Shessra, Death's Whisper MTG Card


Enables drawing cards through creature deaths, excellent for sacrifice-focused or graveyard-based decks. Instant speed ability offers strategic flexibility against opponents, enhancing on-the-fly reactions. Despite mana cost issues, Shessra’s benefits in control and life loss strategies make her a valuable addition.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Elf Warlock
Power 1
Toughness 3

Text of card

Bewitching Whispers — When Shessra, Death's Whisper enters the battlefield, target creature blocks this turn if able. Whispers of the Grave — At the beginning of your end step, if a creature died this turn, you may pay 2 life. If you do, draw a card.


Cards like Shessra, Death's Whisper

Shessra, Death’s Whisper is an intriguing card that MTG players might find worthy of comparison with other creatures in the format. This card from the Strixhaven set operates on a synergy with your graveyard, providing value as creatures you control die, by allowing you to draw cards and lose life. In essence, Shessra shares similarities with Species Specialist, which also allows card draw whenever creatures you control of a chosen type die. Species Specialist, though, requires you to choose a creature type, unlike Shessra’s blanket effect for all your creatures.

Another card that echoes elements of Shessra is Grim Haruspex. Both cards have the ability to turn creature deaths into card draw, although Grim Haruspex is limited to nontoken creatures. Additionally, Sir Konrad the Grim is a card that deals damage to each opponent when any creature dies or is put into a graveyard from anywhere, which pairs well with Shessra’s death-triggered effects.

When diving into Shessra, Death’s Whisper MTG card comparisons, it aligns as a decent utility creature that has the potential to flourish in the right deck. Offering both card advantage and a slight life cost, it incentivizes strategic play and synergizes with death-triggered strategies in the game.

Species Specialist - MTG Card versions
Grim Haruspex - MTG Card versions
Species Specialist - MTG Card versions
Grim Haruspex - MTG Card versions

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Shessra, Death’s Whisper provides a consistent source of card advantage by enabling you to use creature deaths to draw cards. This synergizes well with decks that are designed to sacrifice creatures for various effects or with those that have creatures that naturally want to head to the graveyard.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly contributing to resource acceleration in terms of mana, utilizing this card can indirectly accelerate your resources by filling your graveyard. This can be particularly powerful in decks that thrive on having a well-stocked graveyard, opening up avenues for reanimation or recursion strategies to take full effect.

Instant Speed: Shessra’s activated ability can be used at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to respond to your opponents’ actions or to wait until the most opportune moment before your turn begins. This instant speed interaction allows for strategic plays that can disrupt your opponents’ plans or maximize the impact of your own plays.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Shessra Death’s Whisper offers intriguing gameplay mechanics, players must discard a card to activate its ability. This can be particularly taxing when hand size is crucial for maintaining strategic options.

Specific Mana Cost: Building a deck around Shessra requires a commitment to black mana. This color dependency makes the card less flexible, potentially complicating deck construction for those preferring a more varied mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that isn’t trivial, players might find the cost to get Shessra on the field a bit steep. In situations where tempo plays a pivotal role, summoning Shessra can set a player back when faster options might swing the game.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Shessra, Death’s Whisper offers flexibility for various deck builds. Her ability to potentially affect each opponent makes her a solid addition to any deck focusing on life loss or control strategies.

Combo Potential: With Shessra’s ability to return a creature from the graveyard to the battlefield at the beginning of your end step, she pairs well in synergistic setups that benefit from recurrent creature play, enhancing resilience and effectiveness.

Meta-Relevance: Given her ability to disrupt opponent strategies while recursively providing value, Shessra can be a critical play in a meta that’s creature-centric or graveyard-based, asserting her influence across multiple phases of the game.


How to beat

Shessra, Death’s Whisper introduces a unique dynamic in Magic: The Gathering, blending the power of creature removal with card advantage. This card can be particularly troublesome due to its ability to selectively remove threats while filling the graveyard which can synergize with various strategies. However, this doesn’t make Shessra invincible.

To combat Shessra effectively, direct removal spells are a reliable tactic. Employing instant-speed removal ensures that she is dealt with before her ability can be activated. Additionally, graveyard hate cards can disrupt the synergies Shessra aims to leverage. Utilize cards like Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze to keep graveyards clear and minimize the benefits she provides to an opponent’s strategy.

It’s also beneficial to limit the number of creatures on the board, thus restricting the impact of her ability. One way to do this is by playing fewer creatures and focusing on non-creature spells. In summary, with strategic play that emphasizes instant-speed interaction and graveyard disruption, you can neutralize Shessra, Death’s Whisper and regain control over the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding how Shessra, Death’s Whisper can elevate your game is key. With the insights on its strengths and weaknesses, it’s clear it fits certain strategies flawlessly. If you’re looking to refine your deck or just appreciate the finer tactics of MTG, Shessra could be the critical piece you need. Dive deeper into strategies around creature sacrifice, disruption, and graveyard play to unlock the full potential of your MTG plays. For the tactical mind seeking to exploit every edge, cards like Shessra demand consideration. Discover more ways Shessra can influence your deck’s performance and guide you to victory.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Shessra, Death's Whisper MTG card by a specific set like Adventures in the Forgotten Realms and Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, 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 Shessra, Death's Whisper and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Shessra, Death's Whisper Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2021-07-23 and 2021-07-23. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten RealmsAFR 3452015NormalBlackJustine Jones
22021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten RealmsAFR 2312015NormalBlackMarie Magny

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Shessra, Death's Whisper has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2021-07-23 If the creature affected by the Bewitching Whispers ability is tapped or is affected by a spell or ability that says it can't block, then it doesn't block. If there's a cost associated with having that creature block, its controller isn't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to block in that case either.
2021-07-23 Shessra, Death's Whisper's last ability will trigger only once during your end step, no matter how many creatures died this turn. However, if no creatures have died so far this turn as the end step begins, the ability won't trigger at all. It's not possible to cause a creature to die during the end step in time to have the ability trigger.