[cards discuss] Best equipment in EDH?

[TsumiBand]

You don't often see a whole lot of equipment in EDH. There's the odd Kemba list that attempts to abuse the shit out of them, but I don't think these lists can be trusted as "top equipment" lists because there are some goofballs in a lot of those lists. I'm looking at you, Bonesplitter. We used to be friends when there were like 10 equipment cards in existence, and no one was quite sure whether or not a 5/1 Suntail Hawk was a real threat or not. But I've moved on, Bonesplitter. I've outgrown you over the years. I didn't know I was going to change so much, but...

Anyway so there just doesn't seem to be a resource for the best equipment cards, because most people just kind of seem to sleeve up Lightning Greaves or other things that claim to protect their commander and eventually cut it because they can't play enough cards that tutor for it.

For my part - I feel like Nim Deathmantle is stupidly overlooked. It's cheap-balls-cheap to cast/equip/actually buy in real life, and it lets you save any creature from hitting the bin. Its triggered ability is much more expensive but with enough mana it can just jump back and forth between multiple creatures and pull them out of the yard at instant speed. It's like Zombify and herpes simplex made a baby, and they took it to the fair and a blind old sooth-sayer that was actually board-certified grabbed the baby and was like "...ah! you shall grow up to be much more than a sideboard card"

All I ever see is the damn Greaves though - and it gets auto-included in decks where it doesn't even seem to be doing anything. I can see it going in like Kaalia or any given list with a frail commander, but seeing people play it with Progenitus just makes me question their fighting stance. The oldest and bestest threads that I can even find on the Internets that cover the same subject are like.... two years old. Those are the "good enough" ones. And really, there aren't a ton of actual equipment cards in the game; maybe like 200? 250? But surely, there are a handful which stand out in a crowd, or at least present themselves as an answer waiting for a question. What you think?

[(nameless one)]

To me the top 5 (in no particular order) are

- Lightning Greaves
- Nim Deathmantle
- Skullclamp (draw engine in tokens)
- Sword of Light and Shadow (recursion)
- Sword of Feast and Famine (getting to untap your lands again)

[Amon Amarth]

I'm partial to the Sword cycle(minus UG), Clamp, Greaves, Boots and a few others. Some like Deathmantle and Sunforger are great but are clunky to set up. Really, a lot of them are dependent on what your deck wants to do. In my Krenko deck I'm running Basilisk Collar because it's hilarious with Sharpshooter and any of the Goblin damage dealers. I also have Umbral Mantle, Thornbite Staff to combo with and Illusionist's Bracers for a shit load of dudes. In Ruric Thar I have a bunch of lifelink equipment to offset the lifeloss from his ability as well as making racing much easier. I don't think Loxodon Warhammer goes in every deck but it works with a giant angry forest ogre. Hell, I'd even consider playing Darksteel Plate in Melek because it makes it quite a bit easier to keep him in play.

[Jivanmukta]

Skullclamp, Jitte, Swords, and Batterskull. The best equips are always the best.

[boneclub24]

Sunforger is fantastic, especially with the recent additions of Boros Charm and Render Silent/Counterflux (which usually outclass the traditional Suffocating Blast).

Even if you aren't using the toolboxing ability very much (just to find StP or whathaveyou), the +4/+0 shouldn't be overlooked. That's quite a significant buff, especially when going for general damage.

[TsumiBand]

Skullclamp, Jitte, Swords, and Batterskull. The best equips are always the best.

It can't be that simple, though. Does the Jitte actually scale to EDH effectively? Also, while double-protection is a lot like hexproof in a format of multicolored craziness, it's also easily circumvented by all the WoG-style effects.

I mean sure, you see stuff like Godo that has built-in equipment that obviously goes with it; there's also stuff like Sword of Vengeance and Argentum Armor that wouldn't be played in other formats, but begin to look attractive here.

[kombatkiwi]

I wouldn't say that Batterskull is really that great in commander

Swords (Not the UG or RW ones)
Greaves
Jitte
Skullclamp

I agree that a lot of people play Lightning Greaves in decks where it doesn't really do anything but it's often the case that the commander will have a tap ability or be trying to kill with commander damage or be important to the strategy in some way that the shroud is relevant, so I would definitely rate it.

