Water Servant MTG Card
2010-07-16 - Number 80
2013-07-19 - Number 80
2015-05-22 - Number 69
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Elemental |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
: Water Servant gets +1/-1 until end of turn. : Water Servant gets -1/+1 until end of turn.
"This creature has innate perceptiveness. It knows when to rise and when to vanish into the tides." —Jestus Dreya, *Of Elements and Eternity*
Cards like Water Servant
The Water Servant card stands out in MTG as an adaptable creature that can significantly increase its power and toughness. Comparable to the flexibility of Water Servant, the card Lorescale Coatl also grows over time, with each card draw making it stronger. Yet, unlike Water Servant, Lorescale Coatl’s size increment is passive and reliant on the player’s ability to draw cards.
Another related creature is the Aquamoeba, offering a form of power and toughness management through discarding a card to swap its strength and resistance. However, this is a one-time adjustment per turn, lacking the continuous capability for adjustment offered by Water Servant. In a similar domain, Calcite Snapper boasts the adaptability of Water Servant but changes its power and toughness through landfall triggers rather than mana investment. The hallmark ability to manipulate stats at will positions Water Servant as a versatile component in any blue deck that prioritizes flexibility and board control.
Whether you need a defensive giant or an aggressive force, Water Servant provides the tactical adaptability that rivals its own category. In games where resource allocation and timing are crucial, Water Servant can be a fundamental asset to turn tides in your favor.
Cards similar to Water Servant by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Water Servant has the potential to be a formidable force in battle due to its ability to adjust its power and toughness with just a modest investment of mana. This flexibility can often lead to advantageous trades or discourage opponents from attacking, ultimately preserving your cards on the board and potentially drawing out more resources from your adversary.
Resource Acceleration: Although Water Servant itself doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration, its presence on the board can be a deterrent, allowing you to develop your mana base and deploy other threats without as much pressure. This indirectly contributes to your resource acceleration by giving you the breathing room necessary to execute your game plan.
Instant Speed: Water Servant’s ability to modify its power and toughness can be activated at instant speed, providing a strategic edge in combat. You can surprise an unwary opponent by increasing its strength during the combat phase or in response to an instant targeting it, potentially leading to more efficient trades or even preserving your elemental’s presence on the battlefield.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Although Water Servant does not directly ask for discards, the need to manage hand resources can be critical when considering the card’s optimal use. The challenge arises in situations where maintaining a strong hand size to react to the opponent’s moves becomes tricky while also needing to pump Water Servant to make it formidable.
Specific Mana Cost: Water Servant’s reliance on blue mana can be somewhat limiting. Requiring two blue mana within its casting cost, the card naturally finds its place in mono-blue or blue-heavy decks, potentially reducing its versatility in multi-colored deck environments.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: At three mana for a 3/3, Water Servant’s initial investment is fair, but to fully utilize its abilities, additional mana is required. Consequently, the total cost to make Water Servant a significant threat can be quite high when considering other creatures or spells that may offer greater impact on the game’s board state for a similar or lower mana investment.
Reasons to Include Water Servant in Your Collection
Versatility: Water Servant shines in its adaptability on the battlefield. This creature has the unique ability to modify its own power and toughness, making it an agile addition to any blue deck or elemental-themed strategy.
Combo Potential: With the capacity to alter power and toughness at will, Water Servant becomes a prime candidate for synergies with cards that track those stats, such as those that deal damage based on a creature’s power or use toughness to determine life gain.
Meta-Relevance: Water Servant can consistently hold its own in environments heavy with burn spells or combat tricks. By adjusting its stats accordingly, it dodges common removals and thrives within a vast array of match-ups, keeping your opponents guessing.
How to Beat Water Servant
In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, Water Servant is a creature card known for its adaptability on the battlefield. With the ability to increase both its power and toughness through mana investment, it poses a dynamic threat. To effectively counter this card, one must utilize strategies that disrupt the reliance on mana. Removal spells that can target creatures regardless of their size, such as Path to Exile or Murder, prove invaluable against the Water Servant.
When facing Water Servant, it is crucial to act swiftly. The longer Water Servant remains on the board, the more mana your opponent accumulates, and the more formidable the creature becomes. Instant-speed interactions, therefore, are your best asset, allowing you to respond to your opponent’s attempts to invest in their creature before it grows out of control. Keeping up mana for these interactions rather than committing to a fully tapped board leaves the opponent hesitant to pour resources into their Water Servant for fear of removal.
Aside from direct removal, cards with deathtouch are an apt choice, acting as a deterrent against creatures like the Water Servant. This forces the opponent to think twice before attacking or utilizing mana to boost Water Servant’s attributes. Ultimately, maintaining control and disrupting your opponent’s mana-based strategies remain the keys to overpowering the flexibility of Water Servant in Magic: The Gathering.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Water Servant MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2011 and Magic 2014, 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 Water Servant 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 Water Servant Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2010-07-16 and 2015-05-22. Illustrated by Igor Kieryluk.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2010-07-16 | Magic 2011 | M11 | 80 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Igor Kieryluk | |
| 2 | 2013-07-19 | Magic 2014 | M14 | 80 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Igor Kieryluk | |
| 3 | 2015-05-22 | Modern Masters 2015 | MM2 | 69 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Igor Kieryluk |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Water Servant has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Water Servant card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2010-08-15 | You can activate Water Servant’s second ability even if doing so would cause Water Servant’s power to be less than 0. |