168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Magic: The Gathering's second visit to Mirrodin saw the Phyrexians invade the plane and eventually reshape it into the oily, corrupted world of New Phyrexia. It was full of new mechanics that showcased the frightening powers of the villainous Phyrexians, including the Equipment-themed living weapon mechanic.

Equipment was a key feature of Mirrodin as a plane, debuting in the original Mirrodin set back in 2003. Living Weapon puts a corrupted, or 'compleated' spin on equipment, tying it thematically to the perfection-seeking Phyrexians, and further tainting the world of m𓃲etal that they over🌠took.

How Does Living Weapon Work In MTG?

Living weapon is an ability that shows up on equipment cards. When an equipment with living weapon enters the battlefield, its controller creates a 0/0 black Phyrexian Germ creature token and equips the artifact to𓂃 that Germ. In other words, it's a piece of equipment that comes pre-attached to its 🐼own creature.

The Germs from living weapon were errata'd into Phyrexian Germs in 2021.🅰 Cards printed before that won't include the Phyrexian te🤪xt, but it applies to all living weapon cards.

Note that the Germ being created and the attaching of the equipment all happens as part of the resolution of a living weapon trigger, so there's no time between when the ability resolves and when the equipment becomes attached in which pla👍yers can interact with the Germ token.

The Germ created by the equipment exists independent of the equipment once living weapon resolves. That means if you move the equipment to a different creature, the Germ will still be there as a separate creature token. It's a base 0/0 though, so moving the equipment will usually result in the Germ dying unless it's been buffed by a +1/+1 counter or 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:an anthem effect.

Variations Of Living Weapon

Living Weapon is a pretty intuitive mechanic, but due to 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:its connection to Phyrexians, it's not an ability that shows up that often. There have been some riffs on the 🐷mechanic, most notably For Mirrodin! from Phyrexia: All Will Be One.

Funnily enough, this is another Mirrodin-centric mechanic, and basically works the same way, except it makes a 2/2 red Rebel token instead.

There's also what Wizards refers to internally as 'snap-on equipment.' This isn't a named mechanic, but rath🅰er refers to the type of equipment that automatically attaches to creatures once it enters the battlefield, like Embercleave or Mithril Coat. This type of equipment was popularized in Zendikar Rising and has been used pretty liberally since.

There are also plenty of examples of equipment that create their own tokens when they enter the battlefield, but don't use a named mechanic at all. Examples include Citizen's Crowbar and Mask of Immolation, which were certainly in𒁏spired by the living weapon mechanic.

Combos With Living Weapon

Though many living weapon cards are good enough on their own, these artifacts still have a few shells in which they excel. Most obviously is 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:in equipment decks, where living weapon equipment solves a major issue ofဣ what happens when you've got a🐈 bunch of equipment, but nothing to equip them to. Spotting you a creature is perfect for this style of deck.

Since the Germs are also Phyrexians, there are some unique builds that might favor living weapon cards for the creature type it produces. Commanders like Brimaz, Blight of Oreskos and March of the Machine's Elesh Norn can make good use of equipment that comes with its own Phyrexian.

There's also a place for living weapon cards 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:in blink decks, specifically ones that are capable of flickering artifacts. Commanders like Brago, King Eternal and Abuelo, Ancestral Echo can 'reset' living weapon equipment that have dropped off and lost their Germs, essentially creating an entire new creature on the battღlefield when the equipment re-enters play.

Best Living Weapon Cards

Batterskull

Batterskull was a hallmark of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:the Modern format for quite some time, and also makes the occasional appearance in Legacy, where it's one of the best equipment to pair with Stoneforge Mystic. Mystic's ability to tutor f൲or Batterskull then subsဣequently put it into play the next turn makes for a powerful one-two punch in formats where they're both legal.

Bitterthorn, Nissa's Animist

Bitterhorn is a Phyrexianized version of another 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:staple equipment in Commander: Sword of the Animist. As with the Sword, Bitterhorn's a great ramp tool for colors that plan on attacking often a🔥nd don't have as much access to ramp. Bitterhorn costs an additional mana over Sword, with its advantage being that it skips a step and comes attached to its own creature.

Cranial Ram

As a direct callback to Cranial Plating, Cranial Ram isn't a particularly hard card to parse out. Artifact decks are very good at filling a board with artifacts, which means the Ram should grant a sizable power boost in decks built around it. N💦ever underestimate a two-mana card that can come into play as a 6/1 𓄧or larger.

Kaldra Compleat

Kaldra Compleat supplanted Batterskull as the Stoneforge Mystic target of choice. Batterskull's a good card in races and makes it very hard to die, but Kaldra Compleat just ends the game in a few swings. It's a liability if it gets stuck in your hand, but 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Indestructi🌟ble makes it so much more resili💫ent while it's in play.

Nettlecyst

Nettlecyst poses a deckbuilding requirement, but fill your deck with enough artifacts and/or enchantments and the🌌 card definitely pulls its weight. It's not uncommon for Nettlecyst to enter as a 5/5 or larger🍒, and the equipment can be attached elsewhere if the Germ is taken care of.