Shinen of Life's Roar MTG Card

Shinen of Life's Roar - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)

Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
2005-06-03 - Number 149

Archenemy (ARC)
2010-06-18 - Number 69

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Spirit
Abilities	Channel
Power	1
Toughness	2

Key Takeaways

Offers tactical advantage with its channel ability, dictating combat and ensuring successful attacks.
Brings versatility to green decks, excels in combos, and adapts to various competitive formats.
Demands cautious play due to its discard requirement and exclusive green mana cost.

Text of card

All creatures able to block Shinen of Life's Roar do so. Channel , Discard Shinen of Life's Roar: All creatures able to block target creature this turn do so.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Although Shinen of Life’s Roar doesn’t directly allow you to draw more cards, its channel ability can be a tactical game-changer. This ability enables you to ensure your other creatures can get through for damage without being blocked, often leading to your opponent losing more cards than you, effectively creating a card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Shinen of Life’s Roar itself may not provide resource acceleration in the traditional sense of ramping your mana, it does contribute to your board presence by offering a creature that can either be cast early or used later for its channel ability. This versatility ensures you’re making the most of your mana at any stage of the game.

Instant Speed: The channel ability of Shinen of Life’s Roar can be activated at instant speed. This grants you the flexibility to wait until the most opportune moment during an opponent’s turn to dictate the course of combat. Surprise plays at instant speed can be a pivotal shift in the game, forcing the opponent to reassess their strategy and potentially making their previous turn ineffective.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When deploying Shinen of Life’s Roar, players must remain aware of its channel ability, which requires discarding the card as part of the cost. This can deplete your hand and leave you with fewer options later in the game, so timing and hand management become crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: The Shinen demands green mana exclusively for casting, which can restrict flexibility for some deck archetypes. If your pool lacks sufficient forests or other sources of green mana, it might be challenging to capitalize on its benefits consistently, especially in multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of two green mana for its relatively modest 1/2 body, Shinen of Life’s Roar can feel somewhat expensive. Considering the fast-paced nature of many games, investing two mana in a low-impact creature might not always align with an aggressive strategy, potentially slowing down your momentum on the battlefield.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Shinen of Life’s Roar offers a unique flexibility to green decks, enabling disguised attacks as it forces opponents to block creatures they might not be prepared for. Its channel ability further enhances its appeal, allowing for tactical plays even from the graveyard.

Combo Potential: This card can work wonders in decks that benefit from creature-targeted spells or abilities. With its ability to give all creatures you control “All creatures able to block Shinen of Life’s Roar do so,” it can pave the way for devastating combos with creatures that have powerful attack triggers.

Meta-Relevance: Given that creature-based strategies are common across various formats, Shinen of Life’s Roar maintains relevance by disrupting opponent’s defense lines, making it a fine addition to any collection tailored for competitive gaming or adapting to changing metagames.

How to Beat

Shinen of Life’s Roar is an intriguing card that can manifest itself as a thorn in many strategies within Magic: The Gathering. It has the ability to force a sweep of an opponent’s creatures into blocking it due to its Channel ability, which can upset one’s tactical setup. To overcome this creature, one effective approach is using removal spells that can target it before it activates its Channel ability. Spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile, which can be played at instant speed, offer a swift response to the Shinen’s activation.

Moreover, having countermeasures such as counterspells ready can negate the use of its ability altogether. Cards like Counterspell or Mana Leak serve this purpose well, keeping your strategy intact. For those with a preference for a more direct approach, utilizing creatures with protection from green or those that can’t be blocked by creatures with power 2 or less can avoid the forced block scenario, maintaining your board’s stance unaffected by the Shinen’s roar.

Tackling the Shinen of Life’s Roar requires foresight and a prepared defense. Whether it’s through precise removal, strategic counters, or clever creature selection, you can ensure that your strategy remains unshaken by its formidable presence on the battlefield.

Cards like Shinen of Life's Roar

Shinen of Life’s Roar provides an intriguing dynamic to green’s arsenal in Magic: The Gathering, bringing a unique ability to the table. It bears resemblance to cards like Siren’s Call, which also forces opponents’ creatures into combat. Unlike Siren’s Call, though, Shinen of Life’s Roar allows you to single out an opponent and prevent their choice of blockers with its channel ability.

Further comparability can be drawn with Taunting Elf. Both cards compel opponent’s creatures to block in some fashion, ensuring your other creatures can hit the opponent unobstructed. Where Shinen of Life’s Roar excels is in the flexibility it provides. You can use it as a creature when needed or take advantage of the channel mechanic for a surprise during combat.

Lastly, Lure is also a card from green’s toolkit that shares the allure effect. It’s continuously effective while the card is attached to a creature. However, Shinen of Life’s Roar offers a one-time, more immediate solution, which in certain situations, can be more beneficial in sealing the game.

Considering its versatility, Shinen of Life’s Roar has a unique spot among MTG ‘lure’ effects, offering a blend of combat strategy and surprise that is hard to replicate in other cards.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Shinen of Life's Roar MTG card by a specific set like Saviors of Kamigawa and Archenemy, 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 Shinen of Life's Roar and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Shinen of Life's Roar Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2005-06-03 and 2010-06-18. Illustrated by Matt Cavotta.