Slipstream Serpent MTG Card
2006-10-06 - Number 77
2021-03-19 - Number 86
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 8 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Serpent |
| Abilities | Morph |
| Power | 6 |
| Toughness | 6 |
Key Takeaways
- The serpent boosts hand size upon entry, granting a strategic upper hand.
- Land untapping and instant speed morphing enhance tactical plays.
- High mana costs and blue mana constraints may limit deck options.
Text of card
Slipstream Serpent can't attack unless defending player controls an Island. When you control no Islands, sacrifice Slipstream Serpent. Morph (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for . Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Slipstream Serpent provides a substantial boost to your hand by granting you card advantage when it enters the battlefield.
Resource Acceleration: With its unique ability to untap a number of lands when it’s morphed, Slipstream Serpent can significantly speed up your resource accumulation, allowing for more plays in a single turn.
Instant Speed: The power of Slipstream Serpent also lies in its flexibility; being able to morph at instant speed means you can adapt to the game’s flow, maximizing your strategic options without committing to a board state too early.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: As with many powerful creatures, Slipstream Serpent comes with a caveat. Players must discard a card upon casting, which can be quite punishing particularly during the late game when hand sizes dwindle.
Specific Mana Cost: Fixing for blue mana can occasionally be troublesome, especially in multicolor decks. Slipstream Serpent’s purely blue mana cost necessitates a significant commitment to this color, potentially making it a less flexible choice in a varied deck.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: A six-mana creature, despite its considerable size, is quite the investment. When considering other creatures or spells with potentially greater impact at a lower mana value, the Serpent may not always be the most mana-efficient play available.
Reasons to Include Slipstream Serpent in Your Collection
Versatility: Slipstream Serpent serves as a flexible inclusion in blue-based control or midrange decks, capable of being an early blocker or a late-game threat due to its morph ability.
Combo Potential: This creature can synergize with cards that manipulate the graveyard, benefiting from being cycled or discarded, then reanimated for a surprise effect or as part of a larger combo.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where slower, more strategic games dominate, Slipstream Serpent’s ability to be a curve-filler or an unexpected game-changer makes it a card worth considering for deck techs that need to adapt on the fly.
How to beat
Slipstream Serpent presents an intriguing challenge for players in the Magic: The Gathering environment. This serpentine force weaves through decks with empowerments that allow it to escape untapped if you control an Island. To successfully navigate against this blue denizen, players must strategize proactively. Control the battlefield and starve the serpent by manipulating your opponent’s land, preventing them from maintaining the crucial Island dominance that Slipstream Serpent thrives on.
Utilizing land disruption spells like Sinkhole or land conversion ones like Spreading Seas can effectively neutralize the serpent’s evasive ability. Also, having removal spells in your deck that don’t rely on targeting tapped creatures is pivotal. Instant-speed removal like Murder or Path to Exile can dispatch Slipstream Serpent before it becomes a threat on your opponent’s turn. Alternatively, employing creatures with reach or those that can block flying creatures helps ensure that Slipstream Serpent doesn’t slip past your defenses.
Ahead of the curve and armed with the right countermeasures, players can confidently confront and conquer the slippery depths where Slipstream Serpent lurks, maintaining the upper hand in the aquatic tug-of-war that is a game of Magic: The Gathering.
Cards like Slipstream Serpent
Slipstream Serpent is an interesting choice for players looking to control the game’s tempo in Magic: The Gathering. Comparable to other creatures that can be unblockable, like Phantom Warrior, the Serpent offers the advantage of being an evasive large creature when it’s unblocked. Phantom Warrior provides consistent unblockability but lacks the size that Slipstream Serpent can potentially achieve.
Another similar card is Aqueous Form, which grants unblockability to enchanted creatures. While Aqueous Form adds scry to your strategy, it also requires a host body, whereas Slipstream Serpent is a standalone threat that can navigate enemy lines on its own. And then there’s Thassa, God of the Sea, which not only can make a creature unblockable but is also an indestructible God. Still, Thassa comes with devotion requirements and doesn’t provide the sheer creature size that the Serpent does.
These comparisons highlight that Slipstream Serpent occupies a unique space in MTG, particularly for decks that capitalize on creature size while sneaking past defenses. Its blend of being unblockable under certain conditions and size for cost efficiency can be invaluable for players looking for this specialized role in their blue decks.
Cards similar to Slipstream Serpent by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Slipstream Serpent MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral and Time Spiral Remastered, 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 Slipstream Serpent and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See Magic products
Printings
The Slipstream Serpent Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2006-10-06 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by Darrell Riche.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2006-10-06 | Time Spiral | TSP | 77 | 2003 | normal | black | Darrell Riche | |
| 2 | 2021-03-19 | Time Spiral Remastered | TSR | 86 | 2015 | normal | black | Darrell Riche |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Slipstream Serpent has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Slipstream Serpent card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-03-19 | If a creature attacks a planeswalker, that planeswalker’s controller is the defending player. |
| 2021-03-19 | Slipstream Serpent’s first ability applies only while you’re declaring attackers. If it attacks while face down and then is turned face up, it’s still attacking even if the defending player controls no Islands. |
