Sarulf's Packmate MTG Card
2021-02-05 - Number 192
2021-02-05 - Number 51
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Wolf |
| Abilities | Foretell |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Enriches hand while providing a 3/3 creature, key for maintaining card advantage on the battlefield.
- Foretell offers flexible casting and tactical advantage, setting up future turns with optimum resource use.
- Versatile in green decks, boosting both offensive and card draw strategies for a robust deck synergy.
Text of card
When Sarulf's Packmate enters the battlefield, draw a card. Foretell (During your turn, you may pay and exile this card from your hand face down. Cast it on a later turn for its foretell cost.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Sarulf’s Packmate provides an excellent opportunity to keep your hand stocked. When you cast this creature spell, you also get to draw a card, making sure that you’re not falling behind in the card-count race.
Resource Acceleration: This four-legged ally gives you the option to forego casting it on turn four by using its foretell ability. By paying two mana to set it aside on one turn, you can then cast it on a later turn for only three mana. This leaves you with more resources to utilize elsewhere, potentially accelerating your game plan.
Instant Speed: While the card itself isn’t an instant, its foretell ability provides strategic flexibility. You can plan your moves ahead and decide the most opportune moment to bring your Packmate into play, keeping your opponent guessing about your full range of capabilities.
Card Cons
Specific Mana Cost: Sarulf’s Packmate demands a green mana as part of its casting cost, making it exclusive to decks that can produce green mana and potentially restrictive in multicolored deck variations where green might not be a central strategy.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: At four mana, two of which are generic and two green, Sarulf’s Packmate can be a bit steep for what it offers. There are creatures within the MTG universe that may provide a more impactful presence on the board or additional abilities for the same or lower mana investment.
Discard Requirement: While Sarulf’s Packmate doesn’t directly require discarding a card, those looking to capitalize on the card’s foretell ability must consider the turn spent placing the card in exile, potentially constraining their ability to maintain hand advantage in faster-paced matches.
Reasons to Include Sarulf’s Packmate in Your Collection
Versatility: Sarulf’s Packmate is a flexible card that can be slotted into various green-centered decks. With its ability to provide card draw upon entering the battlefield, it helps maintain hand advantage while adding a solid body to the board.
Combo Potential: This creature shines in decks that capitalize on enter-the-battlefield effects. It pairs well with cards that bounce or flicker creatures, effectively turning Sarulf’s Packmate into a recurring source of card advantage.
Meta-Relevance: With the importance of tempo in current play, Sarulf’s Packmate stands out for its role in quickly populating the board and keeping the card supply flowing, crucial against both aggressive and control archetypes.
How to Beat Sarulf’s Packmate
Sarulf’s Packmate represents a valuable piece within green’s arsenal, offering card draw and a solid creature body in Magic: The Gathering. Its strength lies in its flexibility, entering the battlefield and drawing a card or being foretold for a reduced cost and cast at a strategic moment. The impact is twofold, a creature to contend with and card advantage to retain.
To effectively mitigate its presence, opt for timely removal before the card draw triggers. Spells such as Fatal Push or Bloodchief’s Thirst can eliminate Sarulf’s Packmate before the opponent benefits from the additional card. In the event the Packmate has been foretold, keep an eye out for open mana and expect its arrival, allocating resources to deal with it promptly.
Control decks can find solace in countermagic; spells like Essence Scatter or Negate handle the Packmate before it hits the board. Lastly, proactive board presence can pressure opponents, forcing them to play Sarulf’s Packmate defensively rather than optimize its card draw, tilting the scales in your favor.
Cards like Sarulf's Packmate
Within Magic: The Gathering, Sarulf’s Packmate stands out as a notable creature card for its ability to impact both the board and a player’s hand. Similar to Elvish Visionary, Sarulf’s Packmate allows the player to draw a card upon casting, but it provides a heftier creature with a 3/3 stat line. The Visionary, in comparison, is a smaller 1/1 creature, though it boasts a lower casting cost.
Likewise, other analogous cards like Wall of Blossoms and Wall of Omens also offer the card draw ability. However, their defensive nature with defender restricts them from attacking, whereas Sarulf’s Packmate can serve as both a substantial blocker and an offensive threat. Additionally, the Packmate showcases versatility with its foretell ability, allowing strategic gameplay and potentially reducing its casting cost when planned for a future turn.
This consideration of attributes reveals Sarulf’s Packmate to be a solid choice for players who value synergistic creature-based strategies that also enhance card advantage. Its place in deckbuilding highlights the delicate balance of power, utility, and cost-efficiency that Magic: The Gathering players often weigh when curating their decks.
Cards similar to Sarulf's Packmate by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Sarulf's Packmate // Sarulf's Packmate MTG card by a specific set like Kaldheim Art Series and Kaldheim, 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 Sarulf's Packmate // Sarulf's Packmate 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
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Printings
The Sarulf's Packmate // Sarulf's Packmate Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-02-05 and 2021-02-05. Illustrated by Ilse Gort.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaldheim Art Series | AKHM | 51 | 2015 | Art series | Borderless | Ilse Gort | ||
| 2 | 2021-02-05 | Kaldheim | KHM | 192 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ilse Gort |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Sarulf's Packmate has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sarulf's Packmate card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-02-05 | Because exiling a card with foretell from your hand is a special action, you can do so any time you have priority during your turn, including in response to spells and abilities. Once you announce you’re taking the action, no other player can respond by trying to remove the card from your hand. |
| 2021-02-05 | Casting a foretold card from exile follows the timing rules for that card. If you foretell an instant card, you can cast it as soon as the next player’s turn. In most cases, if you foretell a card that isn’t an instant (or doesn’t have flash), you’ll have to wait until your next turn to cast it. |
| 2021-02-05 | If you’re casting a foretold card from exile for its foretell cost, you can’t choose to cast it for any other alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs, such as kicker costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, those must be paid to cast the spell. |
