Trusty Machete MTG Card

Zendikar (ZEN)
2009-10-02 - Number 209

Trusty Machete - Game Night: Free-for-All (GN3)

Game Night: Free-for-All (GN3)
2022-10-14 - Number 121

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number ZEN-209

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Artifact — Equipment
Abilities	Equip

Key Takeaways

Boosts creature’s stats without spending additional cards, enhancing board presence efficiently.
Mana cost can be restrictive for fast-paced, aggressive decks, demanding careful play.
Offers great versatility and combo potential, becoming an asset in varied deck strategies.

Text of card

Equipped creature gets +2/+1. Equip

"Until this expedition is done, that blade is your guardian, your liberator, and your best friend all rolled into one." —Yon Basrel, Oran-Rief survivalist

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Trusty Machete gives a substantial boost to a creature without requiring additional cards, maintaining your hand while elevating your field presence.

Resource Acceleration: By increasing a creature’s power and toughness, Trusty Machete allows you to deal damage more effectively, potentially accelerating the game in your favor without the need for separate buff spells.

Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, the equip ability can be activated at instant speed, allowing for tactical adjustments during your opponent’s turn or after untapping, keeping your options flexible during gameplay.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While the Trusty Machete doesn’t require a discard to be played, once on the board, it does necessitate a creature to be effective. If your hand is empty, the Machete loses its utility, awaiting a creature to utilize its equipment ability.

Specific Mana Cost: Trusty Machete’s equip cost demands two mana of any color. This can be a hiccup for highly aggressive decks aiming to utilize all mana each turn. In such decks, mana spent equipping could otherwise be used to play multiple creatures or spells.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing three mana to both play and equip makes Trusty Machete a pricier option for aggressive strategies. Some decks may prefer cheaper alternatives like Bonesplitter, which offers a similar power boost for a lesser total mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Trusty Machete is known for its utility across various deck types. This equipment can be easily slotted into both aggressive and control builds, offering a significant boost in power and toughness for a low cost.

Combo Potential: With its low equip cost, Trusty Machete synergizes well with creature-based strategies, enhancing combo potential in decks that focus on voltron setups or that benefit from equipped creatures.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where combat interactions are pivotal, Trusty Machete gains value. Its ability to turn even the smallest creatures into considerable threats makes it a relevant choice for those seeking to stay competitive on the battlefield.

How to beat

Trusty Machete is a well-known equipment card that can turn even the smallest of creatures into formidable threats on the battlefield. This artifact gives a nice boost with its +2/+1 stats, making it a card to address swiftly in MTG gameplay. Its low equip cost also allows it to be a persistent nuisance, jumping from creature to creature.

Countering this card can be approached by prioritizing removal of creatures that are equipped with the machete, thereby reducing the card’s impact. Enchantment destruction spells like Disenchant or targeted artifact removal like Naturalize can be employed to directly dispatch the Trusty Machete itself. In the realm of prevention, counter-spells allow players a chance to avoid the Trusty Machete hitting the field at all, while hand disruption tactics can remove it before it’s even played.

Moreover, utilizing sweepers or damage-based board clears can mitigate the boon the Trusty Machete provides to your opponent’s board presence. In essence, focusing on controlling the board and keeping removal handy are key strategies in outmaneuvering opponents wielding this card. It’s about staying one step ahead and disrupting the combos and synergies that make Trusty Machete a threat.

Cards like Trusty Machete

The Trusty Machete is a notable equipment card in Magic: The Gathering, offering a moderate boost to a creature’s power and toughness. It rivals the likes of Bonesplitter, a well-known card that also gives a creature an enhanced attack capability. What sets Trusty Machete apart is the additional toughness it provides, making it a more rounded option for creature defense as well as offense.

Considering other equipment, Adventuring Gear is a card that stands out for its landfall mechanic, which can potentially offer a larger boost to a creature’s power. However, it lacks the consistent bonus provided by Trusty Machete, as it relies on land drops to be effective. In contrast, Trusty Machete guarantees an immediate and persistent enhancement without additional conditions.

When examining these equipment cards side by side, Trusty Machete emerges as a solid and reliable choice for players looking to fortify their creatures on the battlefield. Its balance of additional power and toughness without dependency on external factors makes it a staple in many MTG decks focused on creature development and combat strength.

Cards similar to Trusty Machete by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Trusty Machete MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar and The List, 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 Trusty Machete and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Trusty Machete Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2009-10-02 and 2022-10-14. Illustrated by Raymond Swanland.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2009-10-02	Zendikar	ZEN	209	2003	Normal	Black	Raymond Swanland
2	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST	ZEN-209	2003	Normal	Black	Raymond Swanland
3	2022-10-14	Game Night: Free-for-All	GN3	121	2015	Normal	Black	Raymond Swanland