Evolved Sleeper MTG Card
2022-09-09 - Number 402
2022-09-09 - Number 93p
2022-09-09 - Number 93
2022-09-09 - Number 93s
2002-06-24 - Number 103422
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Human |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Key Takeaways
- Evolved Sleeper provides card advantage and resource scaling, becoming a more significant threat over time.
- Activating its level-up at instant speed offers flexibility and strategic depth during matches.
- Despite its potential, setup requirements and specific mana costs may limit its versatility.
Text of card
: Evolved Sleeper becomes a Human Cleric with base power and toughness 2/2. : If Evolved Sleeper is a Cleric, put a deathtouch counter on it and it becomes a Phyrexian Human Cleric with base power and toughness 3/3. : If Evolved Sleeper is a Phyrexian, put a +1/+1 counter on it, then you draw a card and you lose 1 life.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Evolved Sleeper offers players a steady progression system that can ultimately turn it into a formidable creature, capable of drawing additional cards. This feature is a solid strategy for maintaining pressure and outpacing opponents in longer duels.
Resource Acceleration: This card scales its abilities as the game progresses, essentially transforming the resources you’ve invested in the early game into a much larger threat later on. Its evolving state represents a form of resource acceleration, offering a greater payoff for the mana invested over time.
Instant Speed: While Evolved Sleeper itself is not an instant, its level-up mechanic can be activated at instant speed, allowing players to upgrade it at the most opportune moments. Whether it’s at the end of an opponent’s turn or in response to an action, the instant speed adaptation provides a tactical edge and versatility during gameplay.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Evolved Sleeper requires a certain setup to transform, involving a discard mechanism that can sometimes deplete valuable hand resources, leaving players at a disadvantage if they’re unable to refill their hand efficiently.
Specific Mana Cost: This card’s activation necessitates a specific mana alignment, demanding at least one black mana, which might not seamlessly fit into multi-colored or colorless strategies, potentially restricting its integration across various deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluated against other creatures in its mana range, Evolved Sleeper’s initial cost can be seen as steep for its base stats. Given that the card requires further investment to unlock its full potential, it may not always be the most mana-efficient play, especially in rapid-paced games where tempo is key.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Evolved Sleeper is a dynamic card, capable of adapting to a variety of strategies. Its ability to grow over time means it fits well in decks that plan for the long game, all while starting as an unassuming one-drop creature.
Combo Potential: With each stage of its evolution, Evolved Sleeper enables different synergies. It’s a multifaceted piece for combo decks that benefits from an increasing creature power, graveyard strategies, or devotion metrics.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where incremental advantages can accumulate to secure victory, Evolved Sleeper is a key contender. Its relevance grows in games that extend beyond the early skirmishes, making it a strategic inclusion for adept players.
How to beat
Evolved Sleeper is a nuanced creature card that poses a unique challenge to players in Magic: The Gathering. As a card that can progressively transform and power up each turn, it demands immediate attention on the board. To counteract the Evolved Sleeper’s growing threat, swift removal is key. Consider using instant speed removal spells such as Path to Exile or Fatal Push to efficiently handle the Sleeper before it becomes too large of a menace and demands more resources to tackle.
Adjusting your strategy to include graveyard hate can also hamper the Evolved Sleeper. Since it relies on delving into the graveyard to level up, cards like Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze will stifle its growth potential, rendering it less effective. Additionally, counter strategies with strong board presence can prevent the Sleeper from having its desired impact. By putting pressure and controlling the tempo of the game with aggressive creatures or swarming tactics, you can keep the Evolved Sleeper in check and maintain the upper hand in the match.
All considered, dealing with Evolved Sleeper involves a mix of proactive removal, graveyard disruption, and strategic pressure. Implementing these tactics can ensure that this sleeper doesn’t evolve into your nightmare.
Cards like Evolved Sleeper
Evolved Sleeper is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering that can grow its capabilities over time. It mirrors the adaptability of cards such as Experiment One, which can also strengthen itself through its Evolve ability. Nevertheless, Evolved Sleeper differentiates itself with its level-up mechanic, allowing it to transform and gain new abilities, unlike Experiment One that needs the assistance of other creatures to increase its power.
Explore the Avenue of Ascended Brute, for instance. It shares the evolving concept by having the ascend mechanic and getting stronger when you meet the ten permanents condition. Yet, it lacks the incremental control that Evolved Sleeper offers. Another comparable card is Venerated Loxodon, which bolsters other creatures through Convoke and gives counters when it enters the battlefield. This fosters team synergy early on yet lacks the transformative journey and individual strength the Evolved Sleeper undergoes.
Ultimately, when comparing the strategic depth and utility among creature cards with growth potential, Evolved Sleeper holds a unique position. Its level-up progression makes it a versatile threat that can adapt to the evolving battlefield, carving its own niche within Magic: The Gathering’s array of self-enhancing creatures.
Cards similar to Evolved Sleeper by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Evolved Sleeper MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Dominaria United, 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 Evolved Sleeper and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Evolved Sleeper Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2022-09-09 and 2022-09-09. Illustrated by Jason A. Engle.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 103422 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jason A. Engle | ||
| 2 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United | DMU | 402 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jason A. Engle | |
| 3 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United Promos | PDMU | 93p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jason A. Engle | |
| 4 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United | DMU | 93 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jason A. Engle | |
| 5 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United Promos | PDMU | 93s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jason A. Engle |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Evolved Sleeper has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Evolved Sleeper card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2022-09-09 | Evolved Sleeper’s first two abilities overwrite its power, toughness, and creature types. Typically, those abilities are activated in the order they appear on the card. However, if Evolved Sleeper is a 3/3 Phyrexian Human Cleric and you activate its first ability again, it will become a 2/2 Human Cleric as that ability resolves. |
| 2022-09-09 | Evolved Sleeper’s second ability checks whether it’s a Cleric, and its third ability checks whether it’s a Phyrexian. It doesn’t matter how it became the appropriate creature type. |
| 2022-09-09 | None of these abilities has a duration. If one of them resolves, it will remain in effect until the game ends, Evolved Sleeper leaves the battlefield, or some subsequent effect changes its characteristics, whichever comes first. |
| 2022-09-09 | The effects from the first and second abilities overwrite other effects that set power and/or toughness if and only if those effects existed before the ability resolved. It will not overwrite effects that modify power or toughness without setting it (whether from a static ability, counters, or a resolved spell or ability), nor will it overwrite effects that set power and toughness which come into existence after the ability resolves. Effects that switch the creature’s power and toughness are always applied after any other power or toughness changing effects, including this one, regardless of the order in which they are created. |
| 2022-09-09 | You can activate Evolved Sleeper’s second and third abilities regardless of what creature types it is. Each of those abilities checks Evolved Sleeper’s creature types when that ability resolves. If Evolved Sleeper isn’t the appropriate creature type at that time, the ability does nothing. |