I like War and Mind (RU) more than all of them. Fire and Light (RW) is my second favorite because it turns dead games into done games fast! Sword of Body and Shadow (GB) is one most people like a lot but I try to blow up lands so much that it's not that hot. Sword of Feast and Ice (UG) is typically seen as the weakest of the 5 even though the protection is some of the best - that 2/2 Wolf + Mill 10 just isn't reliable enough.
Feast and Famine is definitely good, but if you're low on gas you may not get the full use out of untapping your lands.
Card draw is always good, plus it being colorless gives you card draw in colors that normally lack it. The 2 damage also does more work than it first looks like.
It does depend on the deck, I run Feast and Famine in my Drana deck, because it either lets me cast another large spell or lets me leave mana open for her abilities.
They're all very good, even with just the protection and +2/+2. In terms of the extra effects they offer, Sword of War and Peace is the only one that I feel doesn't have a very great impact in Commander, and Sword of Body and Mind is the only one where you have to be wary of who you use it against for fear of empowering graveyard shenanigans.
My favorite of the lot is Sword of Feast and Famine purely on the basis that I use it in my Daxos of Meletis deck and get to use all of my mana twice in the turn, letting me cast my spells and my opponent's spells, if I have the option.
In terms of general usefulness, however, you'd probably do well to grab Sword of Fire and Ice next for your collection. Drawing a card is always great and the 2 damage can often be used to snipe problem utility creatures.
I like War and Mind (RU) more than all of them. Fire and Light (RW) is my second favorite because it turns dead games into done games fast! Sword of Body and Shadow (GB) is one most people like a lot but I try to blow up lands so much that it's not that hot. Sword of Feast and Ice (UG) is typically seen as the weakest of the 5 even though the protection is some of the best - that 2/2 Wolf + Mill 10 just isn't reliable enough.
Just sayin, it puts in work ESPECIALLY against Graveyard decks if you build around it (And Grave-hate is something you should pack anyway).
Sword of BAM! is my favorite of the set.
Just sayin', including those cards in your deck in the first place IS worrying about graveyard shenanigans.
But yeah, you're right that it can do work if you're prepared for it. I was just speaking of using them in general without knowing the rest of the deck they're going in.
It puts up hilarious work when used with Raven Guild Master, and when used with Magnetic Theft on a stick (though this works with any equipment) it's hilarious as well.
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Unless you plan on going all in, Mill is terrible. Skip Body and Mind until you have Mill as part of your game plan. More often than not people benefit from hitting them with it.
War and Peace should not be underestimated, though. White is a very relevant protection and people tend to hold onto to lots of cards in EDH. More and more often I've found myself ending games with a Boros Keyrune suited up with W&P.
this is The deck that the swords will be going in for now, i plan to redo my deck after I get the white Commander deck however, I'm also picking up both humility and Stoneforge Mystic for it
Jitte > Fire and ice > Feast and famine> > Light and shadow > The rest.
I run any of the first four. Sometimes skipping light and shadow but I like the rest.
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Hey guys so I've actually moved on from commander on to 60 card decks so I don't have any commander decks.
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Unless you plan on going all in, Mill is terrible. Skip Body and Mind until you have Mill as part of your game plan. More often than not people benefit from hitting them with it.
I don't run Body/Mind. As others have said, the mill effect can backfire terribly unless you build around it, and mill isn't one of the better EDH strategies in any case. It's not unplayable, but it is very niche at best, as opposed to the others, all of which have no downside.
I run all of the others. Feast/Famine is my personal favorite, as being able to untap your lands after attacking can often be almost as good as getting an extra turn, and is also very good with control strategies, flash and a lot of other things I enjoy.
I think Light/Shadow is underrated, personally. Protection against the two most effective colors for spot removal is not a bad thing, and it can provide some creature recursion in colors which are otherwise weak in that area.
