Steelform Sliver MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Sliver
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Enhances toughness, protecting Slivers from many forms of removal and combat damage.
  2. Indirect resource acceleration by keeping mana-generating Slivers on the board longer.
  3. Higher mana cost may compete with other slivers for a spot in tightly curated decks.

Text of card

Sliver creatures you control get +0/+1.

"Though the slivers may sometimes resemble us, they are not human. Anyone who fights them must remember this." —Sarlena, paladin of the Northern Verge


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Steelform Sliver may not directly let you draw cards, but it offers an incremental advantage by bolstering the resilience of your Sliver tribe. This can translate into maintaining a strong board presence against sweepers and removal, effectively keeping your card investment secured on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: While Steelform Sliver itself doesn’t accelerate your resources, it indirectly contributes by making your Slivers harder to remove. This means your mana slivers stay on board longer, enabling you to deploy higher-cost threats earlier than you otherwise could.

Instant Speed: The main strength of Steelform Sliver lies in its static ability, continuously affecting the game the moment it hits the board. Though not at instant speed, its ongoing effect supports strategies that can operate at instant speed by ensuring your slivers survive to be used for surprise blocks or end-of-turn effects.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Steelform Sliver does not require you to discard a card, its more focused role in a sliver deck makes it less versatile than slivers that offer universal benefits or more impactful abilities.

Specific Mana Cost: It carries a mana cost that includes a generic component, which could still strain mana resources in a multi-colored sliver deck that prioritizes more color-intensive sliver spells.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana for a marginal toughness boost, Steelform Sliver may be seen as a less optimal inclusion compared to lower-cost slivers that provide more critical synergistic effects or higher-cost slivers that dramatically alter the board state.


Reasons to Include Steelform Sliver in Your Collection

Versatility: Steelform Sliver offers a boost in toughness to all Sliver creatures you control, making it an advantageous addition across various Sliver-based decks. This card can easily fit into any build looking to fortify its defensive line and thrive in both aggressive and controlling board states.

Combo Potential: When combined with other Slivers that provide benefits such as mana acceleration, card draw, or direct damage, Steelform Sliver can be part of a powerful synergistic setup. It serves as a foundational piece in combos that exploit the strengthened resilience of Sliver creatures.

Meta-Relevance: Within a meta that includes decks centered around creature combat or targeted removal, Steelform Sliver’s ability to increase survivability makes it relevant. It helps your Slivers endure through board wipes and combat, maintaining presence and pressure on the battlefield.


How to beat

Steelform Sliver is a unique creature card that represents the unity of Magic: The Gathering’s Sliver tribe. With its ability to grant a boost in defense to other Sliver creatures, it can become a formidable card in any Sliver-heavy deck. To overtake a Sliver-enforced board, it’s essential to disrupt this synergy. Cards that can remove creatures from the game, like Path to Exile, offer a straightforward resolution to the buffed Slivers. Board wipes such as Wrath of God or Damnation can clear the field of multiple Slivers at once, negating the Steelform Sliver’s defensive advantages.

Another strategy is to prevent the Sliver abilities from being activated through cards that halt activated abilities like Pithing Needle. Slivers rely on one another, so cutting off their communal powers at the source can turn the tide of the game. Lastly, consider countering the card upon its casting with spells like Counterspell or Mana Leak, which are perfect for stopping a Steelform Sliver from entering the battlefield in the first place.

Effective strategy against Steelform Sliver requires understanding and anticipating the strengthening chains it creates. Utilizing the right removal or disruption at the crucial moment helps dismantle a Sliver’s build and leads to victory.


Cards like Steelform Sliver

Steelform Sliver positions itself as a niche card in the Sliver creature type that pervades the world of MTG. Its closest analog is the Plated Sliver; both cater primarily to bolstering the defense capabilities of Sliver creatures. Steelform Sliver, however, bestows a more substantial defense boost by granting an extra point of toughness to your Sliver creatures. This advantage can be significant in a game where even a marginal increase in creature survivability might turn the tide of battle.

Examining the broader Sliver category, Muscle Sliver and Predatory Sliver are often seen as powerful counterparts due to their ability to boost attack power instead. This contrast highlights the strategic choice between offensive and defensive buffs within a Sliver deck. While Steelform Sliver ensures your Slivers can withstand stronger attacks, Muscle and Predatory Sliver enable a more aggressive, offense-oriented gameplay.

Ultimately, Steelform Sliver delivers a defensible edge in any Sliver-based strategy. It might not be the first pick for players looking to strike quickly, but it stands out as a fortifying asset for those aiming to establish a formidable Sliver presence on the battlefield.

Plated Sliver - MTG Card versions
Muscle Sliver - MTG Card versions
Predatory Sliver - MTG Card versions
Plated Sliver - Legions (LGN)
Muscle Sliver - Tempest (TMP)
Predatory Sliver - Magic 2014 (M14)

Cards similar to Steelform Sliver by color, type and mana cost

Argivian Blacksmith - MTG Card versions
Jamuraan Lion - MTG Card versions
Snow Hound - MTG Card versions
Femeref Knight - MTG Card versions
Border Guard - MTG Card versions
Benalish Knight - MTG Card versions
Regal Unicorn - MTG Card versions
Wild Griffin - MTG Card versions
Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions
Dogged Hunter - MTG Card versions
Diving Griffin - MTG Card versions
Faithful Squire // Kaiso, Memory of Loyalty - MTG Card versions
Kitsune Palliator - MTG Card versions
Freewind Equenaut - MTG Card versions
Sanctum Guardian - MTG Card versions
Field Marshal - MTG Card versions
Kithkin Healer - MTG Card versions
Kor Hookmaster - MTG Card versions
Zhalfirin Commander - MTG Card versions
Silverblade Paladin - MTG Card versions
Argivian Blacksmith - Antiquities (ATQ)
Jamuraan Lion - Media Inserts (PMEI)
Snow Hound - Ice Age (ICE)
Femeref Knight - Mirage (MIR)
Border Guard - Portal (POR)
Benalish Knight - Anthologies (ATH)
Regal Unicorn - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Wild Griffin - Starter 2000 (S00)
Pianna, Nomad Captain - Odyssey (ODY)
Dogged Hunter - Odyssey (ODY)
Diving Griffin - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Faithful Squire // Kaiso, Memory of Loyalty - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Kitsune Palliator - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Freewind Equenaut - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Sanctum Guardian - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Field Marshal - Coldsnap (CSP)
Kithkin Healer - Lorwyn (LRW)
Kor Hookmaster - Zendikar (ZEN)
Zhalfirin Commander - Duel Decks: Knights vs. Dragons (DDG)
Silverblade Paladin - Avacyn Restored (AVR)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Steelform Sliver MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2014 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 Steelform Sliver and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Steelform Sliver Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2013-07-19 and 2021-08-26. Illustrated by Chase Stone.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-07-19Magic 2014M14 382003normalblackChase Stone
22021-08-26Jumpstart: Historic HorizonsJ21 1442015normalblackChase Stone

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Steelform Sliver has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Steelform Sliver card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2013-07-01 Abilities that Slivers grant, as well as power/toughness boosts, are cumulative. However, for some abilities, like flying, having more than one instance of the ability doesn’t provide any additional benefit.
2013-07-01 If you change the creature type of a Sliver you control so it’s no longer a Sliver, it will no longer be affected by its own ability. Its ability will continue to affect other Sliver creatures you control.

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