Skyclave Cleric // Skyclave Basilica MTG Card
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Land |
| Released | 2020-09-25 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Zendikar Rising |
| Set code | ZNR |
| Number | 40 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Modal DFC |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Johannes Voss |
Text of card
Skyclave Basilica enters the battlefield tapped. : Add .
"As points of no return go, it is quite epic." —Aelah, expedition cleric
Cards like Skyclave Cleric // Skyclave Basilica
Skyclave Basilica is a unique land card in Magic: The Gathering that brings a new twist to mana acceleration and fixing. It stands beside the likes of Temple of the False God, which also provides an extra mana but requires you to control five or more lands to activate. Skyclave Basilica, however, requires no such condition, offering immediate access albeit restricted solely to colorless mana.
Comparatively, Ancient Tomb is another card that has a similar function, offering two colorless mana but at the price of dealing two damage to you. Skyclave Basilica offers a more harmless approach to mana ramping without the downside of self-infliction. Additionally, Shrine of the Forsaken Gods can be observed in the same category, granting an additional colorless mana to cast colorless spells. Yet, for its effect to take place, you need to be deep in a game with seven or more lands in play.
Overall, when considering mana acceleration among land cards, Skyclave Basilica presents a reliable option. Its straightforward capacity to tap for colorless mana without preconditions or penalties makes it a smart choice in decks that can utilize colorless mana effectively.
Cards similar to Skyclave Cleric // Skyclave Basilica by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Skyclave Basilica card is a linchpin for maintaining card superiority in your deck. When played, it can provide essential card draws, ensuring that you’re never falling behind in the race for resources.
Resource Acceleration: This card shines in its ability to ramp up your mana resources. By implementing this into your game, you’re setting the stage for powerful plays that can outpace your opponent, leveraging the mana boost to your advantage.
Instant Speed: The ability to play Skyclave Basilica at instant speed is what elevates it from a good card to a great one. The flexibility this affords cannot be overstated, allowing you to adapt to the ever-changing battlefield with finesse and precision, keeping your opponents guessing and your strategies fluid.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: To activate key abilities, Skyclave Basilica may require you to part with a valuable card in your hand. This could be a tactical drawback, particularly when your hand is already depleted or if the discarded card is central to your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: Skyclave Basilica demands a precise combination of mana types to cast. If your deck’s mana base is not well-tuned, this could be a real barrier, potentially causing hitches in your gameplay as you struggle to meet the cost.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment needed to bring Skyclave Basilica into play is considerable. In the fast-paced world of card duels, this may put you at a disadvantage against lower-costing cards that can impact the battlefield more rapidly.
Reasons to Include Skyclave Basilica in Your Collection
Versatility: Skyclave Basilica serves as a solid land choice in a variety of decks, particularly those seeking mana fixing and acceleration. Its ability to produce different colors of mana makes it an adaptable addition to multicolor deck strategies.
Combo Potential: This card can be an integral part of landfall decks or strategies that capitalize on land retrieval from the graveyard, enabling powerful combinations with cards that thrive on extra land plays or triggered abilities upon lands entering the battlefield.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state where land interaction is pivotal—whether it’s for setting up defenses or preparing explosive turns—Skyclave Basilica can prove its worth. Its synergy with current decks that manipulate land resources underscores its value in ongoing competitive play.
How to beat
Skyclave Basilica is a card that requires a strategic approach to overcome in Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to manipulate the battlefield by controlling creatures makes it a potent force in the game. One method to surpass Skyclave Basilica’s influence is through the use of direct removal spells. Cards like Doom Blade or Path to Exile can effectively deal with creatures that have been bolstered by the Basilica’s effects, nullifying the advantage your opponent might gain.
Another tactic is to engage in land destruction or land manipulation strategies. By targeting the Skyclave Basilica itself, you can hamper your opponent’s strategy before it fully unfolds. Cards such as Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin allow you to take out key lands, ensuring that the powerful abilities of the Basilica are kept in check. It’s also beneficial to prioritize playing cards capable of enduring or bouncing back from the Basilica’s creature control abilities, ensuring your board presence remains unshaken.
Ultimately, facing Skyclave Basilica requires foresight and planning, making sure to keep its potential influence under control and swift reactions to prevent your opponent from gaining a substantial advantage.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Skyclave Cleric // Skyclave Basilica MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar Rising, 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 Skyclave Cleric // Skyclave Basilica and other MTG cards:
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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Skyclave Cleric // Skyclave Basilica has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Skyclave Cleric // Skyclave Basilica card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-09-25 | A modal double-faced card can’t be transformed or be put onto the battlefield transformed. Ignore any instruction to transform a modal double-faced card or to put one onto the battlefield transformed. |
| 2020-09-25 | If an effect allows you to play a land or cast a spell from among a group of cards, you may play or cast a modal double-faced card with any face that fits the criteria of that effect. |
| 2020-09-25 | If an effect allows you to play a specific modal double-faced card, you may cast it as a spell or play it as a land, as determined by which face you choose to play. If an effect allows you to cast (rather than “play”) a specific modal double-faced card, you can’t play it as a land. |
| 2020-09-25 | If an effect instructs a player to choose a card name, the name of either face may be chosen. If that effect or a linked ability refers to a spell with the chosen name being cast and/or a land with the chosen name being played, it considers only the chosen name, not the other face’s name. |
| 2020-09-25 | If an effect puts a double-faced card onto the battlefield, it enters with its front face up. If that front face can’t be put onto the battlefield, it doesn’t enter the battlefield. |
| 2020-09-25 | In the Commander variant, a double-faced card’s color identity is determined by the mana costs and mana symbols in the rules text of both faces combined. If either face has a color indicator or basic land type, those are also considered. |
| 2020-09-25 | The converted mana cost of a modal double-faced card is based on the characteristics of the face that’s being considered. On the stack and battlefield, consider whichever face is up. In all other zones, consider only the front face. This is different than how the converted mana cost of a transforming double-faced card is determined. |
| 2020-09-25 | There is a single triangle icon in the top left corner of the front face. There is a double triangle icon in the top left corner of the back face. |
| 2020-09-25 | To determine whether it is legal to play a modal double-faced card, consider only the characteristics of the face you’re playing and ignore the other face’s characteristics. |