Trailblazer's Boots MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact — Equipment
Abilities Equip

Key Takeaways

  1. Nonbasic landwalk offers major card advantage, making equipped creatures nearly unblockable in many games.
  2. Low equip cost ensures flexibility, allowing for quick adaptation during dynamic gameplay situations.
  3. Strategic resource allocation pressures opponents, creating indirect advantages for the Boots’ controller.

Text of card

Equipped creature has nonbasic landwalk. (It's unblockable as long as defending player controls a nonbasic land.) Equip

It's much easier to list the places they *haven't* been.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: One of the key benefits of Trailblazer’s Boots is nonbasic landwalk, providing a form of evasion that can significantly increase card advantage. Given the prevalence of nonbasic lands in most formats, this essentially makes the equipped creature unblockable as long as the opponent controls a nonbasic land. This allows a player not only to consistently deal damage but also to capitalize on effects that trigger when creatures deal combat damage, thus drawing more cards or causing other beneficial effects to occur.

Resource Acceleration: While Trailblazer’s Boots themselves do not directly provide mana ramp, the consistent threat they pose often forces opponents to allocate resources towards finding a solution. This can slow down their development or make them less efficient in using their mana, effectively giving the Boots’ controller a resource acceleration advantage as they can further develop their board and strategy unimpeded.

Instant Speed: Although Trailblazer’s Boots is an artifact that must be played at sorcery speed, its low equip cost allows flexibility similar to instant speed interactions. Players can quickly shift the Boots between creatures before the combat phase or in response to removal, thereby keeping the evasion capability within their ranks and maintaining pressure without skipping a beat. This adaptability makes it a formidable tool in the hands of a savvy player.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Trailblazer’s Boots don’t require a card to be discarded, they may compel a player to discard cards indirectly due to a full hand, especially when drawing cards is easier than playing extra lands or casting spells.

Specific Mana Cost: The Boots have a colorless mana cost, which is advantageous for inclusivity across deck types. However, in a fast-paced game, allocating two mana for an equipment card could slow down your board development.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Investing two mana to cast it and another two to equip it can be costly, considering the Boots’ specific function. In situations where nonbasic lands aren’t a threat, this mana could be utilized for spells with an immediate board impact or to develop your mana base further.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Trailblazer’s Boots offers a unique way to give creatures unblockable status as long as an opponent controls a nonbasic land. In formats where nonbasic lands are the norm, it fits into almost any deck that focuses on combat and getting creatures through for consistent damage.

Combo Potential: This equipment shines in strategies that reward you for dealing combat damage to a player, such as with cards that have triggered abilities upon dealing damage or cards that care about the number of times a player has been attacked, like the myriad mechanic.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where land bases are often complex and multicolored, having Trailblazer’s Boots in your collection means you’re well-equipped to bypass potential blockers. This can be particularly advantageous in Commander, where nonbasic lands are commonplace, making its inclusion strategic for ensuring your important creatures connect with opponents.


How to Beat

Trailblazer’s Boots is a unique equipment card in Magic the Gathering that grants a creature unblockable status as long as an opponent controls a land with a nonbasic land type. It’s a particularly strong card in formats rich with nonbasic lands making it a nightmare for crowded battlefields. Unlike other unblockable-enabling equipment, such as Whispersilk Cloak, Trailblazer’s Boots does not offer any additional protections to the creature it’s equipped to, such as shroud or hexproof.

Dealing with Trailblazer’s Boots effectively requires a strategy that minimizes the impact of nonbasic land-based unblockability. Removal spells that can target the equipped creature, like Path to Exile or Murder, circumvent the need to block. Additionally, you can disable the equipment directly with artifact destruction spells such as Shatter or Nature’s Claim. Land management also plays a key role; limiting the number of nonbasic lands you control reduces the efficacy of the Trailblazer’s Boots. Ultimately, swift removal and tactical control of your land types are essential in mitigating the potential threats posed by Trailblazer’s Boots on the battlefield.

In summary, Trailblazer’s Boots can be a powerhouse in the right deck, but a combination of precise removal and strategic land play can effectively counter the advantages this card presents.


