Sentinel Dispatch MTG Card

Sentinel Dispatch enhances hand options and ensures a steady flow of strategic plays. Instant speed allows reaction to threats, tilting matchups in your favor. Discarding a card is the trade-off for activating this high-impact spell.

Rarity	Common
Type	Conspiracy
Released	2014-06-06
Set symbol
Set name	Conspiracy
Set code	CNS
Number	11
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Adam Paquette

Text of card

(Start the game with this conspiracy face up in the command zone.) At the beginning of the first upkeep, put a 1/1 colorless Construct artifact creature token with defender onto the battlefield.

"Unusual. Security also worth stealing." —Dack Fayden

Cards like Sentinel Dispatch

Sentinel Dispatch adds a unique twist to the defender archetype in Magic: The Gathering. The card reminisces variations such as Wall of Omens, which is valued for entering the battlefield and drawing a card. However, Sentinel Dispatch offers something novel at the start of combat on your turn, allowing the creation of a colorless Construct artifact creature token with defender, thereby steadily building your defenses and potential board presence.

Cards like Shield Sphere also come to mind, as they provide an immediate defensive benefit for zero mana cost. Contrastingly, Sentinel Dispatch requires some setup and activation in subsequent turns to get the full recurring value. Then, there’s Wall of Hope—another noteworthy comparison—which also boasts a defender ability, providing life gain on top of stopping incoming damage. However, it doesn’t share Sentinel Dispatch’s utility in generating multiple blockers over the course of a game.

Ultimately, while each card in this category offers protection, Sentinel Dispatch earns a particular spot as it progressively impacts the board state turn after turn. For players who favor deck strategies that capitalize on numerous creatures, Sentinel Dispatch becomes an intriguing selection for their MTG arsenal.

Cards similar to Sentinel Dispatch by color, type and mana cost

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sentinel Dispatch shines by offering players the chance to sculpt their hand further and maintain a healthy flow of options. This is essential in outmaneuvering opponents and keeping up with the demands of a rapidly changing battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: This card adeptly contributes to resource acceleration by allowing players to effectively advance their board position. The added utility can be pivotal in executing strategies sooner than the curve would typically permit.

Instant Speed: The real kicker with Sentinel Dispatch is its instant speed, permitting reactive playstyles and giving players the leverage to adapt to threats or opportunities as they manifest during an opponent’s turn. Its flexibility can provide a crucial edge in tightly-contested matchups.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Sentinel Dispatch necessitates the discarding of a card upon activation. This can be particularly taxing when your hand is already depleting, forcing you to weigh the potential strategic loss against the benefits of deploying this card.

Specific Mana Cost: Launching Sentinel Dispatch requires a precise mana arrangement, which can present a challenge in multicolored decks that might not always have the necessary mana readily available, thereby limiting its flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sitting at a higher mana cost for its effects, Sentinel Dispatch may not always compete favorably with other options. Players might find that other cards in the same cost bracket can potentially offer a more impactful presence on the board or more immediate value.

Reasons to Include Sentinel Dispatch in Your Collection

Versatility: Sentinel Dispatch’s ability to create a vigilant creature token makes it a solid choice for decks that aim to maintain a defensive presence while also pushing towards an aggressive strategy when the opportunity arises.

Combo Potential: This card’s mechanic works well with decks that capitalize on token generation or require specific creature types for synergistic plays, bolstering both combo setups and execution.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where tempo plays a pivotal role, Sentinel Dispatch can provide a necessary early blocker or an attacker that doesn’t leave you open to retaliation, making it particularly apt for adapting to various meta shifts.

How to beat

Sentinel Dispatch is an intriguing card that can impact the board as soon as it enters the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. Versatile across various deck types, it provides a steady stream of monitoring options, similar to how vehicles like Smuggler’s Copter have done in the past. Although it can be a challenge, there are effective strategies to disable its surveillance prowess and keep it in check.

To counter Sentinel Dispatch, consider using artifact removal spells like Abrade or Naturalize that can dispatch the artifact before it begins to gather valuable information turn after turn. Alternatively, you can outpace the card by focusing on aggressive strategies that overwhelm your opponent before they can leverage Sentinel Dispatch’s full potential. Creature removal spells can also be key, ensuring that the artifact lacks pilots to become a creature, effectively neutralizing its threat and keeping the skies clear for your attacks.

Understanding the advantages and deploying the right strategies are essential in overcoming the challenge Sentinel Dispatch presents. By staying one step ahead, you ensure that your opponent’s surveillance does not turn the tides against you in the world of Magic: The Gathering.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sentinel Dispatch MTG card by a specific set like Conspiracy, 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 Sentinel Dispatch and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sentinel Dispatch has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Banned
Legacy	Banned
Oathbreaker	Banned
Vintage	Banned
Duel	Banned

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2016-08-23	A conspiracy doesn’t count as a card in your deck for purposes of meeting minimum deck size requirements. (In most drafts, the minimum deck size is 40 cards.)
2016-08-23	A conspiracy’s static and triggered abilities function as long as that conspiracy is face-up in the command zone.
2016-08-23	Conspiracies are colorless, have no mana cost, and can’t be cast as spells.
2016-08-23	Conspiracies are never put into your deck. Instead, you put any number of conspiracies from your card pool into the command zone as the game begins. These conspiracies are face up unless they have hidden agenda, in which case they begin the game face down.
2016-08-23	Conspiracies aren’t legal for any sanctioned Constructed format, but may be included in other Limited formats, such as Cube Draft.
2016-08-23	You can look at any player’s face-up conspiracies at any time. You’ll also know how many face-down conspiracies a player has in the command zone, although you won’t know what they are.
2016-08-23	You don’t have to play with any conspiracy you draft. However, you have only one opportunity to put conspiracies into the command zone, as the game begins. You can’t put conspiracies into the command zone after this point.