Starforged Sword 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
Gift a tapped Fish (You may promise an opponent a gift as you cast this spell. If you do, when it enters, they create a tapped 1/1 blue Fish creature token.) When this Equipment enters, if the gift was promised, attach this Equipment to target creature you control. Equipped creature gets +3/+3 and loses flying. Equip
Complete guide
Starforged Sword is a heavy-duty Equipment that brings massive power to your creatures at the cost of their ability to soar through the skies. By utilizing the new Gift mechanic, you can accelerate its utility, trading a small aquatic friend for immediate tactical advantage on the battlefield.
What It Does
Starforged Sword is a colorless artifact Equipment that costs 4 mana to cast. It grants the equipped creature a significant +3/+3 stat boost, but it also forces that creature to lose flying. The card features the 'Gift a tapped Fish' keyword, allowing you to promise an opponent a 1/1 token in exchange for an automatic attachment trigger when the sword enters the battlefield.
How It Resolves Step by Step
When you cast Starforged Sword, you decide whether to promise the gift. As the spell resolves and enters the battlefield, if the gift was promised, a triggered ability goes on the stack. First, your chosen opponent creates a 1/1 blue Fish creature token tapped. Then, the sword's own ability allows you to attach it to a target creature you control immediately, bypassing the usual Equip cost of 3 mana.
Common Mistakes
A common point of confusion involves the loss of flying. If a creature has flying naturally or via a keyword, Starforged Sword removes it. However, if you apply a new effect that grants flying *after* the Sword is already attached, the creature will regain flying. Note that 'as long as' conditions (like 'has flying as long as it is attacking') generally won't override the Sword's restriction if the Sword was already there.
When to Play It
This card is excellent for ground-based aggressive decks that need to punch through high-toughness blockers. The Gift option is particularly useful when you have 4 mana available and want to surprise an opponent with a massive attacker immediately, rather than waiting until you have 7 mana total to cast and equip manually.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumYou have Solemn Simulacrum on the battlefield. You cast Starforged Sword and promise the gift. When the Sword enters, your opponent gets a tapped Fish, and you immediately attach the Sword to Solemn Simulacrum. Your Golem is now a 5/5 powerhouse ready to block or attack on your next turn.
FishIf you promise the gift, the Fish token created for your opponent enters the battlefield tapped. This is beneficial because that Fish cannot be used as an immediate blocker against your newly buffed creature, allowing you to maximize the impact of the +3/+3 bonus during your combat phase.
Commander's SphereWith Commander's Sphere on the battlefield, you can tap it for mana to help pay the 4 mana cost for Starforged Sword. If you choose not to gift the Fish, you will have to pay an additional 3 mana later to equip the Sword, or sacrifice the Sphere to draw a card to look for a creature worthy of the blade.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Starforged Sword
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Starforged Sword can be attached to a creature that didn't have flying to begin with.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If the equipped creature gains flying after Starforged Sword became attached to it, it will have flying.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If an ability of the equipped creature states that it has flying "as long as" a condition is true, that condition becoming true won't cause the creature to gain flying. For example, if the equipped creature "has flying as long as it's attacking," it won't gain flying even if it attacks after Starforged Sword becomes attached to it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
As an additional cost to cast a spell with gift, you can promise the listed gift to an opponent. That opponent is chosen as part of that additional cost. The gift isn't given at this time; rather, it's given at a later time based on whether or not the spell is a permanent spell.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
For permanent spells with gift, an ability triggers when that permanent enters if the gift was promised. When that ability resolves, the gift is given to the appropriate opponent.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
For instants and sorceries with gift, the gift is given to the appropriate opponent as part of the resolution of the spell. This happens before any of the spell's other effects would take place.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
If a spell for which the gift was promised is countered, doesn't resolve (perhaps because all of its targets are illegal), or is otherwise removed from the stack, the gift won't be given. None of its other effects will happen either.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
You can't pay a gift cost more than once.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
If you copy a spell for which the gift was promised, the gift was also promised to the same opponent for the copy. If a card or token enters as a copy of a permanent that's already on the battlefield, the gift isn't promised for that new permanent, even if it was promised for the original.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
Some instant or sorcery spells require alternative or additional targets if the gift was promised. You ignore these targeting requirements if the gifts aren't promised for those spells. On the other hand, you can promise a gift for a permanent spell even if you won't be able to choose targets for an enters ability of that permanent once the spell resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
In the main set, there are four different kinds of gifts. "Gift a Food" causes the chosen opponent to create a Food token, while "Gift a Treasure" causes the chosen opponent to create a Treasure token. "Gift a card" causes them to draw a card, and "Gift a tapped Fish" causes them to create a tapped 1/1 blue Fish creature token. The Commander decks contain two more kinds of gifts: "Gift an Octopus," which causes the chosen opponent to create an 8/8 blue Octopus creature token, and "Gift an extra turn," which causes them to take an extra turn after the current turn ends.
Card named in this ruling
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Starforged Sword
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