This card is so damn good! Once you get one of these on the table, you land yourself on the fast track to winning the game.
majinara
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
One of the best equipment cards out there. Buffs and protects the creature, kills opposing creaturse and draws cards. Got it in each and every EDH deck of mine.
True_Mumin
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Definitely one of the best Equipment cards ever made. The amount of tempo gained with this thing is just incredible. However, I don't consider it broken as, say, Jitte (which doesn't care what you hit it with, for starters). 5/5.
stygimoloch
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(6 votes)
The name always reminds me of that fantasy novel...
Dark_Raider
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Very, very powerful. And quite flavorful, too.
UNBAN_SHAHRAZAD
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(6 votes)
Probably the second best Equipment behind Jitte.
BrilliantIdiot
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(5 votes)
This, along with light and darkness, there really should've been something like "Sword of Seed and Stone" for protection from Green and other artifacts.
As for the card itself, the draw is a great speedup and a free shock every time I hit my opponent in the face is such sweet gratification The protection is lovely and +2/+2 while seeming near pointless is a nice little cherry on top~
ClockworkSwordfish
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Seems like it should be part of a cycle (along with Sword of Light and Shadow) but isn't. Still good.
Coincidence
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Nerf! Ban! I really don't like this card. It's not even fun to win with. Then again, it's ever so satisfying to destroy.
nathaze
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
best thing about this card is that IT'S NOT LEGENDARY. You can equip 2 on the same creature, attack for lots of damage, deal 4, draw 2 cards. YES
HairlessThoctar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Absurdly overpowered in EDH.
Aun
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I was shocked until i noticed that it doesn't say creature.
Sironos
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(4 votes)
3 mana... come on! Well, at least all colours can use it, so okay.
achilleselbow
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(3 votes)
@Stygimoloch: YES! I thought of exactly the same thing! A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, for those who didn't get the reference. The series actually has its own CCG, though I haven't played it.
Gwafa_Hazid
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(8 votes)
Really really hoping to see this reprinted in the Scars of Mirrodin set coming up. The recent spoiler for Sword of Body and Mind(google it for information) gives me hope that there might be a complete cycle of these swords, complete with(names I made up) Sword of Heart and Soul(RW) and Sword of Life and Death(BG).
Guest513736147
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(9 votes)
My prediction is that this will form a semi-cycle with Sword of Light and Shadow, the new Sword of Body and Mind, and likely Sword of Heart and Soul. We'd have this:
Fire and Ice (Red/Blue) Light and Shadow (White/Black) Body and Mind (Green/Blue) Heart and Soul (Red/White)
The only thing missing is Life and Death (Green/Black). Although this would complete the cycle on one hand, it would mean Mirrodin Block had two swords while Scars Block has three. I'm not sure which I like better, preserving the feel of 2 swords per block, or completing the cycle.
In either case I'll be happy, as I'm a big fan of the enemy color swords.
boneclub
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
@Guest513736147: The one to go alongside Life and Death could be something like pro Artifacts and Enchantments?
Vedalken_Arbiter
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
It's a shame they didn't make it a complete cycle of the three opposites by making a Protection from artifacts and form green sword. Magic has had a history of a B/W, R/U and G/A being more opposite than other opposites.
Kindulas
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Instead of 'heart and soul' id do 'order and chaos.'
And I prefer compleating the set to keeping with 2.
Although, it's price is horribly broken. It should have been costed UURR, or something like that. Being just 1 mana more expensive than Vulshok Morningstar is insane.
jonb86
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
How did this card get so expensive? It's not even the best equipment in the block, hell, it isn't even the 3rd best equipment in the block with (Skull Clamp, Lightning Grieves, and Cranial Plating are all better all around equipments. And in my Red Akroma deck, Fireshrieker and Whispersilk Cloak are also superior so that makes possibly 4 or 5 better (all of those mentioned above are common or uncommon), and we can't forget Sword of Light and Shadow that gives PROTECTION FROM 90% OF ALL TARGETED REMOVAL IN ANY FORMAT! (fire and ice does not save you from Plow, Terror, Putrefy, Vindicate, Condemn, and all the other major targeted removal spells that are mainly white and/or black; NOT blue or red (yeah, there's lightning bolt, but you can bolt a creature in response to equip so it doesn't' really matter). Don't get me wrong, Sword of Fire and Ice is a great equipment, it's just not THAT good, there are many MANY answers for it, that's why it wasn't the best equipment back then, and it isn't the best equipment now either.
auriscope
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"I was shocked until i noticed that it doesn't say creature. "
nice pun
GengilOrbios
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Best of the cycle in my opinion, but I would be happy to pull any of these awesome swords from a booster :P
Angry_Puppy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Is someone really complaining that 3 mana is too much?
WHAT
Magnor_Criol
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Johnb86 - this is easily the best sword, not because of the protection effects, but because of the combat damage triggers. With every time you damage a player you get a burn spell and a card. That's the ultimate in card advantage - you could come out from a combat step ahead in life, ahead in creatures, and ahead in cards all in one swoop. And that's very, very repeatable - you can just keep using the burn to blast away blockers. If you aim that two damage at the player instead it's like this sword was giving +4/+2 rather than +2/+2.
Put on a single creature that gets through, you're dealing +2 damage to the player, 2 damage anywhere you want, and drawing a card every turn. That's absolutely backbreaking. The only sword whose effect really rivals this guy is Feast and Famine's land-untapping effect.
This card equipped on mirran crusader is nuts. You end up with a 4/4 creature with double strike and protection from green, black, red, and blue. This makes him only blockable by artifacts and white creatures. If he hits, he will do 8 damage, then 2 damage to two targets or 4 damage to one, and then draw you two cards. Put a Spirit mantle on him and he swings for 14 every turn and is unblockable.
DacenOctavio
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(8 votes)
More like sword of card advantage.
Salient
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Sword of "don't bolt me, bro" and "don't bounce me, bro"
Sword of Anti-Americanism will grant Protection From Red, Protection from White, Protection From Blue. Whenever equipped creature damages an opponent, they sacrifice a land, lose 3 life, and are forced to sing what they know of Stars and Stripes Forever.
Seriously needs a proxy of it with the Red and Blue Suns of Mirrodin, Scars-Block style. Ditto Light and Shadow. Why isn't that on DeviantArt yet???
puresightmerrow
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(9 votes)
It's really funny to look at the old comments that speculate about what the other swords will look like.
MisterAction
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Wow, this still would have been playable if they'd given these abilities to a 2/2 artifact creature for 5.
They could have called it "Icy-Hot Golem."
Goatllama
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Haha, I love how all the sword predictions are still lying around. Mirrodin blocks always have heavy fallout.
brunsbr103
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In my playgroup of 5 people, none of us have more than one kind of these swords, and if someone has one of the swords no one else has that one. I am lucky enough to have this one
and no, we didn't plan it that way at all! (in fact, the guy with the sword of feast and famine has 2)
I know that comment makes no sense but it's cool. trust me.
Shadoflaam
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(8 votes)
Guise I think in the new Shards of Fifth Dawn Set there will be this card called Sword of Rocks and Stuff 3 Legendary Artifact-Equipment Whenever equipped creature attacks, destroy up to 7 artifacts and put all Contraptions from your hand into play assembled. Equip 2 Legendary Rare
What I think is really interesting, though, is that the effects from this one actually match up quite nicely with Fire/Ice. Two damage and a card draw - something from each half. No, the damage can't be divvied up and you don't get to tap a permanent. But there's only room for so much text on the card, and does it really need to be any better?
tantallum99
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
great card, best sword. few decks wouldn't make use of this
Reishyn
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
In the Game of Cards, you win or you die!
Lifegainwithbite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It is pretty much accepted that this is the best sword. It gives great protection against bounce and red burn and has the strongest effect. Most decks could make use of this sword, regardless of whether they were playing red/blue or not. Blow away a creature or kill a player faster and draw two cards a turn while giving protection and pumping my creature?
SkyknightXi
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Confirmed to be in Modern Masters. With new, Scars of Mirrodin block-style art. (Ditto the other Darksteel sword.) You can rest easy now, Darth Parallax.
Comments (47)
As for the card itself, the draw is a great speedup and a free shock every time I hit my opponent in the face is such sweet gratification The protection is lovely and +2/+2 while seeming near pointless is a nice little cherry on top~
I really don't like this card. It's not even fun to win with. Then again, it's ever so satisfying to destroy.
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, for those who didn't get the reference.
The series actually has its own CCG, though I haven't played it.
Fire and Ice (Red/Blue)
Light and Shadow (White/Black)
Body and Mind (Green/Blue)
Heart and Soul (Red/White)
The only thing missing is Life and Death (Green/Black). Although this would complete the cycle on one hand, it would mean Mirrodin Block had two swords while Scars Block has three. I'm not sure which I like better, preserving the feel of 2 swords per block, or completing the cycle.
In either case I'll be happy, as I'm a big fan of the enemy color swords.
And I prefer compleating the set to keeping with 2.
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Body and MInd
Sword of Feast and Famine
Although, it's price is horribly broken. It should have been costed UURR, or something like that. Being just 1 mana more expensive than Vulshok Morningstar is insane.
nice pun
WHAT
Put on a single creature that gets through, you're dealing +2 damage to the player, 2 damage anywhere you want, and drawing a card every turn. That's absolutely backbreaking. The only sword whose effect really rivals this guy is Feast and Famine's land-untapping effect.
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Body and Mind
Sword of Feast and Famine
Sword of War and Peace
Sword of Anti-Americanism will grant Protection From Red, Protection from White, Protection From Blue. Whenever equipped creature damages an opponent, they sacrifice a land, lose 3 life, and are forced to sing what they know of Stars and Stripes Forever.
Sword of Shock and Cantrip.
They could have called it "Icy-Hot Golem."
and no, we didn't plan it that way at all! (in fact, the guy with the sword of feast and famine has 2)
I know that comment makes no sense but it's cool. trust me.
3
Legendary Artifact-Equipment
Whenever equipped creature attacks, destroy up to 7 artifacts and put all Contraptions from your hand into play assembled.
Equip 2
Legendary Rare
Also Stangg is getting a reprint in 11th edition.
What I think is really interesting, though, is that the effects from this one actually match up quite nicely with Fire/Ice. Two damage and a card draw - something from each half. No, the damage can't be divvied up and you don't get to tap a permanent. But there's only room for so much text on the card, and does it really need to be any better?