Sky Swallower MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Leviathan |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Released | 2006-02-03 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Guildpact |
| Set code | GPT |
| Power | 8 |
| Toughness | 8 |
| Number | 34 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | normal |
| Border | black |
| Illustred by | rk post |
Key Takeaways
- Sky Swallower can drastically alter the board state, providing a significant card advantage.
- The creature requires strategic timing due to its potent, yet costly, board impact.
- Despite its restrictions, it remains a versatile and powerful addition to blue-based decks.
Text of card
Flying When Sky Swallower comes into play, target opponent gains control of all other permanents you control.
Would you trade the world for such a pet?
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Sky Swallower can often secure a substantial card advantage as it lets a player gain control of all nonland permanents the targeted opponent controls, potentially tilting the balance of power substantially in your favor.
Resource Acceleration: By absorbing resources your opponent has already invested in, Sky Swallower provides a form of indirect resource acceleration. You could acquire multiple artifacts, enchantments, and creatures without expenditure of your own mana or resources.
Instant Speed: While Sky Swallower itself does not operate at instant speed, the effectiveness of such a card can be amplified through other instant speed spells and abilities in your deck, allowing you to disrupt your opponent’s strategies at crucial moments before deploying this game-changing Leviathan.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: When you play Sky Swallower, you’re faced with a hefty price that can impact your momentum. As part of the summoning process, you’ll be passing the majority of your permanents to the opponent. This demand absolutely reshapes the battlefield and requires you to think strategically about when to bring this leviathan into the fray. It’s a risky move, especially if you’ve already established a strong presence on the board.
Specific Mana Cost: Casting this behemoth requires a particular combination of mana—five blue and two other—making it a card with a specific mana cost that necessitates a dedicated spot in blue-focused or ramp decks. Its demanding cost can restrict its playability across various deck types and strategies where a more flexible mana base is paramount.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of seven mana, Sky Swallower enters the battlefield later in the game. This late-game entrance often means that you’ll need to survive using other cards and strategies until you have the resources to play it. For some players, other creatures or spells might offer a quicker impact or require less of an investment, making them more appealing alternatives in fast-paced games.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Sky Swallower stands out as a formidable creature in any deck aiming to capitalize on high power levels. With its substantial toughness, it can hold the line against most threats while posing a serious offensive challenge on the board.
Combo Potential: This Leviathan creature has an innate interaction with sacrifice and blink strategies, allowing a savvy player to delegate its downside to an opponent or negate it entirely. Its ability to impact the board state upon entering the battlefield pairs well with various tricks and synergies.
Meta-Relevance: In metas with less emphasis on targeted removal or where control decks prevail, Sky Swallower can be a game-changing play. It poses a significant threat that demands an immediate answer, and its imposing presence can quickly swing the game in your favor when played strategically.
How to beat
Sky Swallower presents a unique challenge to players in Magic: The Gathering with its formidable presence and ability to shift the balance of the game. Facing this leviathan isn’t a simple feat, considering it comes with a vast 5/6 body and the power to donate all other permanents you control to your opponent upon entering the battlefield. This ability, while seemingly a downside, can be leveraged to your advantage with clever play.
Handling this gargantuan creature requires strategy and careful planning. Employing removal spells such as Path to Exile or Terminates can effectively clear the Leviathan from the board before its controlling power becomes disruptive. Additionally, counter spells like Counterspell or Negate can prevent Sky Swallower from hitting the board in the first place, circumventing any exchange of permanents. Moreover, if the creature does land, remember that strategic selection of permanents to retain can mitigate the impact significantly, allowing you to redirect the game to a favorable outcome.
Ultimately, with the right cards and tactics, Sky Swallower’s intimidating entrance can be managed, ensuring you remain at the helm of the game. Understanding when to hold back resources or when to challenge its presence directly can mean the difference between a devastating loss and a triumphant victory in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards like Sky Swallower
Sky Swallower is an intriguing creature card that makes waves in the world of Magic: The Gathering. As a Leviathan, its sheer size and power are echoed in creatures like Inkwell Leviathan, also known for its formidable presence on the battlefield. Sky Swallower offers a unique capability: upon casting, you grant your opponent control of all other permanents you own, which can turn the tides of a game dramatically. Inkwell Leviathan doesn’t require such a steep trade, but it comes with islandwalk and can’t be targeted by spells or abilities, making it slightly less of a risk.
Another comparable card is Scourge of Fleets, which also plays with the board state but in a different fashion. When it enters the battlefield, it returns all opponent creatures with toughness less than or equal to the number of Islands you control back to their hand. Unlike Sky Swallower’s immediate yet risky impact, Scourge of Fleets sets up for a more strategic play, causing disruption without the same level of sacrifice.
These are merely a couple of examples among the Leviathans and large sea creatures of the game, but Sky Swallower stands out. It’s a card that demands boldness and strategy, offering a high-risk, high-reward scenario for players willing to wager their resources for a chance at overwhelming power.
Cards similar to Sky Swallower by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Sky Swallower MTG card by a specific set like Guildpact, 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 Sky Swallower 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 Magic products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Sky Swallower has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sky Swallower card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2006-02-01 | Auras your opponent gains control of won’t move from where they are. |
| 2006-02-01 | The permanents don’t return to your control when Sky Swallower leaves the battlefield. |
