Sakura-Tribe Elder MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 27 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Snake Shaman
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Sakura-Tribe Elder facilitates card advantage and deck thinning, enhancing the chance to draw impactful spells.
  2. It enables rapid mana ramping, setting the stage for earlier plays of powerful game-changing cards.
  3. Adept at instant-speed sacrifice, it allows for strategic blocking and maximized mana use.

Text of card

Sacrifice Sakura-Tribe Elder: Search your library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.

There were no tombstones in orochi territory. Slain warriors were buried with a tree sapling, so they would become a part of the forest after death.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sakura-Tribe Elder offers indirect card advantage by ensuring land drops. It effectively thins the deck, increasing the likelihood of drawing into non-land spells in subsequent turns. Its sacrifice ability means it can be used as a blocker and then sacrificed before damage, essentially nullifying an opponent’s attack while still providing a benefit.

Resource Acceleration: This card excels at ramping up your mana resources. By sacrificing Sakura-Tribe Elder, you can search your library for a basic land and put it into play, thereby setting you ahead of your opponents in terms of available mana and enabling bigger plays earlier in the game.

Instant Speed: Although Sakura-Tribe Elder itself is not an instant, its sacrifice ability can be activated at instant speed. This gives you the flexibility to use it during your opponent’s turn, effectively maximizing mana efficiency and allowing strategic plays that can adapt to the evolving game state.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Despite its utility, having Sakura-Tribe Elder in play doesn’t exempt you from using other cards or resources. Any ability that forces a discard could disrupt your strategy, potentially costing you this creature or another valuable card in hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Sakura-Tribe Elder requires green mana to cast. While this is typical for a creature with its abilities, it means that decks not running green or those with a shaky mana base may not be able to utilize this card effectively.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the cost-efficiency of creatures within this mana range, Sakura-Tribe Elder may appear less impactful. Its mana cost is low, but dedicated ramp cards at the same cost can potentially provide a greater boost to your mana resources in the long run.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Sakura-Tribe Elder boasts an adaptable nature that allows it to seamlessly integrate into numerous deck archetypes. As a creature with the ability to fetch a land, it ensures a smoother mana curve, enhancing many strategies.

Combo Potential: The card is well-known for its synergy with strategies that capitalize on the sacrifice mechanic. Its ability to be sacrificed at any time can be combined with graveyard play or landfall triggers, thus expanding its potential beyond mere mana fixing.

Meta-Relevance: Given its place in decks that value ramp and consistency, Sakura-Tribe Elder remains a constant in settings where establishing a solid mana base early on can dictate the pace of the game. Its presence is continually justified in various meta environments where it can tip the scales in your favor.


How to beat Sakura-Tribe Elder

Sakura-Tribe Elder, a staple in decks that prioritize mana acceleration and deck thinning, has been a consistent performer in Magic: The Gathering formats. This versatile card allows players to ramp up their mana by sacrificing it to search for a basic land and put it into play tapped. While it may seem simple, its ability to quickly develop a player’s mana base can lead to early plays of high-impact and costly spells.

To outmaneuver an opponent leveraging Sakura-Tribe Elder, you must adopt a strategy that either disrupts their mana or accelerates your own at a faster pace. Utilizing land destruction or graveyard disruption can counteract the Sakura-Tribe Elder’s benefits. Instant-speed removal can also be effective when timed correctly to minimize the mana advantage the opponent might gain. Additionally, playing aggressively can pressure an opponent, forcing them to block with Sakura-Tribe Elder, thus using it defensively rather than for its mana ability. Engaging in this manner can help tip the scales in your favor, mitigating the early advantage that Sakura-Tribe Elder could provide.


BurnMana Recommendations

With Sakura-Tribe Elder ranked as a formidable card in MTG, players are keen to streamline their decks with its ramp capabilities and defensive utility. If you’re intrigued by this card’s strategic depth and want to refine your approach to ramping and safeguarding your mana base, there’s much more to explore. Understanding when and how to effectively utilize Sakura-Tribe Elder can enhance your gameplay, making each match not just a competitive encounter but a demonstration of tactical prowess. Delve deeper with us into the art of mastering MTG ramp strategies and become adept at leveraging the nuances of cards like Sakura-Tribe Elder to secure your victories.


