When to Mulligan for Malamet Scythe: Strategy Tips

In TCG ·

Malamet Scythe card art from The Lost Caverns of Ixalan

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Opening-hand decisions with Malamet Scythe

When you’re staring down a fresh hand with Malamet Scythe on the table, the question isn’t just “Can I cast this?” It’s more nuanced: does this green, flash-enabled Equipment actually weather the early turns, or is it a trap that fizzles if you don’t have the right board state? Malamet Scythe, a 3-mana artifact Equipment from The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, brings a simple but powerful idea to the table: attach early, buff smartly, and move the blade as your battlefield evolves. With its flash, you can blink in the equipment at instant speed, attaching to a creature you already control, and then swing with confidence 🧙‍♂️🔥. But to make that work, you want a plan in your opening grip—one that includes a creature to attach to and a green source to fuel your first moves. The card’s core text is clean: Flash; When this Equipment enters, attach it to target creature you control; Equipped creature gets +2/+2; Equip {4}. The implications are straightforward in practice: you’re not just playing an equipment; you’re equipping a potential beater that scales as your board grows. This makes Malamet Scythe a natural fit for creature-centric green decks, tempo-based strategies, and midrange builds that want to threaten power returns without getting blown out by removal. The lore of Ixalan—jungles, treasure, and a maverick edge—sits nicely with a weapon that slides onto your chosen creature on the turn it arrives. It’s lush flavor, and the math backs the lore: a +2/+2 boost on a 3-mana commitment is a reasonable trade that can close gaps when you’re facing early aggression ⚔️🎨. But the tar pit is real: if your opening hand lacks a creature you can legally attach to on the moment Malamet Scythe enters, you’ll waste its most crucial ability. Mulligans aren’t just about total cards—they’re about the synergy of what the cards can do for you on turn 1, 2, and 3. If you’re staring at a hand with Malamet Scythe and no green mana sources or no creature of your own, the chance of a successful early play drops sharply. In those moments, a careful mulligan decision—sending that hand back in hopes of a creature plus a green source—can be the difference between a chair-falling slam and a gentle, dignified fade into a draw. Remember, this is a green card at heart; your first land drop should ideally align with green to unlock capable plays on tempo, or you risk stalling out before the Scythe even sees the battlefield 🧙‍♂️.

What you’re really keeping: the minimum viable keep

In practical terms, you’re aiming for a handful that includes at least one creature and one green source in your opening grip. If you’ve got Malamet Scythe with flash, a creature to attach it to, and a way to accelerate mana (think mana dorks or untapped duals that produce green), you’re in a solid position to develop a threatening board by turn 2 or 3. If your opening hand has multiple noncreature spells but no creature to anchor, consider a lower-risk mulligan; you want the Scythe to immediately become a threat you can deploy and then reuse by reattaching to better targets as the game unfolds. The extra dynamic is Equip cost. Paying 4 to move the Scythe to another creature later is a real consideration; if your mana base is only just starting to ramp, you’ll want to ensure you have the flexibility to pay that cost without dragging the game into the mud 💎.

“If you can attach it, you should attach it—then pressure with the buff.”

That instinct is part of Malamet Scythe’s charm. The flash enables you to surprise an opponent on their end step or respond to a removal spell by flashing it in and attaching to a fortified creature you control. The timing nuance is critical: you don’t want to overcommit to a fragile board state. Keep the Scythe on a creature that can take a hit or, better yet, be the source of your next big swing. In multiplayer formats, the added option to threaten lethal damage or force a chump block makes mulligan decisions even more meaningful 🧙‍♂️.

Deck archetypes and practical tips

Green equipment like Malamet Scythe plays well in a few archetypes:

  • Tempo-green—Flash lets you surprise-block and still buff on your own terms, spreading value across turns while pressuring life totals. Keep hands with quick green acceleration and a creature anchor.
  • Midrange—A solid beater buff that scales with the board; you’ll often want to attach early and then pivot to a bigger threat as more mana lands on the table.
  • Token or +1/+1 counters themes—A solid buff that makes your army more formidable; you’ll want creatures that can profit from a robust +2/+2 boost or that synergize with pump spells.

In all cases, you’ll want to guard against a clogged hand that doesn’t have green mana or a creature to anchor. If you’re unsure, a safe rule of thumb is to aim for a keep that promises an immediate board presence by turn 2 or 3, with the Scythe ready to equip as you deploy your assets. The artful balance of tempo and power is what makes this equipment sing—plus, you’ll get to whisper about Ixalan’s treasure-laden caverns as you swing into your opponent’s defenses 🧩🔥.

A note on value and craft

From a collector’s perspective, Malamet Scythe sits as a common in The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, but it has a tactile charm that draws players back to the table—the foil versions and nonfoil prints each carry a little more character. It’s affordable, easy to slot into a casual green shell, and its thematic tie-in with Ixalan’s exploration vibe adds a dash of lore flavor to your gameplay sessions. For new players, it offers a gentle introduction to the rhythm of attach-and-buff thinking, a timeless mechanic that remains evergreen in MTG design 🧙‍♂️.

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