Grafted Wargear — ruling 1

Grafted Wargear becomes unattached from the creature it's equipping if you equip it to a new creature, if Grafted Wargear leaves the battlefield, if the equipped creature ceases to be a creature, or if Grafted Wargear ceases to be an Equipment. (It also becomes unattached if the equipped creature leaves the battlefield, but the triggered ability won't do anything in that case.)

Grafted Wargear — ruling 2

You may activate this card's equip ability targeting the creature that it is currently attached to, even if it's the only creature you control. Since the equip ability costs zero, you can do this as many times as you like during your main phases, though it generally won't do anything.

Grafted Wargear — ruling 3

If your Grafted Wargear somehow ends up on an opponent's creature and it then becomes unattached from that creature, you won't be able to sacrifice that creature because you don't control it.

Grafted Wargear : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Grafted Wargear is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.

Official card text

Equipped creature gets +3/+2. Whenever this Equipment becomes unattached from a permanent, sacrifice that permanent. Equip (: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)

Complete guide

Grafted Wargear is a powerful Equipment that offers a significant power boost for a zero-mana equip cost, but it comes with a dangerous drawback. Because it is literally grafted onto your creatures, removing it causes them to be destroyed by its triggered ability. Understanding how and when this attachment breaks is the key to mastering this card in your deck.

What It Does

Grafted Wargear provides the equipped creature with a +3/+2 bonus. While the {0} equip cost makes it incredibly flexible for shifting around the battlefield, its second ability is a triggered penalty: whenever Grafted Wargear becomes unattached from a permanent, you must sacrifice that permanent. This means you cannot simply swap equipment without losing the original creature.

How It Resolves Step by Step

When you decide to move Grafted Wargear to a new creature, you activate the equip ability by targeting a new creature you control. Once the ability resolves, Grafted Wargear moves to the new target. The moment it moves, it becomes 'unattached' from the previous creature, causing the sacrifice ability to trigger. This trigger goes on the stack and, when it resolves, you sacrifice the creature that was previously equipped.

Common Mistakes

A common misconception is that Grafted Wargear only triggers if you manually unattach it. In reality, the ability triggers if the Wargear leaves the battlefield (for example, if an opponent destroys it) or if the equipped creature stops being a creature. Note that if the equipped creature itself leaves the battlefield, the ability still triggers, but since the permanent is already gone, the sacrifice effect does nothing.

When to Play It

Grafted Wargear is best used in aggressive decks that want to maximize damage early or in decks with sacrifice synergies. Because the equip cost is free, you can play a creature and immediately boost it for a surprise attack. It is also an effective way to trigger 'death' abilities on your own creatures at sorcery speed without spending mana.

Interaction examples

Moving Between Creatures

If you control two creatures and Grafted Wargear is attached to the first one, you can pay {0} to equip it to the second. As soon as Grafted Wargear moves to the second creature, its ability triggers, and you must sacrifice the first creature.

Protecting the Wargear

Swiftfoot Boots

If you have a creature equipped with both Grafted Wargear and Swiftfoot Boots, and an opponent uses a spell to destroy Grafted Wargear, the Wargear becomes unattached as it leaves the battlefield. This triggers the sacrifice ability, forcing you to sacrifice your creature even though it had hexproof from the Boots.

Mana Acceleration and Equipping

Arcane Signet

You can use mana from Arcane Signet to cast Grafted Wargear on turn three. Once it enters the battlefield, you can immediately equip it to a creature for {0}. If that creature dies in combat later, the Wargear simply falls off and stays on the battlefield, ready to be attached to your next creature for free.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Grafted Wargear

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1November 10, 2020· Wizards of the Coast
Grafted Wargear becomes unattached from the creature it's equipping if you equip it to a new creature, if Grafted Wargear leaves the battlefield, if the equipped creature ceases to be a creature, or if Grafted Wargear ceases to be an Equipment. (It also becomes unattached if the equipped creature leaves the battlefield, but the triggered ability won't do anything in that case.)
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2April 15, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
You may activate this card's equip ability targeting the creature that it is currently attached to, even if it's the only creature you control. Since the equip ability costs zero, you can do this as many times as you like during your main phases, though it generally won't do anything.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3December 1, 2004· Wizards of the Coast
If your Grafted Wargear somehow ends up on an opponent's creature and it then becomes unattached from that creature, you won't be able to sacrifice that creature because you don't control it.
No other card is named in this ruling.