comparison to the fore—both turn noncreature artifacts into formidable threats. Ensoul Artifact has an edge in immediate impact due to its lower casting cost compared to Strandwalker. But Strandwalker offers incremental adaptability, turning into a creature even without a host. For those leaning towards resilience, Stratus Walk provides a similar enchantment ethos with the added benefit of granting flying, albeit without the same level of power increase.

Ultimately, while evaluating these artifacts and their effects on the battlefield, Strandwalker shines with its versatility, transforming your artifacts into autonomous creatures capable of swinging battles in your favor.

Cards similar to Strandwalker by color, type and mana cost

The Deck of Many Things - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Strandwalker MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin Besieged, 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 Strandwalker and other MTG cards: