Sylvan Bounty MTG Card
2009-02-06 - Number 94
2011-09-02 - Number 30
2013-06-07 - Number 165
2015-05-22 - Number 164
2016-08-26 - Number 194
2017-06-16 - Number 74
2019-11-07 - Number 1344
2020-09-26 - Number E01-74
| Card sets | Released in 8 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
| Abilities | Basic landcycling,Cycling,Landcycling |
Text of card
Target player gains 8 life. Basic landcycling (, Discard this card: Search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.)
Some who scouted new lands chose to stay.
Cards like Sylvan Bounty
Sylvan Bounty stands out in the realm of life-gain and mana-fixing spells in Magic: The Gathering. It echoes the functionality of cards like Nourish, which also provides a significant life boost. However, Sylvan Bounty offers the added versatility of basic landcycling, allowing players to fetch a needed land card in a pinch. Nourish, while efficient in its life-gain, doesn’t offer this deck-thinning or mana-fixing ability.
Examining more closely, we encounter Rest for the Weary. This spell similarly provides a life increment, potentially doubling its effect if landfall is triggered. It does not, however, offer the flexibility of Sylvan Bounty’s basic landcycling. Lastly, there’s Pristine Talisman. While it grants incremental life-gain and a steady source of mana, it doesn’t bring the immediate surge in life points or the deck-search utility that Sylvan Bounty brings to the table.
In essence, Sylvan Bounty presents a unique blend of options to Magic: The Gathering players, harmonizing an immediate life boost with the advantage of landcycling, which may be essential in clutch moments of a game.
Cards similar to Sylvan Bounty by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Sylvan Bounty enables players to navigate through their deck more efficiently by giving the option to cycle it, which can be a pivotal move to draw into more valuable cards when needed.
Resource Acceleration: As a bonus, it provides a substantial boost to your mana pool with its basic landcycling ability, allowing for a smoother and potentially faster deployment of your threats and strategies.
Instant Speed: With the flexibility of being an instant, it offers the strategic advantage of keeping mana available for a multitude of responses and then being able to cast it at the most opportune moment, be it during your turn or at the end of an opponent’s.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Unlike its function, Sylvan Bounty doesn’t penalize your hand by making you discard cards, allowing you to maintain your resources.
Specific Mana Cost: Sylvan Bounty necessitates a mix of generic and green mana, which may not align seamlessly with decks that aren’t focused on a green mana base or have difficulty generating multiple types of mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: This card asks for a total of six mana to play, which is quite steep for the life gain it offers. There are cards available with lower mana costs that can provide a similar or even greater life boost, possibly offering higher utility or versatility within a deck.
Reasons to Include Sylvan Bounty in Your Collection
Versatility: Sylvan Bounty stands out as a flexible card, easily slotting into decks that prioritize life gain and land cycling. Its ability to search for basic lands can be a game changer in mana-fixing scenarios.
Combo Potential: Thanks to its land cycling feature, this card synergizes well with landfall mechanics or any deck strategy that benefits from having specific lands in play or cycling through the library.
Meta-Relevance: In formats where games may extend beyond the early rounds, Sylvan Bounty’s option for a significant life boost can thwart aggressive burn strategies, giving it a solid place in slower, more deliberate decks that aim to win the long game.
How to beat
Sylvan Bounty stands as a solid option in Magic: The Gathering for players looking to stabilize their life total while developing their mana base. It cannot be denied that the ability to gain a significant amount of life and basic landcycling adds a level of resilience and consistency to a deck. However, like all strategies, it has its vulnerabilities.
One effective approach to counter Sylvan Bounty is to utilize cards that punish life gain strategies such as Tainted Remedy, which turns any life gain into life loss. Additionally, employing aggressive strategies that focus on depleting the opponent’s life total quickly can overpower the incremental life gain Sylvan Bounty provides. Keeping pressure on the board and maintaining card advantage can mitigate the impact of a single life boost. Furthermore, graveyard disruption tools can be employed to prevent the recycling of Sylvan Bounty with effects that return cards from the graveyard to the hand or deck.
While Sylvan Bounty offers a temporary reprieve and smoothens out mana availability, adapting your strategy to anticipate and neutralize life gain effects can keep you in control of the match and ensure that the Bounty’s benefits are short-lived.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Sylvan Bounty MTG card by a specific set like Conflux and Duel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicol Bolas, 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 Sylvan Bounty and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
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- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Sylvan Bounty Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 2009-02-06 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Chris Rahn.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2009-02-06 | Conflux | CON | 94 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Chris Rahn | |
| 2 | 2011-09-02 | Duel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicol Bolas | DDH | 30 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Chris Rahn | |
| 3 | 2013-06-07 | Modern Masters | MMA | 165 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Chris Rahn | |
| 4 | 2015-05-22 | Modern Masters 2015 | MM2 | 164 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Rahn | |
| 5 | 2016-08-26 | Conspiracy: Take the Crown | CN2 | 194 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Rahn | |
| 6 | 2017-06-16 | Archenemy: Nicol Bolas | E01 | 74 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Rahn | |
| 7 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1344 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Rahn | |
| 8 | The List | PLST | E01-74 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Rahn |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Sylvan Bounty has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sylvan Bounty card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2009-02-01 | Basic landcycling is a form of cycling. Any ability that triggers on a card being cycled also triggers on a card being basic landcycled. Any ability that stops a cycling ability from being activated also stops a basic landcycling ability from being activated. |
| 2009-02-01 | Basic landcycling is an activated ability. Effects that interact with activated abilities (such as Stifle or Rings of Brighthearth) will interact with basic landcycling. Effects that interact with spells (such as Remove Soul or Faerie Tauntings) will not. |
| 2009-02-01 | Unlike the normal cycling ability, basic landcycling doesn’t allow you to draw a card. Instead, it lets you search your library for a basic land card. You don’t choose the type of basic land card you’ll find until you’re performing the search. After you choose a basic land card in your library, you reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library. |
| 2009-02-01 | You can choose not to find a basic land card, even if there is one in your library. |