Banding Sliver MTG Card
2019-11-07 - Number 2
2021-08-20 - Number 2
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Sliver |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
All Slivers have banding. (Any creatures with banding, and up to one without, can attack in a band. Bands are blocked as a group. If any creatures with banding you control are blocking or being blocked by a creature, you divide that creature's combat damage, not its controller, among any of the creatures it's being blocked by or is blocking.)
Cards like Banding Sliver
Banding Sliver adds a unique mechanism to the coalition of Sliver creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Much like the historical function of banding found in cards like Benalish Hero, the Banding Sliver enables a group of creatures to band together in combat, a trait that was prevalent during earlier sets. Yet, it pairs this with the synergetic nature of Slivers, as each Sliver empowers the others with collective abilities.
Delving into cards with similar synergy amplification, we encounter Muscle Sliver, which gives all Slivers an additional strength, reinforcing the overall might of the swarm without relying on banding. Then there’s the Gemhide Sliver, which diversifies the contribution by granting Slivers the ability to tap for mana, offering increased versatility and an acceleration in gameplay.
In light of these aspects, while Muscle Sliver and Gemhide Sliver diversify the capabilities of a Sliver-based deck, the Banding Sliver’s unique offering of strategic combat alignment through banding maintains its position as an interesting if more niche, piece within the ecosystem of Sliver support cards.
Cards similar to Banding Sliver by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Banding Sliver offers a unique mechanic that can potentially give you an advantage during combat by allowing for better control of blocking and attacking strategies. This can often lead to favorable trades on the battlefield, preserving your creatures while taking down opponents’ threats.
Resource Acceleration: Although Banding Sliver itself doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration, it synergizes well with other cards that do. Being a Sliver, it benefits from and enhances the myriad of Sliver effects that can lead to an accelerated board presence, boosting your mana or creature resources effectively.
Instant Speed: While Banding Sliver is not an instant, it indirectly strengthens instant-speed interactions by protecting your creatures involved in combat. This makes combat tricks or instant-speed removals even more impactful, knowing your Sliver-fortified creatures will likely survive to see another turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Incorporating Banding Sliver into your deck means you’ll need to be prepared for the potential cost of card discard. While its ability can be advantageous, the need to discard can put you at a resource disadvantage, especially in tight situations where every card in hand counts.
Specific Mana Cost: Banding Sliver also has a dedicated mana requirement that demands a precise mana base to cast it successfully. This might result in the card being stranded in your hand if your deck isn’t properly tuned to meet its color demands, limiting its applicability across different deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that’s on the higher side, especially for cards with banding abilities, Banding Sliver might not always be the optimal play. There are other creatures or spells that could provide more immediate impact or versatility for the same or lower mana investment, making this card a less attractive option in a competitive setting.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Banding Sliver introduces a nuanced layer of defense and attack coordination within Sliver decks, enabling more strategic combat decisions that can adapt to various game scenarios.
Combo Potential: This card unlocks combination plays with other slivers, empowering your creatures not only individually but as a formidable unit, sharing beneficial abilities and influencing the battlefield as a cohesive force.
Meta-Relevance: Against decks capitalizing on singular, powerful threats, Banding Sliver shifts the dynamic, allowing groups of slivers to band together and tackle challenges that require collective might rather than individual strength.
How to beat
Banding Sliver is a unique sliver creature card that can both enhance and complicate the classic sliver synergy in Magic: The Gathering games. This card bestows the banding ability on all slivers, allowing them to join forces in both attack and defense. Banding itself is an older and often misunderstood mechanic that gives players detailed control over combat damage allocation. To counteract the benefits Banding Sliver provides, it’s crucial to disrupt the sliver legion’s cohesion.
Removal spells are effective for singling out the Banding Sliver, such as Path to Exile and Doom Blade, which can bypass the banding defense by targeting directly. Board wipes like Wrath of God or Damnation are also potent tools, as they can clear multiple slivers at once, undermining the banding strategy altogether. Another strategy involves countering key slivers as they are cast or utilizing spells that strip the abilities from creatures, such as Humility, thus nullifying the banding advantage.
Players must remember that targeted removal and board control are paramount when facing a deck featuring Banding Sliver. Keeping the slivers from amassing in numbers, or removing their bestowed abilities, can be key strategies in defeating an opponent leveraging this distinct ability.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Banding Sliver MTG card by a specific set like Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2019 and Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2021, 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 Banding 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 Banding Sliver Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-11-07 and 2021-08-20. Illustrated by Alicia Mickes.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2019 | CMB1 | 2 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alicia Mickes | |
| 2 | 2021-08-20 | Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2021 | CMB2 | 2 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alicia Mickes |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Banding Sliver card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-11-12 | A player who controls a creature blocked by or blocking multiple creatures must choose a combat damage assignment order for those creatures. If each creature in that order loses banding, the order will be enforced. Otherwise, the player who controls the creature with banding can assign the other creature’s damage ignoring the damage assignment order and without assigning lethal damage to a creature before assigning damage to another creature. |
| 2019-11-12 | Creatures don’t “share” abilities in a band. For example, if Banding Sliver bands with a creature with flying, Banding Sliver can be blocked by a creature without flying, and this causes the blocking creature to also block the creature with flying. |
| 2019-11-12 | While blocking, a creature with banding can block along with any number of creatures. This isn’t a “band,” but it’s similar for how damage assignment is modified. |