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Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Card of the Day


Image from Wizards.com

Skullclamp
 


Reviewed February xx, 2004

Constructed: 4.29
Casual: 3.79
Limited: 4.50

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.  3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating

Click here to see all our 
Card of the Day Reviews 


Judge Bill

*Level 2
MTG Judge

*game store employee

Tuesday - Skullclamp
 
Wow. Why more people where I play are not playing this card, I have no idea. ANY aggro deck, and yes I do mean ANY, should have 4 of these in the deck WITHOUT HESITATION. Any deck that has at least 25% creatures (15+) should also be running this. I'd consider this in a deck with as few as 8 creatures.
 
This has taken one of the major blue mechanics, card drawing, and given it to the masses. It's stuff like this that will stop blue's stranglehold on the game, because as long as bule has sole possession of good card drawing and decent countering, people will play blue.
 
In limited, it's another no-brainer.
 
In casual, yet another no-brainer. Even though you won't draw the cards right away, it makes all of your creatures replaceable.
 
Constructed: 5
Casual: 5
Limited: 5


DeQuan
Watson

* game store owner (The Game Closet - Waco,TX)

* pro tour player

* Scrye writer since 2002

Tuesday - Skullclamp
 
I want to lead off by saying that I think this card is overhyped.  It seems like every deck right now that has anything that says "Creature - " on a card in the deck is playing this thing. I think it's a great card.  It's probably as strong of a card as we will see out of R&D for a little while.  Don't get my wrong, the card is good.  It's just a bit overhyped.  There's no real secret or strategy to Skullclamp.  You simply cast it.  Equip it.  Rinse.  Repeat.  This also goes well with such wonderful flavors as Solemn Simulacrum.
 
Casual players probably won't be able to make great use of this card.  They can obviously play this and get some neat tricks from it.  However, I think most will pass on them right now while they are reaching the $5 point.  In the end though, I'd expect most casual players to see the light and play these cards.
 
Limited players love this card.  It's an extremely high draft pick.  If Bonesplitter is good, Skullclamp is twice as amazing.
 
Constructed: 4
Casual: 3
Limited: 4


Jeff Zand
i

5 Time Pro Tour
Veteran

Level 2 Judge

Skullclamp

Maybe the best single card printed in the past five years. It puts card drawing into virtually any deck, constructed or limited, regardless of color. All you need are creatures, preferably creatures you can kill by equipping with the Clamp. Of course, if you Clamp up a fat beast and attack with him long enough, your opponent will usually be forced to kill it, drawing you cards aplenty. This card is ALREADY having a major impact on constructed and Darksteel has barely become legal for constructed formats.

This card is so good it could get banned. Hard to believe this card was printed.

CONSTRUCTED: 4.5
CASUAL: 4.5
LIMITED: 5.0

Ray "Monk"
Powers

*DCI Tournament Organizer
*Game Store Owner (Gamer's Edge)

Skullclamp

 

Ah, the broken card of Darksteel. It’s hard to say much about this card that has not already been said. Yes, it’s great in draft. Yes, its great in constructed. I have no idea how "fun" it would be in casual, but I'm sure you can come up with some funky combo's with it soon enough. My only complaint with this card is simple; an uncommon should on cost me $5.

 

Casual:                         2

Constructed:                 4         

Limited:                        5

Jason
Matthews


* Level 1 DCI Judge

*game store employee

* gaming for over 15 years

 Tuesday-Skullclamp

By far the most talked about card from the Darksteel set. The bane of all weenie style decks is that you run out of cards to play and this card will fix that. Also the bane of creature deck is the mass kill spells like Wrath of God and equipping your creatures with this makes it to where the mass kill doesn’t hurt as bad. Look for this card to make its way into a lot of decks that don’t even need it. One of the bad things about cards that are this good is that players will put it in a lot of deck that cant abuse it. Watch this cards value go pretty high. This card will most likely will be in a lot of type two decks for all the time it is legal. In limited this cards pretty dang good and I would draft it early. In casual play it’s a good card for the weenie deck players and I would rank it up there with cards like Rancor.

Constructed 4
Limited 4
Casual 4

Jonathan
Pechon


2 Grand Prix Top 8's

Multiple Pro Tour appearances

Skullclamp

 

Dumb.  It’s absolutely ridiculous in every possible way.  The only reason this card won’t see a 5 in constructed it because it’s not as playable in the control decks; however, this card has single-handedly run many of the control decks out of the environment.  Get four.

 

There has been a running argument over whether there is a card in Darksteel that you take over this.  I’ve made some arguments and been shouted down multiple times.  It’s worth more than many of the rares in the set, for Pete’s sake (and if you know who this Pete guy is, please let me know, tks).

 

I’ll just say it’s a 5 for casual.  It works in Mental Magic, and it works in every deck with creatures.  Move along.

 

Constructed:  4.5

Limited:  5.0

Casual:  5.0

Chase
Skullclamp

I find this card to be better and better in my Goblin deck. Sac a billion creatures via Sledder, power up the Sharpshooter, then draw a billion cards! Great in Weenie, and pretty good in beat down. Good in other decks too, but Weenies can take more advantage of the speed.

In Casual, it s pretty good. Get lots of 1/2s and 2/2s then slap these on em.

In Limited, it s still good, but you can t as much advantage of the speed as I would like to. It draws two cards, for in effect 2 mana, which is good.

Constructed: 4
Casual: 3
Limited: 3.5
 

 

 

 

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