Sadistic Skymarcher MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Vampire Soldier |
| Abilities | Flying,Lifelink |
| Released | 2018-01-19 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Rivals of Ixalan |
| Set code | RIX |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 85 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Seb McKinnon |
Text of card
As an additional cost to cast Sadistic Skymarcher, reveal a Vampire card from your hand or pay . Flying, lifelink
"I will catch you, child of the sun. I will drink your life and leave you a husk, discarded in the shadows."
Cards like Sadistic Skymarcher
Sadistic Skymarcher has established a niche for itself in the lineup of flying vampire creatures within Magic: The Gathering. Its most direct comparison could be to Vampire Nighthawk, a card revered for providing a flying, deathtouch, and lifelink combo. Where the Skymarcher shines is in its lower mana requirement with the added benefit of being a lifelink creature, an invaluable asset for any life-gain strategy.
Another creature worth mentioning is Heir of Falkenrath. This card transforms into a flying vampire with the ability to discard a card to transform, adding a dimension of strategic depth to deck building. Though it lacks lifelink, it compensates with a power boost upon transformation. Sanguine Glorifier presents a different approach, enhancing other vampires by permanently buffing them upon entry. Despite its higher mana cost, it offers a solid body on the board and a one-time boost to another vampire’s power and toughness.
When weighing options within the vampire creature realm, Sadistic Skymarcher’s versatility and early-board presence position it as a go-to for decks requiring quick aerial threats coupled with consistent life gain. It’s these traits that enable it to hold its own against other creatures in its category.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Sadistic Skymarcher offers an early battlefield presence that can start pressing damage quickly. This can lead to your opponent using their resources to deal with the threat, potentially giving you a card advantage as they are forced to react to your plays.
Resource Acceleration: While Sadistic Skymarcher itself doesn’t directly offer resource acceleration, its relatively low mana cost allows you to stay ahead on board while keeping mana open for other spells, effectively speeding up your game plan.
Instant Speed: Although Sadistic Skymarcher is a creature, it synergizes well with other instant speed interactions. For instance, you can play it in the early phases of your turn and still have mana available for an instant speed response during your opponent’s turn, maintaining tempo and control.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Sadistic Skymarcher necessitates having another Vampire on hand to reveal or a Vampire card to discard when you cast it. This requirement can be burdensome, especially in the later stages of the game when your hand might be running low, leaving you potentially unable to leverage its full potential.
Specific Mana Cost: Requiring one black mana can be restrictive for multicolored decks. While this is standard for black cards, it does mean that Sadistic Skymarcher is often limited to mono-black or vampire-centered decks, which may not suit all play styles or strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The Sadistic Skymarcher comes with a somewhat steep cost, demanding three mana, one of which is black. When you consider the efficiency of other three-mana creatures, Sadistic Skymarcher might not always be the most cost-effective option in your deck, especially when there are other cards that can offer similar or better effects at a lower mana commitment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Sadistic Skymarcher offers a flexible role in decks, capable of serving as both an aggressive creature in the early game and a source of life-drain in the later stages. With flying, it’s an excellent choice for evasion tactics.
Combo Potential: This vampire creature works well with cards that benefit from life loss or gain, creating opportunities to build around synergistic vampire tribal themes or lifelink strategies.
Meta-Relevance: Given its adaptability and the consistent presence of lifegain and vampire decks in the meta, Sadistic Skymarcher can be a strategic asset in the right build, providing utility and pressure on opponents.
How to beat
Sadistic Skymarcher brings its own unique challenges to the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. At its core, this fearsome Vampire Soldier gains lifelink as long as you control another Vampire, weaving a web of interdependence that’s typical of Vampire decks. To dismantle its threat, focus on removal spells that can bypass the lifelink by not dealing damage, such as exile effects found in cards like Path to Exile or Fatal Push, which can swiftly take Sadistic Skymarcher out of play without triggering its lifegain ability.
Furthermore, hindering the synergy that this card relies on by disrupting your opponent’s Vampire presence is key. Utilize board wipes like Wrath of God or targeted removals to keep their Vampire count low and Sadistic Skymarcher’s advantages to a minimum. Considering its three mana value, countering it with spells like Negate or Essence Scatter when it’s on the stack could prove efficient and resourceful, keeping your life total safe from the incremental advantages it provides.
Overall, with strategic removals and attentive play to stifle Vampire synergies, you can navigate around the challenges posed by Sadistic Skymarcher and maintain control of the game state.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Sadistic Skymarcher MTG card by a specific set like Rivals of Ixalan, 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 Sadistic Skymarcher and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Sadistic Skymarcher has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sadistic Skymarcher card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-01-19 | If an effect refers to a “ -ubtype] spell” or “ -ubtype] card,” it refers only to a spell or card that has that subtype. For example, March of the Drowned is a card that benefits Pirates and features Pirates in its illustration, but it isn’t a Pirate card. |