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Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Card of the Day

Daily Since November 2001!

Batterskull
Image from Wizards.com

Batterskull
New Phyrexia

Reviewed May 20, 2011

Constructed: 4.60
Casual: 4.58
Limited: 4.98
Multiplayer: 4.40

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 of our 
Card of the Day Reviews 

BMoor

Batterskull

Five mana, of any color, for an artifact that enters play as a 4/4 with vigilance and lifelink, can grant all that to any other creature for five mana, and can return itself to your hand at instant speed (to dodge artifact kill) for three mana, only to re-hit play with a brand new Gern token at the helm? If that doesn't scare you, remember-- Stoneforge Mystic is still in Standard. For two mana, you can tap a Mystic and drop this thing into play at instant speed-- say, into an attacker? Surprise 4/4 lifelink blocker? Add to that the fact that it can jump back into your hand as an activated ability as well, and these two cards together can really make all hell break loose! Not to mention that this basically gives every color access to efficient lifegain. White doesn't even have a 4/4 creature with vigilance and lifelink for five mana! Sure, when the first one dies, it's five mana to re-equip, but you can still treat it like a 4/4 for five. And besides, using six mana to cast a Raging Goblin and equip this to it, then swing for five lifelink haste, is a pretty good play-- one of the best I can think of that involves Raging Goblin. I greatly suspect that this card will be the new Wurmcoil Engine-- the go-to candidate when you need a ruthlessly efficient creature in a color that isn't known for having any particularly good ones.

Constructed- 4.75
Casual- 4.8
Limited- 4.9
Multiplayer-4.95

David Fanany

Player since 1995

Batterskull

The third contender for the top of the hypothetical living weapon constructed hierarchy that I mentioned the other day. This one might just edge it, at least in the short term, because it's the craziest when your Stoneforge Mystic tosses it into play on your third turn. How exactly does a goblin deck plan to beat that? Standard players, dust off your Divine Offerings; in Extended, reach for Qasali Pridemage; everyone else, hope you're stocked up on Planar Cleansing, Purify, and Crumble. This card is here. This card is real. This card is mythic-powerful. You'll need them.
 
Constructed: 4/5
Casual: 4/5
Limited: 5/5
Multiplayer: 4/5
Michael "Maikeruu" Pierno

Today's card of the day is Batterskull which is a five mana equipment with an equip cost of five, has Living Weapon, can be returned to the owner's hand for three mana, and gives the creature it is equipped to Vigilance, Lifelink, and +4/+4.  This card offers pretty much everything you could ask for in an equipment as it comes into play with a creature that it is attached to removing the drawback of needing another in play, can be returned to hand if any attempt is made to destroy it or if a new creature is desperately needed, and gives an excellent assortment of effects for the cost.  There is no drawback to the card outside of the somewhat high casting and equip costs, but both can be mitigated in the right deck as they are colorless.  Overall this is a fantastic card and one of the best equipments currently available.
 
In Limited this is truly a bomb and extremely difficult for an opponent to deal with if played correctly.  It is a constant threat both offensively and defensively and should always have a creature attached to it and can not be destroyed unless the controller taps out.  Lifelink by itself is quite playable and combined with +4/+4 and Vigilance is a serious concern to any opponent.  It can and should be played in any deck both in Sealed and Booster as the colorless nature allows it and can be supported by Myr.  An absolute first pick barring an extreme double rare pack and a card that can help win games whenever it hits field.
 
Constructed: 4.5
Casual: 4.5
Limited: 5.0
Multiplayer: 4.5

John
Shultis
Phoenix
Gaming

      Welcome to this week’s final card of the day review here at Pojo.com. Today’s card is Batterskull from New Phyrexia. The Batterskull is an artifact equipment with living weapon. The Batterskull costs five generic mana and when it comes into play, you get a 0/0 germ token that the Batterskull automatically equips itself to. The Batterskull gives the equipped creature +4/+4, and gives it vigilance and lifelink. You can also pay three generic mana to return Batterskull to your hand. The normal equip cost for the Batterskull is also five generic mana.

     The Batterskull enable a creature to almost become as good as the Baneslayer Angel, I’m just kidding. But, the fact that a germ can almost be that good is quite impressive. And just think what happens when it comes off the germ. A Batterskulled Metalcrafting Spiraling Duelist could just be straight on insanity. That is one creature that I would not want to have to face off against. Add in a card like any of the swords really, and that could become a real problem. It all comes down to what you run with the Batterskull. After all, a hammer is only as good as the arm swinging it.

     Not sure that this card is deserving of one of the most sought after cards of the set, but it definitely can be a game changer when properly used and applied.
 
Limited: 5/5
Casual: 5/5
Constructed: 5/5
Multiplayer: 4/5


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