Shivan Sand-Mage MTG Card

Shivan Sand-Mage specializes in time counter tactics, creating advantages through strategic game tempo control. Its suspend ability, paired with instant speed flash plays, can unexpectedly offset opponent plans or strategies. Although powerful, its reliance on discarding and specific mana costs could dampen its utility in certain decks.

Future Sight (FUT)
2007-05-04 - Number 108

Shivan Sand-Mage - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)

Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)
2021-03-19 - Number 189

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Viashino Shaman
Abilities	Suspend
Power	3
Toughness	2

Text of card

When Shivan Sand-Mage comes into play, choose one Remove two time counters from target permanent or suspended card; or put two time counters on target permanent with a time counter on it or suspended card. Suspend 4—

Cards like Shivan Sand-Mage

Shivan Sand-Mage is a unique entry in the roster of time manipulation cards within Magic: The Gathering. It draws a comparison with cards like Timecrafting, which grants players the ability to manipulate time counters on permanents. Like the Shivan Sand-Mage, Timecrafting is a red spell, but it lacks the versatility of being a creature and the ability to immediately alter the board state upon entering.

Another related card is Fury Charm, which not only removes time counters but also has the flexibility to destroy artifacts or give a creature trample in a pinch. However, it doesn’t provide the same board presence as Shivan Sand-Mage. Clockspinning, on the other hand, offers any target to be affected by the addition or removal of time counters, although it requires blue mana and doesn’t double as a creature.

All things considered, Shivan Sand-Mage’s dual purpose as both a creature and a utility spell gives it an edge in MTG matches, particularly in decks that capitalize on playing with time counters. Its direct impact and creature status make it a card that can influence the game in multiple ways.

Cards similar to Shivan Sand-Mage by color, type and mana cost

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Shivan Sand-Mage features a unique suspend ability, which can strategically be used to stagger threats and control the flow of the game. This can contribute to a long-term card advantage as you effectively ‘set and forget’ a potential game-changer, keeping your hand free for other moves.

Resource Acceleration: While the Shivan Sand-Mage itself doesn’t ramp up your mana, its time counter manipulation can speed up or delay the casting of other suspend cards. This has the potential to accelerate your strategic plays, especially when combined with other cards that work harmoniously with suspend mechanics.

Instant Speed: The Shivan Sand-Mage’s ability to add or remove time counters can be utilized at instant speed thanks to cards that grant flash, enabling sudden shifts in the timeline of your or your opponent’s suspended cards. This can create unexpected windows of opportunity or disrupt enemy plans without a moment’s notice.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Shivan Sand-Mage necessitates discarding another card to access its full potential, presenting a downside when you’re already struggling to maintain card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise mix of mana—two colorless and two red—to cast. This can be challenging for decks that aren’t heavy on red mana or those that operate on a tight mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Investing four mana to cast Shivan Sand-Mage might be steep considering its abilities. In certain gameplay scenarios, you may find other cards that utilize mana more efficiently while delivering comparable or improved effects.

Reasons to Include Shivan Sand-Mage in Your Collection

Versatility: Shivan Sand-Mage is not just any creature — it comes with the flexibility to impact the board immediately. Its time counter manipulation ability allows it to slot into decks that look to take advantage of suspend cards or want an edge controlling the pace of the game.

Combo Potential: For enthusiasts who revel in crafting intricate combos, Shivan Sand-Mage serves as a cog in a larger machine. It can, for instance, reset or speed up suspend timers, synergizing with cards that capitalize on time counters, enhancing both offensive and defensive strategies.

Meta-Relevance: With ever-shifting metas where control decks or suspend mechanics become prominent, having Shivan Sand-Mage in your arsenal gives you a tool to adapt and potentially outpace opponents. This utility makes it a savvy pick for players looking to stay one step ahead in local and broader competitive scenes.

How to beat

Shivan Sand-Mage is an intriguing challenge for players in Magic: The Gathering. While its power lies in manipulating time counters, effective strategies can nullify its abilities. When facing Shivan Sand-Mage, it is beneficial to prioritize removal spells or abilities that can target and dispatch the creature before it can impact the game significantly. Direct damage spells, such as Lightning Bolt, offer a quick and efficient solution. Cards with exile effects, like Path to Exile, are also highly effective since they prevent the mage’s time counter ability from triggering when it leaves the battlefield.

Another tactic is to overwhelm your opponent with threats that demand immediate answers. By doing so, the Shivan Sand-Mage becomes less of a priority, diluting its potential impact. Additionally, consider using creature abilities that counteract time counter manipulation, like proliferate, to your advantage. This can turn the situation around and leverage the Shivan Sand-Mage’s intended strategy against your opponent. It’s also important to maintain board presence and apply consistent pressure, forcing your opponent to use the Shivan Sand-Mage defensively, thus mitigating its unique capabilities.

Overall, preparation and choosing the right cards for your deck can provide a robust defense against the temporal tricks of Shivan Sand-Mage, preserving your intended gameplay rhythm and leading you to victory.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Shivan Sand-Mage MTG card by a specific set like Future Sight and Time Spiral Remastered, 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 Shivan Sand-Mage and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Shivan Sand-Mage Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2007-05-04 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by Dave Kendall.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2007-05-04	Future Sight	FUT		108	2003	Normal	Black	Dave Kendall
2	2021-03-19	Time Spiral Remastered	TSR		189	2015	Normal	Black	Dave Kendall

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Shivan Sand-Mage has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2007-05-01	When Shivan Sand-Mage enters the battlefield, if there are no suspended cards and no permanents with time counters on them, you can’t choose the second mode. You’ll have to choose the first mode, and will have to choose a permanent as a target (though, in this case, the ability won’t do anything when it resolves).
2021-06-18	A creature cast using suspend will enter the battlefield with haste. It will have haste until another player gains control of it. (In some rare cases, another player may gain control of the creature spell itself. If this happens, the creature won’t enter the battlefield with haste.)
2021-06-18	As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored.
2021-06-18	Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up.
2021-06-18	Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to.
2021-06-18	If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it.
2021-06-18	If the card has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.
2021-06-18	If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep.
2021-06-18	If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended.
2021-06-18	If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled.
2021-06-18	If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended.
2021-06-18	If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card.
2021-06-18	Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack).
2021-06-18	The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid.
2021-06-18	When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it.
2021-06-18	You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile.
2021-06-18	You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time.