Use a strong enough equip card, and not even a Blue Eyes White Dragon could withstand your attacks. But nowadays with so many playstyles and archetypes, a lot of players don’t even realize the potential of these kinds of cards. But with 20+ years’ worth of equips out there, which ones should you use today? In the whole game there’s over 250 available options. But I’ve done all the heavy work here and compiled a list of the most competitive equip spells worth checking out.
15. Butterfly Dagger Elma
Starting off our list, we have Butterfly Dagger Elma. Upon first inspection, this card doesn’t seem all that great since it only boosts your monster’s attack by 300. But that small boost is precisely why it’s so great. With the ability to return to your hand every time it’s sent to the graveyard, it’s essentially a permanent 300 attack boost to one of your monsters. And since it only boosts your monster’s attack by 300, it isn’t really worth it for your opponent to waste cards trying to banish it. As of this writing it’s forbidden across the TCG and OCG banlists. This is due to some pretty crazy exploits this card can pull off, so I’m not sure we’ll ever see it off the banlist. But for traditional format games, this card is only limited, so if you’re playing at home it’s an option.
14. Ekibyo Drakmord
Ekibyo Drakmord is a simple card, but is quite effective nonetheless. Once you equip Ekibyo Drakmord to a monster, that monster cannot attack, and is destroyed two turns later. With this, you can equip it to one of your opponent’s monsters and render that card useless. After you destroy your opponent’s monster, you can then return this card to your hand and use it once again.
13. Disposable Learner Device
Disposable Learner Device can become really powerful near the end of a game. On the other hand, it isn’t very useful at the beginning. Disposable Learner Device allows you to boost a monster’s attack by 200 for every monster in your graveyard. You could potentially have 15 monsters in the graveyard at the end of the game, which is a 3000 attack boost! But at the beginning you might only have 5, which is still a +1000 attack boost – and that’s good, but nothing to write home about.
12. Cursed Armaments
As the name suggests, Cursed Armaments is the type of card that spells bad news for the equipped monster. To use this card, you would equip it to one of your opponent’s monsters, and that monster will lose 600 attack for each monster you control. With 5 monsters on the field that’s a 3000 attack decrease. The reason why this card isn’t ranked higher is because you can only use this card once, and it only affects one monster.
11. Double-Edged Sword
There are tons of cards that boost your attack by 300, 500, or maybe even 1000. But Double-Edged Sword boosts your attack by a whopping 2000! Although it does come with the drawback that you take the same amount of battle damage as your opponent, you can combine it with cards such as Impenetrable Attack, which prevent you from taking battle damage that turn. This can save you from taking any battle damage, and prevent the equip spell card from destroying itself at the same time.
10. White Veil
This card is absolutely insane, as long as it doesn’t get destroyed. While your equipped monster is attacking, White Veil effectively prevents your opponent from using any spell or trap cards. But that’s not all. If your equipped monster destroys another monster, your opponent’s spell and trap zone is completely wiped out! The thing is, you also take 3000 damage if this card leaves the field, which is why it’s ranked lower on this list. So in a game with 8000 life points, and as long as you have life points to spare, White Veil is a great option to consider.
9. Noble Arms Caliburn
The Noble Arms archetype has a strong selection of equip spell cards that you can play, not only in a Noble Arms deck, but also in any warrior deck. Noble Arms Caliburn gives the equipped monster 500 attack, and it also allows you to gain 500 life points each turn. However, if you’re also playing a Noble Arms deck, this card comes with another bonus. Even if this card is sent to the graveyard, as long as you have Noble Arms monsters on the field, you can continuously bring this card back.
8. Supermagic Sword of Raptinus
Supermagic Sword of Raptinus is definitely one of the more underrated equips on this list, even though it’s so powerful. During the battle phase, you can activate Supermagic Sword of Raptinus to change the equipped monster’s battle position. Depending on the position, the monster either cannot be targeted by card effects, or cannot be destroyed by battle. To use this card effectively, during your turn you can set your equipped monster to defense position. Then during the battle phase, change it back to attack position to protect it against card effects. During the opponent’s battle phase, you can change your attack position monster back to defense position to prevent it from being destroyed by battle. The card also comes with the benefit of allowing you to perform an extra normal summon, which opens up more combos during the second main phase.
