Sandstone Oracle MTG Card
Card sets | Released in 12 setsSee all |
Mana cost | |
Converted mana cost | 7 |
Rarity | Uncommon |
Type | Artifact Creature — Sphinx |
Abilities | Flying |
Power | 4 |
Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
Flying When Sandstone Oracle enters the battlefield, choose an opponent. If that player has more cards in hand than you, draw cards equal to the difference.
Cards like Sandstone Oracle
Sandstone Oracle, a unique artifact creature card in MTG, finds its place in decks that thrive on card advantage. Invoking comparisons with Mind’s Eye, both cards offer a replenishing hand to players falling behind. However, Sandstone Oracle presents a tangible board presence with its 4/4 flying body. Mind’s Eye doesn’t alter the battlefield but provides a more controlled and consistent card draw mechanism.
Another similar card is the iconic Solemn Simulacrum, affectionately known as Sad Robot among MTG fans. While it provides card draw on death rather than on cast, it also ramps your mana by searching for a basic land upon entering the battlefield. Both cards help out in the late game, but Sandstone Oracle potentially refills your hand immediately, a powerful swing when played at the right moment.
Considering these comparisons, Sandstone Oracle can be an exceptional choice in certain MTG strategies. It shines in situations where you can maximize its ability, turning a resource deficit into an advantage, all while presenting a threat in the air. While it may not have the same flexibility as some of its peers, its impact in the right moment cannot be understated.
Cards similar to Sandstone Oracle by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Sandstone Oracle serves as a formidable source of card advantage, particularly in the late game. When it enters the battlefield, its ability can restock your hand, potentially drawing you multiple cards, and thus creating a substantial disparity between you and your opponent’s available resources.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, the Sandstone Oracle can indirectly accelerate your resources. By drawing into more land cards or mana-producing artifacts, it can expand your available mana pool for subsequent turns, enabling more significant plays and faster development of your board state.
Instant Speed: The instant speed of this artifact creature isn’t inherent, but it can be exploited in decks that play at flash speed. With the help of other cards enabling you to cast this sorcery-speed threat at instant speed, you can catch opponents off-guard, making the Sandstone Oracle not just a replenishing mechanism but a surprising blocker or an end-of-turn play that can shift the game’s momentum in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Sandstone Oracle presents a unique challenge as its entry to the battlefield is free of any discard demands. However, its utility largely depends on whether your hand is emptier than your opponent’s, which can be a restrictive condition, especially in a game where hand advantage is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Sandstone Oracle is anchored in a specific mana type, demanding seven colorless mana. This can be a cumbersome requirement in multi-colored decks that might struggle to generate sufficient colorless mana, thereby limiting the flexibility of where this card can be played.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value of seven, Sandstone Oracle enters the realm of high-cost cards. In fast-paced matches, deploying such a costly creature can be inefficient, particularly when there are alternatives in the same mana range that could offer immediate board impact or versatility.
Reasons to Include Sandstone Oracle in Your Collection
Versatility: Sandstone Oracle offers adaptability in decks that struggle with card draw. Being a colorless artifact, it slots seamlessly into nearly any deck, making it a versatile pick for players looking to replenish their hand, regardless of their deck’s color identity.
Combo Potential: With its ability to draw cards equal to the difference in hand sizes when it enters the battlefield, Sandstone Oracle can be a combo enabler in decks that manipulate hand sizes or exploit artifact synergies.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where opponents often have fuller hands—think control or combo decks—Sandstone Oracle becomes increasingly relevant. It not only refills your hand but can also shift the tide of the game by evening out the resource disparity.
How to beat Sandstone Oracle
Sandstone Oracle can seem like a daunting presence on the battlefield, with its capability to refresh a player’s hand when they’re running low on cards. It shines in scenarios where an opponent has drawn more cards than you, rewarding you with a new handful of possibilities. However, overcoming this artifact creature can be simpler than it seems.
Firstly, keeping your hand size in check is crucial. Sandstone Oracle capitalizes on the disparity in hand sizes, so maintaining a relatively even number of cards with your opponent ensures that the Oracle’s effect is minimized. Additionally, utilizing graveyard retrieval spells and abilities can help you maintain card advantage without having to draw extensively from your library, further diminishing the Oracle’s benefit.
Direct removal spells are also effective. Artifact destruction cards or exile spells can dispatch Sandstone Oracle before it has an opportunity to refill an opponent’s hand. Counterspells are also an option, stopping the Oracle dead in its tracks. Lastly, tempo plays and strategies that apply pressure can force your opponent to deploy resources, thereby reducing the chances that Sandstone Oracle can dramatically shift the game in their favor when it hits the field.
BurnMana Recommendations
The strategic intricacies of MTG are fully realized when piloting the right cards in your deck. The value that Sandstone Oracle brings can be monumental, ensuring that you have the resources needed to outmatch your opponents. From card draws that shift the game’s balance to maintaining a solid presence in the skies, this artifact creature offers significant benefits in the right circumstances. As you seek to refine your playstyle and adapt to your opponents’ strategies, embracing the strengths of a card like Sandstone Oracle could be the key to claiming victory. Explore more insights and tips to skillfully integrate this card into your collection and witness how it can transform your gaming experience.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Sandstone Oracle MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2015 and Legendary Cube Prize Pack, 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 Sandstone Oracle 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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Printings
The Sandstone Oracle Magic the Gathering card was released in 11 different sets between 2015-11-13 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
# | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2015-11-13 | Commander 2015 | C15 | 52 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Eric Deschamps | |
2 | 2015-11-18 | Legendary Cube Prize Pack | PZ1 | 125 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Eric Deschamps | |
3 | 2017-11-17 | Iconic Masters | IMA | 227 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Izzy | |
4 | 2018-06-08 | Commander Anthology Volume II | CM2 | 213 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Eric Deschamps | |
5 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1625 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Eric Deschamps | |
6 | 2020-08-07 | Double Masters | 2XM | 285 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Izzy | |
7 | 2020-09-25 | Zendikar Rising Commander | ZNC | 116 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Izzy | |
8 | The List | PLST | CM2-213 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Eric Deschamps | ||
9 | The List | PLST | C15-52 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Eric Deschamps | ||
10 | 2020-11-20 | Commander Legends | CMR | 336 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Izzy | |
11 | 2023-05-08 | From Cute to Brute | PCTB | 57 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Eric Deschamps | |
12 | 2023-08-04 | Commander Masters | CMM | 406 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Eric Deschamps |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Sandstone Oracle has restrictions
Format | Legality |
---|---|
Commander | Legal |
Legacy | Legal |
Paupercommander | Restricted |
Oathbreaker | Legal |
Vintage | Legal |
Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sandstone Oracle card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
Date | Text |
---|---|
2020-11-10 | To draw cards equal to the difference, first determine how many cards you'll draw, then draw that many cards, as modified by replacement effects. For example, if you have two cards in hand and the chosen opponent has five, Thought Reflection will cause you to draw six cards instead of three. |
2020-11-10 | You choose an opponent while Sandstone Oracle's ability is resolving. No player may take actions between the time you make this choice and the time you draw cards. |