Skyclave Pick-Axe MTG Card


Landfall-triggered power boosts from Skyclave Pick-Axe turn each land play into a dual advantage. Leveraging instant-speed land plays, the Pick-Axe enables surprising and versatile combat tactics. Its specific green mana cost may limit usage but ensures tailored inclusion in suitable decks.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact — Equipment
Abilities Equip,Landfall

Text of card

When Skyclave Pick-Axe enters the battlefield, attach it to target creature you control. Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, equipped creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Equip

For use on cliffs and other faces.


Cards like Skyclave Pick-Axe

Bridging the gap between landfall rewards and equipment buffs, the Skyclave Pick-Axe holds its own in the realm of MTG. It stands in the same lineup as the likes of Adventuring Gear, a card that also exploits landfall to boost a creature’s power. What sets the Skyclave Pick-Axe apart is the instant impact it can have the moment a land enters the battlefield, potentially turning a modest creature into a substantial threat.

Moving on to comparisons, Nylea’s Presence springs to mind, as it can also trigger landfall while providing card draw and fixing mana simultaneously. Even so, it doesn’t affect the battlefield with a power boost like our Skyclave Pick-Axe. We then shift our attention to cards such as Trailblazer’s Boots, which have a different kind of edge by granting unblockable status rather than a power bonus. Much still depends on the overall strategy and desired tempo of play.

To surmise, in the grand scheme of MTG equipment cards, Skyclave Pick-Axe certainly carves out a niche. It transforms any land drop into an aggressive play, complementing decks built around landfall mechanics and those looking to press the advantage with rapid, significant power increases.

Adventuring Gear - MTG Card versions
Nylea's Presence - MTG Card versions
Trailblazer's Boots - MTG Card versions
Adventuring Gear - MTG Card versions
Nylea's Presence - MTG Card versions
Trailblazer's Boots - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Skyclave Pick-Axe by color, type and mana cost

Instrument of the Bards - MTG Card versions
Lifespark Spellbomb - MTG Card versions
Horizon Spellbomb - MTG Card versions
Implement of Ferocity - MTG Card versions
Rosethorn Halberd - MTG Card versions
A-Elven Bow - MTG Card versions
Elven Bow - MTG Card versions
Killer Cosplay - MTG Card versions
Haywire Mite - MTG Card versions
A-Haywire Mite - MTG Card versions
Incubation Sac - MTG Card versions
Maze Skullbomb - MTG Card versions
Glowcap Lantern - MTG Card versions
Rope - MTG Card versions
Instrument of the Bards - MTG Card versions
Lifespark Spellbomb - MTG Card versions
Horizon Spellbomb - MTG Card versions
Implement of Ferocity - MTG Card versions
Rosethorn Halberd - MTG Card versions
A-Elven Bow - MTG Card versions
Elven Bow - MTG Card versions
Killer Cosplay - MTG Card versions
Haywire Mite - MTG Card versions
A-Haywire Mite - MTG Card versions
Incubation Sac - MTG Card versions
Maze Skullbomb - MTG Card versions
Glowcap Lantern - MTG Card versions
Rope - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Skyclave Pick-Axe has the potential to turn your land drops into a significant power boost for your creatures, essentially turning every land into a dual threat. This gives you an edge by maximizing the utility of each card you play.

Resource Acceleration: Equip the Pick-Axe, and every landfall not only boosts your creature but effectively serves as an acceleration tool, fast-tracking your beatdown strategy and putting you ahead of the curve against slower decks.

Instant Speed: While the Skyclave Pick-Axe itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its landfall trigger can interact profitably with instant-speed land plays. This synergy allows you to surprise opponents with sudden power increases during combat or in response to their spells, making your tactical plays more versatile and unpredictable.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Skyclave Pick-Axe benefits from landfall triggers, which can sometimes require you to have lands in hand you’re able to play or discard, potentially draining your resources more quickly than you might like.

Specific Mana Cost: Though this equipment has an affordable cost of one generic and one green mana, its specific need for green may restrict its inclusion only to certain decks with green mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While attaching Skyclave Pick-Axe to a creature for two mana isn’t exorbitant, decks focused on maximising mana efficiency may find that other equipment or landfall cards could serve their strategy better without needing to pay to reattach it to different creatures.


Reasons to Include Skyclave Pick-Axe in Your Collection

Versatility: Skyclave Pick-Axe brings a unique level of adaptability to the game. This card can swiftly enhance your creatures as you play lands, making it a great fit for landfall-based decks or any strategy that prioritizes quick growth of creature power.

Combo Potential: With its ability to scale a creature’s power with each land entering under your control, Skyclave Pick-Axe can form potent combinations with cards that allow you to play multiple lands per turn or that return lands to your hand to be replayed.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that rewards quick aggression or where landfall decks are prevalent, Skyclave Pick-Axe can become an invaluable tool, turning even the most unassuming creatures into significant threats that need to be answered immediately.


How to beat

Skyclave Pick-Axe represents a potent tool for landfall decks in MTG, awarding creatures with a sizable power boost whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control. To effectively neutralize the threat posed by this equipment, pinpoint removal of either the equipped creature or the Pick-Axe itself is key. Consider utilizing artifact destruction spells, like Abrade or Disenchant, which can efficiently remove the Pick-Axe from the battlefield. Additionally, keeping the equipped creature from attacking or blocking with spells like Pacifism or capturing it with enchantments like Claustrophobia can mitigate the impacts of this equipment.

Another strategy lies in interrupting the landfall trigger. Spells that limit land plays or bounce permanents back to a player’s hand can be particularly disruptive to the equipped creature’s enhanced strength, as can land destruction to break the sequence. It is essential to prevent the opponent from gaining continuous value and to keep their battlefield under control. Utilizing counter spells when the Pick-Axe is cast can also be effective, ensuring it never even touches the field. By employing these tactics, you can dampen the Pick-Axe’s impact and maintain the upper hand in your MTG matches.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Skyclave Pick-Axe MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Zendikar Rising, 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 Skyclave Pick-Axe and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Skyclave Pick-Axe Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-09-25 and 2020-09-25. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 837082015NormalBlackPascal Blanché
22020-09-25Zendikar RisingZNR 2042015NormalBlackDan Scott
32020-09-25Zendikar RisingZNR 3092015NormalBlackPascal Blanché

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Skyclave Pick-Axe has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2020-09-25 A landfall ability doesn’t trigger if a permanent already on the battlefield becomes a land.
2020-09-25 A landfall ability triggers whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control for any reason. It triggers whenever you play a land, as well as whenever a spell or ability puts a land onto the battlefield under your control.
2020-09-25 Attaching an Equipment with its enters-the-battlefield triggered ability isn’t the same as using its equip ability. You don’t pay mana for the attachment, and if the Equipment enters at a time you couldn’t cast a sorcery, you can still attach it to a creature you control.
2020-09-25 If the target creature becomes an illegal target, the Equipment remains on the battlefield unattached.
2020-09-25 If there’s no equipped creature as Skyclave Pick-Axe’s landfall ability resolves, no creature gets +2/+2.
2020-09-25 The bonus from Skyclave Pick-Axe’s landfall ability applies to the creature it’s attached to at the time the ability resolves. That bonus doesn’t apply to a new creature if Skyclave Pick-Axe becomes attached to a new creature.
2020-09-25 Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, each landfall ability of the permanents you control will trigger. You can put them on the stack in any order. The last ability you put on the stack will be the first one to resolve.