Sol'kanar the Swamp King MTG Card
1994-06-01 - Number 259
1995-07-01 - Number 85
2006-10-06 - Number 100
2023-01-13 - Number 200
2023-01-13 - Number 368
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Demon |
| Abilities | Swampwalk |
| Power | 5 |
| Toughness | 5 |
Text of card
Swampwalk Sol'kanar's controller gains 1 life each time a black spell is cast.
Cards like Sol'kanar the Swamp King
Sol’kanar the Swamp King stands out in the world of multicolored legendary creatures in Magic: The Gathering. It bears a resemblance to cards like Crosis, the Purger, both being three-colored dragons with a knack for player interaction. While Crosis allows you to choose an opponent’s hand discard when dealing combat damage, Sol’kanar offers a broader benefit by granting you life each time a black spell is cast.
Analogous to Sol’kanar is the infamous Nicol Bolas. While Nicol Bolas forces a player to discard their whole hand upon inflicting damage, Sol’kanar excels in providing a steady advantage with its life-gaining attribute. Nonetheless, Nicol Bolas’s effect can be game ending. Despite these differences, both cards carry a high mana cost typical for their impactful nature.
Comparatively, the mighty Thraximundar is another kin in the category of legendary creatures combining red, blue, and black mana. Unlike Sol’kanar, Thraximundar has the advantage of growing larger with each creature forced into the graveyard, but it comes without the life-gain Sol’kanar offers. When choosing between these formidable titans, Sol’kanar the Swamp King asserts itself as a valuable asset for its consistent life-gain in decks that exploit black mana spells.
Cards similar to Sol'kanar the Swamp King by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Sol’kanar the Swamp King offers a continuous stream of card benefits each time you cast a black, red, or blue spell. This ability can consistently replenish your hand, keeping you ahead in resources throughout the duel.
Resource Acceleration: This legendary creature inherently encourages resource acceleration by potentially providing you with extra mana of any color. This is particularly advantageous for multicolor decks keen on deploying high-cost spells earlier in the game.
Instant Speed: While Sol’kanar itself does not operate at instant speed, it synergizes well with spells that do. Casting instants on your opponent’s turn not only maximizes mana efficiency but also can lead to unexpected swings in board state when Sol’kanar is on the field.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Sol’kanar the Swamp King doesn’t directly impose a discard requirement but playing it may pressure you to discard other cards due to its specific mana needs. If your hand is packed with spells, you might find yourself having to choose between developing your board or holding answers for opponents’ threats.
Specific Mana Cost: This legendary creature requires a tri-color mana commitment, which means including it in a deck necessitates a solid mana base to reliably cast it. Building around Sol’kanar can challenge deck flexibility, particularly if you’re looking to play in a multicolor environment.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, including three distinct colors, Sol’kanar may arrive on the battlefield later than some other creatures in its cost bracket. Players might find alternative creatures or spells that provide more immediate impact or versatility for the same or lower mana investment.
Reasons to Include Sol’kanar the Swamp King in Your Collection
Versatility: Sol’kanar the Swamp King is a flexible addition to any deck that operates with multicolored mana bases. The fusion of blue, black, and red mana symbols in the casting cost opens up a plethora of deck-building possibilities in Grixis colors, particularly for commanders or casual circles.
Combo Potential: Apart from being a formidable creature by itself, Sol’kanar’s ability to gain life whenever a black spell is cast complements various life-gain strategies. When paired with cards that capitalize on life changes, this makes for some powerful synergies and combo opportunities within the game.
Meta-Relevance: Given the often fluctuating nature of the MTG metagame, Sol’kanar the Swamp King still finds relevance. Its ability to generate value in longer, grindy games can be a crucial asset in matchups where incremental advantages lead to victory. As such, including Sol’kanar in your collection gives you a sturdy weapon against certain meta shifts.
How to beat
Sol’kanar the Swamp King is a card that shines in multicolored MTG decks, particularly those tapping into the power of Swamp lands. With its Swampwalk ability, it can become unblockable as long as the opponent controls a Swamp, which makes preparing your battlefield crucial when facing this regal adversary. A strategic move is to limit the number of Swamps in your control, or employ land transformation tricks that can change the land type, thus negating the Swampwalk advantage.
Control spells are your allies against Sol’kanar. Counterspells can prevent it from entering the battlefield, while targeted removal will dispatch the king once on the board. Artifact and enchantment-based removal are especially effective, as they often bypass the protection from red, white, and black abilities of Sol’kanar. If Sol’kanar does manage to find its way onto the battlefield, instant-speed removal or board wipes during your opponent’s turn can minimize the life gain and damage dealt by this formidable adversary.
Having a plan to deal with this card and its potential to swing games in your opponent’s favor is key. Look to your sideboard for answers and don’t underestimate the importance of timing when playing your removal – it can be the difference between defeat and triumph over the Swamp King.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Sol'kanar the Swamp King MTG card by a specific set like Legends and Chronicles, 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 Sol'kanar the Swamp King and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
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- MTG Mint Card
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- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Sol'kanar the Swamp King Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 1994-06-01 and 2023-01-13. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994-06-01 | Legends | LEG | 259 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Richard Kane Ferguson | |
| 2 | 1995-07-01 | Chronicles | CHR | 85 | 1993 | Normal | White | Richard Kane Ferguson | |
| 3 | 2006-10-06 | Time Spiral Timeshifted | TSB | 100 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Richard Kane Ferguson | |
| 4 | 2023-01-13 | Dominaria Remastered | DMR | 200 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Pavel Kolomeyets | |
| 5 | 2023-01-13 | Dominaria Remastered | DMR | 368 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Pavel Kolomeyets |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Sol'kanar the Swamp King has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sol'kanar the Swamp King card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | Will not trigger off itself being cast. |