Shipwreck Sifters MTG Card
2021-09-24 - Number 74
2022-01-28 - Number 74
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Spirit |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Key Takeaways
- Shipwreck Sifters offers card advantage through deck sifting with each Spirit or enchantment spell cast.
- While not producing mana, the looting effect accelerates resource access, crucial for winning strategies.
- Instant-speed spells become more accessible, making gameplay adaptive and increasing your chances of having crucial reactions.
Text of card
When Shipwreck Sifters enters the battlefield, draw a card, then discard a card. Whenever you discard a Spirit card or a card with disturb, put a +1/+1 counter on Shipwreck Sifters.
A loyal crew sticks together, even after death.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Shipwreck Sifters, when played, offers the benefit of sifting through your deck with its looting ability. Every time you cast a Spirit or enchantment spell, you can draw a card and then discard a card, thereby tailoring your hand to the situation at hand and keeping your deck strategy moving forward.
Resource Acceleration: This handy creature card may not produce mana or treasure tokens directly, but the looting effect can help filter through your deck to find the lands or ramp spells critical for propelling your game state forward, ultimately speeding up your access to the resources necessary for victory.
Instant Speed: While Shipwreck Sifters doesn’t operate at instant speed itself, it sets you up to utilize other instant-speed cards more effectively. With more cards cycling through your hand, you increase your chances of holding that timely counter or removal spell when you need it, keeping you reactive and adaptable during crucial moments of play.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Shipwreck Sifters requires a card to be discarded when it enters the battlefield. This can sometimes backfire, especially if your hand is already depleted, leaving you with fewer options for future plays.
Specific Mana Cost: Despite being a low-cost creature, the fact that Shipwreck Sifters demands both blue mana and colorless mana means it can’t be seamlessly added to any deck, potentially limiting its versatility within the vast array of MTG strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For what it offers, the card might seem a bit costly, mana-wise. Players might seek alternatives that can provide more immediate board presence or value without necessarily having to discard, which could affect card advantage.
Reasons to Include Shipwreck Sifters in Your Collection
Versatility: Shipwreck Sifters proves its value through its adaptability in various deck types. Not only does it provide an early presence on the board, but its looting effect can be crucial for strategies emphasizing graveyard synergy or searching for key components.
Combo Potential: With its ability to discard cards, Shipwreck Sifters opens the door for powerful graveyard combos. It works seamlessly with reanimator tactics or abilities triggered upon discarding or cycling cards, giving layers of depth to a deck’s strategy.
Meta-Relevance: Given the fluctuating dynamics of MTG, understanding and adjusting to the meta is key. Shipwreck Sifters carves a niche in environments where managing resources and graveyard manipulation can tip the scales in your favor, solidifying its place in the right meta contexts.
How to beat Shipwreck Sifters
Shipwreck Sifters bring to the table a unique flair in the realm of creature cards, especially considering their prowess in both the early game as a blocker and their late-game value by filtering through your deck. One might compare it to creatures like Merfolk Looter, who also offers the ability to draw and discard to refine your hand, though lacks the Sifters’ ability to gain a +1/+1 counter when you discard a Spirit card or card with Disturb.
To gain the upper hand against Shipwreck Sifters, it’s beneficial to limit their long-term impact. Employing removal spells that can bypass the potential hexproof ability granted by certain Disturb cards is a sound strategy. For instance, board wipes like Wrath of God can sweep the Sifters away regardless of any hexproof protections. Another tactic is to utilize graveyard disruption, like Scavenging Ooze, to prevent the card advantage and synergy that Sifters aim to establish with the graveyard. Additionally, pressing for an aggressive strategy can outpace the sifters before their deck filtering and setup culminate in a significant advantage.
Focusing on these strategies can help mitigate the Sifters’ influence and secure your position in the game, making Shipwreck Sifters less of a threat to your path to victory.
Cards like Shipwreck Sifters
Shipwreck Sifters slides into the Magic: The Gathering lineup as an intriguing creature card. It stands shoulder to shoulder with cards like Persistent Specimen, which also excels in the realm of recurring blocker creatures. Nevertheless, Shipwreck Sifters distinguishes itself with an added bonus – the looting ability that offers card selection and graveyard setup. Persistent Specimen, while sharing the same mana cost and providing constant blocking potential, doesn’t provide card advantage or deck manipulation, emphasizing the unique edge Shipwreck Sifters brings to the table.
Examining Spectral Sailor offers another perspective. This card, like Shipwreck Sifters, offers a low-cost creature with an ability to impact the game beyond its stats. Spectral Sailor provides card draw at a cost, while Shipwreck Sifters focuses on strategically sifting through your deck. Rounding up the trio is Relentless Rats. Though not offering direct card advantage or looting ability, the power of Relentless Rats scales with the number present on the battlefield, showcasing a different yet formidable style of accumulating game advantage over time.
In the end, Shipwreck Sifters holds a valuable position within Magic: The Gathering, especially for decks that capitalize on graveyard synergy and card advantage, making it a versatile inclusion for players who favor strategic depth and resourcefulness.
Cards similar to Shipwreck Sifters by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Shipwreck Sifters MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Innistrad: Double Feature, 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 Shipwreck Sifters 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 Shipwreck Sifters Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-09-24 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Svetlin Velinov.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-09-24 | Innistrad: Midnight Hunt | MID | 74 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Svetlin Velinov | |
| 2 | 2022-01-28 | Innistrad: Double Feature | DBL | 74 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Svetlin Velinov |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Shipwreck Sifters has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
