Sunseed Nurturer MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Druid Wizard
Released	2008-10-03
Set symbol
Set name	Shards of Alara
Set code	ALA
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	29
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Steve Argyle

Key Takeaways

Consistent life gain from Sunseed Nurturer supports longer gameplay and stronger defensive tactics.
Ability to untap large creatures offers strategic advantages and facilitates aggressive or defensive plays.
In decks utilizing life totals and tap abilities, Sunseed Nurturer proves to be a versatile inclusion.

Text of card

At the end of your turn, if you control a creature with power 5 or greater, you may gain 2 life. : Add to your mana pool.

Sunseeders quest for areas of open sky. They train plowbeasts to beat back the dense jungle long enough to cultivate a crop.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sunseed Nurturer offers a consistent life gain mechanism that, while indirectly, can contribute to card advantage by enabling a more robust defense and maintaining board presence. This ensures that your cards have a longer impact during gameplay, offering an advantage over opponents.

Resource Acceleration: This card possesses a unique ability to untap target creature that has power 5 or greater, which not only can assist in maintaining a strong defense but also provides an effective form of resource acceleration. This ability facilitates the reuse of creatures with tap abilities or simply prepares them for defense after an aggressive turn.

Instant Speed: Though Sunseed Nurturer itself is not an instant card, it synergizes well with instant speed interactions in MTG. Its life gain ability activates during your end step, thus providing you with additional life just before your opponent’s turn begins, allowing a more secure position to react to and manage instant speed threats your opponent may present.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Sunseed Nurturer does not have a discard requirement. However, it does require a creature with power 5 or greater on the battlefield to activate its ability, which could be a hurdle in early game or in decks with smaller creatures.

Specific Mana Cost: As a card requiring one white and two other mana to play, Sunseed Nurturer could be restrictive for multi-color decks that struggle to generate consistent white mana, limiting its versatility outside mono-white or two-color decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, Sunseed Nurturer might be considered slower compared to other mana dorks or ramp cards. Decks aiming for a faster buildup may opt for lower casting cost alternatives that provide immediate mana acceleration without the condition of having a large creature.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Sunseed Nurturer fits seamlessly into decks that center around life gain or tap abilities. This card offers a simple source of life stabilization, helping to establish a solid foundation in matches where longevity is key.

Combo Potential: With Sunseed Nurturer, you can unlock synergies in decks that capitalize on life totals to activate abilities. Its capability to untap creatures with power 5 or greater complements strategies aiming to abuse these creatures’ activated abilities.

Meta-Relevance: As decks evolve to incorporate creatures with power-boosting mechanics or formidable enter-the-battlefield effects, Sunseed Nurturer becomes an asset for those seeking to maximize their creatures’ potential each turn. Consequently, it remains a pertinent choice for collectors and players aiming to adapt to such shifts in the game environment.

How to beat

Sunseed Nurturer presents an intriguing dynamic in MTG’s ever-evolving strategy. As a card that offers life gain in conjunction with mana generation, it has the potential to tip the game balance in favor of the player who wields it. A distinct advantage is its ability to stabilize a player’s health while simultaneously ramping up their mana pool, especially when it synergizes with creatures of power five or greater.

To mitigate the Sunseed Nurturer’s impact, one effective strategy is to focus on removal spells that can target it before its controller gets to take full advantage. Direct removal spells like Doom Blade or Shatter are crucial in this regard, stripping your opponent of their nurturing asset early in the game. Beware though, as timing is key; removing it before it can be used in a combo or when your opponent has creatures that meet the activation threshold will maximize its absence on the battlefield.

Considering Sunseed Nurturer’s role in the late game can also affect your approach. In a match where a long-term strategy is in play, a focus on counteracting large creatures may diminish the Nurturer’s value. Constantly applying pressure and maintaining board control are viable tactics to prevent your opponent from leveraging Sunseed Nurturer to their advantage.

Cards like Sunseed Nurturer

Sunseed Nurturer has its own niche in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, standing as a vital life-gaining ally. It shares similarities with cards such as Soulmender, which also has the ability to pad a player’s life total. However, Sunseed Nurturer provides an additional benefit of mana generation for creatures with power five or greater, a feature Soulmender doesn’t possess.

Another similar option is Healer of the Glade, which offers an immediate life gain when it enters the battlefield. While Healer of the Glade doesn’t provide ongoing life boosts or mana ramp like our nurturer, its effect is immediate and guarantees a life swing – beneficial for strategies that require a quick life bump. Then we have the more mana-intensive Dawnglow Infusion, which can give a variable life boost depending on the number of colors spent on it and even replenish your mana, a different, yet sometimes more versatile approach than the steady pacing of the Sunseed Nurturer.

Ultimately, Sunseed Nurturer holds a valuable slot in decks looking to bridge the gap between early game survival and late-game power plays, marking its utility in lifegain and mana acceleration tactics in Magic: The Gathering.

Cards similar to Sunseed Nurturer by color, type and mana cost

Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sunseed Nurturer MTG card by a specific set like Shards of Alara, 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 Sunseed Nurturer and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sunseed Nurturer has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2008-10-01	The first ability has an “intervening ‘if’ clause.” That means (1) the ability won’t trigger at all unless you control a creature with power 5 or greater as your end step begins, and (2) the ability will do nothing if you don’t control a creature with power 5 or greater by the time it resolves. (It doesn’t have to be the same creature as the one that allowed the ability to trigger.) Power-boosting effects that last “until end of turn” will still be in effect when this kind of ability triggers and resolves. An ability like this will trigger a maximum of once per turn, no matter how many applicable creatures you control.