Inquisitor's Flail MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Artifact — Equipment
Abilities	Equip
Released	2011-09-30
Set symbol
Set name	Innistrad
Set code	ISD
Number	227
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Rob Alexander

Key Takeaways

Boosts combat damage potential, giving a strategic edge by swiftly dealing with opponent’s threats.
Enables sorcery speed equipping, freeing mana for instant interactions and reducing vulnerability.
Deck inclusion necessitates balancing its benefits against other card options and mana costs.

Text of card

If equipped creature would deal combat damage, it deals double that damage instead. If another creature would deal combat damage to equipped creature, it deals double that damage to equipped creature instead. Equip

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Doubling combat damage can effectively eliminate key threats on the opposing side, tilting the balance of creatures in your favor and giving you an indirect form of card advantage on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly increasing your mana pool, the sheer power boost provided by Inquisitor’s Flail can accelerate the game’s pace, enabling you to defeat opponents faster than usual and reducing the need for additional resources.

Instant Speed: The ability to equip at sorcery speed ensures your strategy is set during your turn, allowing you to free up mana for instant speed interactions on your opponent’s turn. It also means less immediate vulnerability to instant speed removal, as you won’t be equipping in response to actions your opponent takes.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Inquisitor’s Flail does not directly mandate a discard, yet it’s worth noting that its inclusion in your deck may compel you to forgo other valuable cards during deck construction, which can be a strategic setback.

Specific Mana Cost: Inquisitor’s Flail requires two mana of any color to cast. While this seems flexible, it’s important to balance its cost with other vital spells in your deck to avoid mana allocation issues that could deter your game plan.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that is moderate for an artifact equipment, Inquisitor’s Flail competes with other two-drop artifacts or equipment that might offer immediate impact or less risky benefits. Its utility must be weighted against these alternatives.

Reasons to Include Inquisitor’s Flail in Your Collection

Versatility: Inquisitor’s Flail is a flexible card, finding its place in a wide array of decks. Its ability to double the damage dealt by equipped creatures makes it a solid addition, especially for aggressive strategies that look to end games quickly.

Combo Potential: This artifact can significantly enhance the lethality of creature-based combos. When paired with creatures that have either double strike or trample, it can swiftly turn the tides of a game or outright win with a single, overwhelming attack.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, so does the importance of quick and decisive plays. Inquisitor’s Flail aligns well with fast-paced environments where delivering substantial amounts of damage efficiently can outpace opponents and disrupt slower, control-oriented decks.

How to beat Inquisitor’s Flail

Inquisitor’s Flail doubles the damage dealt by the equipped creature, which can turn the tide of a game quickly. However, it also doubles the damage that creature takes, presenting an exploitable weakness. Removing the creature can be done through traditional creature control spells, rendering the Flail useless without a wielder. Moreover, if you can force your opponent to block with the equipped creature using certain strategies or spells, you capitalize on the doubled incoming damage. Ensnaring effects or clever combat tricks can ensure that when the Inquisitor’s Flail is in play, it’s more of a double-edged sword than a clear path to victory.

Considering artifacts like Inquisitor’s Flail can significantly upgrade a creature, targeting the artifact itself with artifact removal spells can also be an effective approach. Green and red decks often have spells that can destroy artifacts directly, bypassing the need to interact with the creature at all. This shutdown limits your opponent’s offensive capabilities while reducing potential threats to your side of the battlefield. Employing either of these strategies requires timing and a deep understanding of your deck’s mechanics to ensure that the Flail does not lead to your downfall.

BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG means embracing both strengths and vulnerabilities of cards like Inquisitor’s Flail. Its power to amplify damage sets the stage for exhilarating victories, but strategic deck construction and in-game decisions are essential to utilize its potential fully. Consider the balance between risk and reward, recognize when the Flail’s attributes align with your deck’s theme, and remain aware of how it fares against current meta trends. With each match, there’s a lesson; with Inquisitor’s Flail, it’s about striking hard and fast. Dive deeper into its applications within various deck types and strategies with us, bolstering your MTG arsenal for your next battle.

Cards like Inquisitor's Flail

Inquisitor’s Flail is a unique equipment card that doubles the damage dealt by the equipped creature, while also doubling the damage dealt to it. This card is reminiscent of other damage amplifiers in Magic: The Gathering like Fiery Emancipation, which triples the damage from a source you control, though it carries a much higher mana cost. Yet unlike Inquisitor’s Flail, Fiery Emancipation doesn’t increase the damage taken.

Another card in this category is Gratuitous Violence, which also doubles the damage creatures you control deal but, unlike Inquisitor’s Flail, does not increase the combat damage they receive. While it requires a larger investment in red mana, the absence of a drawback can be significant in combat. One could also consider Grafted Exoskeleton for its ability to convert damage into poison counters, yet managing the negative aspects of equipping is crucial as it can bring the equipped creature’s destruction if unattached.

Overall, Inquisitor’s Flail stands out among damage enhancers for its low cost and high-risk, high-reward gameplay, marking its place as a strategic choice for aggressive MTG decks aiming to deal lethal damage swiftly.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Inquisitor's Flail MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad, 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 Inquisitor's Flail and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Inquisitor's Flail has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Inquisitor's Flail card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2011-09-22	If a creature is equipped with a second Inquisitor’s Flail, combat damage dealt by and dealt to that creature will be multiplied by four. A third Inquisitor’s Flail would multiply the combat damage by eight, and so on.
2011-09-22	If you divide the combat damage dealt by the equipped creature, perhaps because the creature has trample or is dealing combat damage to multiple creatures, you’ll divide the original amount and then double the results. For example, if a 5/5 creature with trample is blocked by a 2/2 creature, you can assign 2 damage to the blocker and 3 damage to the defending player. These amounts are then doubled to 4 and 6 damage, respectively. You can’t double the damage to 10 first and then assign 2 to the creature and 8 to the player.