BurnMana Recommendations

Deciphering the strategic value of Trailblazer’s Boots in MTG is crucial for any serious player. Its ability to make creatures nearly unblockable by exploiting the prevalence of nonbasic lands cannot be understated. Whether you’re pushing for that critical damage in a multiplayer Commander game or ensuring your key creatures remain a consistent threat in other formats, the Boots can be a game-changer. As you assess your collection and contemplate your next deck iteration, consider the synergies and meta-game where Trailblazer’s Boots could enhance your strategy. For insights on effectively integrating this card into your arsenal or finding alternative equipment to suit your playstyle, dive deeper with us.


Cards like Trailblazer's Boots

Trailblazer’s Boots is a unique artifact within the Magic: The Gathering equipment card pool. Its nearest relatives include Prowler’s Helm and Whispersilk Cloak. All three provide a creature with some form of unblockability, which is pivotal in navigating through an opponent’s defenses. Where Trailblazer’s Boots shine is in its specific ability to render a creature unblockable by opponents controlling lands with the nonbasic subtype. In a format where nonbasic lands are common, its value increases tremendously.

Conversely, Prowler’s Helm only ensures unblockability if the opponent has walls, a much less frequent occurrence. This makes Trailblazer’s Boots broadly more applicable. As for Whispersilk Cloak, it affords complete unblockability along with shroud. While this grants superior protection, the inability to further equip the creature can be a downside. Trailblazer’s Boots avoids this limitation and can work in concert with other equipment.

Diving into these comparisons, it’s evident that while each card serves a similar purpose, Trailblazer’s Boots stands out in environments saturated with nonbasic lands. It offers both adaptability and tactical advantage without compromising a creature’s capacity for additional enhancements.

Prowler's Helm - MTG Card versions
Whispersilk Cloak - MTG Card versions
Prowler's Helm - Theros (THS)
Whispersilk Cloak - Darksteel (DST)

Cards similar to Trailblazer's Boots by color, type and mana cost

Chaos Orb - MTG Card versions
Winter Orb - MTG Card versions
Ankh of Mishra - MTG Card versions
Amulet of Kroog - MTG Card versions
Nacre Talisman - MTG Card versions
Howling Mine - MTG Card versions
Essence Bottle - MTG Card versions
Emerald Medallion - MTG Card versions
Scrying Glass - MTG Card versions
Cursed Totem - MTG Card versions
Tsabo's Web - MTG Card versions
Millikin - MTG Card versions
Swiftfoot Boots - MTG Card versions
Ark of Blight - MTG Card versions
Surestrike Trident - MTG Card versions
Demon's Horn - MTG Card versions
Energy Chamber - MTG Card versions
Water Gun Balloon Game - MTG Card versions
Angel's Feather - MTG Card versions
Elsewhere Flask - MTG Card versions
Chaos Orb - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Winter Orb - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Ankh of Mishra - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Amulet of Kroog - Rinascimento (RIN)
Nacre Talisman - Ice Age (ICE)
Howling Mine - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Essence Bottle - Tempest (TMP)
Emerald Medallion - Commander Anthology (CMA)
Scrying Glass - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Cursed Totem - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Tsabo's Web - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Millikin - Odyssey (ODY)
Swiftfoot Boots - The Brothers' War Retro Artifacts (BRR)
Ark of Blight - Scourge (SCG)
Surestrike Trident - Darksteel (DST)
Demon's Horn - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Energy Chamber - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Water Gun Balloon Game - Unhinged (UNH)
Angel's Feather - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Elsewhere Flask - Shadowmoor (SHM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Trailblazer's Boots MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar and Mystery Booster Retail Edition Foils, 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 Trailblazer's Boots and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Trailblazer's Boots Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2009-10-02 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by 6 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12009-10-02ZendikarZEN 2082003normalblackZoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai
22020-03-08Mystery Booster Retail Edition FoilsFMB1 1142003normalblackZoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai
32020-09-26The ListPLST ZEN-2082003normalblackZoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai
42023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be One CommanderONC 1442015normalblackZoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai
52023-06-23The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earthLTR 3982015normalborderlessAlexander Gering

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Trailblazer's Boots has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks