The 20 Best Equipments in Magic: The Gathering

In today's article, we're going to bring you the 20 best pieces of equipment to reinforce your creatures in Magic history for you to use in Commander or in other formats.

Weapons that guarantee additional value for their bearers are always present in RPG games and other themes, and this could not be any different in our beloved game!

But before we get into the list, here's an interesting fact about the history of this artifact subtype that might seem like a normal thing for today's players, but wasn't always the case. It wasn't until 2003 that the first equipment was released.

Until this date, there were only auras and even some artifacts that could be understood as equipment, but the mechanic as we know it today and the equipment subtype itself were born in the Mirrodin block, 20 equipments at first, coincidentally!

Check out how equipment was symbolized within Magic before Mirrodin, or, in sum, enchantments, and artifacts without subtypes:

20 - Loxodon Warhammer

Starting with one of the top 20 equipment with the subtypes noted above, this great hammer gives any creature a nice +3 power booster, lifelink, and trample.

Combined with a creature that already has first strike or double strike, it becomes an attacking engine, giving your opponent a lot of trouble. We can even attach it to a creature that has abilities to dodge during the attack, like flying, shadow or menace.

As its cost (proportional to its size) is and more to equip, it is in this position, however, nothing that reduction modifiers can't solve to make it cost cheaper and even equip it for free.

Recommended formats to use: Commander

19 - Lucille

To be honest, I've never seen this card played, even on Magic Online where it only costs two cents. Maybe because it's unknown, misunderstood or perhaps because of the unconventional color for an equipment deck. As a fan of the Walking Dead series, I think it represented the iconic artifact very well, as well as having good synergy with its owner Negan, the Cold-Blooded.

With a cost of to equip, its stand out trait is in the ability to force the attacked opponent to sacrifice a creature, generating a zombie for you on top of it. As it manages to generate a good advantage, in addition to giving an additional +2 to power and menace, it had its position conquered here in this list.

An important point is that the sacrifice happens during the attack phase, that is, the opponent already loses a blocker, you create a creature that can be equipped and attack the next turn with Lucille and thus generate a game situation in which the opponent will lose one creature per turn, and you will have a horde of zombies attacking them relentlessly!

Recommended formats to use: Commander and Limited

18 - Maul of the Skyclaves

If the goal is to attack, this gives its bearer the ability to fly, first strike, in addition to increasing its stats. If all that wasn't enough, it also has a great ETB ability that allows you to attach it to a creature on the battlefield, creating a swift situation in which a simple harmless creature on the field becomes relevant.

Widely played back when it was in Standard, it is currently little or no longer ran on any strategy, except in drafts, but it is worthy enough to have a place here.

Recommended formats to use: Commander and Limited

17 - Sword of the Meek

At first glance, this card would not have a spot on this list. For the cost of mana plus to equip, a bonus of only +1 power and +2 toughness would be terrible, and there are several other equipments that deliver more for these costs.

However, its unique ability is what makes all the difference: Returning from the graveyard whenever a 1/1 creature (whether token or not) enters the battlefield makes it great for combos.

The most used combo currently is with Thopter Foundry, in which you can sacrifice the sword to generate the token and then return the sword to the battlefield.

Add to this equation any creature sacrifice to generate mana, and you have an infinite cycle of creature entries in the battlefield, life gain and if your sac is Ashnod's Altar, infinite mana.

Other options to use with the sword can be Grinding Station + Memnite + Scrap Trawler or Sai, Master Thopterist + Memnite + Scrap Trawler.

Recommended formats to use: Commander and Modern

16 - Helm of the Host

Continuing with the combo footprint, how about this helmet that every commander already knows: if it hits the board, there's a combo on the way.

Of course, like every combo card there is, there are healthy ways to use this helmet without breaking the game, such as in Ghired, Conclave Exile which will create a copy of itself, creating another rhino token at the same time it enters the battlefield, generating more rhinos and filling the board with Ghireds and rhinos.

However, this effect is not infinite, and would not kill an opponent in a single attack. It would deal a lot of damage and generate numerous creatures, but nothing a board wipe can't fix.

Now truth be told: those who normally run Helm of the Host want to equip it in Godo, Bandit Warlord, Combat Celebrant and Aurelia, the Warleader to have unlimited extra attack turns, or Timestream Navigator for unlimited extra turns.

Recommended formats to use: Commander, Modern, and Penny Dreadful (when legal).

15 - Masterwork of Ingenuity

If one equipment wasn't enough, imagine creating a copy of it for just mana. That's what Masterwork of Ingenuity does when it enters the board, and it can even copy your opponents' equipment.

Since it doesn't have any abilities and depends on another good artifact in the field, I put it in this placement. Oh! It is worth remembering that it does not target, so you can copy another equipment that has hexproof or shroud without much issue, but keep in mind that copying a legendary artifact that you already have will sacrifice one of the two and the cost of equipping will be the same as the copied equipment.

Recommended formats to use: Commander

14 - Hammer of Nazahn

Forged and used in its builds by Nazahn, Revered Bladesmith, this hammer has two great abilities: the first one that stands out is that its wielder becomes indestructible, and the second is eliminating the need to pay equipment costs.

This second one can be further explored in equipment decks as a way to get around high equipment costs, like, for example, paying only to cast and make Colossus Hammer be equipped automatically.

Recommended formats to use: Commander

13 - Vorpal Sword

I must say as a victim who has taken this killing blow more than once, and even in standard 60-card formats, that yes, eight mana is easy and quick to get, and when added to a creature with shadow or another way of circumventing blocks, the opponent is simply obligated to accept defeat automatically.

Among the ways I've seen of getting to this low cost quickly there are Cabal Coffers with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx with various creatures with mana costs and even Dark Ritual + Cabal Ritual. All these accelerators only come in black, so be careful when you see this sword that looks harmless: its wielder is unlikely to have good intentions.

Recommended formats to use: Commander

12 - Battlemage's Bracers

I was really in doubt whether to put in these bracers or Illusionist's Bracers which, in addition to being traditional and well known, is colorless and can be used on any commander, has lower execution costs (zero) and costs only mana.

But Battlemage's Bracers has a twist: The creature also has haste! Also, if we look further, Illusionist's Bracers costs to equip, while Battlemage's Bracers costs , if we add the cost to double the creature's activation, we have the same expenses for the first option, being that the creature will have the ability to immediately activate its ability.

Krenko, Mob Boss players should know how difficult it is to make him last on the table for one turn, now imagine activating his ability twice in a row as soon as he enters, or else dealing damage equal to 3/4 of all opponents' life with Heartless Hidetsugu on the same turn it hits the board. Not bad, right? Which one do you think is better?

Recommended formats to use: Commander

11 - Cranial Plating

What can I say about this card, which was banned in Standard Mirrodin at the time and is currently banned in Pauper, tried to find a place in Modern Affinity, and lost steam only because Mox Opal was banned?

Undoubtedly, combining the ability to grow as large as the number of your artifacts in play and with the ability of allowing you to equip a creature at instant-speed is powerful. It was difficult to decide a place for it on this list, and unfortunately, I left it out of the Top 10 because it is restricted to black in Commander, outside the usual red and white, plus it plays better in a deck more focused on artifacts than on equipment.

Recommended formats to use: Commander, Penny Dreadful and Modern

10 - Lion Sash

Entering our Top 10, I bring this recent equipment released during our return to Kamigawa that brought us a lot of technology - among them, the ability of artifact creatures to reconfigure themselves into weapons and be equipped, granting and combining their abilities to another creature.

Among these new options, Lion Sash is by far the best because in addition to its low cost to play and equip, it has the ability to remove any card from a graveyard for the cost of , allowing you to exile possible bombs that are there, and, at the same time, getting a +1/+1 counter if it's a permanent.

If as a creature it would already be good, as Scavenging Ooze is, imagine adding the flexibility of equipping it and giving this same bonus to another creature, except in white. Therefore, Lion Sash has found a place in Mono W Aggro decks and even in Death & Taxes.

Recommended formats to use: Commander, Standard, Limited and Legacy

9 - Godsend

Sent by Heliod to Elspeth Tirel and used by her to defeat the hydra Polukranos when we first came to Theros, this mighty sword-spear can remove a creature from existence just by crossing the wielder's path.

When blocking, or being blocked, the creature is exiled even before the damage phase happens, which gives an excellent advantage. If that's not enough, add a +3 power and +3 toughness bonuses, and all cards exiled by it cannot be cast.

Imagine you exile your friend's commander, which can no longer be used, or every turn you attack in a conventional format in which the opponent blocks, they lose a card that cannot be played during the rest of the game while this equipment is on the board.

Recommended formats to use: Commander and Limited

8 - Sword of the Animist

Magic has plenty of cards that start with "Sword of", and this is yet another sword that has an interesting ramp ability.

As it is colorless, it can bring this ability usually exclusive to the color green to any Commander deck. The bonus is only +1 power and +1 toughness, but its low costs, to play and more to equip, can be paid in installments, on different turns, and make you fetch a land per attack.

Recommended formats to use: Commander

7 - Embercleave

I dare say that any equipment card that has Flash or abilities that can be activated as instants, as is the case with the previously mentioned Cranial Plating, can have an absurd impact in the game and is always worth it.

This is the case of this sword, which, despite being legendary, is usually run three to four copies in the decks in which it is played. This is because it will normally be cast for instead of the standard 6 cost to be played, since it is reduced by for each attacking creature and its cost to equip is free when entering the battlefield.

With a nice bonus of +1 power, +1 toughness, double strike and trample, for two mana, instant speed and with a free equip bonus? It's a nice punch in the stomach that, if it doesn't win you the game, will leave your opponent pretty hurt.

Recommended formats to use: Commander and Pioneer

6 - Skullclamp

There are people who might disagree that this card is better or worse than many of the other listed so far. “Only” +1 power and -1 toughness? If I put it on a creature with 1 toughness, it will die. Yes, and this is a normal play in Commander! Now, with a cost of to play and only to equip, its ability that grants the creature's owner the ability to draw two cards, it's like if you paid mana and drew two cards and in this game, the more cards you draw, the closer you are to winning.

Another use for Skullclamp is to equip it on a creature that would normally be targeted, "punishing" the creature's slaying, granting you two cards. Recently, another card was released that was even compared to Skullclamp, which is quite "nerfed", but for those that are looking for a lower budget option, might be worth it: Transmogrant's Crown.

One last reminder about the Skullclamp is that it's one of the few Magic equipment that's banned in more than one format: It can't be played in Modern or Legacy.

Recommended formats to use: Commander

5 - Swiftfoot Boots and Lightning Greaves

Now in our fifth place, I brought two cards, as they both cost colorless mana to play, both grant haste and prevent the equipped creature from being targeted (Hexproof and Shroud).

The difference comes in the cost to equip: while Lightning Greaves costs zero, Swiftfoot Boots will cost you mana. However, the second one with the highest cost gives you the possibility to attach other equipment and auras, as it allows its controller to target it. As for Greaves, despite costing zero to equip, its protection is “greater” and can end up hindering your strategy if you are piloting a Voltron deck, or any archetype that focuses on targeting your creatures with auras and more equipment.

Recommended formats to use: Commander and Limited

4 - Kaldra Compleat

Approaching the Top 3 of our list, but without getting into it yet, we have a dilemma. what is better in your opinion: Batterskull or Kaldra Compleat? Hard choice, isn't it?

Both are run in the same deck and practically have the same purpose: To be an excellent finisher. Kaldra Compleat's highest cost pays for itself by being indestructible, granting its wielder indestructible, haste, first strike, trample, and +5 power and +5 toughness! All that, which normally comes in for the two mana cost of Stoneforge Mystic's ability.

Additionally, Kaldra has the ability to exile another creature by dealing damage to it.

As a curiosity for those who likes the Lore: Kaldra Compleat as the name implies, gives life to the three famous equipment in its Compleated form and with that, carries all of its abilities.

Recommended formats to use: Commander and Modern

3 - Batterskull

Let's go straight to what you, the reader, must be asking yourself, "Hudson, why did you put Kaldra before, if it has more abilities, and it comes at the same cost as Stoneforge Mystic's ability?"

