Mind Carver MTG Card


Mind Carver - Zendikar Rising
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact — Equipment
Abilities Equip
Released2020-09-25
Set symbol
Set nameZendikar Rising
Set codeZNR
Number113
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byScott Murphy

Key Takeaways

  1. Mind Carver sways the game by forcing opponents to discard, gaining you a card advantage.
  2. Its equip ability at instant speed can unexpectedly turn tides during combat phases.
  3. However, it may be less effective if your hand is low on cards or early in the game.

Text of card

When Mind Carver enters the battlefield, attach it to target creature you control. Equipped creature gets +1/+0. It gets +3/+1 instead as long as an opponent has eight or more cards in their graveyard. Equip


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Mind Carver can significantly increase the number of cards an opponent has to discard, especially once their graveyard contains seven or more cards. This strategic depletion is key to dismantling an opponent’s hand and creating a card advantage for you.

Resource Acceleration: Equipping Mind Carver to a creature enhances that creature’s threat level without expending additional mana each turn. This efficient use of resources can accelerate your game plan, allowing you to focus mana on casting other impactful spells.

Instant Speed: While Mind Carver itself is not an instant, its equip ability can be used at instant speed if combined with cards or abilities that allow you to equip as an instant. This can surprise opponents by boosting a creature’s power just before damage is dealt or during the combat phase.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Mind Carver necessitates a card to be discarded from your hand to activate its full potential. This could put you at a disadvantage, especially if your hand is already running low on options.

Specific Mana Cost: To equip Mind Carver, the player needs to pay the specific mana cost associated with the card. This could sometimes be restrictive and not always easy to achieve, especially early in the game when mana resources are limited.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When compared to other equipment cards in MTG, Mind Carver has a slightly elevated mana cost for its abilities. This may deter players from including it in their deck over other more cost-effective equipment cards.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Mind Carver is a flexible card, easily sliding into decks that thrive on an opponent’s extensive graveyard. Rogues and other discard-focused decks in particular can maximize its power.

Combo Potential: Its ability to quickly become a significant power boost enables it to work in tandem with strategies that benefit from high-power creatures. This makes it an asset in aggressive or mill-based strategies.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment with prevalent graveyard interaction, Mind Carver shines by becoming a low-cost equipment that can turn any creature into a significant threat.


How to beat

Mind Carver is a unique equipment card that can significantly boost a creature’s power, making it a considerable threat in any MTG deck when the opponent’s graveyard is well-stocked. Defeating an opponent who utilizes Mind Carver requires strategic planning. A good strategy is to limit the number of cards in your graveyard. Prioritize cards and effects that can exile cards from graveyards—cards like Relic of Progenitus or Tormod’s Crypt excel in this task, disrupting the fuel Mind Carver thrives on.

Another effective strategy is to manage the battlefield presence and ensure the creature wielding the Mind Carver does not stick around to benefit from its power boost. Removal spells are key here. Utilize instant-speed removal like Fatal Push or Path to Exile to dispose of the enhanced creature before it can deal significant damage. By keeping your graveyard light and the board clear of equipped creatures, you undercut Mind Carver’s potential, thereby improving your odds of maintaining the upper hand in the duel.

To sum up, staying proactive with graveyard management and being ready with creature removal are the tactics you need to neutralize the Mind Carver threat. Successfully executing these strategies will shift the balance back in your favor and dampen the impact of this potent equipment card on the game.


Cards like Mind Carver

The Mind Carver is a unique card that dives into the strategic depths of MTG, as it holds similarities to equipment like Bonesplitter. While Bonesplitter grants a straightforward power boost of +2/+0, Mind Carver differentiates itself by providing a variable power increase. This augmentation is based on the number of cards in an opponent’s graveyard, potentially making it much stronger in the right deck context.

Shadow Spear is another card with which Mind Carver can be compared. Shadow Spear offers a consistent bonus and the added utility of giving lifelink and trample, but it lacks the scaling potential power of Mind Carver. This potential makes the latter more dynamic in decks built around milling your opponent’s cards.

When evaluating these equipment cards, it’s clear that Mind Carver aligns well with specific strategies, especially in decks centered on graveyard play. While it may not provide the immediate, consistent boost of similar cards, its power ceiling in the proper setup can be a game-changer in the MTG landscape.

Bonesplitter - MTG Card versions
Bonesplitter - Arena League 2003 (PAL03)

Cards similar to Mind Carver by color, type and mana cost

Vorpal Sword - MTG Card versions
Egon, God of Death // Throne of Death - MTG Card versions
Sphere of Annihilation - MTG Card versions
Necrogen Spellbomb - MTG Card versions
Executioner's Capsule - MTG Card versions
Vector Asp - MTG Card versions
Nihil Spellbomb - MTG Card versions
Hex Parasite - MTG Card versions
Augmenting Automaton - MTG Card versions
Corrupted Key - MTG Card versions
Witch's Cauldron - MTG Card versions
Bag of Devouring - MTG Card versions
Reaper's Talisman - MTG Card versions
Blood Fountain - MTG Card versions
Clay Revenant - MTG Card versions
Vat of Rebirth - MTG Card versions
Dross Skullbomb - MTG Card versions
Bloodthorn Flail - MTG Card versions
Lead Pipe - MTG Card versions
Vorpal Sword - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)
Egon, God of Death // Throne of Death - Kaldheim Promos (PKHM)
Sphere of Annihilation - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos (PAFR)
Necrogen Spellbomb - Mirrodin (MRD)
Executioner's Capsule - The Brothers' War Commander (BRC)
Vector Asp - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Nihil Spellbomb - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Hex Parasite - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Augmenting Automaton - Aether Revolt (AER)
Corrupted Key - Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2021 (CMB2)
Witch's Cauldron - Commander Masters (CMM)
Bag of Devouring - Forgotten Realms Commander (AFC)
Reaper's Talisman - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)
Blood Fountain - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
Clay Revenant - The Brothers' War (BRO)
Vat of Rebirth - Phyrexia: All Will Be One (ONE)
Dross Skullbomb - Phyrexia: All Will Be One (ONE)
Bloodthorn Flail - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCI)
Lead Pipe - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mind Carver MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar Rising, 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 Mind Carver and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Mind Carver has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-09-25 An ability that offers a bonus if an opponent has eight or more cards in their graveyard won’t provide additional benefits if more than one opponent has eight or more cards in their graveyard. There are also no additional benefits no matter how many cards are in an opponent’s graveyard, as long as there are at least eight.
2020-09-25 Attaching an Equipment with its enters-the-battlefield triggered ability isn’t the same as using its equip ability. You don’t pay mana for the attachment, and if the Equipment enters at a time you couldn’t cast a sorcery, you can still attach it to a creature you control.
2020-09-25 If the target creature becomes an illegal target, the Equipment remains on the battlefield unattached.
2020-09-25 In a multiplayer game, once an opponent leaves the game, they won’t be considered for such an effect, no matter how many cards they had in their graveyard before leaving the game.

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