Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Raven Clan War-Axe: A Network Graph of MTG Card Relationships
If you’ve ever built a deck where every card clicks into the next—like gears in a clockwork labyrinth—you know the thrill of a well-constructed MTG network graph. Raven Clan War-Axe, a rare artifact equipment from the Assassin’s Creed crossover set, stands out not just for its stat line but for how it creates connective tissue between cards in play. This is less about a one-shot payoff and more about the way one card acts as a hub, inviting a chain of interactions that resembles a living map of synergy. 🧙♂️🔥💎
At a glance: the card’s frame and flavor in one breath
Name: Raven Clan War-Axe
Mana cost: {1}{R}{W} • Artifact — Equipment
Rarity: Rare • Set: Assassin's Creed (ACR)
Colors/Identity: Red and White (color identity R and W)
Written in the stars for flavor: The piece feels like a Viking-forged blade that carries a narrative tether—one that fits neatly into the universe-spanning crossover vibe of Universes Beyond. 🧭
When this Equipment enters, you may search your library and/or graveyard for a card named Eivor, Battle-Ready, reveal it, and put it into your hand. If you search your library this way, shuffle. Equipped creature gets +2/+0 and has trample. Equip {2}
That short block of text is the blueprint for the network graph we’re tracing. This is a classic tutor-and-buff motif: Raven Clan War-Axe enters the battlefield with a potent instruction to fetch a partner in crime—Eivor, Battle-Ready—from either library or graveyard. The clause to shuffle if you search your library introduces a little procedural discipline to the fetch, ensuring you don’t abuse the engine. Once you’ve got Eivor in hand, the weapon’s real payoff unfolds: the equipped creature gains a sturdy +2/+0 and trample, turning a well-placed unit into a bruiser capable of punching through defenses. 🥊
Constructing the graph: nodes and edges you can draw on the table
- Node: Raven Clan War-Axe — the central hub: an artifact equipment with a built-in tutor trigger and a reliable combat buff.
- Edge to Eivor, Battle-Ready — when Raven Clan War-Axe enters, you may search for Eivor (library and/or graveyard) and put it into your hand. This is the core linkage that makes the two-card pairing feel intentional and narratively cohesive.
- Node: Eivor, Battle-Ready — a legendary creature in the same combo-thread, designed to synergize with fetch-and-hand mechanics and to be a likely recipient of Raven Clan War-Axe’s buff.
- Combo edge (combo_piece relationship) — the Scryfall data marks Raven Clan War-Axe and Eivor as a connected combo piece set, reinforcing the idea that they’re often played together to realize the tutor-and-buff loop.
- Edge: Equipped creature buff — once you attach Raven Clan War-Axe, the equipped creature gains +2/+0 and trample, expanding the graph into a proactive combat node.
- Edge: Equip ability — Equip cost {2}, the other half of the graph, which governs how you move the axe from creature to creature as you swing for value.
In practical terms, the graph reads like this: you drop War-Axe, you fetch Eivor, you reveal and draw Eivor into your grip, and then you hand the War-Axe to the creature that can most efficiently deliver a punch. The trample tag ensures that even marginal boosters translate into real damage, a reminder that in MTG, slope and edge weight matter just as much as raw power. The cross-set flavor—an Assassin’s Creed crossover fused with classic MTG tutoring—amplifies the sense that these cards belong in the same cinematic frame, not just the same deck. 🎨⚔️
Strategies for weaving the network into your gameplay
If you’re piloting a Modern or Commander build that includes Raven Clan War-Axe, here are a few practical angles to consider:
- Tutor-driven openings: use the enter-the-battlefield trigger to grab Eivor early and establish your engine before your opponent’s board comes online. The fact that you can grab from either library or graveyard adds resilience to your plan, especially in formats that reward recursion or graveyard strategies. 🧙♂️
- Enthusiastic equip shuffles: with +2/+0 and trample, the axe turns ordinary red-white creatures into aggressive threats. Look for creatures that can attack into open boards, applying pressure while your other namesakes stay back for defense or line-breaking plays.
- Synergy with other equipment: while Raven Clan War-Axe is a potent piece on its own, it shines when paired with other red-white equipment or anthem-like effects. The graph grows when you can reattach the axe to different creatures across turns, maximizing value from both the tutor and the buff. 🔥
- Graveyard interplay: because the fetch can pull from the graveyard, consider cards that exploit or protect your graveyard state, turning a setback into a comeback moment whenever Eivor lands in your hand.
From a lore and design perspective, the pairing reads as a micro-story: a Raven Clan warrior’s blade, etched with runes of fate, seeks a legendary hunter who embodies the Assassin’s Creed ethos. The presentation by Kim Sokol captures that blend of rugged weaponry and refined cunning, a nod to Unicode-era storytelling where every card has a place in a larger narrative tapestry. The set itself—ACR, a draft_innovation frame—pushes MTG to flirt with cross-media storytelling while preserving the game’s core rules discipline. This is where fans who love lore, art, and card design all get a shared doorway into a broader multiverse. 🧭🎭
Value, accessibility, and collector’s mood
Raven Clan War-Axe lands in the non-foil space with a price tag that keeps it accessible for many players building around the Architecture of the Card. In the current snapshot, USD values hover around modest figures, reflecting its niche cross-promotional status within the Assassin’s Creed crossover. The card is legal in Modern, Legacy, Vintage, and Commander, with its bold tutor-buff engine offering a reliable path to value in a variety of archetypes. If you’re chasing a playable piece that doubles as a narrative beacon, this one earns its keep on both board and bookshelf. 💎
As a collector’s note, the card’s borderless black frame and the Universes Beyond tie-in underscore a moment in MTG history when cross-brand storytelling became a tangible part of deck-building culture. The art and the mechanics together invite players to reconstruct a little network map in their heads every time they draw this duo into view. 🎲
A small moment of cross-promo synergy
For players who also appreciate real-world gear that withstands the rigors of tournament nights or weekend gatherings, a little cross-promo moment to consider: you can protect your trades, tales, and tabletops with the Slim Glossy Phone Case for iPhone 16—Lexan Polycarbonate, a product that keeps your device safe while you map out your next two-turn win. It’s the kind of practical pick that complements the MTG experience: sharp cards, sharper strategies, and sturdy gear to back the journey. Stay sharp, duelists. 🧙♂️🔥🎲