Utility Knife MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Artifact — Equipment
Abilities	Equip
Released	2020-09-25
Set symbol
Set name	Zendikar Rising
Set code	ZNR
Number	256
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Craig J Spearing

Key Takeaways

Utility Knife provides card advantage by equipping creatures without using extra cards.
Instant speed play of Utility Knife allows for flexible, reactive strategies.
Despite advantages, it requires card discard and specific mana, limiting some decks.

Text of card

When Utility Knife enters the battlefield, attach it to target creature you control. Equipped creature gets +1/+1. Equip (: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)

"Hold on a second, I have just the thing."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Utility Knife card can equip creatures upon entering the battlefield, effectively increasing your on-board resources without expending additional cards from your hand. This inherent efficiency contributes to maintaining card advantage during the course of a match, as you’re able to utilize the same card for multiple purposes.

Resource Acceleration: Though not directly a source of mana acceleration, Utility Knife’s low casting cost and equip ability can speed up the process of making your creatures more threatening. This allows for faster and more efficient pressure on the opponent, potentially leading to accelerated win conditions.

Instant Speed: Utility Knife can be played at instant speed, giving players the flexibility to react to their opponents’ actions. This adaptability ensures that you can better manage your resources while keeping up defenses or pressuring the opponent during their turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Utility Knife card requires you to discard a card, which can set you back if your hand is already depleted or if you’re forced to discard a crucial strategic element from your game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s activation is bound to a particular mana color combination, making it less versatile across various deck types which may not align with its mana requirements.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With the resource commitment needed to play Utility Knife, players might find the cost substantial compared to other equipment options, potentially reducing its overall efficiency within a fast-paced game.

Reasons to Include Utility Knife in Your Collection

Versatility: Utility Knife is a card that can seamlessly integrate into numerous deck archetypes. Its ability to equip a creature upon entering the battlefield without additional costs can be a consistent boost for aggro strategies or act as a surprise buff in more complex setups.

Combo Potential: This card shines when combined with creatures that have synergistic abilities or with decks that capitalize on artifacts. Whether it’s enhancing a Voltron-style commander or utilizing it within an equipments-focused strategy, Utility Knife can be an unexpected enabler.

Meta-Relevance: In an MTG meta that favors quick creature enhancements or values artifacts, Utility Knife offers a low-cost, flexible option that can adapt to different game states. Its presence can alter how opponents plan their removal or combat strategies, providing subtle yet impactful advantages.

How to beat

The Utility Knife card in MTG presents itself as a versatile equipment that can sharpen the skills of any creature it equips. This card might not seem formidable at first glance, but underestimate its ability to adapt and you might be caught off guard. The trick lies in disrupting the synergies that Utility Knife can capitalize on when outfitted to a creature.

One effective strategy is to use artifact removal spells that can dispatch the Utility Knife before it becomes an issue. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant offer a quick and easy solution to remove it from the battlefield. It’s also advantageous to exercise control over when your opponent can equip creatures. Instant speed interaction, like Abrade or Kolaghan’s Command, allows you to wait until your adversary commits mana to the equip cost, wasting their resources in the process. Additionally, using creature removal efficiently can prevent the opponent from getting value out of the knife, making any equip effort futile.

At the end of the day, while Utility Knife can give an edge to your opponent’s creatures, a well-timed response can dull its impact, keeping your position in the game sharp and competitive.

Cards like Utility Knife

The Utility Knife is a versatile equipment card in Magic: The Gathering that brings a nice blend of adaptability to the table. Like other equipment cards such as Short Sword and Bone Saw, Utility Knife grants a power boost to the creature it’s attached to. However, what distinguishes Utility Knife is its ability to enhance a creature beyond power with an addition to toughness. It’s akin to the function of Trusty Machete, yet without the initial equip cost, giving it a cost-effective edge for early gameplay advantage.

When comparing Utility Knife to Skyclave Pick-Axe, you’ll notice both aim to maximize landfall triggers, but Utility Knife flexes with a more consistent bonus, not hinging on land plays. Another similar card, Explorer’s Scope, allows for deck manipulation and potential land acceleration. Nevertheless, Utility Knife maintains its relevance with the guaranteed stat boost. Trepidation Blade also warrants a mention, equipping creatures to instill fear into opponents, yet Utility Knife’s straightforward stat increase often proves more universally useful without conditional effects.

As players weigh up their deck building options, Utility Knife proves to be a solid candidate, offering immediate creature enhancement and bolste-ring board presence with a simple yet effective utility that can fit into various strategies in Magic: The Gathering.

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

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Utility Knife 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 Utility Knife and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Utility Knife has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
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.