Paleontologist's Pick-Axe // Dinosaur Headdress MTG Card
2023-11-17 - Number 36
2023-11-17 - Number 16
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Artifact — Equipment |
| Abilities | Craft,Equip,Transform |
Text of card
Whenever equipped creature attacks, draw a card, then discard a card. Equip Craft with one or more creatures (, Exile this artifact, Exile one or more creatures you control and/or creature cards from your graveyard: Return this card transformed under its owner's control. Craft only as a sorcery.)
Cards like Paleontologist's Pick-Axe // Dinosaur Headdress
Paleontologist’s Pick-Axe is an intriguing tool for deck builders keen on amplifying creature abilities. The Pick-Axe has a unique niche in the equipment cards arena. It can be seen as similar to cards like Sword of the Animist, which also allows a creature to fetch lands from the deck. While Sword of the Animist can be equipped to any creature, Paleontologist’s Pick-Axe is most effective when combined with a dinosaur, as it then turns land search into an aggressive tool for creature growth.
When considering other comparable cards, O-Naginata comes to mind for providing a substantial power boost, albeit exclusively to creatures with high power themselves. While O-Naginata confers trample, a valuable keyword in combat, Paleontologist’s Pick-Axe offers the potential for land ramp, a resource advantage in the game. Another related card, Explorer’s Scope, shares the exploration theme but operates randomly with land placement. Conversely, the Pick-Axe’s capability is more consistent and controlled, aligning with a specific creature type for higher synergy in dinosaur-themed decks.
The Dinosaur Headdress aspect of this card bumps up its utility further, offering curious advantages and strategic layers, especially in tribal decks. It underlines the card’s unique position among similar MTG equipment, adding both thematic flair and mechanical depth.
Cards similar to Paleontologist's Pick-Axe // Dinosaur Headdress by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Paleontologist’s Pick-Axe // Dinosaur Headdress offers a significant advantage by allowing the drawing of additional cards. This strengthens your hand and provides more options during gameplay, all while delving deeper into your deck for key strategies.
Resource Acceleration: Leveraging the power of these artifacts in your deck can result in an impressive acceleration of resources. By increasing your land count or mana production, you enhance your ability to play higher-cost cards more quickly than your opponent, establishing a robust board presence.
Instant Speed: The split card nature of Paleontologist’s Pick-Axe // Dinosaur Headdress provides a key strategic benefit, particularly in deployments at instant speed. This enables adaptive play during critical moments, allowing for responses that could potentially disrupt your opponent’s strategy and secure your dominance on the field.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One of the limitations of Paleontologist’s Pick-Axe // Dinosaur Headdress comes with its discard condition. Engaging with its full potential means you have to part with another card from your hand, which isn’t ideal when your options are already limited.
Specific Mana Cost: The card’s specific mana cost can be restrictive. Since it requires a particular combination of mana types to cast, it may not fit seamlessly into all deck builds, thereby limiting its versatility and impacting deck flexibility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the dual utility of Paleontologist’s Pick-Axe // Dinosaur Headdress provides both equipping or enchantment abilities, its mana cost is on the higher side when comparing it to other cards that provide similar benefits. This can slow down your gameplay, especially in matches where speed and efficiency are key to victory.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Paleontologist’s Pick-Axe offers a unique asset to any deck that capitalizes on landfall triggers. Its ability to boost creatures while accelerating your mana base makes it a solid choice for diverse strategies.
Combo Potential: When paired with creatures that have landfall abilities, Dinosaur Headdress can create powerful synergies. It can quickly turn even the most unassuming dinosaurs into formidable threats on the battlefield.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where aggressive and creature-centric decks prevail, both forms of this transformable card can offer significant utility. Whether you’re ramping up for a big play or enhancing your dinosaurs to withstand the clash with other popular decks, having this dual-purpose card in your arsenal can provide a substantial edge.
How to beat
Paleontologist’s Pick-Axe and Dinosaur Headdress are unique artifact cards in Magic: The Gathering that can be quite impactful if left unchecked. When facing an opponent who is using these, it’s essential to prioritize the removal of these artifacts before they can accumulate value over time. A simple yet effective strategy is to employ artifact destruction spells such as Naturalize or Abrade, which can dismantle your opponent’s setup and prevent their creatures from becoming overwhelming.
Alternatively, you might consider using counter spells to prevent these cards from hitting the battlefield in the first place. Cards like Negate can be instrumental in this regard, ensuring that artefacts such as Paleontologist’s Pick-Axe or Dinosaur Headdress never have the chance to empower an opponent’s creatures. Additionally, keeping pressure with your creatures can force your opponent to defend, thus reducing the chances they have to fully utilize their artifacts’ potential. By hindering their strategy early on, you can secure the upper hand and steer the game towards victory.
Strategic foresight and prompt responses are key. Manage your resources carefully and don’t let these artifacts dictate the pace of the game. With the right approach, these prehistoric-themed cards can be rendered ineffective, allowing you to maintain control and emerge as the dominant force in the match.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Paleontologist's Pick-Axe // Dinosaur Headdress MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander, 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 Paleontologist's Pick-Axe // Dinosaur Headdress and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Paleontologist's Pick-Axe // Dinosaur Headdress Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-11-17 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by Ernanda Souza.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-11-17 | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander | LCC | 36 | 2015 | Transform | Black | Ernanda Souza | |
| 2 | 2023-11-17 | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander | LCC | 16 | 2015 | Transform | Black | Ernanda Souza |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Paleontologist's Pick-Axe // Dinosaur Headdress has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Paleontologist's Pick-Axe // Dinosaur Headdress card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-11-10 | Craft abilities are activated abilities with costs that have a mana component as well as an additional "materials" component. |
| 2023-11-10 | Craft abilities are written "Craft with -aterials] -ana]", which means " -ana], Exile this permanent, Exile -aterials] from among permanents you control and/or cards in your graveyard: Return this card to the battlefield transformed under its owner's control. Activate only as a sorcery." |
| 2023-11-10 | Each time Dinosaur Headdress becomes attached to a creature, you choose one of the exiled creature cards used to craft it. You may choose the same card you chose the last time you had to choose. |
| 2023-11-10 | If a card that isn't a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a card with craft, it'll stay in exile if you activate the craft ability. It won't return to the battlefield. |
| 2023-11-10 | If the chosen card has in its mana cost, X is 0. |
| 2023-11-10 | If the materials required include multiple objects, you may exile some of them from among permanents you control and the rest from among cards in your graveyard. You don't have to choose all permanents or all cards from your graveyard. |
| 2023-11-10 | The back faces of some cards with craft refer to cards "used to craft" it. This refers to the cards exiled as part of the cost of the craft ability of the front face. Those cards are considered to be "used to craft" that permanent as long as they remain exiled and the permanent remains on the battlefield, even if the permanent's controller changes or some of its characteristics change (because of a copy effect, for example.) |
| 2023-11-10 | The equipped creature copies exactly what's printed on the exiled card and nothing else. It doesn't copy any information about the object the card was before it was put into exile. |
| 2023-11-10 | You may exile tokens you control as part of the materials required. However, because they aren't cards and won't stay in exile, any abilities that refer to what you "used to craft" the back faces won't refer to anything. |