Empyrial Plate MTG Card

Mirrodin (MRD)
2003-10-02 - Number 168

Commander 2016 (C16)
2016-11-11 - Number 251

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

Key Takeaways

Empyrial Plate’s power scales with hand size, effectively turning creatures into massive threats quickly.
Instant-speed interactions can maximize the Plate’s impact, even in less-than-ideal situations.
Discarding for its effect and the specific mana cost can limit its versatility in some decks.

Text of card

Equipped creature gets +1/+1 for each card in your hand. Equip (: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery. This card comes into play unattached and stays in play if the creature leaves play.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Empyrial Plate has the unique capability to turn a plentiful hand into a substantial threat on the battlefield. This can pressure opponents and force them to deal with the enhanced creature or face potentially game-ending damage.

Resource Acceleration: Although Empyrial Plate itself doesn’t ramp your mana, the sheer power it confers based on your hand size can accelerate the pace at which you threaten lethal damage, often requiring fewer resources to become effective in comparison to other equipment cards.

Instant Speed: Any card that boosts a creature’s capabilities is significantly better when it can be used at instant speed. While Empyrial Plate is not an instant, it benefits from instant-speed interaction because you can equip it in response to effects that would otherwise force you to discard cards, maximizing the window of opportunity to utilize your hand size advantage.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside of Empyrial Plate is the necessity to discard cards in order to amplify its effect. This can place players in a tough spot when their hand is already depleted, turning what should be an asset into a potential liability.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that includes two generic and one white mana, Empyrial Plate’s accessibility is limited to decks that run white mana. This requirement restricts deck diversity and can impede the artifact’s universality across various MTG strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a three mana investment to cast Empyrial Plate, players may be cautious, considering other equipment or enchantments could offer more immediate board impact or have lower setup costs. The mana used to equip this card could alternatively be utilized for spells or creatures that provide instant value.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Empyrial Plate is a unique artifact that can swiftly turn any creature into a significant threat, regardless of the deck archetype it’s used in. Its ability to scale with the number of cards in your hand makes it especially powerful in strategies aiming to maintain a full grip of cards.

Combo Potential: In decks that revolve around drawing cards, Empyrial Plate can exponentially increase a creature’s power. It’s an asset in builds that seek to deliver one massive blow, often resulting in a quick end for opponents when combined with creatures that have trample or evasion abilities.

Meta-Relevance: With its straightforward ability to turn card advantage into offensive power, Empyrial Plate holds its own in various metagames. It can be particularly effective in formats where players are likely to have more cards in hand, making it a viable option for both casual and more competitive play circles.

How to beat

The Empyrial Plate is a unique artifact card in Magic: The Gathering that can turn any creature into a considerable threat by boosting its power based on the number of cards in your hand. This makes it especially potent in decks that maintain a full grip of cards. Unlike enchantments that can be easy targets, artifacts like Empyrial Plate require specific removals, such as Disenchant or Naturalize, to be dealt with effectively.

To overcome the challenge posed by Empyrial Plate, ensure that you’re equipped with artifact control options. That can mean adding instant-speed removal like Krosan Grip to interrupt the power boost during your opponent’s turn. Hand disruption tactics also work well by forcing your opponent to discard cards, thereby diminishing the power bonus provided by the plate. Thoughtseize and Inquisition of Kozilek are excellent examples of such cards.

The crux of defeating this card lies in anticipation and preparedness. Keeping your opponent’s hand size at bay or having the ability to eliminate the Empyrial Plate itself are keys to ensuring this artifact doesn’t tip the scales too far in your opponent’s favor.

Cards like Empyrial Plate

Empyrial Plate is a distinctive artifact in MTG that offers a unique way to increase a creature’s power. It shares similarities with Cranial Plating, as both cards boost a creature’s power based on a factor associated with its controller’s hand or battlefield. However, Empyrial Plate takes a different route by granting power and toughness equal to the number of cards in your hand, without relying on the artifact synergy that Cranial Plating does.

Another card that echoes this design is Blackblade Reforged, equipping creatures with power and toughness boosts in proportion to the number of lands you control. This card, just like Empyrial Plate, thrives in decks with ramp strategies but scales with a different resource. For players who prefer reliability over the fluctuating size of their hand, Sword of the Animist might be preferable. It guarantees a land drop every time the equipped creature attacks, providing both a consistent stat increase and mana acceleration.

While each of these equipments has its use in different strategies, Empyrial Plate stands out for players who prefer to keep a full grip of cards. It rewards those who can maintain a healthy hand size, potentially turning any creature into a considerable threat on the battlefield.

Sword of the Animist - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Empyrial Plate by color, type and mana cost

Water Gun Balloon Game - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Empyrial Plate MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin and Commander 2016, 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 Empyrial Plate and other MTG cards: