Fell Shepherd MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 7 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Avatar |
| Released | 2013-11-01 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Commander 2013 |
| Set code | C13 |
| Power | 8 |
| Toughness | 6 |
| Number | 78 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Brad Rigney |
Key Takeaways
- Combines board control with hand replenishment, essential for creature-centric strategies in MTG.
- Its activated abilities at instant speed offer disruptive play options against opponents.
- Requires careful planning due to high casting cost and specific mana requirements.
Text of card
Whenever Fell Shepherd deals combat damage to a player, you may return to your hand all creature cards that were put into your graveyard from the battlefield this turn., Sacrifice another creature: Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Fell Shepherd offers an effective avenue for card advantage as it potentially returns multiple creatures from your graveyard to your hand. This is particularly impactful after you’ve executed a successful attack, allowing you to maintain a strong board presence.
Resource Acceleration: Though not directly providing mana, Fell Shepherd can indeed accelerate your board state. By sacrificing creatures you control, you streamline your gameplay while triggering potent death-related abilities from other cards in your deck.
Instant Speed: While Fell Shepherd operates at sorcery speed, its ability to use its activated power at instant speed gives you the flexibility to choose the most strategically advantageous moment to sacrifice a creature. This can severely disrupt your opponent’s calculations and turn the tide of the game in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: To fully utilize Fell Shepherd’s abilities, you may be obliged to discard cards, which can backfire if your hand is already depleted. This drawback often forces players to make tough decisions on resource management, especially in longer games where hand size becomes crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: Not only does Fell Shepherd come with a specific mana requirement that includes both black and green, but its ability also demands a sacrifice of creature cards to retrieve creatures from your graveyard, creating potential mana curve issues in your deck building.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sitting at seven mana to cast, Fell Shepherd can be a hefty investment, especially when compared to other options in the format. The card’s high cost may deter some players from including it in their decks, as the mana could potentially be allocated to more impactful plays or creatures that offer more immediate benefits to the board state.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Fell Shepherd offers a broad scope when it comes to deck building. Its capability to act as both a creature removal and as a means to return creatures from your graveyard to your hand makes it a valuable asset in decks that manipulate the graveyard or require flexible response options.
Combo Potential: This card thrives in synergetic environments, pairing well with strategies that revolve around sacrificing creatures for value. Since it can potentially clear opponents’ creatures and recur key pieces back to your hand, it can serve as a linchpin in intricate combo setups.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta teeming with creature-based strategies, Fell Shepherd can significantly disrupt your opponents’ plans. The ability to consistently clear the board positions it as a powerful tool in the ever-evolving landscape of competitive play.
How to beat
Fell Shepherd is an intriguing creature card that can sway the battlefield dynamics in your Magic: The Gathering games. This card boasts an ability that allows you to return creature cards from your graveyard to your hand, presenting a significant value for commander formats. In addition, its power to sacrifice other creatures to remove your opponent’s threats can be quite formidable.
One effective strategy to counteract Fell Shepherd’s influence is to limit the card’s ability to engage its sacrifice-triggered ability. Cards that restrict activated abilities like “Phyrexian Revoker” or “Pithing Needle” can be crucial in this scenario. Ensuring creature protection with cards such as “Mother of Runes” or “Vines of Vastwood” could save them from being targeted. Graveyard hate cards like “Rest in Peace” or “Scavenging Ooze” can also curb the card’s ability to recycle creatures, thereby mitigating its impact on the game.
Ultimately, while Fell Shepherd can be a heavy hitter in the right setup, controlling its abilities and keeping your creatures out of the graveyard can be key strategies in dominating the game. Understanding and interrupting the synergies that make Fell Shepherd efficient helps in gaining the upper hand.
Cards like Fell Shepherd
Fell Shepherd serves as a powerful utility in decks centered around creature control in Magic: The Gathering. When comparing it to other cards, Teysa, Orzhov Scion stands out as a key figure with the ability to exploit creature deaths for beneficial effects. Although Teysa doesn’t provide the rampaging clear-out that Fell Shepherd can when it returns creatures to your hand, its ability to exile creatures adds a different strategic advantage.
Another similar card we observe is Sheoldred, Whispering One. This legendary creature brings a recurrent end-of-turn reanimation feature that can be as disruptive as the control Fell Shepherd offers. However, Sheoldred doesn’t give players the choice to act at a moment’s notice since her ability is locked to a specific phase in the turn. Then there’s also Attrition, an enchantment which provides consistent creature removal, though it lacks the sweeping potential and the direct combat benefits supplied by Fell Shepherd’s abilities.
In light of these comparisons, Fell Shepherd holds a unique position with its blend of aggressive board control and hand replenishment. This card is capable of orchestrating decisive swings in gameplay, underscoring its value in creature-heavy strategies within the vast array of Magic: The Gathering cards.
Cards similar to Fell Shepherd by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Fell Shepherd MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2013, 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 Fell Shepherd and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Fell Shepherd has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Fell Shepherd card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-10-17 | Creature cards that were put into your graveyard from any zone other than the battlefield, such as a card that was discarded, won’t return to your hand. |
| 2013-10-17 | Creatures dealt lethal damage at the same time Fell Shepherd deals combat damage to a player will also be returned to your hand from your graveyard. If Fell Shepherd is such a creature (perhaps because it gained trample, attacked a player, and was blocked), it will be one of the creature cards returned to your hand. |
| 2013-10-17 | You can choose a creature as the target of the last ability and sacrifice that same creature to activate the ability. |
