Sakashima's Student MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sakashima’s Student’s ability to clone any creature on the battlefield can lead to immediate card advantage. By copying a creature with a powerful enter-the-battlefield effect, you effectively gain that ability which could draw you additional cards or have other beneficial effects.

Resource Acceleration: This ninja’s versatility allows for strategic plays that can outpace your opponent. Although it doesn’t directly accelerate resources, copying a creature with mana abilities or one that brings additional lands into play can shift the tide of resource management in your favor.

Instant Speed: The ninjutsu ability opens up opportunities for surprise tactics at instant speed. Offering flexibility in combat, Sakashima’s Student can be swapped in unseen, potentially copying a creature with immediate impact or simply evading an unfavorable block or attack.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the challenges when playing Sakashima’s Student is that you need to have a creature to return to your hand as part of the Ninjutsu cost. This prerequisite can be cumbersome, especially when you’re running low on creatures or seeking to maintain a strong board presence.

Specific Mana Cost: Sakashima’s Student requires blue mana for its casting and Ninjutsu abilities. This specificity means that it caters primarily to blue or blue-inclusive decks, potentially limiting its inclusion in more diverse deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the ability to clone any creature on the battlefield is potent, the four mana needed for Sakashima’s Student’s Ninjutsu ability may be steep for some strategies. There are other clone effects available in the game that come at a lower cost, offering similar benefits without the mana investment Sakashima’s Student demands.

Reasons to Include Sakashima’s Student in Your Collection

Versatility: Sakashima’s Student can adapt to numerous play scenarios because of its clone ability. The card’s Ninja tribal affiliation also allows it to slide seamlessly into rogue and ninja-themed decks, enhancing both their power and functionality.

Combo Potential: As a creature that can copy the most advantageous creature on the battlefield, it works exceptionally well with enter-the-battlefield effects or creatures with powerful static abilities, offering infinite ways to outwit your opponent.

Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to become any creature on the field, Sakashima’s Student remains a relevant addition to any collection, particularly in metas that favor creature-based strategies or where specific powerful creatures dominate the battlefield.

How to beat

Sakashima’s Student is a potent card in MTG because of its versatile ability to copy any creature on the battlefield as it enters play. Taking on the form and abilities of the biggest threats or most utilitarian creatures can quickly tip the scales in favor of the player controlling the Student. Yet, despite this adaptability, the card is not unbeatable.

To effectively counter Sakashima’s Student, consider using instant-speed removal spells. These can be cast in response to the ninjutsu ability, ensuring the copy effect never comes into fruition. Graveyard removal is also an asset, thwarting strategies that involve recurring the card or its targets from the graveyard. Moreover, incorporating control elements like counter spells can stop the Student mid-action, keeping the board state manageable.

Strategic deck-building plays a crucial role here; emphasizing cards that limit the utility of copy effects or focus on non-creature strategies may also dampen the impact of Sakishima’s Student. In the end, like with any trickster card in MTG, understanding its strengths and timing your answers correctly can turn an opponent’s ace card into a liability instead of a game-changer.

BurnMana Recommendations

Unlocking the full potential of Sakashima’s Student can significantly upgrade your MTG gameplay. This card’s shape-shifting ninja prowess injects a layer of cunning strategy into your deck, suitable for those unexpected combat twists. If you’re enthralled by the prospect of turning the tides at a moment’s notice and seek to command the arts of deception and surprise, Sakashima’s Student is a card to seriously consider. We encourage you to dive deeper into strategies centered around clone dynamics and instant-speed play. Discover more insights and fine-tune your collection with our guidance for a truly transformative gaming experience.