Saw in Multiplayer: EDH Viability and Group Strategy

Saw in Multiplayer: EDH Viability and Group Strategy 🧙‍♂️🔥💎

In the sprawling multiverse of multiplayer Commander, there are a few artifacts that look modest on the surface but quietly become engines of card advantage. Saw, a colorless Artifact — Equipment from Duskmourn: House of Horror, is one such piece. For two mana, it grants a +2/+0 boost to the equipped creature, and its backside trick—when the equipped creature attacks, you may sacrifice a permanent other than that creature or this Equipment to draw a card—invites a careful balancing act between maintenance costs and momentum. In a table where every card draw can decide who gets to swing last, Saw offers a lean, tempo-friendly path to keep hands full while pressure amplifies across multiple opponents. ⚔️🎨

What Saw actually does on the table

• Equipped creature gets +2/+0. That little nudge can be the difference between a solid hit and a missed lethal—especially when you’ve loaded up a goad-friendly board or a beater that wants a tiny edge to sneak past blockers.
• Attack trigger with a sacrifice. When the equipped creature attacks, you may sacrifice a permanent other than that creature or this Equipment. If you do, you draw a card. This is the heart of Saw’s group-friendly engine: more permanents in play means more fuel for late-game card draw, and that’s precious in long, multiplayer games.
• Equip cost 2; Equip only as a sorcery. Saw is not an instant-speed toolkit. You’ll typically want to plan ahead—protect the board, assemble your threats, and then main-phase equip to your best attacker. The sorcery-speed constraint invites thoughtful sequencing rather than flashy, surprise plays.

Why Saw shines in EDH and other multiplayer formats 🧙‍♂️

Commander thrives on resilience and inevitability. Saw’s colorless identity means it slots into virtually any deck that wants a steady draw engine without dipping into famed color-screw constraints. In an EDH game with three, four, or more opponents, the options for sacrificing a permanent multiply. Tokens, mana rocks, lands—these are all fair game, which means you can sustain five or six turns of draw by trading away fodder that would otherwise sit idle. The card draw is not outright card advantage in the abstract sense, but in a format where the deck-building space is large and the table moves quickly, Saw nudges you toward the late-stage inevitability many multiplayer tables crave. 🧠💡

“Saw is one of those quiet engines—not flashy, but when you swing with the right beater and have a stack of fodder to sacrifice, the draws feel like a steady river rather than a trickle.” — Veteran EDH player

Of course, Saw’s utility hinges on your sacrifices. In a multiplayer setting, you’ll want a plan for what to sacrifice that won’t hollow your board or block your immediate win conditions. Sacrificing a token or a non-critical permanent is one thing; sacrificing your key mana sources or a powerful threat is another. The trick is to structure your deck around-safe fodder: token generators, expendable utility permanents, or persistently recurring value from your deck. This makes Saw most effective in equipment-heavy or artifact-centric lists where the sacrifice outlet is predictable and the board presence stays resilient enough to keep pressuring opponents. ⚔️🎲

Deckbuilding considerations for maximum multiplayer payoff

• Ramp and fodder balance: Include a suite of expendable permanents (tokens, rocks, artifacts you don’t mind giving up) so you can reliably trigger the draw without starving your board state.
• Protection and tempo: Because Saw requires you to wait for a main-phase equip, you’ll benefit from some interaction protection—reprieves like countermagic or a light touch of end-step protection to ensure your beater survives long enough to attack. A healthy amount of ramp helps you keep queuing up attackers for multiple turns.
• Outlets and recursion: If you have a few trusted sacrifice outlets (think augmentation like Ashnod’s-style effects or other non-creature costs), you can extend draws over multiple combat phases. Recursion helps if you value the permanents you’re sacrificing and want to bring them back later in the game.
• Copying and reusing attackers: When you can retread Saw to attach to a new creature, you can turn a single strong attacker into a recurring draw engine—so long as you have fodder to spare and enough threats to threaten opponents.

Practical tips for playing Saw at your table 🧙‍♂️🔥

• Lead with a sturdy, non-taxing beater that benefits from the extra +2 power. A creature with built-in evasion or cagey removal behind it helps maximize pressure while Saw sips away at the card pool.
• Don’t be shy about sacrificing lands or rocks if you’re flush—your goal is to keep a healthy card advantage while maintaining a threat line. It’s a space where “tempo meets value” can pay off in the long game.
• Keep Saw on a safe creature, or pair it with protection spells to ensure the mounted attacker can keep attacking over multiple turns. Remember: you can only equip as a sorcery, so plan ahead for the next combat step.

Flavor, art, and the broader market context

Saw is part of Duskmourn: House of Horror, a set that leans into gothic horror vibes with a modern MTG frame. The card’s unassuming aura fits its practical role: a straightforward, honest piece that doesn’t pretend to be flashy but rewards players who lean into every small edge. The art by Jarel Threat captures a subtle tension between tools and terror—a fitting metaphor for a device that trades permanents for knowledge across the table. The card’s rarity—uncommon—keeps it accessible for budget-friendly EDH lists, with foil versions offering a touch of sparkle for collectors who like their board state to shine. The community ranking (EDHREC rank around 15k) reflects its niche status, while the playgroup chatter confirms that, in the right build, Saw can become a quiet power source in the late game. 🧩🎨

Collector value and pricing snapshot

As of the latest data, Saw sits at a modest price point—roughly $0.04 in US market value for non-foil, and around $0.08 for foil copies. It’s the kind of card that users pick up for a budget EDH project or a casual group with a fondness for artifact themes. If you’re hunting for a practical surface-level upgrade that doesn’t break the bank, Saw checks the box. And for players who love to mix in broader artifact synergies, the gadgetry of Duskmourn’s setting adds a flavorful backdrop to your table-talk and memes. 💎

Want to keep your desk looking sharp while you plan your next strategy? While you assemble your board, consider treating yourself to a neon glow—the Neon Gaming Mouse Pad (Non-Slip, 9.5x8in, Anti-Fray)—a small but stylish touch that keeps your focus steady during marathon sessions. It’s a playful nod to the tabletop tech that fuels long nights of combat and conversation.