Sword Coast Sailor MTG Card
2022-06-10 - Number 489
2022-06-10 - Number 98
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Legendary Enchantment — Background |
Text of card
Commander creatures you own have "Whenever this creature attacks a player, if no opponent has more life than that player, this creature can't be blocked this turn."
You were born at sea, and your legs are steadiest when the waves are rowdiest.
Cards like Sword Coast Sailor
Delving into the deep pool of creature cards within Magic: The Gathering, Sword Coast Sailor emerges as an interesting choice for deck builders. Like other creatures such as Loyal Pegasus, it’s a low-cost option that still promises to make a substantial impact on the early game. However, Sword Coast Sailor boasts an additional flexibility over Loyal Pegasus, which cannot attack alone, while the Sailor can set sail solo or alongside a crew.
Comparably, Faerie Miscreant offers a glimpse into another one-drop blue creature, but its strength lies in drawing cards when you have another Faerie Miscreant on the battlefield. The Sailor, on the other hand, hinges its utility on being a reliable one drop that can become a recurrent threat with enough mana investment. Another close counterpart is the renowned Siren Stormtamer, which not only attacks but also defends by sacrificing itself to protect you or another creature from a spell or ability.
In the vast seas of options, Sword Coast Sailor sails with a certain charm. Its primary value doesn’t stem from synergy or protection but from straightforward aggression and mana utilization. This mold of MTG creature cards fit snugly into strategies that favor an assertive playstyle and mana curve efficiency.
Cards similar to Sword Coast Sailor by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Sword Coast Sailor offers a versatile role in your deck, providing incremental card advantage by allowing you to sift through your library, thus ensuring you’re drawing into the cards you need when you need them.
Resource Acceleration: With the ability to create Treasures, this pirate-themed card can give you an edge by ramping up your mana resources. This not only speeds up your gameplay but can also enable you to deploy high-cost cards earlier than usual.
Instant Speed: The agility of Sword Coast Sailor shines in its interactions at instant speed, granting you the flexibility to react swiftly to the changing tides of battle. Whether it’s sneaking in creatures or triggering surprise abilities, the ability to play on your opponent’s turn can turn the game in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Navigating a successful strategy with Sword Coast Sailor can be tricky due to its mechanic that involves discarding a card. This cost can deplete your hand, especially if you aren’t set up to benefit from discard synergies.
Specific Mana Cost: The Sword Coast Sailor demands a precise mana setup for optimal play. Its cost may require a deck to skew its mana base or limit the card’s inclusion to decks that can reliably produce the necessary colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Sword Coast Sailor offers particular advantages, its mana value might overshadow its utility when compared against other cards with similar effects. Strategists may find that the mana expenditure doesn’t justify the overall impact on the game, prompting them to seek more economical alternatives.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Sword Coast Sailor proves to be a flexible card for your collection. Its ability to work within a wide array of strategies, from aggro to control decks, makes it a valuable utility player on your roster.
Combo Potential: As a piece with potential synergies in pirate or sailor themed decks, the Sailor can become a lynchpin in combinations that capitalize on creature type or abilities that trigger with casting a creature card.
Meta-Relevance: Given its solid role in gameplay, the Sword Coast Sailor aligns well with meta trends that favor quick board presence. In the ever-shifting tides of competitive play, having this card at the ready can be game-changing.
How to beat
The Sword Coast Sailor has made a splash among creatures, offering players both utility and flexibility on the battlefield. As a card that can grant you a peek at your opponent’s next move, it stands as a strategic piece in card advantage. To navigate around this seafaring challenge, consider employing removal spells that target low-cost creatures, such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile. These can efficiently dispatch the Sailor before its controller reaps significant benefits.
Additionally, using hand disruption techniques like Thoughtseize can be instrumental against decks that rely on the card-draw Sailor ensures. This preemptive strike removes key cards from your opponent’s hand, mitigating future threats and the Sailor’s insight. If you can keep the board clear of creatures, your opponent’s opportunities to utilize cards like Sword Coast Sailor are vastly decreased, allowing you to maintain the upper hand. Adaptability and swift action are your best allies in ensuring the Sailor’s voyage is short-lived.
In decks where creatures swarm the field and attacking is prevalent, board wipes provide a clean slate. Cards such as Wrath of God or Supreme Verdict can reset the game state, removing not just the Sailor but all threats at once. Therefore, knowing when to eliminate the Sword Coast Sailor or indirectly neutralize it through broader strategies can be the lynchpin in maintaining dominance in your match-up.
BurnMana Recommendations
Dive deeper into the captivating gameplay of MTG with strategic additions like Sword Coast Sailor to your collection. As you balance the scales of card pros and cons, immerse yourself in the deckbuilding artistry. Enhance your game with this versatile card, exploring its potential in various deck themes and styles. Whether it’s to fortify your playing strategy or simply to enjoy the thrill of a cleverly executed combo, understanding cards like Sword Coast Sailor is key. Are you keen to refine your deck and expertise further? Join us for comprehensive insights and tips to bolster your MTG journey.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Sword Coast Sailor MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate and Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, 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 Sword Coast Sailor and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Sword Coast Sailor Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2022-06-10 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by Tony Foti.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2022-06-10 | Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate | CLB | 489 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tony Foti | |
| 2 | 2022-06-10 | Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate | CLB | 98 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tony Foti |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Sword Coast Sailor has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sword Coast Sailor card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2022-06-10 | An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders. |
| 2022-06-10 | Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards (or 58 cards in a Commander Draft game) of your deck are shuffled to become your library. |
| 2022-06-10 | Choose a Background is a variant of the partner ability. You may have two commanders if one of them is a legendary creature with the choose a background ability and the other is a legendary Background enchantment. Backgrounds and cards with choose a Background do not interact with cards which have any other partner ability. |
| 2022-06-10 | If a card refers to a commander creature you own, a Background won't usually be counted or included for that effect. If another spell or ability causes your Background to become a creature, however, it will be included. Any effect that refers to your commander or a commander you own or control without specifying creature will apply to a Background that is your commander, as appropriate. |
| 2022-06-10 | If something refers to your commander while you have two commanders, it refers to one of them of your choice. If you are instructed to perform an action on your commander (e.g. put it from the command zone into your hand due to Command Beacon), you choose one of your commanders at the time the effect happens. |
| 2022-06-10 | If you control a Background that grants an ability to commander creatures you own, and you own more than one commander creature, each of them will have that ability. |
| 2022-06-10 | If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can include only cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders’ combined color identities. |
| 2022-06-10 | If your commander loses the choose a Background ability or stops being a Background during the game, as appropriate, it is still your commander. |
| 2022-06-10 | Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won’t have to pay an additional the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 combat damage from any one of them, not from both of them combined (although your Background won’t usually be a creature anyway). |
| 2022-06-10 | The ability granted by Sword Coast Sailor is looking to see if any of the attacking player's opponents have a higher life total than that defending player. The attacking player's life total is not included in this comparison. |
| 2022-06-10 | You can choose two commanders that are the same color or colors. |