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Opening Hand Decisions: Strength-Testing Hammer Mulligans

Every MTG player has a litany of tiny calculus problems when deciding to keep or mulligan a hand. With Strength-Testing Hammer, a quirky Unfinity artifact, your decision circle grows a little wilder because this card weds randomness to tempo in a way that only a die roll can. The hammer’s 1-mana cost is a tease more than a lottery ticket: you want to attach it to a creature, unleash an attack, then roll the six-sided fate to potentially swing the turn in your favor. 🧙‍♂️🔥💎

Whenever equipped creature attacks, roll a six-sided die. That creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the result. Then if it has the greatest power or is tied for greatest power among creatures on the battlefield, draw a card. Equip {3}

Strikingly simple on the surface, Strength-Testing Hammer is a colorless artifact from Unfinity, a set built for mischief and memorable moments. The randomness comes in the form of that die roll, and the reward is twofold: a big temporary buff for the equipped creature and a potential card draw if your attacker can claim the top power crown for the moment. In casual play, that draw can be the spark that keeps you ahead in a chaos-filled game; in commander, it becomes a reliable engine for late-game value when you manage to keep your hammer attached through a few swing turns. Flavor text aside—“I don't know you, but that hammer rings a bell.”—the card leans into playful risk-taking, which is exactly the charm Unfinity leans into. 🎲⚔️

How to read the mulligan for Strength-Testing Hammer

Because Strength-Testing Hammer is colorless and equips for a hefty {3}, you’re not drafting into a fast-burn style deck where you slam on turn one and win on turn two. You’re looking for rhythm: a creature you can attach the hammer to, a path to get that creature into the red zone, and enough support to survive through those first couple of turns while you set up the die-rolling payoff. Here are practical mulligan heuristics to guide opening-hand decisions:

• Creature presence is paramount. If your opening hand contains zero creatures, the hammer is a house of cards—relying on drawing into a body and then paying three to equip is risky. If you’re missing a creature and you don’t have a way to produce one on turn 1 or 2, mulligan toward hands that include at least one solid body you can attach the hammer to by turn 2 or 3. 🧙‍♂️
• Early curve matters more than flashy spells. Keep hands with at least one 2–3 drop creature or a way to assemble a board by turn 3. The hammer shines once you’ve got a creature swinging and a path to the equip cost, because the die roll can push you into a card draw that replaces what you used to install the setup. 🔥
• Consider density of noncreature spells. If your hand is loaded with noncreature spells that don’t contribute to developing a board state, you’re more likely to stall while the hammer waits for an equipped attacker. A leaner hand with a usable artifact, a couple of pump effects, and removal often beats a crowded, slow start. 💎
• Presence of removal for the opponent’s biggest threats. Since the card draws only when your equipped creature has the greatest power (or is tied for it), you’ll want to keep hands that let you manage opposing boards. If you suspect an early rival with a bigger beater will overshadow your attacker, mulligan toward a more controlling or tempo-oriented setup. ⚔️
• Probability of hitting the power crown. The draw occurs only if your equipped creature leads on power. If your opening creature is likely to be matched or exceeded by early threats on the battlefield, you may still keep the hand for the potential buff, but temper expectations about the draw. In practice, that draw is a nice cherry on top rather than a guaranteed engine. 🎲

Practical opening-hand archetypes

Think in terms of two broad archetypes: (1) a proactive board you can present by turn 2–3, with Strength-Testing Hammer ready to deploy, or (2) a control-leaning setup where you plan to stall until you can slow-bleed the board and then drop the hammer to swing for the win on a single attack. If you land a creature with respectable power and a handful of pump or tax effects, you’re in a sweet spot to push for that die-boosted power spike and potential card draw. And if you roll a 6 on the die, the buff is substantial enough to curb opponent aggression and maybe draw you into another spell—opie, but delightfully chaotic. 🧙‍♂️🎲

In Unfinity's playful orbit, the card also invites deck-building creativity. It’s legal in Commander and in duel formats, offering a reliable, if unpredictable, engine for players who enjoy variance as a feature rather than a bug. The art, the flavor text, and the dice-tossing mechanic all conjure a moment of theater—perfect for those who love a good storytelling turn while cracking a grin at the randomness. The hammer doesn’t merely modify numbers; it adds a memorable cadence to the combat steps, turning each attack into a mini-game. 🎨⚔️

Putting it into practice

When you’re staring at your opening hand, picture the first few turns as a mini-stage for your die-rolling drama. Can you play a creature on turn 2 and reliably attach Strength-Testing Hammer by turn 3? If yes, keep. If not, mulligan with a plan to redraw into that tempo, or pivot to a different draw-heavy line that still respects the hammer’s quirky cadence. And don’t forget the social side of Unfinity—a little chaos can be a lot of fun, as long as you’re keeping the pace engaging for everyone at the table. 🧙‍♂️🔥

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