Sunscape Familiar MTG Card


Sunscape Familiar - Planeshift
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Wall
Abilities Defender
Released2001-02-05
Set symbol
Set namePlaneshift
Set codePLS
Power 0
Toughness 3
Number17
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byBrian Despain

Key Takeaways

  1. Increases mana efficiency by making green and blue spells cheaper to cast.
  2. Supports control strategies with more effective countermagic and reactive plays.
  3. Restricts deck flexibility due to color-specific cost reduction benefits.

Text of card

(Walls can't attack.) Green spells and blue spells you play cost o1 less to play.

The spirits of fallen battlemages can serve their guilds as familiars by joining with any physical form.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sunscape Familiar can be integral to a strategy focused on drawing extra cards. This creature reduces the casting cost of green and blue spells, enabling you to cast more spells per turn and potentially leading to drawing additional cards if those spells have card-drawing capabilities.

Resource Acceleration: The cost reduction provided by Sunscape Familiar acts as a form of indirect resource acceleration. By making key spells cheaper, you are effectively increasing your available mana pool each turn, allowing for more versatile and rapid deployment of your game plan.

Instant Speed: Although Sunscape Familiar itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its cost reduction ability applies to green and blue instant spells as well. This empowers control strategies by making countermagic and reactive spells more mana-efficient and hence more threatening throughout the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Sunscape Familiar doesn’t ask players to discard, but its benefit is specifically tied to spells of certain colors, which can be restrictive.

Specific Mana Cost: The card’s casting cost mandates both generic and white mana, possibly complicating its inclusion in multi-colored decks that may not prioritize white mana generation.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While its mana reduction ability is valuable, the initial investment of two mana can be seen as steep, especially when one must also consider the slot in a deck that Sunscape Familiar occupies which could be used for other utility creatures or spells.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Sunscape Familiar has a broad application across various decks that require reduced costs for green and blue spells, making it an ideal fit for players looking to cast multiple spells in a turn or set up their board faster.

Combo Potential: With its cost-reduction ability, Sunscape Familiar can act as a pivotal piece in combo decks, particularly those that rely on casting a high volume of spells to chain together powerful effects or end the game quickly.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where decks featuring green and blue spells are dominant, Sunscape Familiar enhances those strategies, providing an edge against the competition by ramping up the pace at which those decks can operate.


How to Beat

Sunscape Familiar is a card that can be quite the enabler in Magic: The Gathering, especially in decks built around casting numerous spells or leveraging the power of multicolored cards. It has the distinct advantage of reducing the mana cost of green and white spells, paving the way for faster, more efficient gameplay. Engaging with such a card requires strategic action to mitigate its impact on the game.

Overcoming the cost-reduction utility of Sunscape Familiar is about recognizing key opportunities and knowing when to act. Utilizing removal spells that can target creatures irrespective of their color is a step in the right direction, as it neutralizes the advantage by taking the familiar off the board. Cards like Fatal Push or Lightning Bolt are effective due to their low mana cost and instant speed, providing players with a timely response. Furthermore, countering the spells that a Sunscape Familiar would make cheaper is also a valid tactic, especially if your deck can support counterspells efficiently.

Ultimately, dismantling the advantage that Sunscape Familiar offers requires prompt removal or the tactical disruption of the spells it aids. In this way, players can improve their standing in the game and reduce the disruptiveness of this particular card.


BurnMana Recommendations

Enhancing your MTG deck with Sunscape Familiar can be a game-changer, especially for those spells in green and blue hues. This little creature is more than just charming art—it’s a vital cog in the machine of mana efficiency. By incorporating Sunscape Familiar into your arsenal, you make room for casting more spells, faster, and at a lower cost. It sets the stage for intricate strategies and unforeseen combos that can outpace your adversary. Keen to tap into this potential and reshape the battlefield in your favor? Dive into our resources and optimize your collection to stay ahead of the curve. Join us now for deeper insight into advancing your play with Sunscape Familiar.


Cards like Sunscape Familiar

Sunscape Familiar is a versatile creature within the Magic: The Gathering universe, recognized for its ability to reduce the mana cost of green and white spells. This is reminiscent of cards like Baral, Chief of Compliance, which also offers a cost-reduction advantage for instant and sorcery spells. Sunscape Familiar differentiates itself with a focus on two distinct colors rather than a spell type, which could be tactically advantageous in multicolor decks that lean heavily on green and white spells.

Another comparable card is the Cloud Key, which allows players to choose a card type to make cheaper – a more flexible, albeit non-creature, alternative. The specificity of Sunscape Familiar’s cost reduction can be incredibly potent in the right deck, especially one that uses a variety of green and white multicolored spells. Meanwhile, cards like Herald of War also interact with mana costs, providing reductions but in a more aggressive manner tied to attacking and putting counters.

In evaluative terms, Sunscape Familiar garners appreciation from those looking to build around a tight synergy of colors while maintaining a strong defensive line with its creature status. Its ability to make key spells more accessible mana-wise secures its place in decks aiming for efficiency in casting powerful green and white spells.

Baral, Chief of Compliance - MTG Card versions
Cloud Key - MTG Card versions
Herald of War - MTG Card versions
Baral, Chief of Compliance - MTG Card versions
Cloud Key - MTG Card versions
Herald of War - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Sunscape Familiar by color, type and mana cost

White Knight - MTG Card versions
Soul Shepherd - MTG Card versions
Soltari Monk - MTG Card versions
Keeper of the Light - MTG Card versions
Faith Healer - MTG Card versions
Angelic Page - MTG Card versions
Spirit Weaver - MTG Card versions
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Stoneforge Mystic - MTG Card versions
Drannith Magistrate - MTG Card versions
Leonin Lightscribe - MTG Card versions
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Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions
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Cloudreach Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Samite Healer - MTG Card versions
Kor Firewalker - MTG Card versions
Revered Dead - MTG Card versions
Starlight Invoker - MTG Card versions
White Knight - MTG Card versions
Soul Shepherd - MTG Card versions
Soltari Monk - MTG Card versions
Keeper of the Light - MTG Card versions
Faith Healer - MTG Card versions
Angelic Page - MTG Card versions
Spirit Weaver - MTG Card versions
Voice of the Blessed - MTG Card versions
Stoneforge Mystic - MTG Card versions
Drannith Magistrate - MTG Card versions
Leonin Lightscribe - MTG Card versions
Silver Knight - MTG Card versions
Longbow Archer - MTG Card versions
Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions
Flumph - MTG Card versions
Cloudreach Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Samite Healer - MTG Card versions
Kor Firewalker - MTG Card versions
Revered Dead - MTG Card versions
Starlight Invoker - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sunscape Familiar MTG card by a specific set like Planeshift, 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 Sunscape Familiar and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sunscape Familiar has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sunscape Familiar 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 Can never affect the colored part of the cost.
2004-10-04 If a spell is both green and blue, you pay less, not less.
2004-10-04 If this card is sacrificed to pay part of a spell’s cost, the cost reduction still applies.
2004-10-04 The effect is cumulative.
2004-10-04 The generic X cost is still considered generic even if there is a requirement that a specific color be used for it. For example, “only black mana can be spent this way”. This distinction is important for effects which reduce the generic portion of a spell’s cost.
2004-10-04 The lower cost is not optional like with some other cost reducers.
2004-10-04 This can lower the cost to zero, but not below zero.