Sage-Eye Harrier MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Bird Warrior |
| Abilities | Flying,Morph |
| Released | 2014-09-26 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Khans of Tarkir |
| Set code | KTK |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 5 |
| Number | 20 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Chase Stone |
Text of card
Flying Morph (You may cast this card face down as a 2/2 creature for . Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)
These winged warriors meditate in flight, tracing mandalas in the clouds.
Cards like Sage-Eye Harrier
Sage-Eye Harrier is an intriguing creature card with potential tactical advantages in certain MTG decks. Within its territory, this card shares conceptual ground with other creatures offering flying and conditional abilities. For instance, cards like Snapping Drake possess flying but also offer a stronger base power. However, Sage-Eye Harrier’s morph ability, allowing it to be played face down and turned up at a later stage for its morph cost, distinguishes it from the Drake’s straightforward approach.
Comparatively, Jeskai Windscout is another creature that shares the flying trait at a similar mana cost but also boasts prowess, an ability that rewards you for playing noncreature spells. This can make the Windscout more valuable in decks that plan to cast numerous noncreature spells. The choice of including Sage-Eye Harrier over similar flying creatures can often hinge on the specific synergies within your deck and the degree of utility its morph ability may have in your overall strategy.
In the grand pantheon of MTG creatures with flying, Sage-Eye Harrier may not be the mightiest, but the flexibility it brings to the battlefield with its morph mechanic could make it the right fit for the cunning strategist who anticipates needing a surprise blocker or wishes to conceal their true play until the moment is just right.
Cards similar to Sage-Eye Harrier by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While the Sage-Eye Harrier itself may not directly offer card draw, its flying ability makes it a reliable blocker against other creatures with flying, effectively preserving your more valuable creatures and spells. Plus, any cards that synergize with its Morph ability could lead to advantageous interactions later in the game.
Resource Acceleration: The Sage-Eye Harrier is modestly priced and can be morphed for a lower initial cost. This allows you to deploy other resources earlier while keeping this creature in reserve, supporting a more efficient allocation of mana throughout the match and getting the most out of your mana curve.
Instant Speed: Although Sage-Eye Harrier isn’t an instant, its Morph capability enables surprise tactics by flipping it during combat or at the end of your opponent’s turn. This unexpected transformation can act as a pseudo-instant maneuver essential for disrupting opponent strategies and gaining an edge in battlefield control.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Sage-Eye Harrier requires you to have another card to exile with its morph ability. This condition could be a setback when your hand is running low on cards, forcing you to make difficult decisions about what to keep and what to pitch.
Specific Mana Cost: Deploying Sage-Eye Harrier demands a precise mana arrangement with one white mana. This requirement can be restrictive, often dictating the necessity of a white mana base or necessitating mana-fixing in multicolored decks to ensure it can be cast on time.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana for a modest 1/5 flyer, Sage-Eye Harrier may not be the most efficient creature for the investment. Players might find other creatures or spells with greater impact for the same, if not lower, cost in mana.
Reasons to Include Sage-Eye Harrier in Your Collection
Versatility: Sage-Eye Harrier provides immense flexibility with its morph ability, allowing players to adapt to various game situations. It can be played face-down as a mystery threat and turned up at the right moment for tactical advantage.
Combo Potential: This card can be a key piece in decks that capitalize on creature synergies. Un-morphing Sage-Eye Harrier at the opportune time can disrupt opponent plays, swinging the momentum in your favor.
Meta-Relevance: As the metagame evolves, utility creatures like Sage-Eye Harrier often find their niche. Its ability to potentially counter threats or bolster your defenses makes it a handy tool against a range of popular strategies, ensuring its place in your deck can adapt with the shifting meta landscape.
How to beat
Sage-Eye Harrier is an interesting card with its morph ability, allowing you to surprise an opponent with an unassuming 1/5 flyer. When faced with this card on the battlefield, the key is to be proactive. Utilize removal spells before Sage-Eye Harrier unmorphs, preventing your adversary from gaining advantage from its flying capability. Consider using instant-speed interactions such as Shock or Fatal Push to efficiently deal with it during your opponent’s turn.
As Sage-Eye Harrier is primarily a defensive card, focusing your strategy on non-combat methods can also be effective. Spells that force sacrifices or mass removal, like Doom Blade or Wrath of God, circumvent the need to engage in combat with the Harrier altogether. Building a board presence that doesn’t rely on flying creatures can also minimize the Harrier’s defensive position. Utilize creatures with trample or spells that grant unblockable to your creatures to bypass the need to deal with it directly in combat.
Lastly, keep in mind that Sage-Eye Harrier’s power lies in its defensive capabilities, so focus on overpowering your opponent with either aggressive early game strategies or by establishing a stronger board presence they can’t easily defend against.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Sage-Eye Harrier MTG card by a specific set like Khans of Tarkir, 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 Sage-Eye Harrier and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
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- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
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- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Sage-Eye Harrier has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sage-Eye Harrier card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2014-09-20 | A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent, as well as Auras and Equipment that were attached to the permanent, aren’t affected. |
| 2014-09-20 | Any time you have priority, you may turn the face-down creature face up by revealing what its morph cost is and paying that cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. Only a face-down permanent can be turned face up this way; a face-down spell cannot. |
| 2014-09-20 | At any time, you can look at a face-down spell or permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down spells or permanents you don’t control unless an effect instructs you to do so. |
| 2014-09-20 | Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn’t cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger. |
| 2014-09-20 | If a face-down permanent leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or if the game ends. |
| 2014-09-20 | Morph lets you cast a card face down by paying , and lets you turn the face-down permanent face up any time you have priority by paying its morph cost. |
| 2014-09-20 | The face-down spell has no mana cost and has a converted mana cost of 0. When you cast a face-down spell, put it on the stack face down so no other player knows what it is, and pay . This is an alternative cost. |
| 2014-09-20 | When the spell resolves, it enters the battlefield as a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It’s colorless and has a converted mana cost of 0. Other effects that apply to the creature can still grant it any of these characteristics. |
| 2014-09-20 | You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield in order to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for doing this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield. |