Maul of the Skyclaves MTG Card


Equipping creatures with Maul boosts power and grants flying and first strike for combat superiority. The card’s specific mana cost and higher investment can limit its use in multicolored decks. Include Maul for its combo potential and meta-relevance in creature-focused strategies.
Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeArtifact — Equipment
Abilities Equip

Text of card

When Maul of the Skyclaves enters the battlefield, attach it to target creature you control. Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has flying and first strike. Equip


Cards like Maul of the Skyclaves

Maul of the Skyclaves stands out in the arsenal of artifact–equipment cards for Magic: The Gathering players. A card with a close resemblance is the renowned Sword of the Animist. Both artifacts share the ability to significantly boost a creature’s capabilities upon equipping. While Maul of the Skyclaves grants flying and first strike, Sword of the Animist focuses on ramping up lands as an added benefit when a creature attacks.

Embercleave is another similar contender, breathing aggression into games with its flash ability and potential to completely change the battlefield’s dynamic. Both Embercleave and Maul of the Skyclaves provide formidable power boosts, but Embercleave distinguishes itself with an emphasis on combat timing and red’s characteristic immediacy.

Delving into these tools of combat, it’s clear that Maul of the Skyclaves carves a niche within aerial dominance and creature enhancement. It ensures aerial agility and combat readiness that can be a game-changer in many MTG matchups. Through the nuanced enhancements and strategic diversity they offer, both Maul of the Skyclaves and its counterparts serve as valuable inclusions in decks looking to exploit their unique mechanics.

Sword of the Animist - MTG Card versions
Embercleave - MTG Card versions
Sword of the Animist - MTG Card versions
Embercleave - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Maul of the Skyclaves by color, type and mana cost

Tooth of Ramos - MTG Card versions
Idol of Endurance - MTG Card versions
Urza's Sylex - MTG Card versions
Thopter Shop - MTG Card versions
Cloudsteel Kirin - MTG Card versions
The Book of Exalted Deeds - MTG Card versions
Halo Fountain - MTG Card versions
Archaeomancer's Map - MTG Card versions
Pearl Shard - MTG Card versions
Soldier Replica - MTG Card versions
Thunder Totem - MTG Card versions
Marble Chalice - MTG Card versions
Scepter of Dominance - MTG Card versions
Auriok Replica - MTG Card versions
Blinding Souleater - MTG Card versions
Godsend - MTG Card versions
Peacewalker Colossus - MTG Card versions
Knight of the Widget - MTG Card versions
Riveting Rigger - MTG Card versions
Mace of the Valiant - MTG Card versions
Tooth of Ramos - MTG Card versions
Idol of Endurance - MTG Card versions
Urza's Sylex - MTG Card versions
Thopter Shop - MTG Card versions
Cloudsteel Kirin - MTG Card versions
The Book of Exalted Deeds - MTG Card versions
Halo Fountain - MTG Card versions
Archaeomancer's Map - MTG Card versions
Pearl Shard - MTG Card versions
Soldier Replica - MTG Card versions
Thunder Totem - MTG Card versions
Marble Chalice - MTG Card versions
Scepter of Dominance - MTG Card versions
Auriok Replica - MTG Card versions
Blinding Souleater - MTG Card versions
Godsend - MTG Card versions
Peacewalker Colossus - MTG Card versions
Knight of the Widget - MTG Card versions
Riveting Rigger - MTG Card versions
Mace of the Valiant - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Maul of the Skyclaves. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Azorius TempoAzorius Tempo GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 14 2024
Mono-White AggroMono-White Aggro GladiatorGladiator Team Unified League
Boros AggroBoros Aggro GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 15 2024
Jeskai AggroJeskai Aggro GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 13 2024
Abzan VampiresAbzan Vampires PioneerAbzan Amalia ComboUOL MKM Pioneer League
Azorius StonebladeAzorius Stoneblade ModernAzorius StonebladeModern League 2024-02-17
Mono-White Death & TaxesMono-White Death & Taxes GladiatorGladiator Team Unified League
Orzhov Death's ShadowOrzhov Death's Shadow ModernDeath's ShadowModern Preliminary 2024-02-28 (1)
Naya AggroNaya Aggro GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: AM Week 08 2024
Orzhov Death & TaxesOrzhov Death & Taxes ModernOrzhov StonebladeClassic Qualifier Ghent

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Equipping creatures with Maul of the Skyclaves can significantly enhance their threat level. By providing a sizeable boost in power and granting two valuable abilities, flying and first strike, it can turn an unassuming creature into a formidable aggressor. This can often lead to a form of card advantage by necessitating multiple resources from your opponent to deal with the enhanced creature.

Resource Acceleration: Maul of the Skyclaves doesn’t directly accelerate your resources in the traditional sense of mana ramping. However, by potentially altering combat outcomes in your favor, it can indirectly lead to resource acceleration via battlefield dominance ensuring you retain your creatures and pressuring your opponent’s resources.

Instant Speed: While Maul of the Skyclaves isn’t an instant itself, it can be played at a time that suits the pace of your game plan, such as post-combat, to equip a creature unexpectedly or around removal spells. Its role in combat tricks showcases the strategic advantage of timing when it comes to permanent spells as well.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Maul of the Skyclaves doesn’t directly require discarding, it does necessitate that you equip it to a creature. If your creature is removed before the equipment resolves, it can feel akin to a loss, similar to discarding, as you’re set back in terms of both tempo and board presence.

Specific Mana Cost: Maul of the Skyclaves has a precise mana cost of two white and one generic mana, making it a commitment for decks focusing on white. This requirement can be restrictive in multicolored decks that may struggle with consistently achieving the necessary white mana early on.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana and an additional cost to equip, Maul of the Skyclaves can be seen as having a high mana investment for the benefit it provides. Considering other equipment or aura cards in the game, the total cost to fully utilize Maul of the Skyclaves’ potential can be deemed steep when comparing to others with lower equip costs or with additional effects.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Maul of the Skyclaves seamlessly integrates into a vast array of white and/or black decks, bolstering creatures with its immediate equip feature and providing both offensive and defensive enhancements.

Combo Potential: This equipment’s ability to give flying and first strike opens up numerous synergies, particularly in decks that capitalize on evasive creatures or those that utilize first strike for unequal combat exchanges.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where creature-based combat is prevalent, Maul of the Skyclaves shifts the tide of battles by elevating your creatures above ground stalemates and enabling decisive, aerial strikes.


How to beat

Maul of the Skyclaves stands out as a formidable equipment card in Magic: The Gathering. This card instantly turns any creature into a significant aerial threat by granting it +2/+2, flying, and first strike. Those attributes create a potent combination that can quickly tilt the battlefield in your favor. But every card has its Achilles’ heel.

To effectively counter this equipment, consider strategies that target the equipped creature or the equipment itself. Removal spells that can destroy or exile regardless of a creature’s abilities, like Path to Exile or Doom Blade, will render the boosts from Maul of the Skyclaves moot. Furthermore, artifact destruction spells or abilities, such as Abrade or Nature’s Claim, can take the Maul out of the equation directly, leaving your opponent’s investment in equipping a creature in vain. Enchantment removal like Disenchant can also be a clean answer to the Maul if your opponent is relying on it as their key to victory.

Ultimately, keeping a versatile set of removal spells in your deck can prepare you for high-value targets like Maul of the Skyclaves. It’s all about staying one step ahead and ensuring you have the answers to such equip-able threats in your arsenal.


BurnMana Recommendations

The strategic depth of MTG is ever-expanding, especially with cards like Maul of the Skyclaves that equip your creatures with the might to soar above the battlefield. Whether you’re harnessing its power for commanding aerial attacks or strengthening your defense, incorporating this equipment card into your deck can be a pivotal move. As you continue to build and refine your strategies, consider not only the individual prowess of a card but also the synergies it creates within your deck. For more insights and in-depth analysis that can sharpen your deck-building skills and tactical play, delve further with us. Elevate your MTG experience and claim victory from the skies.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Maul of the Skyclaves MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Zendikar Rising Promos, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Maul of the Skyclaves and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Maul of the Skyclaves Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2020-09-25 and 2023-04-21. Illustrated by Joseph Meehan.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 837622015NormalBlackJoseph Meehan
22020-09-25Zendikar Rising PromosPZNR 27p2015NormalBlackJoseph Meehan
32020-09-25Zendikar Rising PromosPZNR 27s2015NormalBlackJoseph Meehan
42020-09-25Zendikar RisingZNR 272015NormalBlackJoseph Meehan
52020-09-25Zendikar RisingZNR 3202015NormalBlackJoseph Meehan
62023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be One CommanderONC 802015NormalBlackJoseph Meehan
72023-04-21March of the Machine CommanderMOC 1952015NormalBlackJoseph Meehan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Maul of the Skyclaves has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Maul of the Skyclaves card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2020-09-25 Attaching an Equipment with its enters-the-battlefield triggered ability isn't the same as using its equip ability. You don't pay mana for the attachment, and if the Equipment enters at a time you couldn't cast a sorcery, you can still attach it to a creature you control.
2020-09-25 If the target creature becomes an illegal target, the Equipment remains on the battlefield unattached.