Storm Sculptor MTG Card
2017-09-29 - Number 85
2019-11-07 - Number 506
2020-07-17 - Number 179
2022-12-02 - Number 355
2020-09-26 - Number XLN-85
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Merfolk Wizard |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Key Takeaways
- Storm Sculptor combines card advantage with the ability to replay creatures featuring beneficial enter-the-battlefield effects.
- The card requires careful board management due to its mandatory creature return effect, potentially hindering momentum.
- Strategically strong, the Sculptor provides resilience to targeted removal and enhances decks built around synergy.
Text of card
Storm Sculptor can't be blocked. When Storm Sculptor enters the battlefield, return a creature you control to its owner's hand.
In his hands, the wind can become a weapon or a means of escape.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Storm Sculptor provides an opportunity for a valuable two-for-one effect. When it enters the battlefield, you can return another creature you control to your hand. This can be particularly beneficial if that creature has a potent enter-the-battlefield effect, setting you up for a repeat performance and thus further card advantage.
Resource Acceleration: Despite not directly producing additional mana, the Storm Sculptor offers a subtle form of resource acceleration. By returning a creature to your hand, it opens up the potential for reusing mana that was invested in that creature on a previous turn, effectively giving you another use out of the same resource.
Instant Speed: While the Storm Sculptor itself does not operate at instant speed, the tactical advantage it offers can flourish in builds that thrive on the unpredictability and flexibility that instant speed actions provide. Combining it with spells and abilities that can be activated at instant speed allows for dynamic gameplay and complex combat math, as well as the capacity to adapt to an ever-changing battlefield.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: When Storm Sculptor enters the battlefield, its ability compels you to return a creature you control to your hand. This effect can be a setback, particularly in situations where maintaining board presence is crucial and you do not wish to lose your creature’s momentum on the battlefield. Additionally, this requirement can prove costly if you have no other creatures in play, forcing you to bounce the Sculptor itself and effectively wasting the turn.
Specific Mana Cost: Casting Storm Sculptor requires both blue mana and generic mana, making it a less flexible card in decks that aren’t heavily blue mana-oriented. For multicolored decks, particularly those not focusing on Islands, it could be challenging to reliably meet the mana requirement to bring Storm Sculptor to the field promptly.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While a 4 mana creature with a mild built-in protection ability (can’t be targeted by spells your opponents control) sounds reasonable, the cost for Storm Sculptor might be deemed high when considering other creatures in its mana range. Cards within a similar cost bracket may offer greater impact or additional abilities without the downside of returning another creature to your hand.
Reasons to Include Storm Sculptor in Your Collection
Versatility: Storm Sculptor’s ability to return a creature to its owner’s hand makes it highly versatile. It allows you to replay valuable creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects or save a key creature from removal.
Combo Potential: This card has great synergy with permanents that benefit from casting creatures or bouncing them back to your hand. Its inherent combo potential can be a game-changer in decks designed around those mechanics.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta with a lot of targeted removal or in situations where creatures often get locked down, Storm Sculptor’s unblockability and self-bounce can maintain board presence and resist control strategies.
How to beat
Storm Sculptor presents a shifty challenge to many players in the Magic: The Gathering world. With its ability to return a creature you control to its owner’s hand, it becomes a resilient target that evades common removal spells. Pivotal to overcoming this elusive creature is to utilize forced sacrifice effects or take advantage of the moment the creature is summoned before its ability triggers.
Timing your spells is key since once Storm Sculptor hits the battlefield, conventional removal spells would only recycle the card’s enter-the-battlefield effect. Instead, spells that cause your opponent to choose and sacrifice a creature, such as Diabolic Edict, can sidestep this hurdle effectively. Board wipes that don’t target single creatures, like Damnation or Wrath of God, can clear the way as well. Alternatively, countering this creature spell while it’s on the stack prevents the ability from ever being a concern.
Moreover, instant removal spells that can be played in response to the creature being cast can also prevent its bounce effect from coming into play. Thus, strategies that lean into preemptive or undiscriminating removal options align well to contest Storm Sculptor’s slippery nature in the game of Magic: The Gathering.
Cards like Storm Sculptor
Storm Sculptor presents a unique blend of abilities for creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. It resembles other unblockable creatures such as Aether Figment, which shares the trait of being difficult for opponents to block. However, Storm Sculptor stands out with its mandatory bounce mechanic, requiring you to return another creature you control to your hand when it enters the battlefield. Aether Figment, while also evasive, offers the kicker ability instead, giving it versatility at an additional cost.
Comparatively, Invisible Stalker is another creature that’s notoriously hard to block due to hexproof and unblockability. Yet, unlike Storm Sculptor, it doesn’t influence the board with a bounce effect. Furthermore, Mist-Cloaked Herald holds a spot in this conversation as a straightforward, cost-effective creature with unblockable. What sets Storm Sculptor apart, aside from its bounce effect, is its larger body, making it a more substantial presence on the battlefield.
Ultimately, Storm Sculptor carves out its niche among MTG’s evasive creatures with the synergistic potential of its bounce ability, offering strategic value beyond just being hard to block.
Cards similar to Storm Sculptor by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Storm Sculptor MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan and Mystery Booster, 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 Storm Sculptor 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 Storm Sculptor Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2017-09-29 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Sidharth Chaturvedi.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-09-29 | Ixalan | XLN | 85 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sidharth Chaturvedi | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 506 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sidharth Chaturvedi | |
| 3 | 2020-07-17 | Jumpstart | JMP | 179 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sidharth Chaturvedi | |
| 4 | The List | PLST | XLN-85 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sidharth Chaturvedi | ||
| 5 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 355 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sidharth Chaturvedi |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Storm Sculptor has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Storm Sculptor card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-09-29 | Storm Sculptor’s last ability doesn’t target the creature you’ll return to hand. You choose one as the ability resolves. No player may take actions between the time you choose a creature to return and the time you do so. |
| 2017-09-29 | Storm Sculptor’s last ability isn’t optional. If Storm Sculptor is the only creature you control when the ability resolves, you’ll have to return it to its owner’s hand. |
