Petra Sphinx MTG Card

Legends (LEG)
1994-06-01 - Number 30

Chronicles (CHR)
1995-07-01 - Number 10

Masters Edition (ME1)
2007-09-10 - Number 23

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Sphinx
Power	3
Toughness	4

Key Takeaways

Petra Sphinx offers card advantage by successfully guessing top deck cards, enhancing in-game resource flow.
Activation cost and specific white mana requirement limit agility within multicolored decks and rapid gameplay.
Though not a competitive staple, its unique ability provides strategic depth for casual or commander decks.

Text of card

oc T: Target player names a card and then turns over the top card of his or her library. If it matches the named card, the card is put in the player's hand; otherwise it is put into the graveyard.

What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Petra Sphinx presents an intriguing opportunity for card advantage. By correctly guessing the top card of your deck, you maintain a flow of cards into your hand, thereby outpacing opponents in resources.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly a resource accelerator, Petra Sphinx’s ability to effectively “draw” cards can indirectly lead to accelerating your resources by consistently hitting land drops or finding key spells faster.

Instant Speed: While Petra Sphinx itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it synergizes well with instant-speed deck manipulation or scry effects. This allows players to set up the top of their deck during an opponent’s turn, ensuring successful guesses and continuous card advantage.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Petra Sphinx necessitates a guess about the top card of your library, leading to an unwanted card discard if your presumption is incorrect. This gamble can deplete your hand quickly, leaving you at a strategic disadvantage in the long game.

Specific Mana Cost: Petra Sphinx’s casting cost is specific to white mana, requiring a predefined commitment to white mana sources in your deck. This can restrict deck flexibility and make it harder to cast in multicolored decks that may not always have the necessary white mana sources available.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana cost sitting at five, including two white mana, Petra Sphinx’s activation ability presents a higher investment than many other creatures with a similar or more impactful abilities. In contexts where speed and efficiency are paramount, its cost can be a barrier to its playability.

Reasons to Include Petra Sphinx in Your Collection

Versatility: Petra Sphinx’s unique guessing game ability allows it to seamlessly adapt to various strategies, giving you an edge as you outwit opponents, making it a curious addition to any deck that enjoys interactive play.

Combo Potential: In combination with scrying or library manipulation effects, Petra Sphinx can become a powerful tool, turning a whimsical ability into a consistent advantage by ensuring the right card is known and drawing it efficiently.

Meta-Relevance: While it may not be a staple in the current competitive scenes, Petra Sphinx offers a nostalgic appeal and can shine in the right casual or commander decks that thrive on strategic depth and unpredictability.

How to Beat

Tackling the enigma that is Petra Sphinx in your MTG matches requires a strategic approach. This quirky creature forces players to guess the top card of their library, and when guessed correctly, rewards them with card draw. It’s a unique challenge that tests both memory and luck, but don’t worry, it’s not infallible.

One effective strategy is to employ instant-speed removal or counter spells before the Sphinx’s ability has a chance to activate. Removing it from play quickly is key, so prioritize spells like Murder or Counterspell. Alternatively, deck manipulation is also a viable strategy. By utilizing scrying effects or rearranging the top of your library with cards like Brainstorm, guessing becomes significantly easier and the Sphinx less of a threat.

Lastly, consider cards that provide information about the top card of your library. Clear the Mind can reshuffle your graveyard into your library, simplifying the guessing game. Overall, plan carefully, utilize your knowledge of your own deck, and keep those instant-speed answers at the ready to take down Petra Sphinx.

Cards like Petra Sphinx

The Petra Sphinx is an intriguing creature card that brings a guessing game to Magic: The Gathering battles. Its unique ability, which challenges players to reveal the top card of their library and guess its name, echoes the strategy-defining mechanics of cards like Precognition Field. This enchantment allows players to look at the top card of their library anytime, offering a continuous edge unlike the one-time ability of Petra Sphinx.

Conversely, there’s the enchantment Future Sight, which reveals the top card of a player’s library permanently, making the guessing game of Petra Sphinx somewhat obsolete. Future Sight lets you play the top card, but it doesn’t require naming it first. The Sphinx still holds its ground as a formidable creature with a power and toughness of 3/4, while both Precognition Field and Future Sight do not provide a physical presence on the battlefield.

Petra Sphinx, ultimately, provides a fun and interactive way to potentially draw cards with a bit of risk involved. While other cards provide similar effects with less risk, none do so in quite the same way as this enigmatic Sphinx, offering players a unique twist on library manipulation and potential card advantage.

Cards similar to Petra Sphinx by color, type and mana cost

Enduring Angel // Angelic Enforcer - MTG Card versions

Celestial Gatekeeper - MTG Card versions

Kiyomaro, First to Stand - MTG Card versions

Shu Elite Companions - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Petra Sphinx MTG card by a specific set like Legends and Chronicles, 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 Petra Sphinx and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Petra Sphinx Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1994-06-01 and 2007-09-10. Illustrated by Sandra Everingham.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1994-06-01	Legends	LEG	30	1993	Normal	Black	Sandra Everingham
2	1995-07-01	Chronicles	CHR	10	1993	Normal	White	Sandra Everingham
3	2007-09-10	Masters Edition	ME1	23	1997	Normal	Black	Sandra Everingham

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Petra Sphinx has restrictions

Format	Legality
Oldschool	Legal
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2004-10-04	If the targeted player’s library is empty, that player still names a card, but nothing further happens. That player will not lose the game.