Solemn Simulacrum MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 38 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeArtifact Creature — Golem
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. A versatile card providing mana ramp and drawing a card when leaving the battlefield.
  2. May compete with other 4-cost cards despite its ramp and card advantage.
  3. Minimize its abilities through exile, control, or aggressive counterplay.

Text of card

When Solemn Simulacrum comes into play, you may search your library for a basic land card and put that card into play tapped. If you do, shuffle your library. When Solemn Simulacrum is put into a graveyard from play, you may draw a card.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Solemn Simulacrum, often dubbed as ‘Sad Robot’ among players, offers exceptional card advantage. Upon its entrance to the battlefield, it empowers you to search your library for a basic land card, ensuring a smooth and sustained access to mana which helps keep your hand filled with playable options.

Resource Acceleration: Beyond its card advantage, Solemn Simulacrum contributes to resource acceleration. By slotting an additional land into the game, this versatile artifact creature helps you deploy your more powerful spells ahead of curve. This ramp-up can be pivotal in outpacing your opponent, making it a strategic play in a variety of decks.

Instant Speed: Although Solemn Simulacrum operates at sorcery speed, its true value comes into play at instant speed when it dies. This function permits you to draw a card instantly, providing immediate replenishment of your resources, and keeping the momentum in your favor. In formats that appreciate the flexible pacing of gameplay, the ability to draw upon its death makes it a formidable presence across various stages of the match.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Solemn Simulacrum does not directly require a discard upon entry or exit from the battlefield, which can be seen as a missed opportunity for decks that capitalize on discard strategies or graveyard synergies.

Specific Mana Cost: While Solemn Simulacrum boasts a flexible colorless mana cost that fits into any deck, it’s the additional requirement of four mana total that can be restrictive, especially in the early game where players may prefer to cast multiple spells or establish a quicker board presence.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its four mana cost, Solemn Simulacrum faces tough competition from other four-mana creatures or spells that might provide more immediate impact on the game. Although it offers a basic land when it enters and card draw when it dies, there are scenarios where the tempo loss isn’t justified compared to other options available.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Solemn Simulacrum, known among players for its flexible manners, slots into an array of deck archetypes with ease. It provides ramp by fetching basic lands and card draw upon its departure from the battlefield, making it a valuable tool for decks aiming to enhance their resources.

Combo Potential: This artifact creature has a strong synergy with decks that capitalize on enter-the-battlefield (ETB) or death triggers. Solemn Simulacrum’s abilities can be repeatedly leveraged with recursion or flicker strategies, turning it into a repeatable source of deck thinning and card draw.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where games reach the mid to late phases, the card’s intrinsic value shines, as it efficiently smoothens out mana curves and replaces itself in your hand. The ability to develop your board while maintaining card parity makes Solemn Simulacrum a sound choice for decks that operate in diverse and ever-evolving meta landscapes.


How to beat

Solemn Simulacrum, fondly referred to by many players as ‘Sad Robot’, presents a unique set of attributes that make it a valuable card in many MTG decks. One of its key advantages is its ability to fetch a land card from your deck, ensuring you don’t miss a land drop, and then providing you with an extra card if it leaves the battlefield. This double-feature value is a significant gain for any player utilizing it.

To effectively counter Solemn Simulacrum, a good strategy is to minimize its abilities. Tactics such as exiling it so the death trigger doesn’t activate, or utilizing cards like Grafdigger’s Cage to prevent it from executing its search-for-land ability, are effective. Another approach is to take control of it. Through Act of Treason or similar cards, you can harness its benefits for yourself. Furthermore, playing aggressively to reduce its impact or employing counterspells to prevent it from ever hitting the battlefield are also viable ways to beat it. Remember to avoid destroying it in a trade-off unless necessary, as this allows your opponent to extract the maximum value from it.

Conclusively, while Solemn Simulacrum offers multiple benefits, strategically thwarting its abilities can mitigate the advantage it gives to your adversary, keeping the playing field even.


BurnMana Recommendations

The Solemn Simulacrum, or ‘Sad Robot’, stands as a multifaceted companion in the MTG arena, extending a hand in mana stability and card flow. As you delve deeper into the strategic depths of your MTG endeavors, consider the power and subtlety this artifact creature offers. The intricacies of MTG aren’t bound to mere card exchanges but to the adept orchestration of resources and timing. Harness the Sad Robot’s abilities to reinforce your deck’s finesse. Join the ranks of savvy MTG players who wield the strengths of Solemn Simulacrum and navigate your path to becoming a formidable opponent. Dive into the wealth of knowledge we offer and claim mastery over your next MTG encounter.


Cards like Solemn Simulacrum

Solemn Simulacrum, often affectionately called ‘Sad Robot’, is a versatile utility creature in the world of Magic: The Gathering. This revered artifact creature stands out for its ability to ramp your mana by fetching a basic land onto the battlefield upon entry and providing card advantage when it leaves play. The closest kin in terms of functionality is Burnished Hart, which also brings lands onto the battlefield, but requires a mana investment and sacrifice to activate, lacking the card-draw death trigger.

Another comparable card is Pilgrim’s Eye, a creature that also ensures land consistency by allowing you to fetch a basic land into your hand when it enters the battlefield. Although it doesn’t ramp directly onto the battlefield like Solemn Simulacrum or draw a card upon death, its lower casting cost makes it an alternative worth considering for mana fixing.

In sum, while there are other creatures that mimic aspects of Solemn Simulacrum’s land-fetching or card-drawing abilities, few offer the same duality of direct ramp and incremental advantage in one package, making it a unique and valued asset in a player’s arsenal. The ‘Sad Robot’ indeed holds a significant role within artifact creature cards in Magic: The Gathering.

Burnished Hart - MTG Card versions
Pilgrim's Eye - MTG Card versions
Burnished Hart - Theros (THS)
Pilgrim's Eye - Worldwake (WWK)

Cards similar to Solemn Simulacrum by color, type and mana cost

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Tower of Fortunes - Commander 2013 (C13)
Coercive Portal - Conspiracy (CNS)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Solemn Simulacrum MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Mirrodin, 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 Solemn Simulacrum and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Solemn Simulacrum Magic the Gathering card was released in 29 different sets between 2003-10-02 and 2024-03-08. Illustrated by 10 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 819162015normalblackJoseph Meehan
22003-10-02MirrodinMRD 2452003normalblackGreg Staples
32011-06-17Commander 2011CMD 2622003normalblackGreg Staples
42011-07-15Magic 2012M12 2172003normalblackDan Scott
52014-11-07Commander 2014C14 2712015normalblackDan Scott
62015-11-13Commander 2015C15 2692015normalblackDan Scott
72016-09-30Kaladesh InventionsMPS 252015normalblackDaarken
82016-11-11Commander 2016C16 2732015normalblackDan Scott
92018-06-08Commander Anthology Volume IICM2 2192015normalblackDan Scott
102018-06-08Commander Anthology Volume IICM2 2182015normalblackGreg Staples
112019-08-23Commander 2019C19 2222015normalblackDonato Giancola
122019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 16322015normalblackDan Scott
132019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 11132015normalborderlessYoji Shinkawa
142019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 7912015normalborderlessDani Pendergast
152020-04-17Commander 2020C20 2532015normalblackDonato Giancola
162020-07-03Core Set 2021M21 2392015normalblackDonato Giancola
172020-07-03Core Set 2021M21 3192015normalborderlessJoseph Meehan
182020-09-26The ListPLST DDU-622015normalblackDan Scott
192021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 4001997normalblackGreg Staples
202021-04-23Commander 2021C21 2642015normalblackDonato Giancola
212021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 2162015normalblackDonato Giancola
222022-02-18Neon Dynasty CommanderNEC 1622015normalblackDonato Giancola
232022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 3802015normalblackDonato Giancola
242022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 8722015normalblackDonato Giancola
252022-09-09Dominaria United CommanderDMC 1912015normalblackDonato Giancola
262022-11-18The Brothers' War CommanderBRC 1611997normalblackDonato Giancola
272022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 7972015normalblackDonato Giancola
282023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be One CommanderONC 1412015normalblackDonato Giancola
292023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 9732015normalblackDonato Giancola
302023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 8372015normalblackIvan Dedov
312023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 4802015normalblackIvan Dedov
322023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 10712015normalblackIvan Dedov
332023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 2462015normalblackIvan Dedov
342024-02-09Murders at Karlov Manor CommanderMKC 2382015normalblackDan Murayama Scott
352024-03-08FalloutPIP 10142015normalblackKamila Szutenberg
362024-03-08FalloutPIP 4862015normalblackKamila Szutenberg
372024-03-08FalloutPIP 2402015normalblackKamila Szutenberg
382024-03-08FalloutPIP 7682015normalblackKamila Szutenberg

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Solemn Simulacrum has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

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