Shanid, Sleepers' Scourge MTG Card


Shanid provides card advantage by exiling creatures, enhancing board control and game momentum. Flexibility at instant speed makes Shanid a surprise element capable of disrupting opponent strategies. Its mana cost and discard requirement are cons, adding complexity to playing this powerful card.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Knight
Abilities Menace
Power 2
Toughness 4

Text of card

Menace Other legendary creatures you control have menace. Whenever you play a legendary land or cast a legendary spell, you draw a card and you lose 1 life.


Cards like Shanid, Sleepers' Scourge

Shanid, Sleepers’ Scourge is an intriguing creature card poised to make an impact in Magic: The Gathering decks that leverage graveyard strategies. With an effect that exiles cards from graveyards and hurts opponents for doing so, it’s reminiscent of cards like Leyline of the Void, which also proactively disrupts graveyard tactics; however, Shanid offers a dynamic body that can attack and block. Although Leyline of the Void impacts the entire graveyard from game start if in the opening hand, Shanid’s targeted exile ability proves to be a controllable and repeatable threat, especially useful later on.

When comparing Shanid to Tormod’s Crypt, a free-to-play artifact with a one-off graveyard purge, Shanid stands out as a creature that can continually apply pressure and cause life loss. While Tormod’s Crypt can sneak into play without expense, Shanid accumulates advantage over time, making it a resilient threat against decks that depend on graveyard recursion.

Undoubtedly, Shanid, Sleepers’ Scourge holds its own among graveyard-hate cards in MTG, offering a unique blend of offensive capabilities and strategic graveyard control that can shift the tides in a player’s favor over the course of a match.

Leyline of the Void - MTG Card versions
Tormod's Crypt - MTG Card versions
Leyline of the Void - MTG Card versions
Tormod's Crypt - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When it comes to maintaining momentum in a match, Shanid, Sleepers’ Scourge offers a notable advantage as it can potentially exile an opponent’s creature, thereby disrupting their board presence and providing you an edge in control.

Resource Acceleration: Integrating seamlessly into reanimator strategies, this card can act as an engine in itself by accelerating your resource pool through making use of the creatures it exiles from the opponent, thus enabling a flurry of potent plays.

Instant Speed: The inherent flexibility of Shanid, Sleepers’ Scourge operating at instant speed allows players to address threats during the opponent’s turn. This surprise factor can tilt the battlefield dynamics significantly in your favor as it can disrupt enemy combos and end-of-turn setups.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Shanid, Sleepers’ Scourge requires a mandatory card discard upon entering the battlefield. This can be a steep price for players, especially if they’re working with a hand that they’ve carefully curated over the course of the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting Shanid demands a precise mana combination, which includes black and another color. This can pose a deck-building challenge, limiting its integration to only certain strategies that can reliably generate the necessary mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Shanid offers a potentially strong effect, its mana cost is on the higher side. Players could find themselves unable to deploy it at a crucial time or may opt for other lower-cost cards that provide similar benefits with less strain on their mana resources.


Reasons to Include Shanid, Sleepers’ Scourge in Your Collection

Versatility: Shanid, Sleepers’ Scourge brings a dynamic element to any deck, adept at combating creature-heavy strategies. With an ability to exile cards from graveyards, it serves as a powerful tool against graveyard-based decks, a common archetype in many formats.

Combo Potential: Its triggered ability offers synergy with various graveyard manipulation strategies. Whether you’re disrupting an opponent’s plans or fueling your own, Shanid can work seamlessly with cards that benefit from graveyard interactions.

Meta-Relevance: Given the prevalence of graveyard-centric decks in several metas, having Shanid, Sleepers’ Scourge in your arsenal could give you a significant edge. It acts as a deterrent to opponents’ strategies and simultaneously strengthens your own board state.


How to beat

Shanid, Sleepers’ Scourge emerges as a potent adversary on MTG tables, capable of transforming the game’s dynamics. Unraveling a strategy to counter this formidable card involves a deep understanding of its abilities and timing. To effectively neutralize Shanid, players should focus on removal spells that can target this specific threat before its controller can leverage its full potential. Cards like Murderous Rider or Bloodchief’s Thirst are prime examples of precise removal that can address such challenges during crucial moments.

Another viable approach includes utilizing counterspells such as Dovin’s Veto or Absorb to prevent Shanid from entering the battlefield altogether. This preemptive tactic not only saves resources but also keeps the opponent’s strategy at bay. Additionally, considering graveyard interaction can be vital, as Shanid can recur from the graveyard. Employing graveyard hate cards like Grafdigger’s Cage or Tormod’s Crypt can hinder this mechanic, safeguarding your position from this relentless foe.

Lastly, adapting your deck to maintain a steady flow of creatures can serve as a soft counter to Shanid, as it thrives less in an environment rich in creature-based strategies. This ensures that should Shanid resolve, its impact is significantly diluted amidst a wider battlefield presence, thus mitigating its overall effectiveness within the game.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Shanid, Sleepers' Scourge MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria United Commander and Dominaria United Commander, 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 Shanid, Sleepers' Scourge and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Shanid, Sleepers' Scourge Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2022-09-09 and 2022-09-09. Illustrated by Ryan Pancoast.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12022-09-09Dominaria United CommanderDMC 42015NormalBlackRyan Pancoast
22022-09-09Dominaria United CommanderDMC 792015NormalBlackRyan Pancoast
32022-09-09Dominaria United Art SeriesADMU 542015Art seriesBorderless

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Shanid, Sleepers' Scourge has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2022-09-09 A legendary land entering the battlefield without being played does not cause Shanid’s last ability to trigger.
2022-09-09 If casting a legendary spell causes Shanid’s last ability to trigger, that ability goes on the stack above the spell that caused it to trigger and resolves first. It resolves even if that spell is countered or otherwise left the stack.