Xanthic Statue MTG Card


Xanthic Statue - Weatherlight
Mana cost
Converted mana cost8
RarityRare
TypeArtifact
Released1997-06-09
Set symbol
Set nameWeatherlight
Set codeWTH
Number163
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byHannibal King

Key Takeaways

  1. The Statue offers flexibility and can be activated at the most opportune moment without additional cards.
  2. Its activation cost is a one-time investment, allowing resource redirection to other areas of play.
  3. Despite its strength, the card’s high mana cost and demanding colorless mana commitment can be limiting.

Text of card

o5: Until end of turn, Xanthic Statue is an 8/8 artifact creature with trample.

"Until you have lived as a statue, do not talk to me of pigeons." —Karn, silver golem


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Xanthic Statue provides a strategic upper hand by potentially transforming into a formidable creature without requiring an additional card from your hand. This enables you to keep pace with opponents while utilizing the same card for multiple purposes.

Resource Acceleration: Initially, its casting cost may seem hefty, but this artifact can be an effective tool in decks that excel in ramping up mana. Once on the battlefield, it doesn’t require further investment to become a threat, allowing you to allocate resources elsewhere.

Instant Speed: Although the Xanthic Statue itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its activation can be used at the end of your opponent’s turn. This means you can keep mana available for other instant-speed interactions, ensuring your Statue becomes a blocker or attacker only when most advantageous.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In the case of the Xanthic Statue, players may find themselves at a disadvantage due to other cards’ demands for discard as a prerequisite for launching more potent spells or effects. This discard requirement could diminish your hand, leaving you vulnerable in the long game.

Specific Mana Cost: Xanthic Statue comes with a restrictive mana cost, demanding a significant amount of colorless mana. This can make it less accessible for multicolored decks looking for versatility in their mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Investing nine mana into a single artifact may not always align with players’ strategies, especially when other cards could provide better board presence or utility for a lower investment. This poses a challenge when managing resources, particularly in fast-paced games.


Reasons to Include Xanthic Statue in Your Collection

Versatility: Xanthic Statue is a unique card that can adapt to different gaming styles and strategic plans. Given its capacity to become a creature, it integrates well with strategies relying on artifact and creature synergies alike.

Combo Potential: This card can serve as an excellent piece in combo-oriented decks. When paired with cards that untap artifacts, it can be used repeatedly, creating a formidable presence on the battlefield turn after turn.

Meta-Relevance: The presence of Xanthic Statue in a collection is particularly impactful in a meta that favors artifacts or decks that have difficulty dealing with large blockers or attackers. Its flexibility to switch roles from a robust defender to a powerful attacker makes it a card worth considering in diverse competitive environments.


How to beat

Confronting a Xanthic Statue in your MTG match can be a unique challenge due to its indestructible nature when it’s not your turn. Nonetheless, this powerful artifact creature isn’t without its vulnerabilities. Dealing with the Statue demands a strategic approach, focusing on disrupting the timings typically advantageously used by your opponent.

Timing your removal spells during your turn is critical when Xanthic Statue is on the battlefield. Consider employing sorcery-speed removal like Vindicate or generous board wipes such as Wrath of God to bypass the indestructible attribute. Another effective tactic includes cards that force sacrifice, like Diabolic Edict, which neatly sidesteps the need to deal damage or destroy outright.

In essence, to successfully outmaneuver the Xanthic Statue’s defenses, adaptability and precise timing are key. By capitalizing on your turn to employ the right spells, the Statue’s seemingly stalwart presence can be efficiently dismantled, paving the way to victory.


Cards like Xanthic Statue

Xanthic Statue stands out in the catalog of artifact creatures within Magic: The Gathering. It draws immediate comparisons to Darksteel Colossus, a behemoth in its own right. While both share an affinity for their indestructible nature, Xanthic Statue differs with its initial presentation as a noncreature artifact, which avoids many of the game’s common removal spells until it becomes a creature with its activation ability.

Then we have Golem Artisan, which offers a flexible toolkit for modifying artifact creatures but requires a steady flow of mana to do so. Unlike Golem Artisan, Xanthic Statue can become a powerhouse on its own with a single mana investment but lacks the adaptability of the former. Phyrexian Colossus also echoes the theme of large artifact creatures that can dominate the battlefield, albeit with a steeper price of paying life instead of mana for its untapping cost.

Assessing the pros and cons, Xanthic Statue warrants recognition for its capacity to dodge instant removal and become a formidable creature at the user’s discretion. It carves a niche for itself amid artifact giants, offering a unique strategic choice for players crafting their decks.

Darksteel Colossus - MTG Card versions
Golem Artisan - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Colossus - MTG Card versions
Darksteel Colossus - Darksteel (DST)
Golem Artisan - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Phyrexian Colossus - Urza's Saga (USG)

Cards similar to Xanthic Statue by color, type and mana cost

Aladdin's Ring - MTG Card versions
Gate Colossus - MTG Card versions
Cityscape Leveler - MTG Card versions
Arcbound Overseer - MTG Card versions
Sundering Titan - MTG Card versions
Possessed Portal - MTG Card versions
Platinum Emperion - MTG Card versions
Colossus of Akros - MTG Card versions
Everythingamajig - MTG Card versions
Angelic Rocket - MTG Card versions
Puresteel Angel - MTG Card versions
Maelstrom Colossus - MTG Card versions
Marut - MTG Card versions
Graaz, Unstoppable Juggernaut - MTG Card versions
Everythingamajig (f) - MTG Card versions
Walking Skyscraper - MTG Card versions
Su-Chi Cave Guard - MTG Card versions
Darksteel Monolith - MTG Card versions
Aladdin's Ring - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Gate Colossus - Ravnica Remastered (RVR)
Cityscape Leveler - The Brothers' War (BRO)
Arcbound Overseer - The List (PLST)
Sundering Titan - The Brothers' War Retro Artifacts (BRR)
Possessed Portal - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Platinum Emperion - Ultimate Box Topper (PUMA)
Colossus of Akros - Theros (THS)
Everythingamajig - The List (Unfinity Foil Edition) (ULST)
Angelic Rocket - The List (Unfinity Foil Edition) (ULST)
Puresteel Angel - Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2021 (CMB2)
Maelstrom Colossus - Commander Legends (CMR)
Marut - Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate (CLB)
Graaz, Unstoppable Juggernaut - Phyrexia: All Will Be One Promos (PONE)
Everythingamajig (f) - Unstable (UST)
Walking Skyscraper - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)
Su-Chi Cave Guard - The Brothers' War (BRO)
Darksteel Monolith - Commander Masters (CMM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Xanthic Statue MTG card by a specific set like Weatherlight, 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 Xanthic Statue and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Xanthic Statue has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2008-08-01 A noncreature permanent that turns into a creature can attack, and its abilities can be activated, only if its controller has continuously controlled that permanent since the beginning of their most recent turn. It doesn’t matter how long the permanent has been a creature.

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