Temur Sabertooth MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Cat
Power 4
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Sabertooth excels in card advantage by saving and reusing creatures with beneficial effects.
  2. This card’s instant speed ability adds unexpected flexibility and surprise in gameplay.
  3. While powerful, its specific mana requirements and cost can limit its early game impact.

Text of card

: You may return another creature you control to its owner's hand. If you do, Temur Sabertooth gains indestructible until end of turn.

The Temur see themselves as a pack, their bonds more primal than the Abzan's.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The resilience of Temur Sabertooth allows you to protect your valuable creatures from threats, effectively generating card advantage by saving creatures that would otherwise be lost. Utilize its ability to return a creature to your hand, thus preserving potent ETB (Enter the Battlefield) effects or dodging removal spells.

Resource Acceleration: Temur Sabertooth can be key to ramp strategies as it enables the reuse of creatures with land-fetching abilities. When paired with creatures that can untap lands or generate mana upon entering the battlefield, Sabertooth can facilitate massive bursts of resource acceleration.

Instant Speed: The ability to activate Temur Sabertooth’s bounce effect at instant speed vastly increases its tactical applications. It allows you to react to your opponent’s actions during their turn, becoming a formidable tool for combat tricks or dodging sorcery-speed removal. This flexibility ensures your turns are always full of potential and surprise.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When utilizing Temur Sabertooth’s ability to return another creature you control to your hand, you have to commit to a board state where you might be discarding valuable creatures. This can sometimes lead to a diminishing of resources, especially if you’re not set up to capitalize on the returned creature’s re-cast.

Specific Mana Cost: Temur Sabertooth demands both green mana and another color, which could be restrictive for decks that don’t have a consistent mana base to support this combination. Players have to ensure their deck’s mana can accommodate this creature’s activation cost to use it effectively.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activation cost of two energy along with its casting cost, Temur Sabertooth can be fairly mana-intensive. While its ability to protect itself and other creatures is valuable, there may be situations where its cost doesn’t align with the pace a player needs, particularly in the early game when establishing board presence is crucial.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Temur Sabertooth can play a pivotal role across various deck builds, enabling players to reuse creatures with powerful enter-the-battlefield effects or dodge removal spells, making it a flexible addition to any collection.

Combo Potential: Its ability to return another creature you control to your hand allows it to set off an array of combo plays, becoming a linchpin in engines that capitalize on repeated creature casts or activations.

Meta-Relevance: In game settings where board wipes and control are prevalent, Temur Sabertooth offers resilience, helping to preserve your board presence and maintain momentum in the face of adversity.


How to Beat

Temur Sabertooth has established itself as a formidable creature in the world of Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to return another creature you control to your hand highly complicates your opponent’s removal strategies. Despite its strengths, overcoming this card is not an insurmountable task. Direct removal spells that don’t target, such as Wrath of God or Supreme Verdict, can clear the board without allowing the Sabertooth to sidestep destruction by returning creatures to their owner’s hand. Moreover, countering this card before it even touches the battlefield remains a solid tactic – employing counterspells like Cancel or Mana Leak can prevent your opponent from ever gaining the card’s advantage.

Furthermore, exploiting the fact that Temur Sabertooth’s ability requires mana to activate opens a window to strike. Applying pressure in the early game can strain your opponent’s mana reserves, making it harder for them to utilize the card’s defensive capability. Edict effects, which force a player to sacrifice a creature, bypass the choice and can remove the Sabertooth outright. Look towards cards such as Diabolic Edict or Liliana of the Veil to implement this strategy effectively.

To conclude, while Temur Sabertooth presents a unique challenge, understanding its mechanics and maintaining a strategic deck composition can turn the tide in your favor, showcasing the intricate balance of power in Magic: The Gathering.


