Sakashima of a Thousand Faces MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Rogue
Abilities Partner
Power 3
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. The card provides double the impact with clone effects, enhancing board presence and utility.
  2. Requires strategic deck-building to mitigate its higher mana cost and specific mana requirements.
  3. Offers high meta-relevance with its ability to imitate the strongest creatures in play.

Text of card

You may have Sakashima of a Thousand Faces enter the battlefield as a copy of another creature you control, except it has Sakashima of a Thousand Faces's other abilities. The "legend rule" doesn't apply to permanents you control. Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sakashima of a Thousand Faces excels at providing card advantage by allowing you to copy another creature, effectively having two powerful creatures on the board for the price of one. This can lead to overwhelming board states where you have access to more abilities and attack power than your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, the ability to duplicate the best creatures on the board, including those with resource acceleration capabilities, can rapidly increase your effective mana and resource availability, giving you an edge in the mid to late game.

Instant Speed: Though Sakashima itself does not have instant speed, it can copy creatures with flash or creatures with abilities that can be activated at instant speed. This flexibility allows players to adapt and respond to an opponent’s actions with potentially game-changing effects. Furthermore, Sakashima’s ability to enter as a copy of a creature equipped with these traits instantly means you can capitalize on surprise tactics, often catching opponents unprepared.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One notable drawback of Sakashima of a Thousand Faces is that its clone effect hinges on having another creature on the battlefield to copy. This requirement can lead to suboptimal plays, especially if your hand is low on creatures, thereby forcing a discard that might otherwise have been avoided.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes both blue and generic mana, decks that run Sakashima need to be tailored with a reliable mana base. This can often limit deck-building choices, ensuring that only those with access to sufficient blue sources can consider including Sakashima effectively.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing four mana, two of which are blue, Sakashima is certainly not the cheapest clone effect available in the game. Deck builders may find themselves weighing the unique abilities of Sakashima against other lower-cost alternatives that offer more immediate board presence or other utility benefits.


Reasons to Include Sakashima of a Thousand Faces in Your Collection

Versatility: Sakashima of a Thousand Faces excels in its ability to adapt to various game situations. It can become any creature on the board, allowing it to fit seamlessly into multiple deck archetypes, from clone-focused builds to those capitalizing on powerful legendary creatures.

Combo Potential: This card pairs well with other creatures that have potent enter-the-battlefield effects or game-altering abilities. Its unique rule-breaking effect, which allows the “legend rule” to be ignored, can lead to formidable combinations with other legendary creatures, thus unlocking new strategic avenues.

Meta-Relevance: With a meta that shifts and turns, having a card like Sakashima gives players an edge by being able to mimic the strongest creatures in play, regardless of their own deck’s strategy, making it a relevant choice in diverse metagames. Its presence can sway the course of a match, especially in multiplayer formats where the board state can become complex and dynamic.


How to beat

Sakashima of a Thousand Faces is an intriguing commander in Magic: The Gathering. Known for its ability to bypass the legendary rule, it allows for duplicates of legendary creatures on the battlefield. Although the card can quickly overtake games in the right setup, it’s not unbeatable. Removing the card before the clone ability can be activated is crucial – this means countering it upon casting or using targeted removal after it hits the field.

Strategic players might turn to graveyard disruption to prevent repeated uses from the command zone, as well as employing board wipes to reset the state of play. Using cards that limit the number of non-token creatures a player can control, such as Llawan, Cephalid Empress, also presents a unique countermeasure. Additionally, running instant-speed interaction ensures that you can deal with Sakashima or its clones during your opponent’s turn.

Ultimately, timing and prevention are key. Being aware of your opponent’s mana and potential to cast Sakashima of a Thousand Faces can make all the difference, highlighting the importance of foresight in your strategy. Prevention and timely disruption will be the cornerstone to outmaneuvering a player relying on this potent card.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into the strategic play that Sakashima of a Thousand Faces brings to the table. With this card, possibilities to double down on powerful creatures and combo out can significantly shift the tide of battle in your favor. Building your deck with this card requires planning but the rewards can be game-changing. To truly exploit its potential, consider pairing it with creatures that have impactful abilities. As the MTG meta evolves, having Sakashima in your arsenal may prove invaluable. Join us and discover advanced strategies and synergies that can make Sakashima of a Thousand Faces a cornerstone of your collection.


Cards like Sakashima of a Thousand Faces

Positioned in the strategic world of MTG, Sakashima of a Thousand Faces makes a bold statement among legendary creatures. This card directly parallels with the abilities of cards like Spark Double. Spark Double may copy a creature without the legend rule applying, but it lacks Sakashima’s added benefit of copying any commander throughout the game regardless of the legend rule. This added flexibility assures that Sakashima of a Thousand Faces stands out in commander strategies for its versatility and repeatability.

Comparably, Clever Impersonator offers the ability to copy any nonland permanent, providing even broader imitation potential. However, it doesn’t bypass the legend rule which again, places Sakashima in a league of its own, especially in Singleton formats. Then, there’s the Mirror Gallery, an enchantment that temporarily negates the legend rule as long as it remains on the battlefield. Unlike Sakashima, Mirror Gallery isn’t a creature and requires other components to exploit its full potential.

