Sword of Body and Mind MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityMythic
TypeArtifact — Equipment
Abilities Equip,Mill

Key Takeaways

  1. Generates wolf tokens and mills opponent’s cards, significantly shifting game dynamics in your favor.
  2. Flexible equip timing allows for tactical responses to opponent’s moves, maintaining game control.
  3. Milling can backfire in some formats; mana cost requires careful deck construction and strategy.

Text of card

Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from green and from blue. Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, you put a 2/2 green Wolf creature token onto the battlefield and that player puts the top ten cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. Equip


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sword of Body and Mind can be a boon for players seeking to maintain a superior position on the battlefield. When you equip this artifact to a creature and deal combat damage to a player, it places a wolf token onto the field and compels your opponent to put the top ten cards of their library into their graveyard. This dual action can create a substantial swing in advantage, not only by bolstering your forces but also by potentially exhausting significant resources from your opponent’s deck.

Resource Acceleration: The wolf token generated by this card effectively serves as an additional creature that can be utilized for various strategies, including defending, attacking, or even sacrificing for other gameplay effects. This increase in board presence can accelerate your resources, giving you more leverage in the game’s progression.

Instant Speed: While the Sword of Body and Mind itself isn’t played at instant speed, it equips at any time you could cast an instant. This provides flexibility, allowing you to adapt to the unfolding game and equip the Sword in response to an opponent’s actions or after their removal spells have been baited out, potentially turning the tide in your favor without warning.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike some of its counterpart equipment in the game, Sword of Body and Mind requires the player to mill ten cards from an opponent’s library when it deals combat damage. This can sometimes backfire in formats like Commander, where opponents may benefit from having more cards in their graveyard.

Specific Mana Cost: Sword of Body and Mind comes with a stringent mana investment of two colorless and two green mana to cast. This specific cost necessitates a solid mana base, particularly burdensome in multicolored decks that may not prioritize green mana or function optimally with such a color commitment.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a three-mana cost to equip, its total investment can be quite steep compared to other similar effects or equipment available within the game. This sometimes results in the card being a less attractive option, especially when players are trying to maintain tempo against low-cost, efficient strategies.


Reasons to Include Sword of Body and Mind in Your Collection

Versatility: The Sword of Body and Mind seamlessly integrates into a multitude of deck architectures. It’s not just about boosting your creature’s stats; it’s also about the additional layer of protection and the extra threat it poses to opponents through its abilities.

Combo Potential: This equipment card is a combo enabler, pairing well with strategies that capitalize on milling opponents or benefit from the wolf token generation. Each attack not only chips away at an opponent’s library but also expands your board presence.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the ever-changing dynamics of gameplay, the Sword of Body and Mind can adapt and become a powerhouse, especially in environments where players aren’t prepared for mill strategies or where creature-based decks dominate the field.


How to Beat Sword of Body and Mind

Sword of Body and Mind presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. As a coveted piece in the pantheon of MTG equipment, this card not only boosts a creature’s power but also brings additional tactical advantages by milling opponents and creating wolf tokens, which can quickly overwhelm unprepared players.

To effectively counter the Sword of Body and Mind, consider incorporating artifact removal in your deck. Cards such as Abrade or Nature’s Claim offer low-cost options to destroy this pesky equipment. Another strategy is to disrupt the equip phase itself. Instant-speed removal like Disenchant or card-specific answers such as Pithing Needle to shut down its abilities can be pivotal. Lastly, effects that grant hexproof or shroud, like Lightning Greaves, can prevent your creatures from becoming targets of the Sword’s equipped creature.

Ultimately, planning ahead and having the right answers is crucial. Knowing the key points in your opponent’s strategy when they aim to equip the Sword can make all the difference. Be ready to adapt your playstyle, and keep in mind the saying: “The best offense is a good defense.” Ensuring you have the tools to counter equipment-based strategies will help keep your deck resilient against the Sword of Body and Mind’s formidable power.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the ebb and flow of MTG gameplay is essential, and the Sword of Body and Mind is a card that can both enhance your strategy and challenge your tactical nous. Effortlessly weaving into numerous deck types, its potential to sway a match is undeniable. Whether it sits comfortably in your collection awaiting its time to shine or serves as a cornerstone in your current deck, this card’s ability to create wolf tokens and mill your opponent adds layers to any strategy. We warmly invite you to further explore the depth of its utility and contribute to your deck’s prowess. Dive deeper into the intricacy and strategy of MTG with us, and discover how the Sword of Body and Mind can become a lynchpin in your path to victory.


Cards like Sword of Body and Mind

The Sword of Body and Mind is an impactful piece in players’ arsenals within Magic: The Gathering, akin to other “Sword of” equipments such as Sword of Fire and Ice and Sword of Feast and Famine. This particular artifact equips to creatures, giving +2/+2, protection from green and blue, an impressive boon against decks heavy in those colors. Upon dealing combat damage to a player, it also mills ten cards from their library and creates a 2/2 Wolf creature token, adding both an offensive and defensive edge to your game.

Comparing it to its counterparts, Sword of Fire and Ice also offers a power/toughness boost and protection but deals 2 damage to any target and draws a card upon effect. Meanwhile, Sword of Feast and Famine provides a significant tactical advantage by forcing the opponent to discard a card and untapping all lands you control. Both create considerable shifts in board state and game dynamics.

Although each has unique benefits, the Sword of Body and Mind’s ability to rapidly mill an opponent is advantageous in matches where depleting the opponent’s library is instrumental. When considering strategic deck building and the power of incremental advantages, the Sword of Body and Mind stands out with its multifaceted assault and capacity to generate token creatures.

Sword of Fire and Ice - MTG Card versions
Sword of Feast and Famine - MTG Card versions
Sword of Fire and Ice - Darksteel (DST)
Sword of Feast and Famine - Grand Prix Promos (PGPX)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sword of Body and Mind MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and From the Vault: Relics, 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 Sword of Body and Mind and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sword of Body and Mind Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2010-08-27 and 2020-08-07. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 828502015normalblackSteve Prescott
22010-08-27From the Vault: RelicsV10 142003normalblackChris Rahn
32010-10-01Scars of MirrodinSOM 2082003normalblackChris Rahn
42016-09-30Kaladesh InventionsMPS 502015normalblackMark Zug
52020-08-07Double Masters2XM 3632015normalborderlessSteve Prescott
62020-08-07Double Masters2XM 2952015normalblackChris Rahn

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sword of Body and Mind has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
GladiatorLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sword of Body and Mind card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2011-01-01 If there are fewer than ten cards in that player's library, that player puts all the cards from their library into their graveyard.

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