Sift MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Sift provides significant hand advantage, allowing for an increased card selection and strategizing.
  2. The discard requirement can hinder strategic flexibility if not carefully managed within a deck.
  3. Although mana-intensive, Sift’s card selection potential justifies its inclusion in various strategies.

Text of card

Draw three cards, then choose and discard a card.

"Twice I have let the Legacy slip away. Never again." —Karn, silver golem


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sift allows you to draw three cards, thus providing a significant boost in maintaining or expanding your hand advantage over your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: By discarding a card as part of its cost, Sift indirectly supports resource acceleration by enabling you to churn through your deck to find the lands or spells you need precisely when you need them.

Instant Speed: Despite Sift itself not being an instant, the advantage gained can set you up for more efficient instant-speed plays on subsequent turns, keeping you one step ahead of the competition.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When utilizing Sift, the obligation to discard a card following the draw can be detrimental in scenarios where hand size is critical to maintaining strategic options.

Specific Mana Cost: The necessity for a blue mana to cast Sift restricts its integration exclusively within blue or multicolored decks, potentially excluding it from a wider variety of archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a requirement of three generic and one blue mana to cast, Sift faces stiff competition from other card-drawing spells that either cost less or offer additional benefits or flexibility.


Reasons to Include Sift in Your Collection

Versatility: Sift allows players to draw three cards while also choosing what to discard, giving a significant advantage in sculpting the perfect hand. This makes it exceptionally adaptive to numerous deck styles that lean on card advantage.

Combo Potential: Discarding a single card can synergize with graveyard strategies, enabling powerful interactions with reanimation tactics or cards that benefit from being in the graveyard, like flashback spells.

Meta-Relevance: With many decks focusing on card quality and resource management, Sift could seamlessly integrate into a game plan that prioritizes maintaining a hand filled with answers and threats, making it a useful asset in evolving MTG environments.


How to beat

Sift, known for allowing players to draw three cards at the cost of discarding one, presents an advantageous edge in Magic: The Gathering by refreshing the player’s hand. To effectively undermine the benefits Sift provides, consider incorporating disruption tactics in your strategy. Hand disruption cards like Thoughtseize or Duress can strip Sift from an opponent’s grip before they have a chance to use it, significantly reducing their ability to refuel their hand.

Counterspells also serve as a formidable deterrent against Sift. Spells like Mana Leak or Negate offer a solution by nullifying the card before its effects can come into play. Moreover, proactive use of graveyard manipulation through cards like Relic of Progenitus or Scavenging Ooze can make the discarded card a liability rather than a stepping stone to drawing more cards. Above all, maintaining pressure and reducing the window of opportunity for your opponent to effectively use Sift can tilt the scales in your favor, dampening the impact of their card draws.

By addressing Sift’s potential influence on the game with thought-out counterplays, you can mitigate its advantage and keep your opponent’s card advantage in check, thereby maintaining a stronger position throughout the game.


Cards like Sift

Sift is an intriguing card within the realm of card draw spells in MTG, offering players a chance to draw three cards at the expense of discarding one. Standing alongside Sift is the well-known Concentrate, which allows a clean draw of three cards without any additional requirement. While Concentrate offers an unconditional draw, it doesn’t provide the selective advantage Sift does in potentially filtering out unwanted cards from your hand.

Another spell bearing similarity to Sift is Compulsive Research. This spell provides a similar drawing capability, but with a nuanced choice – discard two cards unless one is a land. While it offers more flexibility in discarding, it does not guarantee the same volume of card draw for nonland cards as Sift. Then there’s Thirst for Knowledge, a counterpart that comes with instant speed but typically compromises quantity for quality, offering three cards with the condition of discarding either two cards or an artifact.

Assessing the balance between card advantage and deck efficiency, Sift holds a distinctive position. It may not be the quickest or the most unconditional, but its capacity for selection and the substantial quantity of cards it provides can be integral for setting up the right hand, making it a valued choice among card draw spells in the nuanced strategy of the game.

Concentrate - MTG Card versions
Compulsive Research - MTG Card versions
Thirst for Knowledge - MTG Card versions
Concentrate - Odyssey (ODY)
Compulsive Research - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Thirst for Knowledge - Mirrodin (MRD)

Cards similar to Sift by color, type and mana cost

Juxtapose - MTG Card versions
Baki's Curse - MTG Card versions
Touch of Brilliance - MTG Card versions
Polymorph - MTG Card versions
Diminishing Returns - MTG Card versions
Counterintelligence - MTG Card versions
Ransack - MTG Card versions
Rhystic Scrying - MTG Card versions
Wash Out - MTG Card versions
Dematerialize - MTG Card versions
Deep Analysis - MTG Card versions
Tempted by the Oriq - MTG Card versions
Inscription of Insight - MTG Card versions
Airborne Aid - MTG Card versions
Peer Pressure - MTG Card versions
Mouth to Mouth - MTG Card versions
Distant Melody - MTG Card versions
Sleep - MTG Card versions
Argivian Restoration - MTG Card versions
Vivisection - MTG Card versions
Juxtapose - Masters Edition (ME1)
Baki's Curse - Homelands (HML)
Touch of Brilliance - Portal Second Age (P02)
Polymorph - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Diminishing Returns - Masters Edition (ME1)
Counterintelligence - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Ransack - Starter 1999 (S99)
Rhystic Scrying - Prophecy (PCY)
Wash Out - IDW Comics 2014 (PI14)
Dematerialize - Odyssey (ODY)
Deep Analysis - Commander Masters (CMM)
Tempted by the Oriq - Strixhaven: School of Mages Promos (PSTX)
Inscription of Insight - Zendikar Rising (ZNR)
Airborne Aid - Onslaught (ONS)
Peer Pressure - Onslaught (ONS)
Mouth to Mouth - Unhinged (UNH)
Distant Melody - Wilds of Eldraine Commander (WOC)
Sleep - Magic 2011 (M11)
Argivian Restoration - The List (PLST)
Vivisection - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sift MTG card by a specific set like Stronghold and Ninth Edition, 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 Sift and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sift Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 1998-03-02 and 2020-08-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-03-02StrongholdSTH 421997normalblackPete Venters
22005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 982003normalwhiteJeremy Jarvis
32005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 98★2003normalblackJeremy Jarvis
42007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 1082003normalblackJeremy Jarvis
52015-05-06Tempest RemasteredTPR 672015normalblackPete Venters
62018-03-16Masters 25A25 732015normalblackPete Venters
72018-07-13Core Set 2019M19 722015normalblackJeremy Jarvis
82020-08-07Double Masters2XM 692015normalblackJeremy Jarvis

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sift has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

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