Sylvan Shepherd MTG Card
Text of card
Vigilance Whenever Sylvan Shepherd attacks, roll a d20. 1—9 | You gain 1 life. 10—19 | You gain 2 life. 20 | You gain 5 life.
Cards like Sylvan Shepherd
Sylvan Shepherd is a versatile creature in the vast array of Magic: The Gathering cards with life gain abilities. It’s parallel to cards such as Trained Caracal or Lone Missionary which offer similar benefits for players seeking to bolster their life total. However, Sylvan Shepherd has the added advantage of potentially granting you life each turn it attacks, unlike the one-time gain provided by Lone Missionary. The Shepherd’s vigilance also keeps it ready to block, making it an excellent card for both offense and defense.
Moreover, when comparing it to Deftblade Elite, another low-cost creature, the Shepherd offers the life gain trigger without requiring mana to activate its ability, something the Elite can’t boast. Then there is Ajani’s Pridemate, a card that capitalizes on any life gain by getting stronger. While the Pridemate doesn’t provide life gain inherently, paired with Sylvan Shepherd it can become a formidable threat on the battlefield.
Assessing this card against its counterparts, Sylvan Shepherd shines as a staple for life gain decks in MTG. It stands out not only for its recurring life gain but also its ability to maintain combat readiness, making it a valuable addition for players that prioritize longevity and board presence.
Cards similar to Sylvan Shepherd by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Sylvan Shepherd’s ability to generate life points on attack not only bolsters your survivability but also synergizes with card abilities that trigger upon gaining life, potentially drawing you extra cards or strengthening your creatures.
Resource Acceleration: While Sylvan Shepherd itself does not directly accelerate resources, its life gain can be instrumental in activating the abilities of other cards that transform life into additional resources or powerful board presence, effectively speeding up your game strategy.
Instant Speed: Although Sylvan Shepherd operates at sorcery speed, its presence can influence your opponent’s decisions at instant speed. By forcing your opponent to respond to its life gain ability, you maintain the pace of the game and can gain the upper hand through smart play sequencing and threat management.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While the Sylvan Shepherd offers beneficial abilities, it comes with the drawback that it may compel you to discard cards to maximize its effects. Such a requirement can put you at a disadvantage, especially when your hand is running low and every card counts.
Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a specific arrangement of mana types to be played—this not only means you need green mana available, but it also restricts seamless inclusion in multi-colored decks. Players need to ensure they have a consistent mana base to utilize the Sylvan Shepherd effectively.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The Sylvan Shepherd’s casting and ability costs could be seen as steep relative to other options within this mana range. Players must weigh the benefits of its on-the-battlefield abilities against other creatures or spells which might provide more immediate or impactful results for the same, or less, mana investment.
Reasons to Include Sylvan Shepherd in Your Collection
Versatility: Sylvan Shepherd is flexible enough to slot into a variety of green-centric decks, often seen in life gain strategies or as a component to ramping up your mana. Its synergy with cure spells and abilities make it a valuable addition to decks looking to benefit from consistent life increments.
Combo Potential: This card pairs excellently with effects that trigger upon gaining life. When combined with cards that have lifelink or similar life-gaining abilities, it can form the foundation for a powerful combo, bolstering your survivability while you set up other winning conditions.
Meta-Relevance: Given the importance of life gain in a diverse MTG meta, Sylvan Shepherd could gain a spot in decks that capitalize on this strategy. It has the potential to become an under-the-radar asset, particularly against aggressive decks focused on quick damage outputs, by providing a stable source of life gain to help outlast the opponent.
How to beat
Sylvan Shepherd is a card that blends life gain with creature abilities, reminiscent of cards like Ajani’s Pridemate or Scavenging Ooze in Magic: The Gathering. Its strength lies within its ability to turn any damage dealt into life for its controller, making it a valuable asset in any life gain-focused deck. This puts a significant pressure on opponents when it comes to racing strategies or direct damage game plans.
However, to counter Sylvan Shepherd, consider using removal spells that avoid damage, such as Path to Exile or Murderous Rider’s Swift End ability. By using this strategy, you remove the Shepherd without triggering its life-gain ability. Additionally, effects that prevent lifegain like Erebos, God of the Dead can completely neutralize the Shepherd’s advantage, rendering it a mere creature without impact.
By understanding the Shepherd’s mechanism and incorporating specific counters to your deck, you diminish the card’s influence on the game. Strategic planning and anticipating your opponent’s moves can lead to successfully overcoming the challenge Sylvan Shepherd poses in a match.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Sylvan Shepherd MTG card by a specific set like Adventures in the Forgotten Realms and Alchemy Horizons: 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 Sylvan Shepherd and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Sylvan Shepherd Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-07-23 and 2022-07-07. Illustrated by Darrell Riche.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-07-23 | Adventures in the Forgotten Realms | AFR | 206 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Darrell Riche | |
| 2 | 2022-07-07 | Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate | HBG | 224 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Darrell Riche |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Sylvan Shepherd has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sylvan Shepherd card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-07-23 | A player may only have one dungeon in the command zone at a time. |
| 2021-07-23 | Choosing the dungeon or room to venture into is part of resolving the venture into the dungeon keyword action. Once that choice is made, players may not respond until after the appropriate room ability has triggered. |
| 2021-07-23 | Dungeon cards are not part of a player's deck or sideboard. In both constructed and limited formats, players can use any dungeon card when they venture into the dungeon. |
| 2021-07-23 | Dungeons are removed from the game as a state-based action. |
| 2021-07-23 | If you somehow venture into the dungeon while a room's ability is on the stack, you will continue on in the dungeon. If you're already in the last room, complete that dungeon and start a new one. |
| 2021-07-23 | Moving into a dungeon room will cause its room ability to trigger. |
| 2021-07-23 | Once you resolve the last room ability of a dungeon, that dungeon is now completed and is removed from the game. |
| 2021-07-23 | The player venturing into the dungeon chooses which dungeon they will venture into. They may choose a dungeon that they have already completed this game. |
| 2021-07-23 | To venture into the dungeon, a player moves their venture marker into the next room of the dungeon they are currently in. If they aren't currently in a dungeon, that player instead chooses a dungeon card from outside the game, puts it into the command zone, and moves their venture marker onto the first room. |
| 2021-07-23 | You can only move forward (well, downward) in a dungeon, never backwards or sideways. |
Guide to Vigilance card ability
In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.