Short Sword MTG Card

Short Sword grants creatures a cost-efficient power and toughness boost, aiding aggressive strategies. Effective against Short Sword: utilize creature removal or destroy the equipment itself. Familiarize with comparable cards that offer diverse strategic benefits to your MTG decks.

Dominaria (DOM)
2018-04-27 - Number 229

Mystery Booster (MB1)
2019-11-07 - Number 1627

Core Set 2021 (M21)
2020-07-03 - Number 236

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number DOM-229

Card sets	Released in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Artifact — Equipment
Abilities	Equip

Text of card

Equipped creature gets +1/+1. Equip (: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)

"Sometimes the only difference between a martyr and a hero is a sword." —Captain Sisay, *Memoirs*

Cards like Short Sword

The Short Sword card presents an interesting choice for players looking to beef up their creatures in Magic: The Gathering. This equipment card is akin to the likes of Bonesplitter, both granting a power boost to the equipped creature. Short Sword provides a +1/+1 boost to power and toughness, offering a minimal but cost-effective improvement for a single mana.

Bonesplitter, in contrast, is more aggressive, giving a +2/+0 increase at the same casting cost, skewing toward a strategy that favors striking hard and fast. Leather Armor is another related card, which also costs one mana and increases toughness by one. This card focuses on improving defense rather than offense, allowing for different strategic approaches. Additionally, Leather Armor can be equipped for free if the creature is unblocked, adding a layer of flexibility that Short Sword lacks.

Each of these similar artifacts finds a place in distinct types of MTG decks, influenced by their strategic intentions—whether it’s to bolster attack quickly, provide a more balanced enhancement, or improve defenses. Short Sword, with its balanced buff and low cost, finds a reliable space as a utility option in many decks, particularly those with numerous creatures.

Cards similar to Short Sword by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Short Sword is a fairly cost-effective way to equip creatures, often enabling out-of-nowhere lethality. While it doesn’t draw you cards directly, it can tip the scales of the board, offering virtual card advantage by making each of your creatures a more significant threat.

Resource Acceleration: Short Sword’s low casting and equip cost means you expend minimal resources to get it on the battlefield and attached to a creature. This acceleration allows you to use your mana for other plays, making it a solid support card in aggressive strategies that need to deploy threats quickly and efficiently.

Instant Speed: While Short Sword itself is not an instant, it benefits from being able to be equipped at instant speed. This enables surprise interactions during combat or in response to your opponents’ spells, keeping them guessing and providing a tactical advantage that can influence the course of the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Short Sword requires a card to be discarded from your hand to fully utilize its equip ability. This can put you at a disadvantage in games where maintaining a strong hand is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: Equipping the Short Sword demands one specific colorless mana, which is not always readily available or the best use of mana in a turn, especially if your deck is mana-hungry or multi-colored.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the Short Sword’s initial cast is low, the total cost including equip can be considered high for the boost it offers. Other equipment cards or buffs may provide greater value or more impactful effects for a similar or lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Short Sword is a flexible addition to any MTG deck archetype. It’s a low-cost equipment that can be played early in the game, providing a consistent boost to your creatures.

Combo Potential: As a cheap equipment, it can be utilized in various strategies that synergize with artifacts. This includes triggering abilities that rely on artifacts entering the battlefield or being equipped to a creature.

Meta-Relevance: With creature-based aggressive decks prominent in many metas, Short Sword provides a cost-effective way to increase your creatures’ power and toughness, giving players an edge in combat scenarios.

How to beat Short Sword

Short Sword is a nifty equipment card in Magic: The Gathering that can give creatures a small but sometimes crucial power and toughness boost. This card provides a cost-effective way to enhance creatures, making it a good fit in decks that aim to quickly swarm the battlefield with stronger minions. Facing a Short Sword can be tricky if your opponent effectively uses it to outmatch your creatures in combat.

One strategy to overcome Short Sword’s advantages is to use cheap removal spells that target either the equipped creature or the equipment itself. Artifact destruction cards like Abrade or Naturalize can directly deal with Short Sword, removing the buff without much expense. Moreover, prioritizing removal or bounce effects ensures that even when the opponent re-equips Short Sword to a new creature, they lose tempo by having to invest more mana to reestablish their board presence.

Control decks often have an easier time against equipment cards like Short Sword by preventing creatures from sticking around long enough to benefit from the equipment. A smart combination of counter spells, board wipes, and targeted removal can mitigate the effectiveness of Short Sword, ensuring that the marginally stronger creatures never become a significant threat.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Short Sword MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria and Mystery Booster, 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 Short Sword and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Short Sword Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2018-04-27 and 2020-07-03. Illustrated by John Severin Brassell.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2018-04-27	Dominaria	DOM	229	2015	Normal	Black	John Severin Brassell
2	2019-11-07	Mystery Booster	MB1	1627	2015	Normal	Black	John Severin Brassell
3	2020-07-03	Core Set 2021	M21	236	2015	Normal	Black	John Severin Brassell
4	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST	DOM-229	2015	Normal	Black	John Severin Brassell

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Short Sword has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal