Heart-Piercer 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
Whenever equipped creature attacks, this Equipment deals 1 damage to target creature defending player controls. Equip(
Complete guide
Heart-Piercer Bow is a tactical piece of Equipment that allows your creatures to pick off small threats just by charging into battle. It provides a reliable way to ping blockers or utility creatures without needing to risk your own creature in combat.
What the Bow Does
Heart-Piercer Bow features an attack trigger that targets a creature controlled by the defending player. Crucially, the damage is dealt by the Bow itself, not the creature holding it. This distinction matters for abilities like Deathtouch or Lifelink, as the Bow's damage will not inherit those qualities from the equipped creature.
The Timing of the Trigger
The ability triggers the moment the equipped creature is declared as an attacker during the Declare Attackers step. You choose the target and the damage resolves before the defending player even chooses their blockers. This allows you to potentially remove a creature that would have otherwise blocked your attacker.
Defending Players and Protection
If you are attacking a Planeswalker or a Battle, the 'defending player' is the controller of that Planeswalker or the protector of that Battle. Also, because the Bow is an artifact source, it cannot target creatures with protection from artifacts. However, it can target creatures with protection from the equipped creature's colors, as the Bow remains a colorless source of damage.
Interaction examples
Renowned WeaponsmithYou can use Renowned Weaponsmith to pay for the Bow's costs. Its first ability provides two colorless mana specifically for artifact spells or abilities, covering both the casting cost and the equip cost. Additionally, if you haven't drawn the Bow yet, you can spend one blue mana and tap the Weaponsmith to search your library and put Heart-Piercer Bow directly into your hand.
Sol RingWith a Sol Ring on the battlefield, you can generate the two mana required to cast Heart-Piercer Bow instantly. If you have an additional mana from another source, you can cast and equip the Bow on the same turn, allowing a creature to attack and trigger the damage immediately.
Vial of DragonfireBy utilizing both Heart-Piercer Bow and Vial of Dragonfire, you can handle various threats. While the Bow deals 1 damage repeatedly every time you attack, you can sacrifice Vial of Dragonfire at any time to deal an additional 2 damage to a target creature, effectively allowing you to clear 3 toughness worth of creatures in a single turn.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Heart-Piercer Bow
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature is attacking a planeswalker, the controller of that planeswalker is the defending player. If a creature is attacking a battle, the protector of that battle is the defending player.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Heart-Piercer Bow (not the equipped creature) is the source of the triggered ability and the source of the damage. This means that a creature with protection from green may be targeted even if Heart-Piercer Bow is equipped to a green creature, but a creature with protection from artifacts may not.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Interactions with other cards
These cards' text mentions Heart-Piercer Bow.
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Heart-Piercer Bow
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.