1. Feast & Famine - both abilities are crazy good, and the colors are relevant for evasion and protection
2. Fire & Ice - minimal protection bonus but decent evasion. Both abilities are really good card advantage
3. War & Peace - good protection and evasion. The life gain/damage is sweet
4. Light & Shadow - useful effect but very deck dependent. Best protection colors though
5. Body & Mind - just meh all the way around IMO
Body and Mind has value, with U and G being the two most popular colors in EDH, but it also has the problem of providing ten new things for opp to recur. I still use it in decks that run Bloodchief Ascension (such as Nekusar), or decks where I exploit my opponent's graveyard, maybe in a token deck if I'm desperate, like if it's wolf tribal or something.
The coolest thing about Light and Shadow is, both its abilities (Raise Dead and Healing Salve) are pigeons. None of the other swords benefit you (rather than just hurting one opponent) with both abilities. So you get to benefit of being able to attack anyone and benefit from both abilities.
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Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
I personally wouldn't run any of them unless they are shoring up a distinct lack that your deck is missing. Fire/Ice for card draw, Light/Shadow for gravehelp, and War/Peace for the mono blue decks that really need to get into the red zone.
Even then, I need a Stoneforge Mystic to make me happy with spending that many slots on equipment.(Assuming that at a minimum Lightning Greaves and Umezawa's Jitte are already in the deck before the swords.)
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In my very heavy R/W equipment voltron deck I value/tutor them as follows (usually).
1. Sword of Fire and Ice - I prefer this sword 90% of the time. Would be less if I had access to blue.
2. Sword of Light and Shadow - If I have an early Stoneforge Mystic this is easily my sword of choice.
3. Sword of Feast and Famine - I like this sword mid to late game. I run a very aggressive deck with a very low mana-curve (2.88)
4. Sword of Body and Mind - I used to not run this due to low opinion, but am usually glad to draw it, as the wolf tokens help activate batallion and the protection and evasion it provides helps me end the game. I'd not run this in a deck that plays a long game, this sword works for me in an aggressive deck though.
5. Sword of War and Peace - Easily the least-used sword in my equipment deck. Still a solid card, but nearly as much as the others (yes, even body and mind).
I personally wouldn't run any of them unless they are shoring up a distinct lack that your deck is missing. Fire/Ice for card draw, Light/Shadow for gravehelp, and War/Peace for the mono blue decks that really need to get into the red zone.
Even then, I need a Stoneforge Mystic to make me happy with spending that many slots on equipment.(Assuming that at a minimum Lightning Greaves and Umezawa's Jitte are already in the deck before the swords.)
I thought I was the only one! I have found the swords to be generally underwhelming, especially for the price tag ; I only play them as specific role fillers. Sword of Feast and Famine is the only one that seems worth it to me.
Everything pales in comparison to Lightning Greaves, Skullclamp, and Jitte. I'd play Loxodon Warhammer before most of the swords.
I like War and Mind (RU) more than all of them. Fire and Light (RW) is my second favorite because it turns dead games into done games fast! Sword of Body and Shadow (GB) is one most people like a lot but I try to blow up lands so much that it's not that hot. Sword of Feast and Ice (UG) is typically seen as the weakest of the 5 even though the protection is some of the best - that 2/2 Wolf + Mill 10 just isn't reliable enough.
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Feast and Famine is definitely good, but if you're low on gas you may not get the full use out of untapping your lands.
Card draw is always good, plus it being colorless gives you card draw in colors that normally lack it. The 2 damage also does more work than it first looks like.
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Sword of Fire and Ice ---> Sword of Light and Shadow ---> Sword of War and Peace/Sword of Feast and Famine.
I don't run Sword of Body and Mind.
It does depend on the deck, I run Feast and Famine in my Drana deck, because it either lets me cast another large spell or lets me leave mana open for her abilities.
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My favorite of the lot is Sword of Feast and Famine purely on the basis that I use it in my Daxos of Meletis deck and get to use all of my mana twice in the turn, letting me cast my spells and my opponent's spells, if I have the option.
