Vigilant Sentry MTG Card
2002-05-27 - Number 33
2023-01-13 - Number 33
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Nomad |
| Abilities | Threshold |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Key Takeaways
- Offers card advantage and mana efficiency due to its vigilance, enhancing board control.
- Has threshold potential leading to a formidable defender, influential in late games.
- Demands strategic discards, challenging deck synergy and efficient mana allocation.
Text of card
Threshold Vigilant Sentry gets +1/+1 and has "oc T: Target attacking or blocking creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn." (You have threshold as long as seven or more cards are in your graveyard.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Vigilant Sentry provides a robust defense while allowing you to continuously fortify your board presence. It helps in consistently maintaining card parity, especially when combined with abilities or spells that capitalize on its vigilant nature.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly producing resources, the Vigilant Sentry can enable smoother mana utilization. Its vigilance allows it to attack without tapping, freeing up your mana and creatures for subsequent plays, thus subtly increasing your resource availability each turn.
Instant Speed: The Sentry doesn’t have instant speed itself; however, its vigilance allows you flexibility akin to playing at instant speed. You can remain ready to react with other spells or abilities during your opponent’s turn, knowing your Sentry is always on guard and not tapped out after an attack.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Vigilant Sentry requires players to discard a card in order to transform it under the specific conditions set by its Threshold ability. This necessity can deplete a player’s hand at a time when card options are critical for maintaining strategic flexibility and advancing gameplay.
Specific Mana Cost: With its necessity for a precise mana setup, where white mana is essential, Vigilant Sentry may not be easily accommodated in all deck types. Players running multi-color decks or those with a base that does not heavily favor white mana may find it challenging to summon this card effectively during a game, potentially leading to suboptimal plays or inefficient mana management.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While not exorbitant, Vigilant Sentry’s mana cost is on the higher end for its initial stat line and abilities offered, which does not include immediate board impact. As such, there may be alternative creatures or spells within the same mana range that provide more immediate value, presence, or impact upon entry to the battlefield, making it a less appealing choice when constructing a deck that aims for efficiency and tempo.
Reasons to Include Vigilant Sentry in Your Collection
Versatility: Vigilant Sentry is adaptable across various deck themes, serving well in strategies that prioritize creatures with activated abilities or those that aim to maintain a strong defense while setting up for a win condition.
Combo Potential: The card works excellently with mechanics that enable tapping and untapping creatures, creating opportunities for infinite combos or synergizing with cards that benefit from vigilant creatures.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where staying alert and responsive to threats is key, Vigilant Sentry offers a reliable presence on the battlefield that can dissuade opponents from attacking while you build a powerful board state.
How to beat
Overcoming the Vigilant Sentry on the battlefield requires strategic planning and understanding of its mechanics. This card, embodying both resilience and deterrence, can be tricky to navigate around. Vigilant Sentry’s strength lies in its ability to stand ready on both offense and defense due to its vigilance ability which ensures it does not tap when attacking.
To effectively counter this stalwart defender, consider employing removal spells that bypass the Sentry’s vigilance, such as “Murder” or “Doom Blade”, which can swiftly dispatch the creature regardless of its untapped state. Additionally, using combat tricks and abilities that can diminish the Sentry’s potential, like “Frost Breath” or “Sleep”, can prove to be key in tipping the balance of the match in your favor.
Altogether, while Vigilant Sentry presents a challenge, it can be addressed with proper planning and spell selection. Understanding your deck’s strengths and tailoring your strategy to deal with such vigilant creatures will ensure that you maintain the upper hand in your duels.
Cards like Vigilant Sentry
Vigilant Sentry offers a blend of defensive capabilities to player strategies in Magic: The Gathering. It bears a resemblance to other creatures like Steadfast Guard. Both have vigilance, enabling them to attack without tapping, thus remaining ready to block. However, Vigilant Sentry ups the ante with a threshold ability that turns it into a more powerful defender once seven or more cards are in your graveyard. This transition makes it a dynamic option as the game advances.
Comparable in utility is the Loyal Sentry. While it shares the keyword ‘sentry’ and offers a defensive edge, its main value lies in its ability to destroy any creature it blocks or gets blocked by. However, unlike Vigilant Sentry, it doesn’t boast the beneficial threshold ability and is instead a one-time use card. Another akin card is the Thraben Inspector, which brings an additional Clue token for card advantage upon entering the battlefield, albeit without the increased strength awarded by the threshold ability that Vigilant Sentry possesses.
To sum up, Vigilant Sentry finds its niche in MTG as a versatile defender capable of becoming a formidable presence. Its conditional strength gain sets it apart from similar cards, rendering it particularly useful in the late game or in graveyard-centric decks.
Cards similar to Vigilant Sentry by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Vigilant Sentry MTG card by a specific set like Judgment and Dominaria Remastered, 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 Vigilant Sentry 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 Vigilant Sentry Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2002-05-27 and 2023-01-13. Illustrated by Eric Peterson.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2002-05-27 | Judgment | JUD | 33 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Eric Peterson | |
| 2 | 2023-01-13 | Dominaria Remastered | DMR | 33 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Eric Peterson |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Vigilant Sentry has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Vigilant Sentry card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2022-12-08 | Because damage remains marked on a creature until the damage is removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to Vigilant Sentry may become lethal if the number of cards in your graveyard falls below seven. |
| 2022-12-08 | Once you activate the ability Vigilant Sentry gives itself, it doesn’t matter what happens to the number of cards in your graveyard. That ability will still resolve even if that number drops below seven in response. |
