Civic Saber MTG Card
2012-10-05 - Number 227
2022-07-08 - Number 300
2024-01-12 - Number 254
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact — Equipment |
| Abilities | Equip |
Text of card
Equipped creature gets +1/+0 for each of its colors. Equip
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Cards like Civic Saber
Civic Saber is an intriguing equipment card in Magic: The Gathering, with its unique ability to add power based on the number of colors among the creatures it equips. It finds its peers in the likes of Blade of the Bloodchief and Bonesplitter, both being equipment that boost a creature’s stats. However, Civic Saber shines in multicolored decks, where it’s not uncommon for it to grant a larger boost with just one mana to equip. Blade of the Bloodchief caters to decks that thrive on creature deaths, offering a more situational yet potentially larger power increase, while Bonesplitter provides a consistent +2/+0 boost with no color strings attached.
Another comparable card is the Paradise Mantle, which offers a mana ability rather than a power boost but shares the low equip cost of Civic Saber. For players valuing versatility and mana fixing, Paradise Mantle may edge out Civic Saber, while those looking to increase creature threat level may prefer the saber’s immediate impact on the battlefield.
Ultimately, Civic Saber’s performance is highly dependent on the deck’s color diversity. In the right setting, it can be an economical force multiplier, at times surpassing its counterparts in effectiveness, especially in fast-paced, multicolored games.
Cards similar to Civic Saber by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Civic Saber is a card that may not directly produce card advantage, but its real utility shines when equipped to multicolored creatures. It helps make the most of the creatures you already have on the battlefield, turning them into larger threats effortlessly.
Resource Acceleration: Although not a traditional acceleration tool, Civic Saber can be seen as a form of resource acceleration. For a mere two mana, one to cast and one to equip, it efficiently amplifies the power of your creature — effectively speeding up your damage output without the need for further mana investment.
Instant Speed: The equip ability of Civic Saber operates at instant speed, allowing you to adapt quickly to the unfolding game. This flexibility lets you wait for the right moment to enhance a creature, catching an opponent unawares or responding to threats on the fly.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Civic Saber necessitates having a multicolored creature on the battlefield. Without one, the card simply sits idly in your hand without any utility, which can be problematic when trying to maintain card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Although its mana cost seems low at just one generic mana, the true cost comes into play when you consider the need to have a diverse mana base to effectively utilize its abilities—multicolored creatures are essential, and in some decks, this might be a difficult criterion to meet consistently.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Compared to other equipment that buffs creatures, Civic Saber’s impact is tied directly to the number of colors among the creatures you control. In a single-color deck, the card is utterly useless, and even in two-colored decks, there may be more mana-efficient options to increase a creature’s power.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Civic Saber is a dynamic piece of equipment that easily slips into multicolored decks, where it can provide a significant power boost to creatures by capitalizing on the diverse color identity present in your deck.
Combo Potential: With Civic Saber, you unlock exciting interactions in decks that pivot around color-specific mechanics or multicolored creatures, enhancing creatures far beyond their base stats for potentially game-winning combos.
Meta-Relevance: Given the shifting nature of the meta, a quick equip card like Civic Saber adapts well to various competitive environments, providing a lightweight and cost-effective uptick in your creature’s impact, which could be crucial in the face of diverse threats.
How to beat
Civic Saber is a versatile equipment artifact in Magic: The Gathering that can potentially amplify a creature’s power substantially, particularly in multi-color decks. The key to handling an opponent wielding a Civic Saber lies in disrupting their creature base. Without a creature to equip, the saber’s impact is nullified. It’s crucial to time your creature removal spells effectively, striking before the Civic Saber can be capitalised upon. Simple removal spells, such as Path to Exile or Doom Blade, when used in response to the equip attempt, can foil your opponent’s plans.
Artifact destruction is also a direct countermeasure against Civic Saber. Sideboard cards like Naturalize or the more versatile Abrade, which can deal with both creatures and artifacts, are excellent choices to clear the saber from the board. Control strategies can manage the threat before it materializes, with counterspells like Counterspell or Dovin’s Veto ensuring Civic Saber never touches the field. Lastly, consider cards that restrict the types of spells your opponent can play, such as Teferi, Time Raveler, to limit their ability to equip at crucial moments and keep the saber from becoming a problem.
Knowing when to neutralize Civic Saber’s potential influence is a key tactical advantage for maintaining control of the game. By keeping these strategies in mind, players can turn the tide against Civic Saber and maintain the upper hand in their matches.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Civic Saber MTG card by a specific set like Return to Ravnica and Double Masters 2022, 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 Civic Saber 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 Civic Saber Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2012-10-05 and 2024-01-12. Illustrated by Jung Park.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2012-10-05 | Return to Ravnica | RTR | 227 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Jung Park | |
| 2 | 2022-07-08 | Double Masters 2022 | 2X2 | 300 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jung Park | |
| 3 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 254 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jung Park |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Civic Saber has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Civic Saber card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2012-10-01 | Civic Saber’s bonus can range from +0/+0 (for a colorless creature) to +5/+0 (for a creature that’s all five colors). |
| 2012-10-01 | If the equipped creature becomes a different number of colors, the bonus will change accordingly. |