Drudge Sentinel MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Skeleton Warrior
Power 2
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Drudge Sentinel’s instant speed activation makes it a flexible and threatening blocker during combat.
  2. The card’s indestructibility means it can be a persistent and troublesome defender on the battlefield.
  3. Despite versatility, the card demands a strategic mana and resource balance to maximize efficiency.

Text of card

: Tap Drudge Sentinel. It gains indestructible until end of turn. (Damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy it.)

The Cabal assured the Seven Houses that hostages receive all the food and rest they require.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With the Drudge Sentinel, you have the ability to ensure a continuous board presence. Activating its ability to tap itself helps to dodge sorcery-speed removal, allowing you to maintain card advantage by effectively countering your opponent’s attempts to clear the board.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly contributing to resource acceleration, the Drudge Sentinel can be a last line of defense, permitting you to use your mana elsewhere with the assurance that you have a blocker ready. This can lead to more efficient use of resources over several turns.

Instant Speed: The Drudge Sentinel’s primary strength lies in its activation at instant speed. This offers versatility during combat, potentially dissuading opponents from attacking due to the Sentinel’s ability to become indestructible at a moment’s notice, thus providing a form of deterrence and influencing your opponent’s decisions during their turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Drudge Sentinel requires tapping another creature or discarding a card to unleash its abilities, which can deplete your hand and leave you at a disadvantage during the late game stages.

Specific Mana Cost: This card necessitates a one-black mana cost, potentially restricting its integration in multi-colored decks that may not always have black mana readily accessible.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a three mana cost to summon and activate Drudge Sentinel’s untap ability, it competes for a slot against other cards that may provide immediate impact or stronger defensive options for the same or lower mana investment.


Reasons to Include Drudge Sentinel in Your Collection

Versatility: Drudge Sentinel offers a defensive option that can be slotted into a variety of decks. Its ability to become tapped for indestructibility makes it a reliable blocker that can survive most combat engagements.

Combo Potential: This card has synergy with strategies revolving around tapped/untapped status. It can be used with cards that capitalize on tapping creatures for benefits or those that untap creatures to enable the activation of its indestructible ability multiple times in a turn.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where aggressive creatures dominate, having a card like Drudge Sentinel that can reliably block and live through the combat can be an excellent way to stabilize the board and prolong the game until more powerful plays are possible.


How to beat

Drudge Sentinel is an under-the-radar utility creature in the landscape of Magic: The Gathering. This seemingly innocuous card has the ability to become tapped, gaining indestructible until end of turn for a small mana investment. This makes it resilient against damage and destruction effects, making it a stubborn defender on the battlefield.

To effectively combat Drudge Sentinel, it’s essential to bypass its indestructibility. Cards that force a player to sacrifice a creature, such as Diabolic Edict or Liliana’s Triumph, can efficiently remove Drudge Sentinel without having to deal damage. Alternatively, changing its fundamental properties through enchantments or abilities that negate its abilities can render the sentinel’s resilience void. Look towards cards like Darksteel Mutation or Song of the Dryads to neutralize it without entering combat.

Hence, while Drudge Sentinel can prove to be a stalwart blocker and a minor nuisance, a strategic approach that focuses on non-destructive removal or altering abilities will assure that its staying power is significantly undermined, thereby preserving your path to victory.


Cards like Drudge Sentinel

Drudge Sentinel is an intriguing creature card that finds its niche within the world of sentinel and skeleton warriors in Magic: The Gathering. Its tap ability to make itself indestructible for a turn is reminiscent of abilities found in cards like Dauntless Bodyguard. While the Bodyguard sacrifices itself to protect another creature, Drudge Sentinel stands firm, ready to block any onslaught without flinching.

Resemblances can also be drawn with the card Wall of Limbs; a creature with the capacity to gain toughness and threaten with its formidable presence. However, it lacks the sentinel’s self-protective capacity. Another similar creature is Reassembling Skeleton, which also boasts a stubborn resilience with its ability to return from the graveyard. Drudge Sentinel requires an upfront mana investment to become indestructible, whereas Reassembling Skeleton demands a recurring mana cost for its revival.

Evaluating the effectiveness of these creatures shows Drudge Sentinel is a steadfast guard on the battlefield, poised to deter attackers turn after turn. Its potential in defensive strategies solidifies its place among the resilient denizens of Magic: The Gathering, granting staying power to those who wield it wisely in their deck.

Dauntless Bodyguard - MTG Card versions
Wall of Limbs - MTG Card versions
Reassembling Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Dauntless Bodyguard - Dominaria (DOM)
Wall of Limbs - Magic 2015 (M15)
Reassembling Skeleton - Archenemy (ARC)

Cards similar to Drudge Sentinel by color, type and mana cost

Nettling Imp - MTG Card versions
Royal Assassin - MTG Card versions
Plague Rats - MTG Card versions
El-Hajjâj - MTG Card versions
Frozen Shade - MTG Card versions
Scathe Zombies - MTG Card versions
Sorceress Queen - MTG Card versions
Wall of Bone - MTG Card versions
Lost Soul - MTG Card versions
Mindstab Thrull - MTG Card versions
Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions
Strongarm Thug - MTG Card versions
Razortooth Rats - MTG Card versions
Ghastly Remains - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Undead - MTG Card versions
Deepwood Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Dross Prowler - MTG Card versions
Nim Lasher - MTG Card versions
Nim Abomination - MTG Card versions
Vesper Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Nettling Imp - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Royal Assassin - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Plague Rats - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
El-Hajjâj - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Frozen Shade - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Scathe Zombies - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Sorceress Queen - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Wall of Bone - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Lost Soul - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Mindstab Thrull - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Mischievous Poltergeist - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Strongarm Thug - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Razortooth Rats - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Ghastly Remains - Legions (LGN)
Lord of the Undead - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Deepwood Ghoul - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Dross Prowler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Lasher - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Abomination - Darksteel (DST)
Vesper Ghoul - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Drudge Sentinel MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria and Mystery Booster, 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 Drudge Sentinel and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Drudge Sentinel Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2018-04-27 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Sara Winters.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-04-27DominariaDOM 892015normalblackSara Winters
22019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 6392015normalblackSara Winters
32020-09-26The ListPLST DOM-892015normalblackSara Winters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Drudge Sentinel has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Drudge Sentinel card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2018-04-27 You can activate Drudge Sentinel’s ability even if it’s already tapped. It will still gain indestructible.

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