Sephara, Sky's Blade MTG Card
Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
Mana cost | |
Converted mana cost | 7 |
Rarity | Rare |
Type | Legendary Creature — Angel |
Abilities | Flying,Lifelink |
Power | 7 |
Toughness | 7 |
Text of card
You may pay and tap four untapped creatures you control with flying rather than pay this spell's mana cost. Flying, lifelink Other creatures you control with flying have indestructible. (Damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy them.)
Cards like Sephara, Sky's Blade
Sephara, Sky’s Blade offers a unique advantage for white creature decks in Magic: The Gathering. Its nearest counterpart is Lyra Dawnbringer, which also provides a lifelink boon to other angels and possesses a similar stat line. However, Sephara’s ability to provide indestructible to other flying creatures sets her apart, giving players a solid defensive option. The mana cost is fairly high, but it’s mitigated by her alternate casting condition, which can enable an earlier and potentially game-changing play if you have a battlefield populated with fliers.
Adding to the comparison is another angelic force, Shalai, Voice of Plenty. Shalai offers hexproof to you and your other creatures, but lacks the offensive capabilities that Sephara brings to the table. The flexibility in Sephara’s casting cost allows for dynamic strategies, particularly in decks with multiple cheap fliers. Moreover, her ability to condense both offensive and defensive roles into one card is unmatched by Shalai and most other creatures in this category.
Overall, Sephara, Sky’s Blade stands out for its distinctive mix of powerful abilities and alternative cost, which can lead to early domination in the air — a strategy that isn’t easily replicated by other similar MTG cards in its class.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Sephara Sky’s Blade enables a substantial advantage whenever you summon multiple creatures with flying. This synergy not only develops your board presence but also turns each of these smaller creatures into a potential avenue for drawing your formidable Angel, ensuring you stay ahead in resource availability.
Resource Acceleration: Under the right circumstances, this card can be cast for a mere single white mana if you control four or more creatures with flying. This drastically reduces the investment cost and accelerates your capacity to deploy a high-cost creature early in the game, allowing for a rapid and overwhelming advancement in your board state.
Instant Speed: While Sephara Sky’s Blade itself is not an instant, its alternate casting condition can be met at the end of your opponent’s turn by playing creatures with flash. This positions you to summon Sephara at instant speed effectively, by meeting her deployment criteria when the opportunity arises, keeping your opponents guessing and on their heels.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Sephara, Sky’s Blade lacks a direct discard requirement, but her alternate casting condition does necessitate having a certain number of creatures on the battlefield, which can sometimes feel like a “discard” of resources when those creatures become vulnerable targets for removal.
Specific Mana Cost: While her seven-mana cost can be bypassed, doing so directly requires you to manage a board of fliers. This demand for a specific board state can restrict deck-building options and may not align with every strategy.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Even with the alternate casting cost, Sephara, Sky’s Blade requires a substantial investment to summon traditionally. This high mana cost can make her a less accessible option in faster-paced games where lower-cost creatures and spells might provide more immediate board presence and impact.
Reasons to Include Sephara Sky’s Blade in Your Collection
Versatility: Sephara Sky’s Blade offers a powerful presence in decks that capitalize on flying creatures. Its ability to grant indestructibility to other flyers makes it a defensive linchpin while serving as a significant offensive threat.
Combo Potential: With the right setup, this card can be a game-changer. It synergizes well with decks that rapidly deploy flyers, allowing Sephara to be cast for a single white mana, potentially turning the tide of the game early on.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta with heavy creature-based strategies, Sephara Sky’s Blade stands out as a formidable counter. Its ability to protect a wide board of flyers from sweepers and targeted removal makes it a strategic asset against diverse threats.
How to beat
Sephara, Sky’s Blade commands attention in the MTG arena with its potential to fortify a flock of smaller creatures into a formidable aerial force. Its ability to offer indestructibility to other flyers makes it an imposing entity against opponents. In addition, Sephara can land on the battlefield for a single white mana if you tap four flying creatures, making its hefty seven-mana cost nominal under the right circumstances.
To neutralize Sephara’s influence, it’s essential to disrupt the early accumulation of flying creatures. Targeted removal spells that bypass indestructibility, such as exile or sacrifice effects, can effectively remove Sephara from play. Enchantment-based removals like Pacifism or board wipes such as Wrath of God, which do not destroy but render a creature ineffective or remove it regardless of indestructibility, are also viable strategies. In essence, keeping the board clear of multiple creatures and having an answer for Sephara once it lands can tilt the match in your favor. In summary, outpacing the flying legion and applying precise removal techniques ensures strategic dominance over Sephara, Sky’s Blade in your MTG duels.
BurnMana Recommendations
Delving into MTG’s intricate world brings you face-to-face with formidable cards like Sephara Sky’s Blade. Understanding its strengths and potential drawbacks shapes the way you construct your decks, allowing for a strategic edge in battle. Whether it’s leveraging Sephara’s low alternate casting cost or utilizing its robust synergies with flying creatures for a powerful board state, this angel is capable of turning the tides in your favor. If you’re looking to defend against or pilot a skyward offensive, grasp the ins and outs of Sephara’s capabilities. Explore how to effectively harness or counter this card’s power by diving deeper with us, where we provide insights and strategies to enhance your MTG experience.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Sephara, Sky's Blade MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2020 and The List, 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 Sephara, Sky's Blade 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
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Printings
The Sephara, Sky's Blade Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2019-07-12 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by Livia Prima.
# | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2019-07-12 | Core Set 2020 | M20 | 36 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Livia Prima | |
2 | The List | PLST | M20-36 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Livia Prima | ||
3 | 2023-08-04 | Commander Masters | CMM | 471 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Livia Prima | |
4 | 2023-08-04 | Commander Masters | CMM | 54 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Livia Prima |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Sephara, Sky's Blade has restrictions
Format | Legality |
---|---|
Historicbrawl | Legal |
Historic | Legal |
Legacy | Legal |
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 Sephara, Sky's Blade card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
Date | Text |
---|---|
2019-07-12 | Because damage remains marked on a creature until it’s removed as the turn ends, lethal damage dealt to other creatures you control with flying may cause them to be destroyed if Sephara leaves the battlefield during that turn. |
2019-07-12 | To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you’re paying (such as Sephara’s alternative cost), add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The converted mana cost of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was. |
2019-07-12 | To pay Sephara’s alternative cost, you may tap any untapped creatures you control with flying, including ones you haven’t controlled continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn. |