Pointed Discussion

??????????????? If its a flying blade then shouldn't its power be extremely high and its toughness extremely low? Is there some flavor thing that I'm not getting here because this card is from an older set or is it just another dumb confusing card with little flavor to begin with?

Good art on this one, though.

Of course it has high toughness. Have you ever tried to kill a sword?

@ SavageBrain89: Swords aren't actually as dangerous as you'd think. The reason they're a good weapon is because they're quick and versatile, but an axe, club, spear, hammer or even shield will generally do more damage. Even a knife is more lethal than a sword, believe it or not, should it strike properly (because the shorter a weapon is, the more force you have going through it). It's just a hell of a lot harder to land a good blow with a knife.

Smart move dropping this to uncommon, imo. It's still a good card, but just doesn't have the splashiness or uniqueness of a rare anymore.

Awww, I liked the old flavor text better.

Me: "I attack you with my Dancing Scimitar!"
Other person: "lol.. i block it"
Me: "Crushing Pain! Muahaha!"

pfh like I am afraid of a sword... wait it can fly to?!

I once saw a dancing scimitar equipped with slagwurm armor, leonin scimitar, sword of kaldra, and cranial plating.
I want you to just try to realistically picture this in your mind.

i wonder Ensouled Scimitar is transforned become this when activated.

Old art is loads better. This is one is awkward

@stygimoloch:

Sorry to contradict you, but I find swords quite powerful. Maybe not scimitars or rapiers, but broadswords and bihanders (or double-hander, whatever) are quite formidable. I disagree that they are less lethal than knives, because unless you have very good aim and can fire at a chink in one's armor, you need to get very close to someone to perform a killing stroke with a knife. Also, you can deflect and parry blows with swords, but unless you have 2 knives and know the cross-blade technique ( which is quite tricky) swords are a better option. I think axes and hammers are more powerful, but spears are weaker; they are made for accuracy. As for clubs, they are generally used for knocking another person out, unless they are spiked, which I classify as a mace.

The above is for bihanders, broadswords, double-edged swords, and falchions. As for scimitars, I agree with most of your assessment.

/rant

I can't help but feel that a flying weapon would have more power than defense.
But I guess that's me.

The very first living weapon.

This is a lot better update than the 7th edition Flying Carpet was.

@divine_exodus: not sure why apples are being compared with oranges here. Scimitars were designed for use on horseback, hence the light build and the curve (easier to slash with from a horse). Zweihanders are impractical at best when you're on a horse. Different weapons, different cultures, different functions.

As for the card itself... It ought to be equipped with swords. You know, a sword's even better when it's swinging a sword.

@KikiJikiTiki: Personally I picture that all the artifacts just assemble as if they were being worn by an invisible humanoid figure, with three arms in this case (so, the armor floats in the air, surmounted by the plating where the head would be, and the swords levitate by its sides).

Put it in a theme deck with Tatsumasa, the Dragon's Fang, Elbrus, the Binding Blade and a bunch of living weapons

@stygimoloch
In the hands of a master the sword will do more damage then any of the weapons you listed. Also fun fact, samurai swords were blunt and they bruise the shit out of opponents.

"An equipment that has never known equip."

It's an OK card, I prefer it to Tormented Angel because it's color agnostic, but other than that it's basically the same thing.

There are far more interesting choices out there for the same cost (or less) if you want a lot of toughness.

For 0 power, but +1 toughness (so 0/6 rather than 1/5), and 1 less CMC, you can have a Hover Barrier.

For you can have either Wall of Swords or Wall of Reverence, both excellent options with their own benefits.

A phenomenal defender for blue/white decks is Wall of Denial which is an 0/8 with Shroud for only 3 CMC!

There's also Æther Membrane, an 0/5 that automatically sends all cards blocked back to their owner's hand. All of these cards are ideal blockers because they have flying or reach.

But if you like that Dancing Scimitar isn't a defender and can also attack, how about Ancient Spider? It has reach rather than flying so it's a better blocker due to the 2 power. It isn't as good of an attacker because it isn't flying, but it still has 2 power over 1.

Sporecap Spider is a 1/5 with Reach, for only 3 CMC. 1 mana lower cost in exchange for reach rather than flying seems like an OK trade-off to me for earlier game casting.

stygimoloch there are SO many kinds of swords. a scimitar is actually very deadly, since its moonlike shape make it sharper for slashing people. weapons like this are one of the reasons the muslims defeated the crusaders. a scimitar is also much quicker than an axe or hammer and can be used on horseback. true, medieval western swords were heavy, clumsy and innaccurate, but scimitars and katanas are far deadlier.

i dont really like the card. i can get a 5/5 flyer with firebreath for just 2 more. unless its a shivan dragon, that ill never play since i hate the fact its rare.