Syphon Sliver MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Sliver
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Syphon Sliver offers card advantage through lifelink, enhancing Sliver resilience in protracted battles.
  2. Lifelink from Syphon Sliver counters aggressive strategies, helping stabilize and strategize for wins.
  3. Instant-speed Sliver synergy with Syphon Sliver bolster mid-combat plays, turning the tides favorably.

Text of card

Sliver creatures you control have lifelink. (Damage dealt by a Sliver creature you control also causes you to gain that much life.)

When the hive must feed, every appendage becomes an additional mouth.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Syphon Sliver grants each Sliver you control lifelink, potentially providing significant card advantage by outlasting opponents through superior life totals in drawn-out matches.

Resource Acceleration: The lifelink ability gives you the edge in races against aggressive strategies, potentially accelerating you towards your win conditions as your health pool stabilizes or grows, allowing for more strategic planning and less need for defensive plays.

Instant Speed: While Syphon Sliver itself is not an instant, its continuous effect synergizes with Slivers that can be played at instant speed, ensuring that any surprise blockers or attackers immediately benefit from lifelink, turning the tides in your favor mid-combat.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Sometimes, leveraging the power of creatures like Syphon Sliver requires more than just a mana investment. Players may find themselves at a disadvantage if the card demands that they discard, reducing their hand and possibly losing crucial strategies or resources that could be vital in the later stages of the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Syphon Sliver’s mana cost is not just steep; it requires a precise combination of mana types. This can make it less flexible in multi-color decks that may not reliably produce the necessary mana, thus potentially affecting the consistency with which this creature can be played.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: In the fast-paced world of MTG, efficiency is often key. With a higher mana cost, Syphon Sliver may compete for a spot against other cards that offer more immediate or cost-effective benefits, potentially relegating this card to a less favorable position in decks optimized for speed and efficiency.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Syphon Sliver brings a unique dynamic to Sliver decks, providing a vital lifelink ability. This allows players to stabilize against aggressive strategies while building a formidable board presence.

Combo Potential: When combined with other Slivers, Syphon Sliver can turn an already synergistic team into a health-gaining machine. It also pairs well with cards that reward you for gaining life or having creatures enter the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: As creature-based strategies often populate the meta, having a way to gain life passively can give Sliver decks the edge they need to outlast opponents, making Syphon Sliver a timely addition to any collection.


How to beat

Syphon Sliver adds a unique layer to the traditional tribal combat strategies in MTG. This card grants all Sliver creatures you control the ability to gain you life whenever they strike your opponent, making the synergy within a Sliver deck even more formidable. To effectively counteract this, prioritizing the removal of Syphon Sliver should be your first action. Focused removal spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can efficiently dispose of it before its life-gain effect becomes overwhelming.

Board-clearing spells, such as Wrath of God or Damnation, are also highly effective against creature-heavy decks like those that Syphon Sliver would be a part of. Additionally, cards that prevent life gain, like Tainted Remedy or Erebos, God of the Dead, can negate the advantages this Sliver provides. Keep in mind, being proactive in dealing with Sliver creatures is crucial since their strength compounds with each new sliver that hits the board.

Having a strategy that encompasses creature removal, life-gain denial, and a careful watch on board state will enhance your chances of overcoming the resilience of a Syphon Sliver-empowered Sliver deck in your MTG matches.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the unique qualities of Syphon Sliver can significantly impact your MTG gameplay. Whether you’re boosting your deck’s defenses, or forging new alliances with the versatile lifelink abilities of this creature, every card can be a game-changer. Fostering a deeper comprehension of Syphon Sliver’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as tactical employment, can be the key to overwhelming your opponents. We encourage you to delve further into the world of Sliver decks, grasping the nuances that make each card shine in the MTG universe. Join our community of enthusiasts to explore strategies, optimize your deck, and elevate your gaming experience.


Cards like Syphon Sliver

The introduction of Syphon Sliver into the ecosystem of Magic: The Gathering resonates well with fans of the Sliver creature type, particularly those that appreciate life-gain mechanics. When you consider the functionality of Syphon Sliver, other cards like Sanguine Bond come to mind for their life-centric benefits. Yet, Syphon Sliver has an edge by virtue of being a creature that confers life gain to other Sliver creatures you control, rather than just the player.

Another comparable instance is Essence Sliver, which shares the same creature type and life-gain trigger upon dealing damage. However, while Essence Sliver’s effect is limited to individual Slivers that deal damage, Syphon Sliver grants every friendly Sliver the capability, enhancing the collective strength of a Sliver-based deck. Siphon Soul showcases a different aspect of life gain, providing a one-time effect rather than an ongoing ability, unlike the persistent advantage offered by Syphon Sliver.

In the world of life-gain within Magic: The Gathering, the communal boost that Syphon Sliver imparts solidifies its place as a strategic choice for players orchestrating a Sliver symphony. It is the synergy with other Slivers and the potential for widespread life gain that truly sets Syphon Sliver apart, making it a noteworthy card among its peers.

Sanguine Bond - MTG Card versions
Essence Sliver - MTG Card versions
Sanguine Bond - MTG Card versions
Essence Sliver - MTG Card versions

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Nettling Imp - MTG Card versions
Royal Assassin - MTG Card versions
Plague Rats - MTG Card versions
El-Hajjâj - MTG Card versions
Frozen Shade - MTG Card versions
Scathe Zombies - MTG Card versions
Sorceress Queen - MTG Card versions
Lost Soul - MTG Card versions
Mindstab Thrull - MTG Card versions
Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions
Strongarm Thug - MTG Card versions
Razortooth Rats - MTG Card versions
Ghastly Remains - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Undead - MTG Card versions
Deepwood Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Dross Prowler - MTG Card versions
Nim Abomination - MTG Card versions
Vesper Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Hypnotic Specter - MTG Card versions
Dusk Imp - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Syphon Sliver MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2014 and Secret Lair Drop, 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 Syphon Sliver and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Syphon Sliver Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2013-07-19 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-07-19Magic 2014M14 1172003NormalBlackTyler Jacobson
22019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 6342015NormalBlackTyler Jacobson
32023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 8702015NormalBlackJohann Bodin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Syphon Sliver has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
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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