Tiger Claws MTG Card


Tiger Claws - Mercadian Masques
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant, Flash
Released1999-10-04
Set symbol
Set nameMercadian Masques
Set codeMMQ
Number279
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byAdam Rex

Key Takeaways

  1. Instant speed allows for dynamic play, turning Tiger Claws into a formidable and unexpected combat trick.
  2. Requires discarding a card, which can be a strategic setback by reducing hand size.
  3. Green mana specificity limits versatility, but it’s potent within its color scheme.
Flash card art

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

You may play Tiger Claws any time you could play an instant. Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has trample.

Cho-Arrim martial artists emulate the beasts of their home.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tiger Claws offers an undeniable boon by potentially increasing the cards in your hand. This can tilt the balance of the game in your favor as maintaining a rich selection of options is crucial in any match.

Resource Acceleration: This card provides a unique form of resource acceleration by potentially enhancing your creatures’ abilities. By amplifying your battlefield presence, you can accelerate the pressure on your opponent, pushing them on the defensive.

Instant Speed: The ability to play Tiger Claws at instant speed adds a layer of flexibility to your strategy. You can adapt to the flowing dynamics of the game, using the card as a surprise tactic to outmaneuver your opponent when they least expect it.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Tiger Claws necessitates discarding another card, which might deplete your hand and reduce your in-game options.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires green mana, restricting it to decks that can reliably produce this color.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Tiger Claws comes with a significant mana investment, which might be problematic in faster-paced games where efficiency is key.


Reasons to Include Tiger Claws in Your Collection

Versatility: Tiger Claws can seamlessly adapt to a variety of strategies, providing an edge in decks that capitalize on equipping creatures for aggressive combat phases.

Combo Potential: This card works well with creatures that have tap abilities or those that benefit from attacking, such as unlocking additional card draw or direct damage.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where aggressive tactics are prevalent, Tiger Claws can offer a significant boost, making your creatures more formidable and harder to block effectively.


How to beat

Tiger Claws presents itself as a tactical card capable of quickly turning the tide of combat in Magic: The Gathering. This card, with its ability to endow a creature with formidable trample properties, can be a real game changer during clashes on the battlefield. Notably, this enchantment increases the threat level of your opponent’s creatures, making it essential to have a strategy in place to counter this play.

One effective tactic is to maintain control of the board with removal spells. These allow you to deal directly with the enhanced creature or with the Tiger Claws enchantment itself. Sweepers and direct damage spells are particularly useful in this scenario, allowing you to reset the playing field and reduce the impact of the increased power your opponent gains from it. Save your removal not just for the creatures but also for enchantments, ensuring that the Tiger Claws can’t tip the scales in your opponent’s favor. Board wipes and enchantment destruction cards should be a part of your deck’s arsenal if facing decks that utilize such buffs.

Decisive removal and keeping a vigilant watch over board control are key to neutralizing the potential surge of power that Tiger Claws threatens. With these measures, you can ensure that this card doesn’t claw its way to victory against you.


Cards like Tiger Claws

Tiger Claws stands as a unique equipment card in Magic: The Gathering, providing not only a potential boost in power but an unconventional form of protection. When we compare it to other equipment cards like Fireshrieker, a notable difference is that Fireshrieker grants double strike rather than Tiger Claws’ protection from creatures with power 2 or less. Yet, Tiger Claws offers a defensive nuance Fireshrieker lacks, allowing for a tactical advantage in combat against swarms of smaller creatures.

Another comparable card is the Basilisk Collar, which equips creatures with deathtouch and lifelink, offering a different strategic approach. While Basilisk Collar enables creatures to destroy any blocker and gain life, Tiger Claws excels in safeguarding key creatures during battles against decks teeming with low-power creatures. This can be crucial in specific metagames where such threats are prevalent.

Each equipment card presents distinct features, and Tiger Claws occupies its unique space. It provides a shield against a range of common threats in MTG, making it a tactical addition for players seeking to protect valuable creatures and maintain battlefield presence.

Fireshrieker - MTG Card versions
Basilisk Collar - MTG Card versions
Fireshrieker - Mirrodin (MRD)
Basilisk Collar - Worldwake (WWK)

Cards similar to Tiger Claws by color, type and mana cost

Kudzu - MTG Card versions
Wanderlust - MTG Card versions
Thelon's Chant - MTG Card versions
Maddening Wind - MTG Card versions
Cycle of Life - MTG Card versions
Dense Foliage - MTG Card versions
Hall of Gemstone - MTG Card versions
Fecundity - MTG Card versions
Familiar Ground - MTG Card versions
Momentum - MTG Card versions
Ancestral Mask - MTG Card versions
Broken Fall - MTG Card versions
Verdant Field - MTG Card versions
Lure - MTG Card versions
Food Chain - MTG Card versions
Howling Moon - MTG Card versions
The Dragon-Kami Reborn // Dragon-Kami's Egg - MTG Card versions
Squirrel Nest - MTG Card versions
Alpha Status - MTG Card versions
Lifegift - MTG Card versions
Kudzu - Limited Edition Beta (LEB)
Wanderlust - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Thelon's Chant - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Maddening Wind - Ice Age (ICE)
Cycle of Life - Mirage (MIR)
Dense Foliage - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Hall of Gemstone - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Fecundity - Urza's Saga (USG)
Familiar Ground - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Momentum - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Ancestral Mask - Eternal Masters (EMA)
Broken Fall - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Verdant Field - Prophecy (PCY)
Lure - Tenth Edition (10E)
Food Chain - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)
Howling Moon - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
The Dragon-Kami Reborn // Dragon-Kami's Egg - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Promos (PNEO)
Squirrel Nest - World Championship Decks 2002 (WC02)
Alpha Status - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Lifegift - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tiger Claws MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques, 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 Tiger Claws and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Tiger Claws has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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