Golgothian Sylex MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Artifact
Released	1994-03-04
Set symbol
Set name	Antiquities
Set code	ATQ
Number	51
Frame	1993
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Kerstin Kaman

Key Takeaways

Golgothian Sylex controls the board by targeting all permanents from a specific set, offering tactical disruption.
Its instant speed activation allows for flexible and timely plays, potentially dictating the game’s tempo.
However, its discarding requirement and high casting cost may outweigh its situational benefits in a match.

Text of card

o1: All cards from the Antiquities expansion, including Golgothian Sylex, must be discarded from play.

From their earliest educations, the brothers had known that no human contrivance could stand against the true masters of Dominia.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Golgothian Sylex, when activated, can potentially disrupt multiple opponents’ strategies by affecting all permanents of a single set. This sets the stage for gaining a significant card advantage if it dismantles key components of their game plan.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating resources, managing the Sylex effectively can equate to resource acceleration. Clearing the board of certain set-specific permanents can leave you in a stronger mana position relative to your opponents, indirectly speeding up your game progression.

Instant Speed: The ability to activate the Golgothian Sylex at instant speed offers flexibility. You can strategically decide the optimal moment during a turn cycle to upset the balance of power. This can significantly hamper your opponent’s development or their ability to respond, giving you an instantaneous upper hand.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Golgothian Sylex mandates players to discarding their hand, posing a significant risk if card advantage is already compromised or crucial spells are within your grip.

Specific Mana Cost: Harnessing the artifacts full potential necessitates a mana investment that comprises both generic and a more inflexible colored mana requirement, potentially limiting its immediate playability in a variety of decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activation cost that can be onerous, the Golgothian Sylex comes into play when alternative cards might present more cost-efficient solutions to control the board or handle threats.

Reasons to Include Golgothian Sylex in Your Collection

Versatility: Golgothian Sylex offers a unique form of board control, having the ability to wipe out all permanents from a particular set. This makes it a tool for disrupting opponents’ strategies that rely heavily on set-specific synergies.

Combo Potential: When paired with cards that protect your own setup or selectively exclude certain permanents, Golgothian Sylex enables you to tailor the battlefield to your advantage, often leaving opponents at a sudden and significant loss.

Meta-Relevance: In formats where older sets with powerful themes dominate, the Sylex can become a game-changer. It’s particularly impactful in metagames where decks built around certain sets or blocks are prevalent, by acting as an equalizer against these strategies.

How to beat

The Golgothian Sylex, a powerful artifact in within the world of MTG, holds the unique ability to reshape the battlefield. With its capacity to clear away all permanents associated with antiquities expansions, this card can be both a game-ender and a strategic linchpin. Navigating a match against an opponent who wields the Sylex requires forethought and a precise tactic.

To counter this pivotal card, players may opt for strategies that limit the opponent’s chance to activate the Sylex’s destructive power. Tactics include swift aggression to deplete the opponent’s life total before the Sylex can be used or deploying countermeasures like counter spells to prevent the Sylex’s activation. Resource denial can also be effective, aiming to disrupt the opponent’s mana base, thus keeping the Sylex dormant. Relying on on the stack abilities or cards that can be utilized from the graveyard can help recover after a sweep. Additionally, maintaining card advantage and field presence with indestructible or regenerative creatures ensures that your board state remains resilient against this artifact’s potential wipeout.

Like a carefully laid trap, the Golgothian Sylex’s threat must be respected, but with thoughtful play and controlled building of resources, players can navigate around its power and secure victory.

Cards like Golgothian Sylex

The Golgothian Sylex stirs interest within the realm of artifact cards in Magic: The Gathering. This card is often compared to other game-changing artifacts like Nevinyrral’s Disk for its potential to wipe clean various types of permanents. Though the Sylex requires a specific scenario, targeting cards from the Antiquities set, to unleash its effect, it shares the board reset theme with the Disk. Nevinyrral’s Disk, however, offers a broader sweep, hitting creatures, artifacts, and enchantments without set restrictions.

Another artifact that echoes the disruptive power of the Sylex is Oblivion Stone. This formidable piece allows players to selectively save key pieces before obliterating the rest of the board. While the Sylex’s potential targets are narrower, the effect can still be significant in certain game scenarios. Both offer control players a powerful tool for managing the pace of the game, though the Oblivion Stone carries a more consistent impact across varied game states.

Hence, weighing the situational power of Golgothian Sylex against the likes of Nevinyrral’s Disk and Oblivion Stone is essential when considering how to optimize a deck’s control capabilities. Despite its narrower scope, the Sylex’s unique place in Magic: The Gathering’s history and potential for powerful interactions should not be underestimated.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Golgothian Sylex MTG card by a specific set like Antiquities, 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 Golgothian Sylex and other MTG cards: