This card should be played in 100% of decks with more than a handful of creatures.
Akatosh
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
This thing would get perfect scores if it wasn't so broken and banned. Seriously, I don't understand how a card like this could be printed without so much as a notion of its game-breaking potential.
Angerr
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
An absurdly powerful card, really. I wonder, though, whether it would be bearable with either the equip cost (and possibly also casting cost) increased to 2, or, the number of cards drawn per dead creature reduced to one.
stygimoloch
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(7 votes)
The worst thing about this was when Wizards said they only noticed how powerful it was after the set was finalised, but they tried to minimise the damage by not drawing attention to it. How did they go about that? Well, they er, put it in two precons, and MADE IT A DAMN PREVIEW CARD. *facepalm*
ttian
★★☆☆☆ (2.3/5.0)(5 votes)
it hurts my skull
ratchet1215
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(8 votes)
I think Wizards was pretty drunk throughout all of Mirrodin block...that's how broken stuff like this, Disciple of the Vault, Arcbound Ravager, and the artifact lands saw print.
Ubertoast
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(5 votes)
This card is messed up, it's so powerful. I use it in most of my casual decks :)
True_Mumin
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
This card is banned in almost every format. One of the most broken cards ever printed. And it's an uncommon... It just blows my mind! How could this happen? Were they playtesting this blindfolded?
BrimandVormay
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
i think that it wasnt' that they didn't think of it in playtesting, i just think that they didn't playtest it at all, and that in concept, this cards effect seems pretty level with its rarity. i mean, this card by itself isn't that much of a threat, but when you combine it with just about any other card that has a cool effect it becomes a beast of a combo maker
norbit444
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(3 votes)
they playtested it all right, in fact they thought abnout making it 0 mana. then this card would be more of a beast then before!
EpicSeven
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I love this card!! It's essentially (1) Draw 2 Cards when used with any creature with 1 toughness. I used to play with the Modular theme deck and it was essentially a sac method for all my small 1/1 modular creatures. So the (1) Draw Two Cards became (1) Draw Two Cards and Put a +1/+1 Counter on Target Artifact Creature. Talk about insane!!
DarkDerrik
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
An insanely powerful card. Easiliy searchable via Trinket Mage, along with other cheap creatures you can sac with this. (Myr Moonvessel is one example, giving you the mana right back to sac another 1/1 and draw another two cards)
SlackWareWolf
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(11 votes)
Ugh... Please stop calling this broken, and calling Mirrodin overpowered... I've lived through the days when Balance was not only unrestricted, it was Type2 legal. (this back about 15 years ago).
I agree this cards is powerful. It is. But overpowered? Maybe it was for Type2 today where it was a major draw engine, but they banned it! So there isn't any reason to complain anymore. Draw Engines = Good!
If you want your opponent to stop screwing with this card, play with Underworld Dreams and another card I can't remember the name of that basically says whenever a creature is put in the graveyard it comes into play under your control. Can't remember the name, but it works for making someone regret using this. And of course, you can use that one card that says whenever your opponent draws a crad you pay a Colorless and get to do that too.
Th3_Dark_On3
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Myr Retriever in play + Myr Retriever in gy + Clamp = (3): Draw two cards.
If a deck runs more than 10 creatures, then there is no way that this card can be bad for it... Colourless card draw at an equip cost of 1 is just purely insane...
BryanFR
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(2 votes)
aahhhh the possibilitys....
onepartmissing
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(5 votes)
Umezawa's Jitte stays on its knees, begging them for not making Skullclamp legal. 'Cause it wants to be the best Equipment around and it's not even close to Clamp. Simply the BEST.
MrQuizzles
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Intensely broken!
Aun
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(3 votes)
In the Times of Vampire Hexmages and Hypergenesis it doesn't need to be banned in extended.
Lateralis0ne
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
It is an amazing card. I've drawn through my Artifacts Deck innumerable times with this hat on my Myr Moonvessel. I know people complain that it is broken, but there are cards that are better that can be taken down for a small investment. And there are cards to take this down, just the same. Disenchant. Shatter. Naturalize. Ingot Chewer. Just to name a few. There are enchantments, auras, creatures, instants, sorceries, and even other artifacts that can take this down.
Cards may seem broken. But they all can be broken apart with the right tools. I fail to see why people fail to grasp that.
Rifick
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
1.
1. To equip.
Equipped creature gets +1/0 its toughness is reduced to 1.
Equipped creature cant be sacrificed.
When equipped creature is put in to a graveyard draws two cards.
-----
This would force an additional step to destroy your creature or simply leave that in your opponents control reducing the amount of comboloops. Still a well reounded functioning creature protection artifact.
boneclub
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
@Aun: Thopter-Depths would have abused it. It doesn't matter anymore, though :P
Belz_
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(2 votes)
I wonder why it's not restricted in Vintage. This card is insane. 2 cmc, Equip 2 and draw ONE card would've been good, already.
Kirbster
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Again proving that Wizards didn't bother with that silly "playtesting" business in the Mirrodin block.
Kageyaiba
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
@inmypantsZZ: It doesn't do much with Time Sieve... sure, if it doesn't die through Scullclamp's effect, you still can sac it... but so you can with Arcbound Ravager. Also the Time Sieve requires you to sac all the artifacts at the same time, so if you thought of some whacky combo with the Myr Retriever, it probably doesn't work.
@Lateralis0ne: So your point is that a card isn't broken, because there are answers to it? Even in Standard you know something is off, if people have to build decks against certain cards/strategies. It's far more economical to play a card because it fit's your strategy than to play a card in your deck because it might be a good response to an opponents strategy. I fail to see why people fail to grasp that.
Arthindole
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(6 votes)
wow going right in my eldrazi spawn deck.
ultratog1028
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(4 votes)
@ True Mumin: Last minute change. the set was going out when someone said it was too broken in its original form (+1/+1 instead of +1/-1) so they tried to "fix" it.
A fixed version would probably be similar to this:
Mindclamp (2)
A-Equipment
Equipped Creature gets -1/+2.
When Equipped creature is put into a graveyard from play, you may pay (1). If you do, draw a card.
Equip (2)
ClockworkSwordfish
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(9 votes)
If you played during Mirrodin-block, you still have nightmares of this. Beautifully broken.
CJM2
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
@True_Mumin: This card didn't go through playtesting. They totally missed it. Nobody realized how broken it was at the time.
Skullclamp Is Amazing, Such A Good Draw Engine And Great With The Arcbound Family Plus With Tolarian Academy And A Simple Pentavus Youll Practically Mill Yourself. If You Complain About How Good Or Broken A Card Is By The Way YOUR A DORK! Warewolf And Swordfish U Guys Are The Bomb.
Kryptnyt
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Skullclamp is one of my favorite broken cards. Most broken cards don't require a creature heavy deck to go along with it like this one does. And nothing says "fun for you but maybe not for them" like the explosive turns that get powered by good'ol clampy.
made4ipod
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It seems like Wizards were on vacation when the Mirrodin Block was printed
The_Trendkill
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I was introduced to this card in the first game of Magic I ever played. A friend of mine let me borrow his white weenie equip deck, and at the time Skullclamp was still very new and his deck had four copies of it. I had never played a game of Magic before, and I defeated four other players in a five player free-for-all, if for no reason other than the card advantage this card creates. The second I got two of these things out, suddenly my creatures began dropping like flies and replacing themselves with four new cards in my hand; a 1-for-4 deal for 2 mana every turn.
Oh, nostalgia... I understood right then and there that Skullclamp was awesome, and that when I had it in play I was commanding a ridiculous amount of power simply because of the number of cards I was getting from it. Please understand what I am implying here: a completely new, inexperienced player who had never before actually shuffled up a deck and played a game defeated four other players due completely to the power of this card.
And from that day forward, this card has been known as "Skillclamp".
ax_morph
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
According to the Legality tab, this is legal across the board, but the list on MTG shows its banned in Legacy... Edit: And now it's changed again...odd...
NuckChorris
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
As much as this card may have been broken on the tournament scene back when it was around, it destroyed (and still destroys) the casual scene/group I'm in. Back when it came out, we didn't know fully how equipment worked, we thought a player could attach equipment to creatures they don't control (mind you this was when equipments had recently been created). For 3 mana, someone could play this (turn 3 usually) and then equip it to one of the opponents creatures (an x/1), draw two cards, equip to their other creature, draw another two cards. That's a six for one-for three colorless mana. And until it was destroyed, opponents could not play x/1 creatures. Then a similar thing happened again when the player with a Skullclamp out drew a second one.
Skullclamp is the height of Goblin fashion. A sign of wealth and status and the number one cause of death.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
.5/5 for balancing and development.
RecurringMemories
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
5/5 For pure power. *** balancing! ;)
Sweater
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Lateralis0ne That's like saying no card is broken because they can be countered. Yes, there are strategies to remove any card in the game, but the speed and efficiency that some cards have give them a clear, seemingly unfair advantage over others. Another example, Baneslayer Angel, one of the most powerful, undercosted, hated creatures in the game can still be taken out by any doom blade etc., but it is still considered "broken" because of its efficiency and ability to decide a game in a matter of turns. Same with skullclamp. It can be dealt with in a variety of ways, but unless a player is ready the very moment it is played, it can swing a game very quickly.
gut.gemacht
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
5/5 but seriously dumb. You just feel dirty drawing the cards.
Comments (41)
I use it in most of my casual decks :)
I agree this cards is powerful. It is. But overpowered? Maybe it was for Type2 today where it was a major draw engine, but they banned it! So there isn't any reason to complain anymore. Draw Engines = Good!
If you want your opponent to stop screwing with this card, play with Underworld Dreams and another card I can't remember the name of that basically says whenever a creature is put in the graveyard it comes into play under your control. Can't remember the name, but it works for making someone regret using this. And of course, you can use that one card that says whenever your opponent draws a crad you pay a Colorless and get to do that too.
Colourless card draw at an equip cost of 1 is just purely insane...
Cards may seem broken. But they all can be broken apart with the right tools.
I fail to see why people fail to grasp that.
1. To equip.
Equipped creature gets +1/0 its toughness is reduced to 1.
Equipped creature cant be sacrificed.
When equipped creature is put in to a graveyard draws two cards.
-----
This would force an additional step to destroy your creature or simply leave that in your opponents control reducing the amount of comboloops. Still a well reounded functioning creature protection artifact.
@Lateralis0ne: So your point is that a card isn't broken, because there are answers to it? Even in Standard you know something is off, if people have to build decks against certain cards/strategies. It's far more economical to play a card because it fit's your strategy than to play a card in your deck because it might be a good response to an opponents strategy. I fail to see why people fail to grasp that.
A fixed version would probably be similar to this:
Mindclamp (2)
A-Equipment
Equipped Creature gets -1/+2.
When Equipped creature is put into a graveyard from play, you may pay (1). If you do, draw a card.
Equip (2)
http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/af17
Oh, nostalgia... I understood right then and there that Skullclamp was awesome, and that when I had it in play I was commanding a ridiculous amount of power simply because of the number of cards I was getting from it. Please understand what I am implying here: a completely new, inexperienced player who had never before actually shuffled up a deck and played a game defeated four other players due completely to the power of this card.
And from that day forward, this card has been known as "Skillclamp".
Edit: And now it's changed again...odd...
Skullclamp is the height of Goblin fashion. A sign of wealth and status and the number one cause of death.
That's like saying no card is broken because they can be countered. Yes, there are strategies to remove any card in the game, but the speed and efficiency that some cards have give them a clear, seemingly unfair advantage over others. Another example, Baneslayer Angel, one of the most powerful, undercosted, hated creatures in the game can still be taken out by any doom blade etc., but it is still considered "broken" because of its efficiency and ability to decide a game in a matter of turns. Same with skullclamp. It can be dealt with in a variety of ways, but unless a player is ready the very moment it is played, it can swing a game very quickly.