Sphinx of Uthuun MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Sphinx
Abilities Flying
Power 5
Toughness 6

Key Takeaways

  1. Sphinx of Uthuun grants card advantage with its “Fact or Fiction” ability, providing strategic options.
  2. The card indirectly aids resource acceleration by sifting through your library for needed spells or lands.
  3. While not instant speed itself, it can draw into instant-speed spells, bolstering reactive play capabilities.

Text of card

Flying When Sphinx of Uthuun enters the battlefield, reveal the top five cards of your library. An opponent separates those cards into two piles. Put one pile into your hand and the other into your graveyard.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Sphinx of Uthuun delivers a significant boost in card advantage, due to its “Fact or Fiction” ability upon entering the battlefield. This lets you reveal the top five cards of your library and provides a potential gain in card quantity, ensuring you have plenty of options as the game progresses.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing traditional resource acceleration, Sphinx of Uthuun can indirectly accelerate your resources. By digging deeper into your library for lands or other key spells, it helps you access what you need more efficiently, effectively speeding up your gameplay.

Instant Speed: While Sphinx of Uthuun itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, the cards it draws into can be instant-speed spells. This potentially improves your position by giving you access to immediate responses as well as the plans you’ve been advancing.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For the Sphinx of Uthuun, an absence of a discard requirement presents a unique challenge; it curtails strategies that are based around discarding as a benefit or for triggering effects, thus potentially clashing with synergistic deck designs that capitalize on discard mechanics.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost demands two blue mana, making it somewhat restrictive for multicolored decks that may struggle to generate the necessary blue mana consistently, especially in the earlier turns where mana flexibility is paramount.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a seven mana value (five generic and two blue), the Sphinx of Uthuun may arrive too late in games where speed is of the essence. The high investment often pits this sphinx against other high-impact cards in the same mana range, which might offer immediate board presence or game-changing effects.


Reasons to Include Sphinx of Uthuun in Your Collection

Versatility: Sphinx of Uthuun is a flexible card that can be a game-changer in multiple deck archetypes. It serves as both a potent threat and a source of card advantage, making it useful in a variety of blue-based decks, from control to midrange.

Combo Potential: With its Fact or Fiction-like ability on entering the battlefield, Sphinx of Uthuun can dig for combo pieces or set up graveyard strategies. It’s a great addition to decks that leverage the graveyard or rely on specific interactions to unlock their full potential.

Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to fit well in control decks and its resilience against single-target removal, Sphinx of Uthuun holds its place in environments where longer games prevail. Its presence on the board can tilt the scales in your favor by providing card selection and a significant flying threat.


How to Beat Sphinx of Uthuun

Confronting Sphinx of Uthuun in Magic: The Gathering can be a strategic hurdle. This formidable flier not only dominates the skies but also offers a powerful card advantage through its Fact or Fiction-like reveal when it enters the battlefield. However, there are ways to neutralize its impact. Engaging in counter-play, for instance, is an effective method. Counterspells like Negate or Cancel can prevent the Sphinx from ever taking flight, stopping the creature and its card advantage in its tracks.

Removal spells are also key in handling this threat. Swift responses such as Doom Blade, Go for the Throat, or Path to Exile can mitigate the problem before it amplifies. Additionally, keeping instant-speed removal in hand allows for adaptability against its Fact or Fiction effect. Board wipes like Wrath of God can clean up if the Sphinx does start to exert its influence on the game state.

Moreover, pressure and tempo play crucial roles. Deploying a quick aggressive strategy can outpace the Sphinx’s value gain and force an opponent on the back foot. Through careful play and reactive measures, Sphinx of Uthuun’s advantage is surmountable, ensuring that even the most enigmatic threats in Magic: The Gathering can be overcome.


BurnMana Recommendations

Wrapping up our dive into the world of MTG, Sphinx of Uthuun has surfaced as a multifaceted asset for any player’s deck. Whether you’re looking to intimidate opponents with a towering aerial presence or to seamlessly sift through your deck for the right cards, this creature is a brilliantly strategic choice. With its power to tip the scales in longer matches and to complement intricate combos, it’s an essential addition for anyone who prizes strategy and adaptability. If your curiosity is piqued and you’re hungry for more insights on optimizing your deck or mastering your gameplay, don’t miss out. Continue your exploration with us and unlock the full potential of your MTG collection.


Cards like Sphinx of Uthuun

Sphinx of Uthuun is a noteworthy card when it comes to providing card advantage in Magic: The Gathering. This card bears resemblance to Fact or Fiction, another formidable spell that reveals cards from the top of the library and divides them into two piles. Players then choose one pile to add to their hand. Sphinx of Uthuun mirrors this effect with its ‘Flying’ ability, giving it a distinct edge as it doubles as a substantial aerial threat.

Consecrated Sphinx is another comparable creature that shines in the draw department, though it operates differently. It triggers whenever an opponent draws a card, allowing its controller to draw two cards in return. This results in potentially more cards, but it does rely on opponents’ actions. Also, similar to our featured card, Frost Titan can be a valuable asset, especially in locking down the battlefield. Its ability to tap and freeze an opponent’s permanent upon entering the battlefield or attacking serves a different strategic purpose. However, it doesn’t guarantee card advantage like Sphinx of Uthuun does.

Thus, in the category of blue creatures that impact the game with both their presence and potent abilities, Sphinx of Uthuun stands as a compelling choice for players who value card selection coupled with an impressive creature.

Fact or Fiction - MTG Card versions
Consecrated Sphinx - MTG Card versions
Frost Titan - MTG Card versions
Fact or Fiction - Invasion (INV)
Consecrated Sphinx - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Frost Titan - Magic 2011 (M11)

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Phyrexian Ingester - Commander Masters (CMM)
Alhammarret, High Arbiter - Magic Origins (ORI)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sphinx of Uthuun MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2012 and Duel Decks: Venser vs. Koth, 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 Sphinx of Uthuun and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sphinx of Uthuun Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 2011-07-15 and 2020-11-20. Illustrated by Kekai Kotaki.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12011-07-15Magic 2012M12 762003normalblackKekai Kotaki
22012-03-30Duel Decks: Venser vs. KothDDI 222003normalblackKekai Kotaki
32012-07-13Magic 2013M13 692003normalblackKekai Kotaki
42014-09-05Duel Decks: Speed vs. CunningDDN 592015normalblackKekai Kotaki
52014-11-07Commander 2014C14 1282015normalblackKekai Kotaki
62017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 742015normalblackKekai Kotaki
72018-08-09Commander 2018C18 1042015normalblackKekai Kotaki
82020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 4062015normalblackKekai Kotaki

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sphinx of Uthuun has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2017-11-17 A pile can have no cards in it. In this case, you'll choose whether to put all the revealed cards into your hand or into your graveyard.
2017-11-17 In multiplayer games, you choose an opponent to separate the cards when the ability resolves. This doesn't target that opponent. Because the cards are revealed, all players may see the cards and offer opinions.
2017-11-17 You (not your opponent) choose which pile to put into your hand and which to put into your graveyard.

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