Tolarian Sentinel MTG Card

Time Spiral (TSP)
2006-10-06 - Number 87

Tolarian Sentinel - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)

Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)
2021-03-19 - Number 94

Tolarian Sentinel - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)

Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
2022-12-02 - Number 363

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Spellshaper
Abilities	Flying
Power	1
Toughness	3

Key Takeaways

Activating instant speed, Tolarian Sentinel allows for strategic board and hand manipulation during any phase.
Demands careful hand management due to its discard requirement, challenging players to weigh its cost against benefits.
While mana-specific, it’s a card that can significantly boost combo potentials and adaptability in matches.

Text of card

Flying , , Discard a card: Return target permanent you control to its owner's hand.

"It is not just our people I try to rescue. It is our culture, and our hope that we can return to greatness."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tolarian Sentinel offers unique utility by allowing you to return another permanent you control to your hand. This effect can be particularly powerful with cards that have enter the battlefield abilities, effectively giving you access to these effects multiple times and providing card advantage without losing card economy on the board.

Resource Acceleration: Though the Tolarian Sentinel doesn’t directly accelerate resources in terms of mana, it can be strategically used to bounce back mana-producing permanents or other cards that provide ramp, offering a nuanced approach to resource acceleration.

Instant Speed: The ability of the Tolarian Sentinel can be activated at instant speed, providing a high level of flexibility during gameplay. This allows players to adapt to changing conditions on the battlefield swiftly and can be used to save key permanents from removal, surprise blockers, or to trigger effects on your own terms during either player’s turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Tolarian Sentinel requires a player to discard a card in order to trigger its ability. This can be particularly taxing on a player’s hand, especially in tight situations where each card holds significant value.

Specific Mana Cost: Tolarian Sentinel’s activation cost includes blue mana. This specificity necessitates a dedication to blue mana sources within a deck, potentially restricting its integration into a wider array of deck types or strategies that can’t afford or don’t include blue mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes three mana, of which one must be blue, Tolarian Sentinel demands a significant investment for a 1/3 creature. Given the card’s utility, players may find other creatures or spells that provide more impact or versatility for the same, or a lower, mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Tolarian Sentinel offers a flexible role in any deck that values manipulation of the board or hand. It can be included in strategies that require returning permanents to the owner’s hand for repeated use or as a way to avoid detrimental effects.

Combo Potential: This card can easily become a crucial piece in decks designed around combos, functioning as a reliable way to reuse enter-the-battlefield triggers or to safely return combo pieces to your hand for protection.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where permanents are commonly targeted, Tolarian Sentinel stands out by providing a repeatable way to dodge removal or reuse your own permanents with powerful effects, making it a timely addition against specific matchups.

How to beat

The Tolarian Sentinel offers a unique playstyle, revolving around its ability to return target permanent you control to its owner’s hand. This ability may seem advantageous at a glance, offering protective measures to salvage key cards and reuse enter-the-battlefield effects. However, this can be turned into a liability with the right strategy.

When facing off against the Tolarian Sentinel, consider using cards that restrict or punish the activation of abilities. Sudden spoiling can render it ineffective at critical moments. Furthermore, employing powerful countermeasures such as Cursed Totem can completely neutralize the Sentinel’s capability, leaving your opponent with a basic creature on the board.

Another effective tactic is to force discards or provide yourself hexproof, making it difficult for your opponent to target you with the Sentinel’s ability. By limiting their options, you create a situation where the Sentinel is less of a threat. It’s a creature that requires careful navigation, but with the right tools and strategies, you can transform the Tolarian Sentinel from a potential nuisance to an ineffectual piece on the board.

Cards like Tolarian Sentinel

In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, Tolarian Sentinel provides a unique role within its niche. Offering a way to bounce permanents back to their owner’s hand, it draws parallels to cards like Man-o’-War. Both serve the functional purpose of disrupting opponents’ board states. However, the Sentinel requires one extra mana to execute its ability while offering more flexibility as it can return any permanent as opposed to Man-o’-War’s limitation to creatures.

Another card worth discussing in conjunction with Tolarian Sentinel is Venser, Shaper Savant. While Venser has a higher mana cost, it brings the upside of countering spells or abilities upon entry. This presents a direct intervention tactic, compared to the Sentinel’s more proactive ability to arrange your own board by returning your own nonland permanents. Additionally, Venser’s flexibility also lies in being able to temporarily remove opposing threats, similar to Tolarian Sentinel’s strategy but with a wider application.

Evaluating Tolarian Sentinel within the framework of Magic: The Gathering, it’s clear that its value is situational, hinging on its synergy with the deck it’s placed in. Its role in recycling your own permanents or disrupting opponents puts it in an interesting position for strategic deck building.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tolarian Sentinel 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 Tolarian Sentinel and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Tolarian Sentinel Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2006-10-06 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Thomas M. Baxa.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2006-10-06	Time Spiral	TSP	87	2003	Normal	Black	Thomas M. Baxa
2	2021-03-19	Time Spiral Remastered	TSR	94	2015	Normal	Black	Thomas M. Baxa
3	2022-12-02	Jumpstart 2022	J22	363	2015	Normal	Black	Thomas M. Baxa