Ogre's Cleaver MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Artifact — Equipment
Abilities	Equip
Released	2010-04-23
Set symbol
Set name	Rise of the Eldrazi
Set code	ROE
Number	220
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Adi Granov

Key Takeaways

Ogre’s Cleaver transforms weak creatures into formidable attackers by significantly increasing their power.
The Cleaver’s high equip cost and Ogre specificity limit its use in diverse MTG decks.
Its competitive edge is maintained in metagames where direct creature combat is prevalent.

Text of card

Equipped creature gets +5/+0. Equip

She adopted the weapon of the slave-lord Kazuul, and with it, all his cruelty.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ogre’s Cleaver doesn’t directly offer card draw, but it significantly boosts a creature’s power, allowing it to potentially remove multiple blockers or take down larger threats in combat, thus indirectly affecting card advantage on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: While the Cleaver itself doesn’t produce additional mana, its ability to turn even a small creature into a substantial threat can accelerate your game plan by applying pressure and forcing opponents to deal with the enhanced creature quickly.

Instant Speed: Though played at sorcery speed, Ogre’s Cleaver can create surprise combat advantages. By equipping it during the main phase, you keep mana open for instant-speed responses, giving you the flexibility to adapt to your opponent’s moves.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Ogre’s Cleaver requires the equipped creature to be an Ogre, limiting flexibility across various deck types. This niche demand can be a setback in decks that don’t support Ogre tribal themes.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes both generic and red mana, this artifact may challenge mana bases not heavily invested in red. This makes it a suboptimal choice in multicolor decks that cannot reliably produce the required mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating its seven mana equip cost, Ogre’s Cleaver is on the pricier end. Considering other equipment cards often have lower costs and offer similar or better benefits, its high investment might not always translate to equivalent payoff on the battlefield.

Reasons to Include Ogre’s Cleaver in Your Collection

Versatility: Ogre’s Cleaver is not limited to just one type of deck build. It pairs well with creature-heavy strategies, giving even the smallest creature a substantial boost in power.

Combo Potential: This equipment shines when combined with creatures that have double strike or trample, creating the possibility for massive, game-ending swings.

Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to turn any creature into a significant threat, Ogre’s Cleaver holds its own in environments where creature combat is key, ensuring its relevance in various metagames.

How to beat

Ogre’s Cleaver is a formidable equipment in Magic: The Gathering that can turn the tide of battle with its impressive power boost. When equipped, it grants a creature a massive +5/+0 increase, making even the smallest of creatures a serious threat. To successfully contend with this artifact, one might consider a few strategies. Firstly, artifact removal spells such as Naturalize or Disenchant can directly deal with Ogre’s Cleaver, rendering the equipped creature far less intimidating.

Another approach involves creature control through spells like Path to Exile or Murder, which can remove the threat regardless of its augmented power. Additionally, bouncing the creature back to its owner’s hand with spells like Unsummon effectively strips it of the equipment’s advantage, requiring the opponent to spend mana to re-equip. Lastly, keep in mind that Ogre’s Cleaver requires a hefty equip cost. Capitalizing on turns during which your opponent is setting up or re-equipping the cleaver could be crucial to maintaining control of the game.

Understanding these options and incorporating related cards into your deck can greatly enhance your chances of overcoming the raw power that Ogre’s Cleaver brings to the table. Adapt your strategies and manage your resources wisely to outmaneuver your opponent’s attempts to leverage this powerful equipment.

Cards like Ogre's Cleaver

Ogre’s Cleaver is a unique equipment card in Magic: The Gathering that has its own niche among the armory of artifacts. When you compare it to other equipment such as Obsidian Battle-Axe, the difference in power level is apparent. Obsidian Battle-Axe not only costs less to play but also automatically attaches to a Warrior you control, offering immediate value. Ogre’s Cleaver, while lacking this swift equip ability, compensates with a hefty power boost.

Diving into the category of power-increasing equipment, we encounter Grafted Wargear. Much like Ogre’s Cleaver, it significantly increases a creature’s power but with a lower equip cost and an additional toughness bonus. The Wargear, however, comes with a downside wherein unequipping forces the sacrifice of the creature. In contrast, Ogre’s Cleaver allows for more flexibility at the expense of a higher equip cost. Then there’s the infamous Loxodon Warhammer, providing not only a similar power boost but also trample and lifelink, creating potential for both offensive pressure and a defensive lifeline.

Ultimately, examining Ogre’s Cleaver within the realm of power-enhancing equipment, it stands out for its massive power boost, albeit at a higher resource investment. Players looking for significant strength in their creatures will find the Cleaver to be a potent tool for crafting an overwhelming onslaught.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ogre's Cleaver MTG card by a specific set like Rise of the Eldrazi, 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 Ogre's Cleaver and other MTG cards: