Throwing Knife MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Artifact — Equipment
Abilities	Equip
Released	2015-07-17
Set symbol
Set name	Magic Origins
Set code	ORI
Number	241
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Mathias Kollros

Key Takeaways

Throwing knife excels in removal and damage dealing while maintaining card advantage and tempo.
Despite its strengths, the requirement to discard for activation can hinder momentum.
Its affordability and skill in disrupting opponents make it a viable addition for aggressive decks.

Text of card

Equipped creature gets +2/+0. Whenever equipped creature attacks, you may sacrifice Throwing Knife. If you do, Throwing Knife deals 2 damage to target creature or player. Equip (: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When Throwing Knife is equipped and thrown, it effectively removes a creature from the board while potentially dealing direct damage to your opponent, keeping your own card resources high.

Resource Acceleration: Although Throwing Knife doesn’t create mana, the low cost of equipping it allows for an efficient use of mana resources and keeps up the tempo during the early to mid-game stages.

Instant Speed: Throwing Knife’s ability to be activated at instant speed provides flexibility. This means you can react to your opponent’s moves during their turn or at the end of their turn, which can disrupt their strategy and swing the board state in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The activation condition for Throwing Knife’s ability necessitates discarding a card. This can be a tough pill to swallow when your hand is running low on cards, potentially causing you to lose valuable momentum or card advantage in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: While Throwing Knife can be a versatile tool, its activation cost requires a specific combination of mana. This cost can sometimes clash with your deck’s mana curve or compete with other vital plays at critical moments in the match.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment to get Throwing Knife into play and then to use its ability might be seen as steep compared to other options in the game. Being a situational card, it may not always justify its cost, especially when there are various cheaper alternatives available that fulfill a similar role with less resource commitment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Throwing Knife offers a dynamic edge being an equipment that can be attached to any creature. This instantly transforms even the most benign creature into a potential threat. Its low equip cost allows for rapid movement between creatures to adapt to the ever-changing battlefield.

Combo Potential: With its unique ability to sacrifice for direct damage, Throwing Knife synergizes well with strategies that proliferate equipment or benefit from sacrificing permanents. Incorporating it into a deck opens the door to interesting interactions and surprise plays that can catch an opponent off guard.

Meta-Relevance: Given its low casting and equip costs, Throwing Knife can be quite advantageous in a fast-paced meta heavily influenced by aggressive strategies. It can curve well into early and mid-game plays, making it a card worth considering for those looking to counteract speedy opponent tactics.

How to Thwart Throwing Knife

Throwing Knife is a utility artifact card in Magic the Gathering that can add a subtle yet powerful offensive strategy to your deck. When attached to a creature, it grants a bonus to attack damage, and with its capacity to be sacrificed, it can unexpectedly take out an opponent’s key creature. However, despite its strengths, there are efficient ways to beat this card.

To counter the Throwing Knife, consider using instant-speed removal spells before the equipped creature attacks, ensuring the Knife’s sacrifice ability can’t be activated. Artifact destruction spells like Naturalize or Disenchant can directly remove Throwing Knife from the battlefield, disrupting your opponent’s strategies. Additionally, employing hexproof or shroud to protect your creatures can render the Knife’s ability irrelevant, as it requires a valid target to function.

Essentially, maintaining a responsive stance with removal or protection in your hand can readily negate the advantages that Throwing Knife provides, preserving your board state and leaving your opponent’s plans in disarray. It’s a case where anticipation and immediate reaction can turn the tide of the game, showcasing strategic depth beyond just planning your own moves in Magic the Gathering.

Cards like Throwing Knife

Throwing Knife is a unique artifact in MTG that offers a nuanced approach to dealing damage. It finds parallels with cards like Viridian Longbow, which similarly provides a reusable way to ping creatures or players. However, Throwing Knife ensures its impact is felt immediately with its sacrifice ability, dealing two damage in a single blow, unlike the Longbow’s gradual one damage tap ability.

Another card worth comparing is Skeleton Key, which also costs two mana and equips for two, much like Throwing Knife. Instead of damage, Skeleton Key gives the equipped creature skulk and the chance to draw cards. Throwing Knife, contrasts this with a more aggressive stance, allowing for a potential surprise attack or a way to remove a key blocker in the enemy’s field.

Overall, Throwing Knife adds strategic depth for players keen on leveraging equipment synergies. Its direct damage output complements aggressive strategies and makes it a card worth considering for decks that appreciate the utility of artifacts. Its edge comes from its flexibility and the capacity to shape battle outcomes with calculated sacrifices.

Cards similar to Throwing Knife by color, type and mana cost

Water Gun Balloon Game - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Throwing Knife MTG card by a specific set like Magic Origins, 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 Throwing Knife and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Throwing Knife has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2015-06-22	Throwing Knife is the source of the damage dealt because of its triggered ability. For example, you could sacrifice Throwing Knife to deal 2 damage to a creature with protection from red, even if Throwing Knife is equipped to a red creature.
2015-06-22	Throwing Knife’s triggered ability triggers before blockers are declared. If you use the ability and destroy the targeted creature with lethal damage, it won’t be on the battlefield to block.