BurnMana Recommendations

Temur Sabertooth’s tactical prowess in MTG can enhance any deck, offering protection, reusability, and board control. This versatile creature shines in metagames filled with board wipes and targeted removal. It propels combos forward and safeguards your valuable creatures from being sidelined. Considering its comparative advantages and few drawbacks, integrating Temur Sabertooth into your arsenal could vastly improve your game strategy. Are you ready to tap into the full potential of your playstyle? Embrace the opportunity to revisit your deck’s dynamics, unlock new combo possibilities, and refine your approach to overcome any challenge. Journey deeper into the world of MTG with us and discover how to make every match an exhibition of mastery and cunning.


Cards like Temur Sabertooth

The versatility of Temur Sabertooth in MTG can provide a significant edge in games, offering a combination of protection and repeatable use of creature abilities. Looking at analogues, Temur Sabertooth draws some comparison to Whisperwood Elemental due to its ability to manipulate the battlefield and its creatures. Yet, it omits the manifest strategy and end-step clause that defines the Elemental.

Another peer in this realm is Erratic Portal, which also allows you to return creatures to your hand. With Temur Sabertooth, the return mechanism is restricted to creatures you control, yet it doesn’t limit you to once per turn, and it doubles as a creature itself. The Portal, while less restrictively allowing return of any creatures, it doesn’t bolster your defense with a solid body on the field. Crystal Shard functions similarly, but trades permanence and consistent activation cost for the flexibility of impacting opponents’ creatures too.

Therefore, when we delve into stability, reusability, and resistance to removal, Temur Sabertooth stands out. Its enduring presence and limitless comeback potential for your creatures ensure it is a mainstay in decks leveraging these tactics, asserting itself as a uniquely multifaceted asset in MTG.

Whisperwood Elemental - MTG Card versions
Erratic Portal - MTG Card versions
Crystal Shard - MTG Card versions
Whisperwood Elemental - Fate Reforged (FRF)
Erratic Portal - Exodus (EXO)
Crystal Shard - Mirrodin (MRD)

Cards similar to Temur Sabertooth by color, type and mana cost

Giant Spider - MTG Card versions
Marsh Viper - MTG Card versions
Scarwood Bandits - MTG Card versions
Carnivorous Plant - MTG Card versions
Erhnam Djinn - MTG Card versions
War Mammoth - MTG Card versions
Aurochs - MTG Card versions
Lhurgoyf - MTG Card versions
Jackalope Herd - MTG Card versions
Golden Bear - MTG Card versions
Argothian Swine - MTG Card versions
Elvish Piper - MTG Card versions
Erithizon - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Cutter - MTG Card versions
Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Fungusaur - MTG Card versions
Monkey Monkey Monkey - MTG Card versions
Matsu-Tribe Birdstalker - MTG Card versions
Order of the Sacred Bell - MTG Card versions
Anaconda - MTG Card versions
Giant Spider - Tenth Edition (10E)
Marsh Viper - The Dark (DRK)
Scarwood Bandits - The Dark (DRK)
Carnivorous Plant - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Erhnam Djinn - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
War Mammoth - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Aurochs - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Lhurgoyf - World Championship Decks 1997 (WC97)
Jackalope Herd - Exodus (EXO)
Golden Bear - Portal Second Age (P02)
Argothian Swine - Urza's Saga (USG)
Elvish Piper - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Erithizon - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Skyshroud Cutter - Nemesis (NEM)
Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Fungusaur - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Monkey Monkey Monkey - Unhinged (UNH)
Matsu-Tribe Birdstalker - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Order of the Sacred Bell - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Anaconda - Ninth Edition (9ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Temur Sabertooth MTG card by a specific set like Fate Reforged and Commander 2017, 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 Temur Sabertooth and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Temur Sabertooth Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2015-01-23 and 2022-04-29. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12015-01-23Fate ReforgedFRF 1412015normalblackMike Sass
22017-08-25Commander 2017C17 1592015normalblackMike Sass
32019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 3082015normalborderlessCrocodile Jackson
42020-09-26The ListPLST FRF-1412015normalblackMike Sass
52022-02-25Year of the Tiger 2022PL22 12015normalblackTSWCK
62022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 3152015normalblackMike Sass

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Temur Sabertooth has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2014-11-24 You choose whether to return a creature and which creature to return as the activated ability resolves. This doesn't target any creature.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks