Hawkeye's Bow 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 +1/+0 and has reach. Whenever equipped creature becomes tapped, it deals 1 damage to each opponent. Equip(
Complete guide
Hawkeye's Bow is a low-cost equipment that turns any creature into a defensive threat and a source of inevitable damage. By providing reach and a triggered ability that punishes opponents whenever the creature taps, it ensures your board presence is felt during both combat and utility actions.
What It Does
Hawkeye's Bow provides three distinct benefits to the creature it is attached to. First, it gives a modest +1/+0 power boost. Second, it grants reach, allowing the creature to block flying threats. Finally, it features a triggered ability: whenever the equipped creature becomes tapped for any reason—whether attacking, using an ability, or being forced down by an opponent—it deals 1 damage to each opponent.
How It Resolves Step by Step
When you pay the equip cost of {1}, the Bow becomes attached to a target creature you control as a sorcery. Once attached, the reach and power bonus are static and continuous. The damage trigger is put onto the stack immediately after the creature transitions from untapped to tapped. This trigger resolves independently of whatever action caused the tapping, such as declaring attackers or activating a mana ability.
Common Mistakes
A common misconception is that the damage is dealt by Hawkeye's Bow itself; however, the text specifies that the equipped creature deals the damage. This means effects like lifelink or deathtouch on the creature will apply to that 1 damage. Additionally, remember that the trigger only occurs when the creature 'becomes' tapped. If the creature is already tapped, you cannot trigger the damage again until it is untapped.
When to Play It
This equipment is most effective in decks that frequently tap their creatures outside of combat or in aggressive strategies that want to chip away at all opponents simultaneously. Since it only costs {R} to cast and {1} to equip, it is an efficient way to grant reach to a large ground blocker while slowly draining the table's life totals.
Interaction examples
You cast Hawkeye's Bow for {R} and pay {1} to equip it to a creature. That creature now has reach and +1/+0. If an opponent attacks with a flying creature, your equipped creature can now legally be declared as a blocker.
Sol Ring
Arcane SignetIf you equip Hawkeye's Bow to a creature that has an ability to tap for mana (similar to how Sol Ring or Arcane Signet provide mana), you will trigger the Bow. As soon as you tap the creature to activate its ability, the Bow's ability triggers and deals 1 damage to each opponent before or after the mana is added to your pool.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Hawkeye's Bow
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
No additional ruling has been published for this card.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Hawkeye's Bow + Seeker of Skybreak
- 1Activate Seeker of Skybreak by tapping it, targeting itself.
- 2Hawkeye's Bow triggers, dealing 1 damage to each opponent.
- 3Resolve the Seeker of Skybreak ability, untapping it.
- 4Repeat.
Hawkeye's Bow + Freed from the Real
- 1Activate the mana-producing creature by tapping it, adding
. - 2Hawkeye's Bow triggers, dealing 1 damage to each opponent.
- 3Activate Freed from the Real by paying , untapping the mana-producing creature.
- 4Repeat.
Hawkeye's Bow + Aphetto Alchemist
- 1Activate Aphetto Alchemist by tapping it, targeting itself.
- 2Hawkeye's Bow triggers, dealing 1 damage to each opponent.
- 3Resolve the Aphetto Alchemist ability, untapping it.
- 4Repeat.
Hawkeye's Bow + Pemmin's Aura
- 1Activate the mana-producing creature by tapping it, adding .
- 2Hawkeye's Bow triggers, dealing 1 damage to each opponent.
- 3Activate Pemmin's Aura by paying , untapping the mana-producing creature.
- 4Repeat.
Hawkeye's Bow + Ioreth of the Healing House + Kelpie Guide
- 1Activate Ioreth of the Healing House by tapping it, targeting Kelpie Guide.
- 2If Ioreth of the Healing House has Hawkeye's Bow attached to it, Hawkeye's Bow triggers, dealing 1 damage to each opponent.
- 3Resolve the Ioreth of the Healing House ability, untapping Kelpie Guide.
- 4Activate Kelpie Guide by tapping it, targeting Ioreth of the Healing House.
- 5If Kelpie Guide has Hawkeye's Bow attached to it, Hawkeye's Bow triggers, dealing 1 damage to each opponent.
- 6Resolve the Kelpie Guide ability, untapping Ioreth of the Healing House.
- 7Repeat.
Hawkeye's Bow + Ioreth of the Healing House + Vizier of Tumbling Sands
- 1Activate Ioreth of the Healing House by tapping it, targeting Vizier of Tumbling Sands.
- 2If Ioreth of the Healing House has Hawkeye's Bow attached to it, Hawkeye's Bow triggers, dealing 1 damage to each opponent.
- 3Resolve the Ioreth of the Healing House ability, untapping Vizier of Tumbling Sands.
- 4Activate Vizier of Tumbling Sands by tapping it, targeting Ioreth of the Healing House.
- 5If Vizier of Tumbling Sands has Hawkeye's Bow attached to it, Hawkeye's Bow triggers, dealing 1 damage to each opponent.
- 6Resolve the Vizier of Tumbling Sands ability, untapping Ioreth of the Healing House.
- 7Repeat.
Hawkeye's Bow + Vizier of Tumbling Sands + Kelpie Guide
- 1Activate Vizier of Tumbling Sands by tapping it, targeting Kelpie Guide.
- 2If Vizier of Tumbling Sands has Hawkeye's Bow attached to it, Hawkeye's Bow triggers, dealing 1 damage to each opponent.
- 3Resolve the Vizier of Tumbling Sands ability, untapping Kelpie Guide.
- 4Activate Kelpie Guide by tapping it, targeting Vizier of Tumbling Sands.
- 5If Kelpie Guide has Hawkeye's Bow attached to it, Hawkeye's Bow triggers, dealing 1 damage to each opponent.
- 6Resolve the Kelpie Guide ability, untapping Vizier of Tumbling Sands.
- 7Repeat.
Hawkeye's Bow + Kelpie Guide + Forensic Researcher
- 1Activate Kelpie Guide by tapping it, targeting Forensic Researcher.
- 2If Kelpie Guide has Hawkeye's Bow attached to it, Hawkeye's Bow triggers, dealing 1 damage to each opponent.
- 3Resolve the Kelpie Guide ability, untapping Forensic Researcher.
- 4Activate Forensic Researcher by tapping it, targeting Kelpie Guide.
- 5If Forensic Researcher has Hawkeye's Bow attached to it, Hawkeye's Bow triggers, dealing 1 damage to each opponent.
- 6Resolve the Forensic Researcher ability, untapping Kelpie Guide.
- 7Repeat.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Hawkeye's Bow
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