The 2 best equipments for commander I think are clearly Greaves and Skullclamp

[Davran]

I'm sort of surprised to not see Loxodon Warhammer mentioned. Sometimes you need an elephant hammer to get the job done. Honorable mention to Behemoth Sledge for being pretty much the same thing.

Otherwise, my "top" list looks like all the others:

Skullclamp
Lightning Greaves
Swiftfoot Boots
Sword of X and Y (UG is a little lame and RW is a distant 4th)
Sunforger (because what other equipment brings its own instant speed toolbox?)
Sword of Vengeance (a.k.a. the poor man's sword)

I've also been known to run the following in the right kind of deck:

Lashwrithe/Nightmare Lash
Strata Scythe
Empyrial Plate

[TsumiBand]

Sometimes you need an elephant hammer to get the job done.

Why is this not the flavor text for the card? I'm sad now.


I've also been known to run the following in the right kind of deck:

Lashwrithe/Nightmare Lash
Strata Scythe
Empyrial Plate

Yes to all. All the things that are "+X where X is Swamps" are a real thing when you think about the ubiquity of Urborg + Coffers junk. Empyrial Plate I've been eyeballing for a little while.

[Offler]

Agree with Jitte, Swords, Batterskull and Skullclamp. There is something I want to add, but one of them its not an equipment, but simple Enchantment.

Definitely Lightning greaves, Swiftfoot boots and Illusionists Bracers are worth to mention.

Also Vanishing. The most overlooked card I ever seen. I use it to protect my general, or let enemy generals to phase out. This can break strategy of my opponent, especially if his deck is too dependant on his general.

[TsumiBand]

Someone will have to explain it to me like I'm four years old. How does Jitte scale to this format in a meaningful way? For my part the only guys that most of my decks play that are easily shot down by a Jitte are generally either support creatures (Wood Elves etc) or like, bonkers token onslaught that one little Jitte ain't gonna take care of. The life gain cannot be that amazing either since one generally loses to overwhelming board position - that leaves the +4/+4, right? What am I not getting about Umezawa's Jitte in EDH.

[Davran]

Someone will have to explain it to me like I'm four years old. How does Jitte scale to this format in a meaningful way? For my part the only guys that most of my decks play that are easily shot down by a Jitte are generally either support creatures (Wood Elves etc) or like, bonkers token onslaught that one little Jitte ain't gonna take care of. The life gain cannot be that amazing either since one generally loses to overwhelming board position - that leaves the +4/+4, right? What am I not getting about Umezawa's Jitte in EDH.

I imagine Jitte has more implications in the 1v1 format where Vendillion Clique is a top tier general. A deck built for that format is essentially 100 card singleton legacy anyway...so might as well run a Jitte I guess.

In terms of multiplayer, I'm with you. I don't see much benefit to a random 4 life or occasionally killing some utility dork or token that has likely already done whatever it was supposed to when it entered the battlefield.


On a related note, I was thumbing through a box of cards last night and stumbled on Darksteel Plate. Seems decent in this format.

[TsumiBand]

I imagine Jitte has more implications in the 1v1 format where Vendillion Clique is a top tier general. A deck built for that format is essentially 100 card singleton legacy anyway...so might as well run a Jitte I guess.

In terms of multiplayer, I'm with you. I don't see much benefit to a random 4 life or occasionally killing some utility dork or token that has likely already done whatever it was supposed to when it entered the battlefield.


On a related note, I was thumbing through a box of cards last night and stumbled on Darksteel Plate. Seems decent in this format.

I've seen a couple of those floating around too. In a world where sweepers are king and most of them say "destroy" with a handful of tucks, indestructible is a Good Thing.

And yeah I mean unless you have a reliable means of assuring that the Jitte'd creature is going to be double-striking for huge value, I'm not seeing the Jitte as being a major player in EDH. Even if you do equip to a double-striker, you're still only getting a couple of extra -1/-1 out of it. I guess maybe kind of you might get there with a double-striking general for 21 damages, but there must surely be a better or more direct way to do so (Nightmare Lash? Empyrial Plate? And so on).

[jcsy]

Sword of Feast and Famine
Swiftfoot Boots
Skullclamp

occasional darksteel plate

[kombatkiwi]

The fact that the Jitte is repeatable removal is the main important thing - just because it's commander doesn't mean every creature is Titan-sized. (Perhaps this is the case for your meta, in which case it would be understandable for you to not view Jitte as very good)

I find stuff like Darksteel Plate, Shield of Kaldra etc to be way too expensive because you still get derped by Swords/Path/Terminus/Whatever

[TsumiBand]

The fact that the Jitte is repeatable removal is the main important thing - just because it's commander doesn't mean every creature is Titan-sized. (Perhaps this is the case for your meta, in which case it would be understandable for you to not view Jitte as very good)

I find stuff like Darksteel Plate, Shield of Kaldra etc to be way too expensive because you still get derped by Swords/Path/Terminus/Whatever

That may be so, also I have seen a handful of weenie-ish decks sprouting up lately. Just seems like a bad idea from the get-go unless you're playing a lot of 1v1 or never more than like 3 players; there is SO much incidental hate because of the nature of multiplayer and the relative speed of the format that it is just hard to justify a weenie-based approach. Sort of like days of old when the only "tribal decks" that worked were like.... Goblins and Slivers? And so people would play Engineered Plague, which necessarily just beat the piss out of anyone who would show up with some lesser tribe like Hounds or Illusions or some bad idea.

I suppose if a meta is apparently flooded with weenies, then a Jitte would be as good in that format as any other.

[FTW]

Sword of the Meek

[Amon Amarth]

I can't believe I forgot about Thopter-Sword, probably because it's most often used in decks that you would ever think of plopping down Equipment.

[Madmankevinx]

Light and shadow has been very powerful in my group since exiling has become huge with indestructabilty everywhere. Black/white hav the exile spells so SoLaS is good. I also would like to +1 on Argentum Armor. Put it on a Thraximundar and have some fun!

[Bed Decks Palyer]

I always wanted to build an EDH deck with Gaea's Cradle, Tolarian Academy, Thopter Foundry, Sword of the Meek, Skullclamp, Intuition, Life from the Loam and Worms Harvest. And yes, I really don't care which of those cards are banned by whatever EDH rules and yes, I really don't care that "lol ur genral needz to be wubg and their crappy" argument. First, I'd play it in a pub where Ancestrals Recalls and Time Vaults are legal, second, I used Atogatog and Cromat as my generals cause generaly I don't give a damn about general.
But then I remembered how much I hate the whine-and-bitch-fest called EDH and forgot about the idea. But it'll be lovely.

So my votes goes to Skullclamp, followed by Umezawa's Jitte and Sword of the Meek.

Question: Not that these cards are unknown, but for the future - is there a card tag to click in the editor?

[TsumiBand]

I always wanted to build an EDH deck with Gaea's Cradle, Tolarian Academy, Thopter Foundry, Sword of the Meek, Skullclamp, Intuition, Life from the Loam and Worms Harvest. And yes, I really don't care which of those cards are banned by whatever EDH rules and yes, I really don't care that "lol ur genral needz to be wubg and their crappy" argument. First, I'd play it in a pub where Ancestrals Recalls and Time Vaults are legal, second, I used Atogatog and Cromat as my generals cause generaly I don't give a damn about general.
But then I remembered how much I hate the whine-and-bitch-fest called EDH and forgot about the idea. But it'll be lovely.

So my votes goes to Skullclamp, followed by Umezawa's Jitte and Sword of the Meek.

Question: Not that these cards are unknown, but for the future - is there a card tag to click in the editor?

In case you've not determined the correct way to tag cards yet, there is indeed a cards tag.

Use Card name here to tag a card in the middle of a sentence. EDIT: Reading the FAQ is tech, the tag is to stop parsing BB tags is , imagine that.

One can also separate multiple cards between card tags using newlines. For example, there is a single set of card tags here, at the head and foot of the series of cards. Note that a trailing 'xQuantity' breaks the link (Wild Mongrel), but a preceding 'Quantity x' will be ignored by the card tag(Arrogant Wurm).

