Sandstone Oracle MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 12 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact Creature — Sphinx
Abilities Flying
Power 4
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides significant card draw based on hand size disparity, refueling strategic options.
  2. Resource acceleration is indirect, offering more plays through a broader mana pool.
  3. High casting cost and specific mana requirements may limit its deck versatility.

Text of card

Flying When Sandstone Oracle enters the battlefield, choose an opponent. If that player has more cards in hand than you, draw cards equal to the difference.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Sandstone Oracle serves as a formidable source of card advantage, particularly in the late game. When it enters the battlefield, its ability can restock your hand, potentially drawing you multiple cards, and thus creating a substantial disparity between you and your opponent’s available resources.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, the Sandstone Oracle can indirectly accelerate your resources. By drawing into more land cards or mana-producing artifacts, it can expand your available mana pool for subsequent turns, enabling more significant plays and faster development of your board state.

Instant Speed: The instant speed of this artifact creature isn’t inherent, but it can be exploited in decks that play at flash speed. With the help of other cards enabling you to cast this sorcery-speed threat at instant speed, you can catch opponents off-guard, making the Sandstone Oracle not just a replenishing mechanism but a surprising blocker or an end-of-turn play that can shift the game’s momentum in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Sandstone Oracle presents a unique challenge as its entry to the battlefield is free of any discard demands. However, its utility largely depends on whether your hand is emptier than your opponent’s, which can be a restrictive condition, especially in a game where hand advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Sandstone Oracle is anchored in a specific mana type, demanding seven colorless mana. This can be a cumbersome requirement in multi-colored decks that might struggle to generate sufficient colorless mana, thereby limiting the flexibility of where this card can be played.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value of seven, Sandstone Oracle enters the realm of high-cost cards. In fast-paced matches, deploying such a costly creature can be inefficient, particularly when there are alternatives in the same mana range that could offer immediate board impact or versatility.


Reasons to Include Sandstone Oracle in Your Collection

Versatility: Sandstone Oracle offers adaptability in decks that struggle with card draw. Being a colorless artifact, it slots seamlessly into nearly any deck, making it a versatile pick for players looking to replenish their hand, regardless of their deck’s color identity.

Combo Potential: With its ability to draw cards equal to the difference in hand sizes when it enters the battlefield, Sandstone Oracle can be a combo enabler in decks that manipulate hand sizes or exploit artifact synergies.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where opponents often have fuller hands—think control or combo decks—Sandstone Oracle becomes increasingly relevant. It not only refills your hand but can also shift the tide of the game by evening out the resource disparity.


How to beat Sandstone Oracle

Sandstone Oracle can seem like a daunting presence on the battlefield, with its capability to refresh a player’s hand when they’re running low on cards. It shines in scenarios where an opponent has drawn more cards than you, rewarding you with a new handful of possibilities. However, overcoming this artifact creature can be simpler than it seems.

Firstly, keeping your hand size in check is crucial. Sandstone Oracle capitalizes on the disparity in hand sizes, so maintaining a relatively even number of cards with your opponent ensures that the Oracle’s effect is minimized. Additionally, utilizing graveyard retrieval spells and abilities can help you maintain card advantage without having to draw extensively from your library, further diminishing the Oracle’s benefit.

Direct removal spells are also effective. Artifact destruction cards or exile spells can dispatch Sandstone Oracle before it has an opportunity to refill an opponent’s hand. Counterspells are also an option, stopping the Oracle dead in its tracks. Lastly, tempo plays and strategies that apply pressure can force your opponent to deploy resources, thereby reducing the chances that Sandstone Oracle can dramatically shift the game in their favor when it hits the field.


BurnMana Recommendations

The strategic intricacies of MTG are fully realized when piloting the right cards in your deck. The value that Sandstone Oracle brings can be monumental, ensuring that you have the resources needed to outmatch your opponents. From card draws that shift the game’s balance to maintaining a solid presence in the skies, this artifact creature offers significant benefits in the right circumstances. As you seek to refine your playstyle and adapt to your opponents’ strategies, embracing the strengths of a card like Sandstone Oracle could be the key to claiming victory. Explore more insights and tips to skillfully integrate this card into your collection and witness how it can transform your gaming experience.


Cards like Sandstone Oracle

Sandstone Oracle, a unique artifact creature card in MTG, finds its place in decks that thrive on card advantage. Invoking comparisons with Mind’s Eye, both cards offer a replenishing hand to players falling behind. However, Sandstone Oracle presents a tangible board presence with its 4/4 flying body. Mind’s Eye doesn’t alter the battlefield but provides a more controlled and consistent card draw mechanism.

Another similar card is the iconic Solemn Simulacrum, affectionately known as Sad Robot among MTG fans. While it provides card draw on death rather than on cast, it also ramps your mana by searching for a basic land upon entering the battlefield. Both cards help out in the late game, but Sandstone Oracle potentially refills your hand immediately, a powerful swing when played at the right moment.

Considering these comparisons, Sandstone Oracle can be an exceptional choice in certain MTG strategies. It shines in situations where you can maximize its ability, turning a resource deficit into an advantage, all while presenting a threat in the air. While it may not have the same flexibility as some of its peers, its impact in the right moment cannot be understated.

Mind's Eye - MTG Card versions
Solemn Simulacrum - MTG Card versions
Mind's Eye - Mirrodin (MRD)
Solemn Simulacrum - Mirrodin (MRD)

Cards similar to Sandstone Oracle by color, type and mana cost

Mishra's War Machine - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Machine - MTG Card versions
Mirror Mirror - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Thopter - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Colossus - MTG Card versions
Lotus Guardian - MTG Card versions
Wondrous Crucible - MTG Card versions
Myr Enforcer - MTG Card versions
Chromatic Orrery - MTG Card versions
Clockwork Dragon - MTG Card versions
Pentavus - MTG Card versions
Darksteel Gargoyle - MTG Card versions
Death-Mask Duplicant - MTG Card versions
Arcbound Lancer - MTG Card versions
Solarion - MTG Card versions
Triskelavus - MTG Card versions
Platinum Angel - MTG Card versions
Sphinx-Bone Wand - MTG Card versions
Myr Battlesphere - MTG Card versions
Akroma's Memorial - MTG Card versions
Mishra's War Machine - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Diabolic Machine - Renaissance (REN)
Mirror Mirror - Unglued (UGL)
Flowstone Thopter - Nemesis (NEM)
Phyrexian Colossus - Duel Decks: Phyrexia vs. the Coalition (DDE)
Lotus Guardian - Invasion (INV)
Wondrous Crucible - The Brothers' War Commander (BRC)
Myr Enforcer - Jumpstart: Historic Horizons (J21)
Chromatic Orrery - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)
Clockwork Dragon - Mirrodin (MRD)
Pentavus - The List (PLST)
Darksteel Gargoyle - Duel Decks: Mirrodin Pure vs. New Phyrexia (TD2)
Death-Mask Duplicant - Darksteel (DST)
Arcbound Lancer - Darksteel (DST)
Solarion - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Triskelavus - Time Spiral (TSP)
Platinum Angel - The Brothers' War Retro Artifacts (BRR)
Sphinx-Bone Wand - Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari (DDJ)
Myr Battlesphere - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)
Akroma's Memorial - The List (PLST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sandstone Oracle MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2015 and Legendary Cube Prize Pack, 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 Sandstone Oracle and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sandstone Oracle Magic the Gathering card was released in 11 different sets between 2015-11-13 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12015-11-13Commander 2015C15 522015normalblackEric Deschamps
22015-11-18Legendary Cube Prize PackPZ1 1252015normalblackEric Deschamps
32017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 2272015normalblackIzzy
42018-06-08Commander Anthology Volume IICM2 2132015normalblackEric Deschamps
52019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 16252015normalblackEric Deschamps
62020-08-07Double Masters2XM 2852015normalblackIzzy
72020-09-25Zendikar Rising CommanderZNC 1162015normalblackIzzy
82020-09-26The ListPLST CM2-2132015normalblackEric Deschamps
92020-09-26The ListPLST C15-522015normalblackEric Deschamps
102020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 3362015normalblackIzzy
112023-05-08From Cute to BrutePCTB 572015normalblackEric Deschamps
122023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 4062015normalblackEric Deschamps

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sandstone Oracle has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sandstone Oracle 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 To draw cards equal to the difference, first determine how many cards you'll draw, then draw that many cards, as modified by replacement effects. For example, if you have two cards in hand and the chosen opponent has five, Thought Reflection will cause you to draw six cards instead of three.
2020-11-10 You choose an opponent while Sandstone Oracle's ability is resolving. No player may take actions between the time you make this choice and the time you draw cards.

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