Cards like Sakura-Tribe Elder

The Sakura-Tribe Elder has established itself as a staple for ramp strategies in MTG. Comparable to other ramp agents like Farhaven Elf, which also fetches a basic land upon entering the battlefield, Sakura-Tribe Elder offers a subtle advantage – the ability to sacrifice itself at instant speed. Farhaven Elf lacks this versatility, being a one-off effect without the capacity to be activated in response to an opponent’s actions.

Another analogous card is the Diligent Farmhand. Like the Sakura-Tribe Elder, once sacrificed, it ramps by searching for a land. However, Sakura-Tribe Elder has the upper hand in not needing the mana investment to utilize its effect, making it more efficient and versatile in-game play.

Exploring further in the realm of green creatures with a similar function, we encounter the humble Wood Elves. Although Wood Elves can fetch non-basic forests potentially offering better land options, it does not offer the same potential for surprise blocking as the Sakura-Tribe Elder, whose sacrifice can be timed to provide unexpected benefits.

Overall, the Sakura-Tribe Elder’s ability to ramp while offering tactical blocking options makes it a unique and powerful option among its peers in Magic: The Gathering.

Farhaven Elf - MTG Card versions
Diligent Farmhand - MTG Card versions
Wood Elves - MTG Card versions
Farhaven Elf - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Diligent Farmhand - Odyssey (ODY)
Wood Elves - Portal (POR)

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Wyluli Wolf - Arabian Nights (ARN)
Whirling Dervish - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Grizzly Bears - Seventh Edition (7ED)
River Boa - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
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Albino Troll - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Silverglade Pathfinder - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Priest of Titania - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
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Blurred Mongoose - Invasion (INV)
Llanowar Loamspeaker - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Genesis Hydra - Iconic Masters (IMA)
Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Scavenging Ooze - Modern Masters 2017 (MM3)
Heir of the Wilds - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Mayor of Avabruck // Howlpack Alpha - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Wren's Run Vanquisher - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Muscle Sliver - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Utopia Tree - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Bloodline Shaman - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sakura-Tribe Elder MTG card by a specific set like Junior Super Series and Magic Online Promos, 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 Sakura-Tribe Elder and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sakura-Tribe Elder Magic the Gathering card was released in 26 different sets between 1999-12-01 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11999-12-01Junior Super SeriesPSUS 122003normalblackCarl Critchlow
22002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 362822003normalblackCarl Critchlow
32002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 362002003normalblackTed Galaday
42003-01-01Japan Junior TournamentPJJT 1N062003normalblackCarl Critchlow
52004-10-01Champions of KamigawaCHK 2392003normalblackCarl Critchlow
62005-01-01Junior Series EuropePJSE 1E062003normalblackCarl Critchlow
72006-01-01Junior APAC SeriesPJAS 1U062003normalblackCarl Critchlow
82009-01-01Friday Night Magic 2009F09 122003normalblackTed Galaday
92010-06-18ArchenemyARC 682003normalblackCarl Critchlow
102010-11-08Magic Online Theme DecksTD0 A862003normalblackCarl Critchlow
112011-06-17Commander 2011CMD 1692003normalblackCarl Critchlow
122013-11-01Commander 2013C13 1682003normalblackCarl Critchlow
132014-06-06ConspiracyCNS 1772003normalblackCarl Critchlow
142015-11-13Commander 2015C15 2002015normalblackCarl Critchlow
152015-11-18Legendary Cube Prize PackPZ1 862015normalblackCarl Critchlow
162016-11-11Commander 2016C16 1642015normalblackCarl Critchlow
172017-06-09Commander AnthologyCMA 1422015normalblackCarl Critchlow
182018-08-09Commander 2018C18 1602015normalblackCarl Critchlow
192019-08-23Commander 2019C19 1772015normalblackTed Galaday
202019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 13222015normalblackCarl Critchlow
212019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 1922015normalborderlessFiona Staples
222020-04-17Commander 2020C20 1872015normalblackCarl Critchlow
232020-09-26The ListPLST C18-1602015normalblackCarl Critchlow
242022-02-18Neon Dynasty CommanderNEC 1282015normalblackAnastasia Ovchinnikova
252022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 3072015normalblackCarl Critchlow
262022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 8322015normalblackCarl Critchlow
272024-02-09Murders at Karlov Manor CommanderMKC 1832015normalblackAnastasia Ovchinnikova

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sakura-Tribe Elder has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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