Sleep with the Fishes MTG Card

Provides card advantage by removing creatures and potentially allowing card draw upon condition fulfillment. Instant speed casting increases flexibility for defensive or tactical plays without compromising turn actions. Demands careful deck construction with blue and black mana, posing a limit to deck versatility.
Sleep with the Fishes - Streets of New Capenna
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant
Released2022-04-29
Set symbol
Set nameStreets of New Capenna
Set codeSNC
Number61
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byRandy Gallegos

Text of card

Enchant creature When Sleep with the Fishes enters the battlefield, tap enchanted creature and you create a 1/1 blue Fish creature token with "This creature can't be blocked." Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.

Cards like Sleep with the Fishes

Sleep with the Fishes is a distinctive card in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, adding strategic depth to control decks. A comparable card is Imprison in the Moon, which also neutralizes threats by transforming creatures or planeswalkers into harmless permanents. Although Imprison in the Moon offers versatility in target selection, it does not have the mill component that Sleep with the Fishes features, which can incrementally deplete an opponent’s library.

Another card that shares some resemblance is Frogify. This blue enchantment massively limits the capabilities of an opponent’s creature, akin to Sleep with the Fishes. However, Frogify leaves the transformed creature on the battlefield, unlike Sleep with the Fishes, which compels the opponent to commit to self-milling their deck every turn. This is a subtle yet significant factor in gameplay as it can apply constant pressure to an opponent’s resource pool.

Ultimately, Sleep with the Fishes exhibits a unique blend of creature control and milling strategy. While there are similarities to other cards, the combined effects it offers can be a game changer in MTG, especially for players capitalizing on gradual opponent deck depletion as a pathway to victory.

Frogify - MTG Card versions
Frogify - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sleep with the Fishes provides removal of an opponent’s creature while also offering the potential to draw a card if a condition is met. This presents an opportunity for a one-for-two exchange, tipping the balance in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: By eliminating key threats early on, this card helps maintain board control. While it doesn’t directly accelerate resources like land or mana, preserving your creatures can indirectly lead to better resource utilization in future turns.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Sleep with the Fishes at instant speed allows players to adapt to an opponent’s moves quickly. This means that it can be used defensively during the opponent’s turn or tactically in response to an action, without sacrificing the ability to play other spells on your turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Sleep with the Fishes requires a card to be discarded in addition to its mana cost. This can present a disadvantage, especially if you’re playing a deck with a limited hand size or that relies on holding specific cards for strategic plays. Discarding can deplete your resources and reduce your ability to respond to opponents’ threats.

Specific Mana Cost: The card demands both blue and black mana, making it exclusive to decks that run these colors. Players not using a blue-black combination may find including this card in their deck challenging, which limits its versatility across different deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the cost-efficiency of removal spells, Sleep with the Fishes may fall short. With a combined mana value that some might consider steep for its effect, it competes with other removal options which may provide similar benefits for a lesser cost or additional advantages at a comparable mana value.

Reasons to Include Sleep with the Fishes in Your Collection

Versatility: Sleep with the Fishes offers dual utility as both a proactive and reactive card. It’s a solid inclusion in blue-based control decks or any strategy looking to manage threats across the board.

Combo Potential: This card can work wonders with strategies that capitalize on manipulating the number of counters on the field, integrating seamlessly with proliferate mechanics or cards that benefit from your opponents having tapped creatures.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state that’s heavy on creature-based aggro decks, Sleep with the Fishes can be an effective deterrent, potentially clearing the way for your own creatures or setting up advantageous game states.

How to beat Sleep with the Fishes

Sleep with the Fishes is a card that can make waves in MTG by turning creatures into significant obstacles for your opponent. This enchantment card can notably hamper an opponent’s creature, rendering it unable to attack or block. A strategy to overcome this effect is to rely on abilities that can remove enchantments or utilize sacrifice mechanics to your advantage.

Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant are classic examples, as they can directly target and destroy Sleep with the Fishes, freeing your creature from the enchantment’s grasp. Furthermore, using creatures with sacrifice abilities lets you convert an otherwise disabled creature into an asset, bypassing the card’s debilitating effect.

Another approach is to lean on hexproof or indestructible creatures which are less susceptible to such targeting enchantments. By planning ahead and including these strategies in your deck, you can ensure that Sleep with the Fishes doesn’t derail your game plan and maintain the flow of battle in your favor.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sleep with the Fishes MTG card by a specific set like Streets of New Capenna, 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 Sleep with the Fishes and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sleep with the Fishes has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2022-04-29 If the creature targeted by Sleep with the Fishes isn't a legal target at the time it would resolve, Sleep with the Fishes is put into its owner's graveyard from the stack. It's not put onto the battlefield and then put into their graveyard. Notably, this means that its controller will not create a Fish token.