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Pojo's Magic The Gathering Card of the Day
Daily Since November 2001!


Image from Wizards.com

Darksteel Plate
Mirrodin Besieged

Reviewed Feb. 23, 2011

Constructed: 2.33
Casual: 2.57
Limited: 3.00
Multiplayer: 2.57

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.  3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating

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Card of the Day Reviews 

BMoor

Darksteel Plate

This Equipment mimics the effect of Shield of Kaldra from Darksteel, but it reminds me more of Whispersilk Cloak. It has the same costs, and you basically play it for the same reason-- once you get it on a creature, that creature no longer has to fear kill spells or dying in combat. But while Whispersilk Cloak is an offensive card, allowing its wearer to attack unmolested each turn, Darksteel Plate is defensive, allowing a creature to block and never die. The best defense is a good offense, however, and attacking unblocked is a much better strategy than blocking attackers and not dying. Besides, infect means that even indestructible creatures will wither and rot away if they take too much combat damage, so indestructible isn't as indestructible as it used to be. Darksteel Plate might still be good though, especially if you want to use it to shield a creature from your own Day of Judgment.

Constructed- 2
Casual- 3
Limited- 3
Multiplayer- 3


David Fanany

Player since 1995

Darksteel Plate
 
To be adopted in constructed play, equipment usually needs to give more than one bonus to the creature carrying it. Darksteel Plate doesn't make that number, but in some situations the bonus it does give could be lethal. It's all about context in this case: it might not help against a deck with a billion counterspells, but it's the absolute last card you want to see equipped to Kemba, Kha Regent. In short, don't forget it's out there.
 
Constructed: 2/5
Casual: 2/5
Limited: 3/5
Multiplayer: 2/5

 

Welcome to pojo.com’s card of the day. Today’s card is the Darksteel Plate from Mirrodin Besieged. This has got ot be one of my favorite pieces of equipment from the set, and maybe even since the Shield of Kaldra. This artifact costs 3, and equips for 2. The Darksteel Plate is indestructible, and whatever creature you choose to equip becomes indestructible as well.

There is not much else to say pertaining to this card when you get right down to it. Indestructible is indestructible. No matter how you break it down, you can’t break it. Unfortunately for this card though, the main threat in Mirrodin Besieged isn’t being destroyed, it is being Infected. And indestructibility will not stop a creature from being killed using -1/-1 counters. However, this is a handy method of using one of Phyrexia’s weapons against it. Equip it to any creature, and then use the Phyrexian Rebirth. You blow every creature except your most needed one up, and get a big token in it’s place. One of the best creatures to use this card on, for any reason really, but perhaps especially to set up for the above is Kemba, Kha Regent, since she spits out Cat Tokens for every piece of equipment on her.

In vintage, I will remain on Mirrodin for one of my other favorite targets for this lovely equipment, the previous Kha before Kemba, Raksha, Golden Cub. Once this, or any other piece of equipment hits this guy, all cats you control get +2/+2 and double strike. Talk about sweet, right? And to make the deal even better, Raksha has Vigilance, and pumps himself. That means you would have an indestructible 5/6 double strike and vigilance. Your opponents day should only get worse from there. Now combo Raksha and Kemba together with a few equipments to share, then whenever you get a token off of Kemba, it would be a 4/4 double striker because of Raksha. Old and new unite for some wicked cats indeed.

Casual: 3/5
Multiplayer: 3/5
Constructed: 3/5
Limited: 3/5

 

Today's card of the day is Darksteel Plate which is a three mana equipment that is indestructible and grants the equipped creature indestructible as well.  This is a very nice card that can make any valuable or powerful creature almost impossible to deal with while also protecting the method of that safety net.  Five mana to both play and activate the cost in a single turn is high, though some effects can circumvent that, but this is best used in a deck designed to support equipments.  Overall a useful and fun addition to equipment themes, but not too likely to be played elsewhere.
 
For Limited this can turn any creature into a very impressive defender, but a big weakness of indestructible are -1/-1 counters which are readily available in the format.  Not every opponent will use them and this is playable in any color deck as support which makes it a viable first pick in Booster.  There is nothing against playing it in Sealed as it can help keep a valuable creature alive into the later stages of the game.  The card may not directly threaten the opponent, but it does help build an advantage on the battlefield which is where the value is held.
 
Constructed: 3.0
Casual: 3.5
Limited: 3.5
Multiplayer: 3.0


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