One of the biggest developments in Standard since the release of MTG Foundations has been the massive rise in red aggro decks. Burst Lightning, Boros Charm, and co have given assertive red strategies a lot more reach.
Unsurprisingly, this has forced players to adapt. If you’re playing white, Authority of the Consuls is an excellent sideboard card for these matchups. If you’re not playing white, though, you have to look elsewhere.
With this in mind, one potent artifact has quickly made a home for itself in Temur Prowess as a tool against red. This card is none other than Dissection Tools. Dissection Tools has a lot in common with Batterskull and fills its role perfectly.
Dissection Tools in Standard
- Mana Value: 5
- Rarity: Rare
- Card Type: Artifact – Equipment
- Card Text: When Dissection Tools enters, manifest dread, then attach Dissection Tools to that creature.
Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has deathtouch and lifelink.
Equip-Sacrifice a creature.
Dissection Tools is a five-mana artifact that lets you manifest dread when it enters. This equipment then attaches to the face-down creature so you’re left with a 4/4 with Deathtouch and Lifelink.
By itself, this creature is a problem for red decks to contend with. As a four-toughness creature, it’s out of the range of Lightning Strike. Thanks to Lifelink, it’s difficult to race, too.
As if that wasn’t good enough, this equipment will stick around even if your opponent can deal with the Manifested creature. Dissection Tools may not have the ability that Batterskull does to let you return it to your hand, but this isn’t a problem for the Temur Prowess deck.
The combination of Dissection Tools and This Town Ain’t Big Enough makes it easy to reset Dissection Tools and have another 4/4 with Deathtouch and Lifelink at the ready.
On top of that, if you have developed a wide battlefield, Dissection Tool’s ability to equip for zero mana can come in handy. Obviously, you have to sacrifice a creature in the process but this isn’t a massive deal thanks to token producers like Song of Totentanz. Being able to equip for free allows you to develop your game plan while still buffering your life total.
Dissection Tools and Stoneforge Mystic
- Mana Value: 1W
- Rarity: Rare
- Card Type: Creature – Kor Artificer
- Stats: 1/2
- Card Text: When Stoneforge Mystic enters the battlefield, you may search your library for an Equipment card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
1W, Tap: You may put an Equipment card from your hand onto the battlefield.
Another positive aspect of Dissection Tools, compared to Batterskull, is that if Dissection Tools leaves the battlefield, you’re still left with a 2/2 creature rather than a 0/0. As such, this makes Dissection Tools stronger in the face of artifact removal.
Furthermore, this makes Dissection Tools a prime target for blink shenanigans. Alongside Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd in Modern and beyond, you can start swarming the board with 2/2s.
There’s undoubtedly a lot of competition for expensive equipment. Nonetheless, with Stoneforge Mystic in the mix, running a singleton copy of Dissection Tools to tutor when needed is a nice option to have.
White Death and Taxes variants in Modern and Legacy tend to have plenty of creatures to sacrifice to help with Dissection Tools’ equip cost as well. Imagine sacrificing the Cat token that Ajani, Nacatl Pariah generates when it enters and equipping to another threat. Now, your opponent has to deal with a big monster with Deathtouch and Lifelink as well as a Planeswalker.
At the end of the day, Dissection Tools offers a lot more than might appear at first glance. If you’re tired of losing to aggro decks, Dissection Tools is a great weapon to have in your arsenal.