In scrutinizing their singular talents and contribution to gameplay, Sakashima of a Thousand Faces sits considerably high in value for its unique copy ability and the advantage of freely cloning legendary commanders, hence becoming a formidable contender in the realm of MTG clone effects.

Spark Double - MTG Card versions
Clever Impersonator - MTG Card versions
Mirror Gallery - MTG Card versions
Spark Double - War of the Spark (WAR)
Clever Impersonator - Khans of Tarkir Promos (PKTK)
Mirror Gallery - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Cards similar to Sakashima of a Thousand Faces by color, type and mana cost

Phantasmal Forces - MTG Card versions
Phantom Monster - MTG Card versions
Wall of Vapor - MTG Card versions
Tradewind Rider - MTG Card versions
Archivist - MTG Card versions
Thieving Magpie - MTG Card versions
Inga Rune-Eyes - MTG Card versions
Laboratory Drudge - MTG Card versions
Johnny, Combo Player - MTG Card versions
Dream Prowler - MTG Card versions
Clone - MTG Card versions
Cytoplast Manipulator - MTG Card versions
Crookclaw Transmuter - MTG Card versions
Dreamborn Muse - MTG Card versions
Turtleshell Changeling - MTG Card versions
Glen Elendra Archmage - MTG Card versions
Fatestitcher - MTG Card versions
Argent Sphinx - MTG Card versions
Lumengrid Drake - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Infuser - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Forces - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Phantom Monster - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Wall of Vapor - Chronicles (CHR)
Tradewind Rider - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Archivist - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Thieving Magpie - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Inga Rune-Eyes - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Laboratory Drudge - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Johnny, Combo Player - Unhinged (UNH)
Dream Prowler - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Clone - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Cytoplast Manipulator - Dissension (DIS)
Crookclaw Transmuter - Time Spiral (TSP)
Dreamborn Muse - Tenth Edition (10E)
Turtleshell Changeling - Lorwyn (LRW)
Glen Elendra Archmage - Eventide (EVE)
Fatestitcher - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Argent Sphinx - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Lumengrid Drake - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Vedalken Infuser - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sakashima of a Thousand Faces MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Commander Legends, 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 Sakashima of a Thousand Faces and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Sakashima of a Thousand Faces Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-11-20 and 2020-11-20. Illustrated by Jason A. Engle.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 862362015normalblackJason A. Engle
22020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 5612015normalblackJason A. Engle
32020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 892015normalblackJason A. Engle

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sakashima of a Thousand Faces has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-11-10 An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders.
2020-11-10 Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when Sakashima enters the battlefield. Any "as
-his creature] enters the battlefield" or "
-his creature] enters the battlefield with" abilities of the chosen creature will also work.
2020-11-10 Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards (or 58 cards in a Commander Draft game) of your deck are shuffled to become your library.
2020-11-10 If Sakashima is your commander, it remains your commander even if it's copying another creature. If Sakashima is not your commander, it remains not your commander even if it's copying your commander.
2020-11-10 If Sakashima somehow enters the battlefield at the same time as another creature, it can't become a copy of that creature. You may choose only a creature that's already on the battlefield.
2020-11-10 If another creature becomes a copy of Sakashima, that creature also has Sakashima's other abilities.
2020-11-10 If something refers to your commander while you have two commanders, it refers to one of them of your choice. If you are instructed to perform an action on your commander (e.g. put it from the command zone into your hand due to Command Beacon), you choose one of your commanders at the time the effect happens.
2020-11-10 If the chosen creature has in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.
2020-11-10 If the chosen creature is a token, Sakashima copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that put that token onto the battlefield. Sakashima doesn't become a token in this case.
2020-11-10 If the chosen creature is copying something else, then Sakashima enters the battlefield as whatever the chosen creature copied.
2020-11-10 If you control more than one legendary permanent with the same name and the "legend rule" begins applying again (perhaps because Sakashima of a Thousand Faces leaves the battlefield), you'll immediately have to comply with the rule and put all but one of those permanents into the graveyard.
2020-11-10 If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can only include cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders' combined color identities. If Falthis and Kediss are your commanders, your deck may contain cards with black and/or red in their color identity, but not cards with green, white, or blue.
2020-11-10 Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won't have to pay an additional the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 damage from any one of them, not from both of them combined.
2020-11-10 Sakashima of a Thousand Faces copies exactly what was printed on the original creature (unless that creature is copying something else or is a token; see below), except that it also has Sakashima's other abilities. It doesn't copy whether that creature is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or any Auras and Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that have changed its power, toughness, types, color, or so on. Most notably, if it copies a creature that's not normally a creature, it won't be a creature.
2020-11-10 The "legend rule" is the rule that states that if a player controls two or more legendary permanents with the same name, that player chooses one of them, and the rest are put into their owners' graveyards. (704.5j at the time of this document's creation for those of you scoring at home.)
2020-11-10 To have two commanders, both must have the partner ability as the game begins. Losing the ability during the game doesn't cause either to cease to be your commander.
2020-11-10 While the "legend rule" doesn't apply to permanents you control, you can control any number of legendary permanents with the same name and none of them will be put into the graveyard.
2020-11-10 You can choose two commanders with partner that are the same color or colors. In Commander Draft, you can even choose two of the same commander with partner if you drafted them. If you do this, make sure you keep the number of times you've cast each from the command zone clear for "commander tax" purposes.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks