Shredded Sails MTG Card
2020-04-24 - Number 136
2022-12-02 - Number 599
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
| Abilities | Cycling |
Text of card
Choose one — • Destroy target artifact. • Shredded Sails deals 4 damage to target creature with flying. Cycling (, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
Cards like Shredded Sails
Shredded Sails is a versatile card in MTG, offering both artifact removal and potential aerial defense. In many ways, it’s like the classic card, Smash to Smithereens, which also targets artifacts for destruction and deals damage. However, Shredded Sails is unique with its cycling ability, allowing players to draw a new card if the artifact destruction isn’t immediately needed. This cycling aspect is absent in Smash to Smithereens.
Another comparable card is Abrade, which provides more flexibility in choice. It enables players to either destroy an artifact or deal damage to a creature. Although Abrade lacks the cycling feature, it compensates with a broader target range. Then there’s By Force, a scalable card that can destroy multiple artifacts based on the mana invested. While By Force dominates in quantity and offers no direct damage like Shredded Sails, it also comes at sorcery speed, limiting its reactive play potential.
While evaluating these options, Shredded Sails stands out for its adaptability. Its duality to either disrupt artifact strategies or protect against creatures with flying, along with a cycling option, exemplifies its utility in MTG deck-building strategies across various metagames.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Shredded Sails can destroy an artifact, a common roadblock in matches, paving the way for maintaining control. This can indirectly lead to a card advantage as it takes out key pieces of your opponent’s strategy.
Resource Acceleration: While Shredded Sails doesn’t directly accelerate resources, effectively removing artifacts can slow down an opponent’s resource progression, acting as a preventive acceleration for your game plan.
Instant Speed: The ability to cast Shredded Sails at instant speed offers strategic flexibility. React in real-time to threats or use it during an opponent’s turn to maximize your turn efficiency, keeping mana available for inevitable game-changing moments.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Shredded Sails doesn’t require you to discard a card, but it does have a cycling feature that comes at the cost of additional mana. This can be a downside when you’re trying to maintain card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: This card requires red mana in its casting cost, which could make it less versatile in multicolored decks that might not prioritize red mana sources or have them readily available.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of two mana, Shredded Sails might not always be the most mana-efficient answer to artifacts or fliers when other lower-cost options might serve a similar function and save mana for other spells or abilities during a turn.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Shredded Sails is a highly adaptable card that serves dual purposes. Not only can it target artifacts to keep your opponents’ gear in check, but the cycling ability offers the chance to replace it when a more suitable card is needed. It fits seamlessly into a variety of red decks that could benefit from such flexibility.
Combo Potential: This card can interact effectively with strategies revolving around damage-based removal or artifact synergies. Its instant speed allows for surprising plays, intervening at crucial turns to disrupt your opponent’s plan or as a means to activate key effects in your own strategy that depend on casting red spells or destroying artifacts.
Meta-Relevance: Given that artifacts are commonly used in many decks across formats, Shredded Sails has its place in a metagame where artifacts like ‘Embercleave’ or ‘Witch’s Oven’ are prevalent. Its presence can be a game-changer against decks that lean heavily on artifact mechanics.
How to beat
Shredded Sails is an intriguing option within the red spell toolkit for players seeking targeted artifact removal or a way to deal with flying threats. Much like Abrade, which offers flexibility in choosing between artifact removal or damage to a creature, Shredded Sails serves a similar dual purpose. However, Shredded Sails has the added advantage of cycling, allowing you to replace it if it’s not immediately needed. This creates an interesting dynamic where timing is key.
Countering this card primarily revolves around anticipating the timing of your oppononent’s threats. Since Shredded Sails can destroy artifacts or deal with flyers at instant speed, knowing when to bait out this spell with less crucial threats can be a viable strategy. Holding back your high-value artifacts or waiting until you have enough mana to cast multiple threats in a turn can mitigate the impact of Shredded Sails. Furthermore, diversifying your array of permanents to not rely solely on artifacts or creatures with flying can also dilute its effectiveness.
Ultimately, overcoming Shredded Sails requires a blend of strategic deployment of assets and maintaining a diverse game plan to outmaneuver this versatile red spell. It’s another testament to the skillful interplay and depth of Magic: The Gathering.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Shredded Sails MTG card by a specific set like Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths and Jumpstart 2022, 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 Shredded Sails 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
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Shredded Sails Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-04-24 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Titus Lunter.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2020-04-24 | Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths | IKO | 136 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Titus Lunter | |
| 2 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 599 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Titus Lunter |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Shredded Sails has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |