Shrine Keeper MTG Card

Shrine Keeper - Arena New Player Experience Cards (OANA)

Arena New Player Experience Cards (OANA)
2018-07-14 - Number 10

Shrine Keeper - Arena Beginner Set (ANB)

Arena Beginner Set (ANB)
2020-08-13 - Number 19

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Cleric
Power	2
Toughness	2

Key Takeaways

Shrine Keeper enables superior card presence through efficient hand replenishment and tactical instant-speed play.
The card’s demands such as specific mana costs and discard requirements may limit its utility for some players.
Its versatility and meta-relevance make Shrine Keeper a potentially valuable addition to various MTG decks.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Shrine Keeper helps you sustain a superior card presence by allowing you to replenish your hand efficiently. Each activation positions you to outpace the opponent, enhancing your overall strategy execution.

Resource Acceleration: By tapping into additional mana sources with Shrine Keeper, you hasten your ability to deploy key pieces of your strategy, unlocking powerful plays ahead of schedule.

Instant Speed: The versatility of Shrine Keeper’s abilities at instant speed gives you the flexibility to respond to an opponent’s actions on their turn. This tactical advantage allows you to adapt to the flow of the game, keeping you one step ahead.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Shrine Keeper demands discarding a card as an additional cost for its ability to trigger, which may deplete your hand and reduce your options during the game.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s activation is locked behind a specific color of mana, which might not seamlessly fit into multicolor decks or those with a strained mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana cost, Shrine Keeper could be considered costly, given how the card’s impact measures up to other options available within the same mana range.

Reasons to Include Shrine Keeper in Your Collection

Versatility: Shrine Keeper’s ability to serve multiple roles within a variety of deck archetypes makes it a valuable asset. As a cost-effective creature card, it can be played early in the game to establish board presence or held back to defend against late-game threats.

Combo Potential: Shrine Keeper can integrate seamlessly into decks focused on graveyard mechanics or enchantment synergies, unlocking new layers of strategic depth with its unique abilities. It becomes particularly potent when paired with cards that capitalize on creature sacrifices or death triggers.

Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-shifting landscape of the MTG meta, Shrine Keeper may gain relevance by countering prevalent strategies or by fitting naturally into popular deck builds. Its utility in various scenarios can make it a sleeper hit in competitive play, responding well to the ebb and flow of the game’s environment.

How to beat

Shrine Keeper is a card that challenges players with its unique ability to withstand removal spells thanks to its enchantment type. Its resilience in the playing field of Magic: The Gathering beckons for a strategic approach to counter it effectively. Overcoming Shrine Keeper demands a well-thought-out plan that may involve bypassing the card’s intrinsic durability.

Players can outmaneuver Shrine Keeper by using board wipes that don’t target or by leveraging spells that force a player to sacrifice permanents. This neatly sidesteps Shrine Keeper’s resistance to targeted removal. Alternatively, direct player damage and mill strategies could prove fruitful as they render the card’s defensive characteristics moot. It’s also opportune to assess the use of exile effects, which can remove Shrine Keeper outright, a tactic that eludes its protective enchantment cloak.

Ultimately, mastering the art of timing and selection of spells ensures Shrine Keeper’s influence on the game is minimal. A mix of circumventing its defenses while pushing ahead with your own game plan is key to triumphing over this challenging card. Familiarity with the vast array of spells available within the game allows players to curate an arsenal equipped to dismantle Shrine Keeper’s fortifications.

Cards like Shrine Keeper

Shrine Keeper enhances the range of creature cards within Magic: The Gathering that offer both early board presence and late-game utility. Akin to cards like Benevolent Bodyguard, Shrine Keeper allows players to protect other creatures. Yet, the Shrine Keeper provides an additional layer of security by its ability to return to hand, instead of a one-time use sacrifice effect.

Furthermore, Selfless Spirit is another card that provides a similar protective role for creatures. Both cards share the theme of self-sacrifice for the greater good of the player’s board state. Selfless Spirit requires more mana investment, but it offers an all-encompassing indestructibility effect to all creatures you control until end of turn. Compared to Shrine Keeper, this can impact the game at a crucial juncture, offsetting the extra mana cost with a potentially game-saving play.

Rich with tactical depth, Shrine Keeper holds its ground within the pantheon of creature cards, striking a fine balance between recurring utility and strategic protection. Its nuanced playstyle underscores its value to Magic: The Gathering players who seek to fortify their defenses with a persistent guard.

Benevolent Bodyguard - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Shrine Keeper by color, type and mana cost

Voice of the Blessed - MTG Card versions

Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Shrine Keeper MTG card by a specific set like Arena New Player Experience Cards and Arena Beginner Set, 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 Shrine Keeper and other MTG cards: