Skybreen MTG Card
2009-09-04 - Number 35
2018-12-25 - Number 71
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Plane — Kaldheim |
Text of card
Players play with the top card of their libraries revealed. Spells that share a card type with the top card of a library can't be cast. Whenever you roll chaos, target player loses life equal to the number of cards in his or her hand.
Cards like Skybreen
Skybreen stands out in the world of MTG as a distinctive wall-style card designed to bolster defenses. Its qualities mirror those found in Glacial Wall, with both cards serving as robust defensive options. Where Skybreen gains an edge is through its activated ability to force an opponent to reveal their hand, a strategic advantage Glacial Wall does not possess.
In the realm of defense, Guard Gomazoa is another card that shares functionality with Skybreen. The Gomazoa, like Skybreen, is a stalwart defender, but instead of hand revelation, it offers a different tactical twist by preventing all combat damage that would be dealt to it. Wall of Denial also enters the fray as a comparative card, boasting not just toughness but shroud, making it immune to target spells or abilities. Skybreen, while lacking shroud, compensates with its ability to disrupt the opponent’s hand.
When examining these options, Skybreen exhibits a unique combination of defense and intelligence gathering. Its ability to force hand revelation can be pivotal, offering strategic insight that can be just as valuable as the formidable defense it provides on the battlefield.
Cards similar to Skybreen by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Skybreen offers a valuable means to sift through your deck, allowing you to selectively exile cards that are not immediately useful and draw into more impactful options. This ability to filter your draws ensures that you’re more likely to access the cards you need when you need them, thereby maintaining a strategic upper hand.
Resource Acceleration: With Skybreen, any unused mana can be put to work. This card’s ability to untap lands during your opponents’ turns promotes efficient use of resources, catapulting you ahead by allowing you to reallocate mana that would otherwise remain dormant.
Instant Speed: The ability to apply Skybreen’s effect at instant speed is a strategic boon, providing you with the flexibility to adapt to an evolving game state. It ensures that you can respond to your opponents’ actions during their turns, thus preserving the element of surprise and maintaining control over the game’s pace.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Skybreen demands a card to be discarded whenever it is activated. This can lead to resource depletion, particularly in tight game stages where every card counts.
Specific Mana Cost: This card comes with a cost that must include snow mana, which necessitates a deck heavily leaning towards snow lands, potentially reducing the versatility of your mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a high investment needed to cast Skybreen, players often find themselves sacrificing tempo and possibly opening the door for opponents to capitalize on the slowed down play.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Skybreen offers flexibility as a land card, which is a staple in almost every MTG deck. It has the unique ability to conceal your hand from opponents, integrating well with strategies that hinge on the element of surprise or those looking to protect their strategy.
Combo Potential: This card can be instrumental in decks focusing on denial or control tactics. It works seamlessly with cards that limit opponent options, enhancing decks that operate on the premise of information asymmetry.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where hand-revealing effects or targeted discard spells are prevalent, Skybreen could provide a critical advantage by safeguarding your hand’s contents, thus maintaining your tactical edge.
How to beat
Skybreen presents a unique challenge on the battlefield as it stands as a formidable obstacle in Magic: The Gathering. This card is a perfect demonstration of defensive strategy with its ability to put a halt to all unnecessary damage with a simple yet effective passive ability. Against such a card, one might consider engaging in direct confrontation to be futile. However, there are strategies one can employ to navigate around this icy barricade.
The key to overcoming Skybreen lies in adopting a multi-angled approach. Utilizing spells or abilities that don’t rely on damage can circumvent Skybreen’s prevention effect. For instance, cards that cause players to sacrifice creatures can be particularly useful as they do not inflict damage and hence are not thwarted by Skybreen. Another effective strategy is to employ enchantments or artifacts that restrict or neutralize abilities, allowing for a more direct approach to dealing with the card. Lastly, taking advantage of cards that can change a creature’s ability or that can provide unblockable status to your creatures can also prove decisive in getting past Skybreen’s defenses.
Understanding the strengths and limitations of Skybreen is crucial. By employing clever tactics and choosing the right cards, one can turn the tides and overtake the challenges posed by this icy stronghold, keeping the game flow in your favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Skybreen MTG card by a specific set like Planechase Planes and Planechase Anthology Planes, 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 Skybreen 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
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Printings
The Skybreen Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2009-09-04 and 2018-12-25. Illustrated by Wayne England.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2009-09-04 | Planechase Planes | OHOP | 35 | 2003 | Planar | Black | Wayne England | |
| 2 | 2018-12-25 | Planechase Anthology Planes | OPCA | 71 | 2015 | Planar | Black | Wayne England |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Skybreen card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2009-10-01 | A face-up plane card that’s turned face down becomes a new object with no relation to its previous existence. In particular, it loses all counters it may have had. |
| 2009-10-01 | A plane card is treated as if its text box included “When you roll {PW}, put this card on the bottom of its owner’s planar deck face down, then move the top card of your planar deck off that planar deck and turn it face up.” This is called the “planeswalking ability.” |
| 2009-10-01 | If an ability of a plane refers to “you,” it’s referring to whoever the plane’s controller is at the time, not to the player that started the game with that plane card in their deck. Many abilities of plane cards affect all players, while many others affect only the planar controller, so read each ability carefully. |
| 2009-10-01 | If the top card of your library changes during the process of casting a spell or activating an ability, the new top card won’t be revealed until the process of casting the spell or activating the ability ends (all targets are chosen, all costs are paid, and so on). |
| 2009-10-01 | Skybreen’s second ability prevents each player from casting spells that share a card type with a card on top of any library, not just the one on top of that player’s own library. This includes permanent spells (artifacts, creatures, enchantments, and planeswalkers), not just instant and sorcery spells. It doesn’t stop players from playing lands or activating abilities (such as cycling or unearth). |
| 2009-10-01 | The controller of a face-up plane card is the player designated as the “planar controller.” Normally, the planar controller is whoever the active player is. However, if the current planar controller would leave the game, instead the next player in turn order that wouldn’t leave the game becomes the planar controller, then the old planar controller leaves the game. The new planar controller retains that designation until they leave the game or a different player becomes the active player, whichever comes first. |
| 2009-10-01 | When playing with the top card of your library revealed, if an effect tells you to draw several cards, reveal each one before you draw it. |