Crested Sunmare MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Crested Sunmare provides a persistent threat that encourages opponents to handle it quickly, otherwise you’ll amass an unstoppable herd of indestructible horses. This means either they spend valuable resources to deal with it or you gain sheer board presence, nudging the scales in card advantage to your favor with each passing turn.

Resource Acceleration: While Crested Sunmare itself doesn’t directly provide mana acceleration, its 5/5 body for five mana can quickly become a cost-efficient play. The potential to populate the battlefield with additional indestructible tokens without further investment can lead to efficient use of your mana, indirectly speeding up your resource utilization.

Instant Speed: Despite the Sunmare not having flash, it impacts games at instant speed vicariously through its ability, which triggers at the end of each turn you gained life. This synergizes with instant-speed life gain cards, allowing you to create indestructible Horse tokens during your opponent’s turn, effectively catching them off-guard and maximizing your turn efficiency.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While the Crested Sunmare doesn’t directly demand a discard, it synergizes with life gain, which occasionally comes at the cost of discarding cards. If your deck isn’t tailored to consistently provide such synergy, the Sunmare’s value diminishes.

Specific Mana Cost: Crested Sunmare asks for a significant investment of white mana – three white mana symbols out of its five total casting cost. This can be restrictive for multicolor decks that may struggle with the right mana availability when it’s needed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Priced at five mana, Crested Sunmare can be considered costly given the competitive landscape of five-drops in MTG. Its impact on the board is dependent on other life-gain elements being in place, which isn’t always guaranteed, making its immediate value less consistent compared to other options.

Reasons to Include Crested Sunmare in Your Collection

Versatility: Crested Sunmare offers a robust presence in both offensive and defensive positions, fitting well in life-gain decks as well as those focused on creature-based strategies. Its ability to create an indestructible 5/5 token every turn can swing the game in your favor.

Combo Potential: This card has excellent synergy with other life-gain cards. Pairing it with cards that provide a consistent life boost each turn can generate an overwhelming board presence, creating a relentless army of Horse tokens.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-heavy decks are prevalent, Crested Sunmare can serve as a cornerstone in your collection. Its potential to consistently populate the battlefield makes it a formidable match against various popular strategies.

How to beat

Crested Sunmare is an imposing presence in any MTG match, known for its ability to create an army of indestructible Horse tokens. Balancing the field against such a card requires strategic card play and timing. Removal spells that don’t destroy, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, can efficiently handle the Sunmare without triggering its indestructible effect. Counter spells also play a critical role when you aim to prevent this creature from ever hitting the board.

Board wipes like Damnation or Wrath of God can clear the tokens, as they skirt around the indestructible protection by not targeting individual creatures. It’s vital to keep the opponent’s life total in check as well, preventing them from gaining life and thus inhibiting the Sunmare’s token generation. Artifact and enchantment removal also help dismantle life gain engines that often accompany Crested Sunmare in decks. Ultimately, understanding when to disrupt your opponent’s strategy is key in triumphing over this formidable MTG card.

BurnMana Recommendations

With its ability to amass an army of indestructible tokens, Crested Sunmare stands as a powerhouse in life-gain focused decks. Its strategic edge can turn the tide of the game, making it a valuable addition to your MTG collection. Yet, the card’s full potential is unlocked when woven into a carefully crafted deck environment. If you’re seeking to bolster your deck’s performance or you’re simply interested in expanding your collection with impactful cards, understand the nuances of this unique card. Dive deeper with us, learn more about effective deck building, and start cultivating your own unstoppable herd of Horses on the battlefield.