Still Life MTG Card


Still Life - Odyssey
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment
Released2001-10-01
Set symbol
Set nameOdyssey
Set codeODY
Number275
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byMatt Cavotta

Key Takeaways

  1. Transforms unused cards into potential threats, maximizing each card’s strategic value.
  2. Instant speed of Still Life allows for tactical plays and element of surprise.
  3. While formidable, its discard requirement and specific mana costs pose challenges.

Text of card

o Go G: Still Life becomes a 4/3 Centaur creature until end of turn. It's still an enchantment.

The centaurs' simple magic can undo a basilisk's gaze, but only for a short time.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With “Still Life,” you gain the ability to convert any card in your hand into potential threats or answers. This leverages your resources and provides a strategic edge by transforming unused cards into valuable assets more suited to the current state of play.

Resource Acceleration: “Still Life” offers you an exceptional level of resource acceleration. By facilitating the transformation of one card into multiple creature tokens, it can rapidly expand your board presence, surpassing your opponent’s development and maximizing the impact of each card you draw.

Instant Speed: The tactical versatility of “Still Life” is significantly amplified by its instant speed. This enables reactive play, allowing you to adapt fluidly to the evolving game and utilize the card at the most opportune moment, often at the end of your opponent’s turn to maximize surprise and strategic advantage.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Utilizing Still Life requires the sacrifice of a card from your hand, which might hinder your tactical advantage, particularly in matches where every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting Still Life necessitates specific mana types, which may restrict its integration exclusively to decks that can accommodate the required mana production.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sporting a substantial mana cost, Still Life might not be the most mana-efficient choice when you are competing for board presence and tempo against decks that operate on lower curves.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Still Life is a flexible card that can be used across various decks, adapting well to different strategies. Its ability to function under multiple game conditions makes it a useful asset for players who enjoy experimenting with deck archetypes.

Combo Potential: This card possesses the intrinsic capability to synergize with other cards, creating powerful interactions that can turn the tide of a game. Savvy players can spot and utilize these combinations to take full advantage of Still Life’s potential on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the shifting landscape of competitive play, Still Life maintains relevance due to its adaptability to counter prevalent deck types. Its utility can disrupt common strategies, making it a smart inclusion for players aiming to stay ahead of the meta-game curve.


How to beat Still Life

Still Life is a unique and captivating card in Magic: The Gathering that presents players with an intriguing challenge. The enchantment’s ability to become a creature can catch opponents off guard and provide a robust defensive barrier. Skirting around this card’s strengths requires strategy. Utilizing removal spells that can target enchantments, such as Disenchant or Naturalize, is an effective way to eliminate Still Life from the battlefield before it becomes a creature.

Alternatively, countering it when cast is another direct approach. Spells such as Negate or Mana Leak can disrupt your opponent’s plans before they gain any value from the enchantment. Additionally, avoiding blocking when Still Life becomes a creature can mitigate its impact, as it only poses a threat on the defensive side. By applying consistent offensive pressure and smartly navigating around its ability to animate, defeating an opponent with Still Life in their arsenal becomes much more manageable. Leveraging these strategies maintains the tempo of the game in your favor and edges you closer to victory.


Cards like Still Life

Still Life is a unique enchantment that has found a place within the strategy of many MTG decks. Quite similar to other mana-generating cards such as Utopia Sprawl, Still Life provides a consistent source of mana. What sets it apart though is its ability to transform into a creature, making it a versatile choice for both defense and mana ramping.

Exploring other options, we delve into Overgrowth, which also enhances your mana pool by tapping enchanted lands. Although it doesn’t convert into a creature, Overgrowth’s strength lies in its capacity to generate more mana at once. On the opposite spectrum, there’s Voyaging Satyr, a creature that can untap enchanted lands, essentially a perfect match to Still Life when employed together for a powerful mana ramp combo.

When considering cards that support varied game strategies, Still Life speaks to those who appreciate flexibility. It competently balances between being a passive mana source and an active board presence, a crucial factor that distinguishes it from similar enchantments and creatures within MTG.

Utopia Sprawl - MTG Card versions
Overgrowth - MTG Card versions
Voyaging Satyr - MTG Card versions
Utopia Sprawl - MTG Card versions
Overgrowth - MTG Card versions
Voyaging Satyr - MTG Card versions

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Fyndhorn Pollen - MTG Card versions
Kudzu - MTG Card versions
Wanderlust - MTG Card versions
Maddening Wind - MTG Card versions
Cycle of Life - MTG Card versions
Hall of Gemstone - MTG Card versions
Dense Foliage - MTG Card versions
Momentum - MTG Card versions
Ancestral Mask - MTG Card versions
Broken Fall - MTG Card versions
Lure - MTG Card versions
Food Chain - MTG Card versions
Howling Moon - MTG Card versions
The Dragon-Kami Reborn // Dragon-Kami's Egg - MTG Card versions
Squirrel Nest - MTG Card versions
Alpha Status - MTG Card versions
Lifegift - MTG Card versions
Blanchwood Armor - MTG Card versions
Rites of Flourishing - MTG Card versions
Raking Canopy - MTG Card versions
Fyndhorn Pollen - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Still Life MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey, 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 Still Life and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Still Life has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2008-08-01 A noncreature permanent that turns into a creature can attack, and its abilities can be activated, only if its controller has continuously controlled that permanent since the beginning of their most recent turn. It doesn’t matter how long the permanent has been a creature.

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