Card Spotlight
Dáin Ironfoot
A 3-mana mono-red Dwarf from The Hobbit that creates a free Equipment on entry and gives double strike to every equipped attacker whenever it attacks.
Commander Spotlight
Dáin Ironfoot ↗
A 3-mana mono-red Dwarf from The Hobbit that creates a free Equipment on entry and gives double strike to every equipped attacker whenever it attacks.
See Dáin Ironfoot's full stats and printings →
Strategies it goes well with
- Equipment-matters decks. The double-strike trigger scales with how many equipped creatures are attacking, rewarding a deck that's leaned fully into an Equipment package.
- Aggressive red decks. A free Equipment token on entry and a real combat payoff on attack both apply pressure immediately, which fits an aggressive game plan.
- Voltron and single-big-threat decks. Even outside a wide Equipment shell, doubling the damage output of one heavily-equipped attacker is a real finishing tool.
How it does in Commander
As the commander
As the commander it anchors a dedicated red Equipment deck, since guaranteed repeated access to the double-strike trigger from the command zone rewards building the whole 99 around a wide package of gear rather than a handful of pieces.
In the 99
A solid support piece in any red Equipment-focused deck even without leading it, providing a real combat boost on top of the free Axe token it brings on its own.
Formats it's strong in
- Equipment-heavy decks. The more equipped creatures attacking, the bigger the double-strike payoff, which directly rewards a deck built around a wide Equipment package.
- Aggressive, combat-focused red decks. The free Equipment and the double-strike trigger both support a plan built around attacking every turn.
Formats it's weak in
- Low-Equipment decks. With few or no other equipped creatures, the double-strike trigger applies to little beyond whatever Dáin's own free Axe is attached to.
- Defensive or non-aggressive decks. The whole payoff is locked behind attacking, which is a poor fit for a deck not planning to swing.
Synergistic cards
Bonesplitter ↗
A cheap, efficient Equipment that becomes even better once attached to a double-strike attacker.
Sword of Fire and Ice ↗
A powerful Equipment whose combat damage trigger fires twice per attacker under double strike, for a real value swing.
Brass Squire ↗
A colorless creature that attaches an Equipment you control to a creature you control for just a tap, supporting the same wide-gear plan Dáin rewards.
Any efficient, cheap Equipment ↗
The more gear a deck can attach across its board, the bigger the payoff from Dáin's attack trigger.
Is it worth the price?
As a recent-set card, Dáin Ironfoot is inexpensive and a low-risk pickup for a red Equipment-matters deck.
Frequently asked questions
What Equipment does Dáin Ironfoot create?
A colorless Equipment token named Axe, granting +1/+0 to the equipped creature with equip cost {2}, and it's attached to a creature you control when it's created. That is a free, if modest, boost the turn Dáin enters.
How does Dáin Ironfoot's attack trigger work?
Whenever it attacks, every equipped attacking creature gains double strike until end of turn. A board with several equipped creatures deals much more combat damage every time Dáin joins the attack, well beyond what the free Axe token alone provides.
What deck wants Dáin Ironfoot?
A red Equipment-matters deck that's already running several pieces of gear. The more equipped creatures attacking alongside Dáin, the bigger the double-strike payoff, which rewards a deck built specifically around that plan rather than one running Equipment incidentally.