In terms of general usefulness, however, you'd probably do well to grab Sword of Fire and Ice next for your collection. Drawing a card is always great and the 2 damage can often be used to snipe problem utility creatures.
Just sayin, it puts in work ESPECIALLY against Graveyard decks if you build around it (And Grave-hate is something you should pack anyway).
Sword of BAM! is my favorite of the set.
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But yeah, you're right that it can do work if you're prepared for it. I was just speaking of using them in general without knowing the rest of the deck they're going in.
It puts up hilarious work when used with Raven Guild Master, and when used with Magnetic Theft on a stick (though this works with any equipment) it's hilarious as well.
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War and Peace should not be underestimated, though. White is a very relevant protection and people tend to hold onto to lots of cards in EDH. More and more often I've found myself ending games with a Boros Keyrune suited up with W&P.
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I run any of the first four. Sometimes skipping light and shadow but I like the rest.
Anyway I've started my own gameplay channel in which I play games (Magic also)
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Well, you never know. If your commander is Tariel, Reckoner of Souls or Lazav, Dimir Mastermind, you might want a stocked yard to choose from.
I run all of the others. Feast/Famine is my personal favorite, as being able to untap your lands after attacking can often be almost as good as getting an extra turn, and is also very good with control strategies, flash and a lot of other things I enjoy.
I think Light/Shadow is underrated, personally. Protection against the two most effective colors for spot removal is not a bad thing, and it can provide some creature recursion in colors which are otherwise weak in that area.
Wrexial, the Risen Deep with Body and mind (stacking triggers)? if yes i will add one in my list
actually ill add anyway
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1. Feast & Famine - both abilities are crazy good, and the colors are relevant for evasion and protection
2. Fire & Ice - minimal protection bonus but decent evasion. Both abilities are really good card advantage
3. War & Peace - good protection and evasion. The life gain/damage is sweet
4. Light & Shadow - useful effect but very deck dependent. Best protection colors though
5. Body & Mind - just meh all the way around IMO
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Sword of Feast and Famine
Sword of Light and Shadow
Sword of War and Peace
Sword of Body and Mind
Body and Mind has value, with U and G being the two most popular colors in EDH, but it also has the problem of providing ten new things for opp to recur. I still use it in decks that run Bloodchief Ascension (such as Nekusar), or decks where I exploit my opponent's graveyard, maybe in a token deck if I'm desperate, like if it's wolf tribal or something.
The coolest thing about Light and Shadow is, both its abilities (Raise Dead and Healing Salve) are pigeons. None of the other swords benefit you (rather than just hurting one opponent) with both abilities. So you get to benefit of being able to attack anyone and benefit from both abilities.
On phasing:
Even then, I need a Stoneforge Mystic to make me happy with spending that many slots on equipment.(Assuming that at a minimum Lightning Greaves and Umezawa's Jitte are already in the deck before the swords.)
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In my very heavy R/W equipment voltron deck I value/tutor them as follows (usually).
1. Sword of Fire and Ice - I prefer this sword 90% of the time. Would be less if I had access to blue.
2. Sword of Light and Shadow - If I have an early Stoneforge Mystic this is easily my sword of choice.
3. Sword of Feast and Famine - I like this sword mid to late game. I run a very aggressive deck with a very low mana-curve (2.88)
4. Sword of Body and Mind - I used to not run this due to low opinion, but am usually glad to draw it, as the wolf tokens help activate batallion and the protection and evasion it provides helps me end the game. I'd not run this in a deck that plays a long game, this sword works for me in an aggressive deck though.
5. Sword of War and Peace - Easily the least-used sword in my equipment deck. Still a solid card, but nearly as much as the others (yes, even body and mind).
Everything pales in comparison to Lightning Greaves, Skullclamp, and Jitte. I'd play Loxodon Warhammer before most of the swords.
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