Armor Sliver MTG Card
1997-10-14 - Number 4
2009-11-20 - Number 16
2015-05-06 - Number 4
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Sliver |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
Each Sliver gains ": This creature gets +0/+1 until end of turn."
Hanna: "We must learn how they protect each other." Mirri: "After they've done trying to kill us, all right?"
Cards like Armor Sliver
The Armor Sliver card introduces a distinctive layer of defensive strategy for Sliver creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Forge a comparison with the Muscle Sliver, which grants all Sliver creatures you control a boost in power. In contrast, Armor Sliver allows one to strengthen the toughness, increasing the survival rate of your Slivers on the battlefield.
Moving to Crystalline Sliver, another Sliver type, offers not a boost in stats but rather protection by making all Slivers untargetable by spells or abilities. This shields your army of Slivers from targeted removal, but doesn’t improve their combat resiliency like Armor Sliver does. Then there’s the Plated Sliver, a more straightforward card that, similar to Armor Sliver, elevates the toughness of Slivers, yet it does so without any activation cost, providing an always-on benefit.
In summary, Armor Sliver finds its practicality through its ability to adjust defenses dynamically, situating it as a versatile option within the Sliver family. It faces competition from other Sliver cards but carves out its niche effectively for players looking to fortify their Sliver-based strategies in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Armor Sliver by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Armor Sliver gives other Sliver creatures you control the ability to grant a defensive boost. This synergy not only bolsters your battlefield presence but also provides the potential for card advantage as each Sliver effectively becomes a more useful asset.
Resource Acceleration: While Armor Sliver itself doesn’t directly accelerate your resources, its presence on the field in a Sliver deck enhances your slivers’ survivability. This indirectly leads to resource acceleration by preserving your creatures and thereby your mana investments on the board.
Instant Speed: Although Armor Sliver does not have an ability that activates at instant speed, it encourages a playstyle that is responsive to threats. The pump ability that it confers can be activated at instant speed, allowing you to adapt and strengthen your Slivers in response to combat or removal attempts during your opponent’s turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Armor Sliver does not directly require a discard, but as a tribal synergistic card, it could enforce a strategy that overextends your hand, which can leave you vulnerable if your Slivers are wiped out.
Specific Mana Cost: Armor Sliver requires both white and generic mana, which can be a deckbuilding constraint, particularly if you’re running a multi-color Sliver deck and need to ensure a consistent mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its two mana cost to activate the ability, this can add up quickly in the game, especially when you want to field multiple Slivers for a combined combat effect, making it a pricier investment than some might prefer for an incremental protective bonus.
Reasons to Include Armor Sliver in Your Collection
Versatility: Armor Sliver provides Sliver creatures with a boost in defense, making them sturdier in face-offs. Its application is broad, enhancing both offensive and defensive strategies within various Sliver decks.
Combo Potential: This card synergizes with other Sliver creatures, as it stacks defensively. Combined with other Slivers that offer abilities like flying or first strike, Armor Sliver helps create a formidable creature presence on the board.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta with numerous aggro and combat-centric decks, Armor Sliver can significantly improve the survivability of your Slivers. A single card that can tilt the balance of creature combat in your favor can be highly valuable.
How to beat Armor Sliver
Confronting the Armor Sliver card presents a challenge due to its ability to collectively strengthen other Slivers with a boost to their defenses. Players often depend on the synergistic nature of Sliver decks, where each Sliver has the potential to increase the overall power of the battlefield presence. A single Armor Sliver can quickly turn a swarm of Slivers into an almost impenetrable force.
A strategic approach to topple a Sliver-laden opponent includes targeted removal spells. By eliminating the Armor Sliver, the protective shield dissipates, leaving the other Slivers vulnerable. Board wipes are particularly effective here; they reset the board and remove multiple threats simultaneously. Additionally, spells that strip abilities can neutralize the cumulative buffs that make Slivers formidable, transforming an intimidating army into manageable threats.
Efficient creature control is paramount when dealing with Slivers. Utilizing removal with precision and capitalizing on timing to disrupt your opponent’s game plan can shift the tides in your favor. Successfully defusing the ticking time-bomb that Slivers represent, especially with the Armor Sliver at the helm, requires a mixture of premeditated strikes and reactive tactics.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Armor Sliver MTG card by a specific set like Tempest and Premium Deck Series: Slivers, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Armor Sliver and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Armor Sliver Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1997-10-14 and 2015-05-06. Illustrated by Scott Kirschner.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1997-10-14 | Tempest | TMP | 4 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Scott Kirschner | |
| 2 | 2009-11-20 | Premium Deck Series: Slivers | H09 | 16 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Scott Kirschner | |
| 3 | 2015-05-06 | Tempest Remastered | TPR | 4 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Scott Kirschner |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Armor Sliver has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Armor Sliver card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-07-01 | Abilities that Slivers grant, as well as power/toughness boosts, are cumulative. However, for some abilities, like flying, having more than one instance of the ability doesn’t provide any additional benefit. |
| 2013-07-01 | If the creature type of a Sliver changes so it’s no longer a Sliver, it will no longer be affected by its own ability. Its ability will continue to affect other Sliver creatures. |