I give you not just one, but three reasons why Batterskull does what Kaldra doesn't:

Vigilance, being able to attack and defend in the following turn, all in one creature, which means it's better at blocking. Kaldra “only” attacks, very efficiently, yes, and you hardly can not take any damage in a block, but it stays tapped.

Lifelink plus vigilance is a great combination. What's the use of you hitting five damage with Kaldra while I attack with four, gaining four life and I can still block smaller creatures, gaining four more life the next turn by blocking with Batterskull? It is a health gain that can bring about a comeback, and make you gain space enough to dedicate yourself to attacking.

You can return the equipment to your hand. We know that although indestructible, this doesn't prevent it from being exiled or being bounced on the germ token. Both equipments play in decks that don't have a high mana curve. Paying or even mana to equip will be painful if not impossible, which sets the equipment aside until it is equipped again if the germ token comes out.

Therefore, having the ability to pay mana to return it to the hand can not only save equipment from being removed from play, but it can also be used to return it to the hand to be played again, regenerating the token.

For these three reasons, I decided to separate and give each of these two equipments a different position, since despite being similar, they are not the same and need to be used depending on the progress of the match. But don't get stuck choosing between one or the other in your deck, it's best to use both!

Recommended formats to use: Commander and Modern

2 - Umezawa's Jitte

Our runner-up today is banned in Modern, banned in Tribal, and is an excellent piece in several Commander decks that aren't even equipment-focused, in addition to participating in top competitive decks in Legacy. If you're looking for a low-cost piece, which gains life, removes creatures (even with indestructible) and moreover grants a power buff, then you'll have it all in this legendary weapon!

This Jittle carries the name of the Umezawa family, which currently has four creatures represented on the cards: Tetsuo Umezawa, Toshiro Umezawa, Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive and the most recent Satoru Umezawa. In addition to them, we have two cards that have references, carrying their abilities: Umezawa's Charm and Life of Toshiro Umezawa.

What gives Jitte its versatility, in addition to having three good effects, is being able to remove counters to activate abilities at instant speed and not only that, it doesn't need to be equipped to perform its effects, making it a valuable piece that will generate an absurd value throughout the game.

Recommended formats to use: Commander, Limited and Legacy

1 - The Swords Cycle

I couldn't choose just one, I brought all five swords from the cycle revealed in Darksteel that have the same cost to play: ; the same cost to equip: ; the same type of trigger to their effects: when dealing combat damage to a player; same type of protection; and the same bonus: +2 power and +2 toughness.

Their variation is in relation to their protection, in which each one gives a different combination of two colors and with that, each one has two abilities according to these colors that will trigger when the creature deals combat damage to a player.

We have everything, from blinking a creature to creating a token, but the ones that have their powers best used, and important protections are Sword of Feast and Famine for untapping all your lands and making the opponent lose resources by discarding a card and Sword of Fire and Ice, which gives you a nice resource to draw a card in addition to causing two damage to any target, which can help you end the game, kill a creature or even target a planeswalker. Not to mention that a creature equipped with both swords will have protection from four of the five colors in the game.

It is noteworthy that after this cycle, two more swords came: Sword of Sinew and Steel and Sword of Truth and Justice in Modern Horizons and one more in the recent Modern Horizon 2, the Sword of Hearth and Home, composing eight swords in total.

In some set in the future, we will most likely have the two that are missing to close all ten combinations, them being the Sword of “linked to Red and Green” and Sword of “linked to Black and Blue“. What's your guess on the names of the two missing weapons?

Recommended formats to use: Commander, Limited, Modern and Legacy

Yea! We know that Colossus Hammer hasn't been mentioned yet, despite him creating new decks in both Modern and Pioneer formats.

We decided on an honorable mention, the reason: he doesn't play alone. Alone, the card is actually no good, for it to work you must create a specific deck for it in order to pay zero on its equip cost.

I hope you enjoyed the reading! Of course, we can have different opinions between one being better than the other, and, by the way, depending on each deck and proposal or even in certain game situations, one will be better.

But tell me what's your favorite equipment? Did I miss some top equipment?

Until next time!