Steelfin Whale MTG Card
2021-06-18 - Number 65
2021-08-26 - Number 255
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Whale |
| Abilities | Affinity |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Attacks bolster your hand, delving into your library for key cards to secure wins.
- It encourages using high-power synergies, providing a momentum surge in resources.
- Instant-speed spell inclusion keeps opponents on their toes even off-turn.
Text of card
Affinity for artifacts (This spell costs less to cast for each artifact you control.) Whenever an artifact enters the battlefield under your control, untap Steelfin Whale.
It feeds on metal filings suspended in the water, sieving flecks of precious ore through magnetic baleen.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Steelfin Whale shines by granting you access to additional cards. Every time it attacks, you’re invited to delve into the depths of your library, allowing you to potentially secure the cards needed to clinch victory.
Resource Acceleration: As a vast creature of the sea, the Steelfin Whale emphasizes your mana pool’s growth by enabling synergies with cards that capitalize on high-power creatures. This can lead to a tidal wave of resource acceleration, providing the backbone for casting high-impact spells.
Instant Speed: While the Steelfin Whale itself isn’t cast at instant speed, its presence in your deck incentivizes the inclusion of instant-speed spells. These spells ensure that you are always a threat, even during your opponent’s turn, by holding mana open and interacting with the board with surprise plays.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Steelfin Whale card requires players to pitch another card to activate its abilities. This drawback can be particularly pronounced if your hand is already running slim, forcing tough decisions about resource allocation.
Specific Mana Cost: Summoning the behemoth from the depths isn’t always a straightforward task. The card demands a precise blend of mana types to play, potentially complicating its inclusion in multicolored decks that might already be competing for mana diversity.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While powerful, Steelfin Whale’s might come with a steep price. The mana investment might sideline you in the early game, and in the context of other sea creatures or value cards available, this cost efficiency could be debated. Especially in a format where tempo plays a crucial role, the benefits of the whale need to be weighed against its mana-heavy entrance fee.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Steelfin Whale can be a significant addition to various deck types, particularly those that capitalize on high-powered creatures or maritime themes. Its bulk helps it serve as a formidable blocker or a robust attacker in sea creature-oriented strategies.
Combo Potential: This card can synergize with strategies that enhance undersea creatures or exploit high power values. The Steelfin Whale may unlock various combinations with cards that interact with creatures entering the battlefield or leaving play.
Meta-Relevance: With a meta that’s shifting towards big creatures, the Steelfin Whale holds its own. Its resilience against certain removals can give you an edge in a creature-heavy environment, making it a sound choice against decks that struggle with large sea behemoths.
How to beat
Steelfin Whale presents a unique challenge in MTG, surfacing as a formidable presence with its resilience in the face of traditional removal spells. This aquatic behemoth boasts not only sizable power and toughness but also the ability to return from the graveyard to one’s hand, making it a recurring threat that demands strategic planning to overcome.
To successfully navigate the depths where Steelfin Whale reigns, one must turn to indirect removal strategies. Board wipes like Wrath of God or Damnation can clear the way without triggering the Whale’s revival ability. Alternatively, exiling effects from cards such as Path to Exile or Leyline of the Void effectively deal with the whale, ensuring it cannot make another splash. Graveyard hate plays a crucial role here, shutting down the recursive element that makes the Steelfin Whale particularly slippery.
Engaging a Steelfin Whale necessitates a deep dive into your deck’s tool kit, emphasizing a need for removal versatility. By utilizing a mix of direct and indirect strategies, one can finally beach this leviathan and secure their dominance over the game board.
Cards like Steelfin Whale
When evaluating Steelfin Whale within the pantheon of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), it’s valuable to look at others in the same sphere. Steelfin Whale stands out among sea creatures for its heft and resilience. An analogous creature is Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep. Both are formidable in size but Slinn Voda packs a punch with its potential to clear the board of all non-sea creatures when kicked.
Whereas Steelfin Whale may not have such an immediate board impact, it offers consistent value with its hexproof ability, shielding it from targeted spells. Moreover, the likes of Lorthos, the Tidemaker also swim in similar waters. Though Lorthos can command the battlefield by tapping eight permanents, the cost and setup to achieve such a feat are much steeper compared to the reliable simplicity of Steelfin Whale’s innate protection.
To summarize, Steelfin Whale carves its niche among MTG’s ocean-dwelling leviathans with a focus on durability in the face of enemies’ targeted abilities than the dramatic, but sometimes situational effects of its counterparts. Its enduring presence in the game makes it a solid choice for players valuing steadfast protection over grandiose, one-time effects.
Cards similar to Steelfin Whale by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Steelfin Whale MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons 2 and Jumpstart: Historic Horizons, 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 Steelfin Whale 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 Steelfin Whale Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-06-18 and 2021-08-26. Illustrated by Milivoj Ćeran.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-06-18 | Modern Horizons 2 | MH2 | 65 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Milivoj Ćeran | |
| 2 | 2021-08-26 | Jumpstart: Historic Horizons | J21 | 255 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Milivoj Ćeran |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Steelfin Whale has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