Wild Mongrel x4
2x Arrogant Wurm
Basking Rootwalla
Wonder

Also note the way the card tags work with name shortening. I've used Legendaries/Planeswalkers to emphasize this, but depending on what you're actually putting between tags your mileage may vary.


Isamaru
Jace
Venser
Wort
Teysa

[TsumiBand]

I'd like to ask about Runechanter's Pike. It looks like a decent way to speed up some wins via Commander damage and/or Infect - in particular, Infect that can't use Black cards or things that count Swamps to bolster p/t - but I've no testing to back that up. As long as your meta doesn't have all that incidental graveyard hate that comes with "aw shucks, we just all maindeck Bojuka Bog because why wouldn't you", it seems strong, and cheap for its effect.

[Davran]

I'd like to ask about Runechanter's Pike. It looks like a decent way to speed up some wins via Commander damage and/or Infect - in particular, Infect that can't use Black cards or things that count Swamps to bolster p/t - but I've no testing to back that up. As long as your meta doesn't have all that incidental graveyard hate that comes with "aw shucks, we just all maindeck Bojuka Bog because why wouldn't you", it seems strong, and cheap for its effect.

I've seen it used in a spell heavy Wydwen, the Biting Gale draw-go style deck with something like 30 spells.

I'm not so sure about infect wins though...your best bet there is generally rocking a Skittles and killing with Lashwrite/Nightmare Lash/Strata Scythe or a quick Hatred. Anything else relies on a bunch of otherwise underpowered dorks and some random pump spells. In that case, you're probably better off with Livewire Lash and/or Wild Defiance than a random Pike.

[TsumiBand]

I've seen it used in a spell heavy Wydwen, the Biting Gale draw-go style deck with something like 30 spells.

I'm not so sure about infect wins though...your best bet there is generally rocking a Skittles and killing with Lashwrite/Nightmare Lash/Strata Scythe or a quick Hatred. Anything else relies on a bunch of otherwise underpowered dorks and some random pump spells. In that case, you're probably better off with Livewire Lash and/or Wild Defiance than a random Pike.

Well yeah, I was talking about non-Black Infect, or at least, non mono-Black Infect. Anything that wouldn't necessarily capitalize off of using "number of Swamps you control" to boost power/toughness.

I also feel like the strongest play in Magic is to play Runechanter's Pike on a Cephalid Constable and just crush all pretenders. Nice Upheaval, fucko.

[kombatkiwi]

Well yeah, I was talking about non-Black Infect, or at least, non mono-Black Infect. Anything that wouldn't necessarily capitalize off of using "number of Swamps you control" to boost power/toughness.

I also feel like the strongest play in Magic is to play Runechanter's Pike on a Cephalid Constable and just crush all pretenders. Nice Upheaval, fucko.

My friend did this to me with Empyrial Plate, Cephalid Constable is quite an underrated card

[TsumiBand]

My friend did this to me with Empyrial Plate, Cephalid Constable is quite an underrated card

Was it in a Rafiq deck? That seems like the most logical home for Cephalid Constable.

[kombatkiwi]

Was it in a Rafiq deck? That seems like the most logical home for Cephalid Constable.

No lol: Lu Xun, Scholar General (the portal ophidian)

[TsumiBand]

No lol: Lu Xun, Scholar General (the portal ophidian)

That... is a $25 Thieving Magpie. Not sure if trolling, but I guess there's something to be said for style.

[mmcgeach]

I've played some voltron decks and the best equipment for an attacking dude is something like:


sword of fire and ice
sword of light and shadow
sword of feast and famine
sword of vengeance
quietus spike


in that order. Cause, really, the first priority is getting card draw/advantage out of your attack step.

These are especially if your dude already has doublestrike. Otherwise, in a deck with dudes that have an "on damage" ability, fireshrieker is pretty strong. And whispersilk cloak.

Sunforger is good in the right deck, but of course its pretty expensive. You probably also want lightning greaves. But in most decks I wouldn't worry about swiftfoot boots. That's just extra more extra of a marginal effect already. While not an equipment, well of lost dreams is one of the best artifacts if you have creatures with lifelink.