Mindwhip Sliver MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Sliver
Released	1997-10-14
Set symbol
Set name	Tempest
Set code	TMP
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	145
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jeff Miracola

Key Takeaways

Mindwhip Sliver enables hand control, diminishing opponents’ strategic options and potential plays.
Its ability’s instant speed activation allows for strategic play during an opponent’s turn.
High versatility within Sliver decks makes it a valuable asset for disrupting opponent’s plans.

Text of card

Each Sliver gains ", Sacrifice this creature: Target player discards a card at random. Play this ability as a sorcery."

"They share more than their thoughts. We must shatter their link quickly!" —Hanna, to Orim

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Mindwhip Sliver grants tactical superiority by forcing discard, effectively diminishing your opponent’s hand size and potential strategies.

Resource Acceleration: Though not directly a tool for ramp, the threat of discard can disrupt opponents, indirectly speeding up your game plan by slowing theirs.

Instant Speed: As a creature, Mindwhip Sliver may not have instant speed itself, but its ability can be activated at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to interrupt your opponent’s plans on their turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Mindwhip Sliver requires that the player sacrifices a Sliver and pays two mana to force an opponent to discard a card. This can be quite taxing especially when you’re trying to maintain a substantial board presence. Sacrificing your creatures can often set you back in terms of board advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Featuring a specific mana cost that includes one black mana, Mindwhip Sliver can be a bit challenging to fit into multi-colored decks. This could potentially limit its integration primarily to mono-black or black-inclusive decks, restricting its overall flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, one of which is black, Mindwhip Sliver isn’t the cheapest tool in a sliver strategy. Considering the additional requirement of sacrificing a sliver, this card demands a significant investment for its discard effect. There are other options in Magic the Gathering that might disrupt hands more efficiently without such high personal costs.

Reasons to Include Mindwhip Sliver in Your Collection

Versatility: Mindwhip Sliver, while specific to Sliver decks, offers a layer of control by enabling you to disrupt opponents’ strategies. It integrates seamlessly into Sliver tribal builds and adds a unique tactic of hand disruption to your arsenal.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes with other Slivers, and tapping multiple Slivers with similar effects can lead to powerful plays. Pairing Mindwhip Sliver with mana-generating Slivers allows for repeated use of its ability, potentially crippling your opponent’s hand.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where information is power, Mindwhip Sliver proves its worth. Against decks that rely heavily on combo pieces or specific spells, it can be a valuable tool to dismantle your opponent’s plans, making it a savvy inclusion for players who understand the evolving dynamics of their meta.

How to beat Mindwhip Sliver

Mindwhip Sliver offers a unique tactical advantage in MTG, allowing its controller to force opponents to discard cards at a cost. To effectively counter this sliver, players should consider keeping their hand size robust to mitigate the impact of the discard ability. Cards that allow for card draw or have madness as an additional value when discarded can help maintain an advantage.

Another strategy is to eliminate the Mindwhip Sliver directly, utilizing removal spells such as Path to Exile or Fatal Push, which can swiftly address the threat. It’s also beneficial to take out other slivers on the board, as they work synergistically, increasing the potency of each sliver, including Mindwhip Sliver. Finally, having instant-speed responses ready can disrupt your opponent’s rhythm and give you a fighting chance to remove the threat before it affects your game too heavily.

In conclusion, overcoming Mindwhip Sliver involves a combination of maintaining card advantage, direct removal, and disrupting the synergistic sliver strategy. With these tactics, you can minimize the disruption caused by this formidable sliver and maintain control of the game.

Cards like Mindwhip Sliver

Mindwhip Sliver is an intriguing option for players who enjoy utilizing Slivers in their Magic: The Gathering decks. This particular Sliver has the ability to force opponents to discard cards from their hand, a capability reminiscent of cards like Hypnotic Specter. However, Mindwhip Sliver brings its unique twist to this strategy by requiring a sacrifice of the Sliver itself to activate the ability, making it a one-time use compared to the repeatable nature of Hypnotic Specter’s damage-based trigger.

Compared to the Sadistic Hypnotist, another card with a discard effect, Mindwhip Sliver is less costly in terms of mana investment but lacks the same level of control since Sadistic Hypnotist permits multiple uses per turn and does not require itself to be sacrificed. Meanwhile, cards like Liliana’s Specter offer the discard effect without needing a sacrifice, although it affects all opponents rather than targeted individuals, which can be a strategic difference in multi-player games.

Assessing the landscape of discard options, Mindwhip Sliver stands out as a viable choice for MTG players crafting a deck with self-sacrifice themes or looking for a Sliver that can disrupt opponents’ hands while synergizing with other Slivers’ abilities.

Cards similar to Mindwhip Sliver by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mindwhip Sliver MTG card by a specific set like Tempest, 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 Mindwhip Sliver and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Mindwhip Sliver has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Mindwhip Sliver card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2013-04-15	If you cast a Sliver as normal during your main phase, it will enter the battlefield and you’ll receive priority. If no abilities trigger because of this, you can activate its ability immediately, before any other player has a chance to remove it from the battlefield.
2013-04-15	If you cast this as normal during your main phase, it will enter the battlefield and you’ll receive priority. If no abilities trigger because of this, you can activate its ability immediately, before any other player has a chance to remove it from the battlefield.
2013-07-01	Abilities that Slivers grant, as well as power/toughness boosts, are cumulative. However, for some abilities, like flying, having more than one instance of the ability doesn’t provide any additional benefit.
2013-07-01	If the creature type of a Sliver changes so it’s no longer a Sliver, it will no longer be affected by its own ability. Its ability will continue to affect other Sliver creatures.