7. Noble Arms of Destiny
Similar to Noble Arms Caliburn, this equip spell is also made for warrior decks. Where this card differs is that once per turn you can prevent your equipped monster from being destroyed by battle or card effects. Paired with strong monsters like Number S39: Utopia the Lightning, your opponent is definitely in for a rough time. But like most Noble Arms equip spells, this card also allows you to re-equip it to another monster every time it’s sent to the graveyard, as long as you control a Nobel Arms monster.
6. Noble Arms Clarent
Last but not least for the Noble Arms lineup, we have Nobel Arms Clarent. Clarent is amazing because it allows the equipped monster to attack directly for the cheap price of 500 life points. And once again, paired with cards like Number S39: Utopia the Lightning, you can deal 5000 points of damage to your opponent in a single attack. And as you’ve probably already guessed, Clarent can also return back to the field as long as you have Nobel Arms monsters. There’s a lot to like about this one.
5. Archfiend’s Staff of Despair
Next on the list is Archfiend’s Staff of Despair. Being one of the newer equip cards, many players probably aren’t even aware of its existence, but they’re definitely missing out. Once per turn, Archfiend’s Staff of Despair allows you to decrease the attack of all monsters your opponent controls, by half the attack of the equipped monster’s, until the end of the turn. So if you control a monster like Borrelsword Savage Dragon, you can decrease your opponent’s monster’s attack by 1500 each turn. This effect even remains if this card leaves the field. And to put a cherry on top, if this card is sent to the graveyard while equipped to a monster, you can pay 1000 life points to return it to your hand.
4. Mage Power
Being one of the oldest equip cards on this list, Mage Power has always been a top contender for one of the best equip cards – and for a good reason. Mage Power allows you to increase a monster’s attack and defense by 500 for each spell and trap card you control. With up to 6 spell and trap zones (including the field spell), Mage Power can boost a monster’s attack and defense by 3000. Despite its old age, Mage Power is simple and powerful. Which is why it’s so high in this ranking.
3. United We Stand
Here’s another (and arguably even better) equip with similar mechanics as Mage Spell. United We Stand allows you to increase a monster’s attack and defense by 800 for every monster you control. With 6 monster zones (including the extra monster zone), you can potentially boost your monster’s attack by 4800. With archetypes today like Zirtual World and Adamancipator, flooding the field is not a difficult task. So the question you should be asking is why aren’t more people using this card?
2. Power of the Guardians
While United We Stand was a tough card to beat, Power of the Guardians might just take it a step further. What Power of the Guardians does is that with each attack declared involving the equipped monster, you can add a spell counter to this equip spell. With each spell counter, the equipped monster’s attack and defense are increased by 500. But there’s more. If your equipped monster is about to be destroyed by battle or by a card effect, you can simply remove a spell counter instead. This opens up a lot of crazy plays. For example, every time your opponent declares an attack on your monster, you gain a spell counter, increasing your attack and reducing battle damage. If your monster is about to be destroyed, you can just remove that spell counter you gained, and then you’d end up with the exact same set-up as you started with. On the other hand, with monsters like Chimeratech Rampage Dragon that can attack multiple times per turn, you can gain several spell counters in a single turn – and increase your attack at an insane speed!
1. Moon Mirror Shield
And finally, the number one card on my list: Moon Mirror Shield. With Moon Mirror Shield, it doesn’t matter how high your opponent’s monster’s attack or defense is. Even if it’s 1 million (somehow), Moon Mirror Shield lets you destroy any monster. Because it automatically makes your monster’s attack 100 points greater than the opposing monster’s greatest stat, whether that be attack or defense. With cards like Gren Maju Da Eiza that can potentially have an attack and defense of 12,000 or even higher, Moon Mirror Shield allows even a monster with 0 attack to destroy it. It’s debatable whether Moon Mirror Shield or Power of the Guardians deserves the number one spot. But since Moon Mirror Shield essentially makes a monster invincible when it comes to pure battle, I think it takes the lead by a few hairs.
