Quilled Sliver MTG Card


Quilled Sliver - Time Spiral
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Sliver
Released2006-10-06
Set symbol
Set nameTime Spiral
Set codeTSP
Power 1
Toughness 1
Number37
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byJohn Matson

Key Takeaways

  1. Quilled Sliver grants every Sliver an ability to ping, offering tactical dominance and card advantage.
  2. Its requirement for specific mana colors may limit deck inclusion, impacting versatility.
  3. Despite a higher mana cost, its strategic defensive benefits make it a worthwhile addition.

Text of card

All Slivers have ": This creature deals 1 damage to target attacking or blocking creature."

"They have long kept us under attack, but we do not lack for ammunition. The very bodies of our foes arm us against them." —Adom Capashen, Benalish hero


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Quilled Sliver provides tactical benefits for Sliver enthusiasts. When it’s on the battlefield, any Sliver you control has “{T}: This creature deals 1 damage to target creature or player.” This effect equips your Slivers with a reusable ping ability, offering a way to chip away at the opponent’s life total or strategically eliminate key creatures, leading to significant card advantage over time as you diminish your opponent’s resources without losing cards yourself.

Resource Acceleration: Although Quilled Sliver itself doesn’t directly offer resource acceleration, it effectively turns each of your Sliver creatures into threats that must be dealt with. This increased threat level can divert your opponent’s resources, thereby slowing them down and indirectly accelerating your board state as they are forced to react to the potential for damage each turn.

Instant Speed: While Quilled Sliver is not an instant, it grants all your Slivers an ability that can be used at instant speed. This flexibility allows you to maximize the use of your mana each turn, holding back Slivers to block or activate their abilities in response to your opponent’s moves, keeping them guessing and adding a layer of depth to your in-game strategy.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike versatile Sliver cards that provide benefits without any downside, Quilled Sliver demands you sacrifice a card from your hand to activate its ability, which can deplete your hand size and force tough decisions when resources are scarce.

Specific Mana Cost: Quilled Sliver’s cast requires both a green and a white mana. For players running multicolored decks, this isn’t usually an issue, but it does make the card less accessible for mono-colored decks or those that do not include green and white mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost comprised of three mana including one green and one white, Quilled Sliver might be considered pricey compared to other Slivers. This becomes especially noticeable when attempting to deploy multiple Slivers quickly to build a formidable presence on the battlefield.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Quilled Sliver slides easily into any Sliver-based deck, offering every Sliver the ability to deal damage before even entering combat. This flexibility can turn the tide in games, allowing Sliver players to control the board and push through additional damage.

Combo Potential: In combination with mana-generating Slivers, Quilled Sliver enables you to create a loop of pinging opponents or their creatures, effectively using your Slivers as both attackers and direct damage dealers, thus amplifying your overall threat level during the game.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to disrupt opponent strategies by removing key creatures and its synergy with numerous Sliver effects, Quilled Sliver maintains relevance. Especially in a local meta that underestimates tribal decks, the card can act as a powerful tool within your Sliver arsenal.


How to Beat Quilled Sliver

Quilled Sliver, hailing from the sliver tribe in Magic: The Gathering, is known for giving all slivers the ability to tap for a single colorless mana to deal 1 damage to target creature or player. This can turn a board full of benign slivers into a hailstorm of pain for your opponent. To overpower this synergy, there are several strategies one might employ.

Firstly, consider using creature removal spells that can target multiple creatures at once, such as board wipes like Wrath of God or Damnation, to clear out slivers before they become a proliferation problem. Targeted removal spells are less effective against Quilled Sliver decks due to the redundancy of sliver abilities. Secondly, countering the Quilled Sliver itself with a spell like Counterspell or Negate when it’s cast can prevent this ability from becoming an in-game factor entirely. Furthermore, cards that restrict activated abilities, like Linvala, Keeper of Silence, can nullify the Quilled Sliver’s potency on the board.

Tackling Quilled Sliver effectively demands anticipation of the sliver synergy and preemptively managing the board state. By disrupting their swarm-like growth or hindering their abilities, you can neutralize the threat and maintain control of the game.


Cards like Quilled Sliver

Quilled Sliver carves its niche among the diverse sliver species in Magic: The Gathering, offering a unique way for Sliver creatures to defend themselves. It’s akin to cards such as Muscle Sliver, which also enhance a Sliver’s abilities, but rather than providing offensive strength, Quilled Sliver empowers your Slivers to deal damage when blocking. This turns every Sliver into a potential threat, deterring opponents from attacking.

Another related card is Thorncaster Sliver, which grants Slivers the ability to deal damage directly to a player or creature when they attack. While not defensively inclined like Quilled Sliver, Thorncaster turns your offensive moves into strategic plays. Then we have Striking Sliver, a card that provides a simpler form of empowerment with first strike, ensuring your Slivers get the upper hand in combat without the need for mana, unlike Quilled Sliver’s activated ability.

In reviewing the synergies and strategic benefits of Sliver cards, Quilled Sliver offers a multifaceted defensive edge, making it a compelling choice for players looking to bolster their defense while maintaining pressure on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering.

Muscle Sliver - MTG Card versions
Thorncaster Sliver - MTG Card versions
Striking Sliver - MTG Card versions
Muscle Sliver - Tempest (TMP)
Thorncaster Sliver - Magic 2014 (M14)
Striking Sliver - Magic 2014 (M14)

Cards similar to Quilled Sliver by color, type and mana cost

White Knight - MTG Card versions
Soul Shepherd - MTG Card versions
Soltari Monk - MTG Card versions
Talon Sliver - MTG Card versions
Keeper of the Light - MTG Card versions
Faith Healer - MTG Card versions
Angelic Page - MTG Card versions
Avenger en-Dal - MTG Card versions
Spirit Weaver - MTG Card versions
Voice of the Blessed - MTG Card versions
Stoneforge Mystic - MTG Card versions
Drannith Magistrate - MTG Card versions
Leonin Lightscribe - MTG Card versions
Silver Knight - MTG Card versions
Longbow Archer - MTG Card versions
Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions
Flumph - MTG Card versions
Cloudreach Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Samite Healer - MTG Card versions
Kor Firewalker - MTG Card versions
White Knight - Duel Decks: Knights vs. Dragons (DDG)
Soul Shepherd - Weatherlight (WTH)
Soltari Monk - Tempest (TMP)
Talon Sliver - Tempest (TMP)
Keeper of the Light - Exodus (EXO)
Faith Healer - Urza's Saga (USG)
Angelic Page - Urza's Saga (USG)
Avenger en-Dal - Nemesis (NEM)
Spirit Weaver - Invasion (INV)
Voice of the Blessed - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
Stoneforge Mystic - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Drannith Magistrate - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)
Leonin Lightscribe - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Silver Knight - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Longbow Archer - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Silverflame Squire // On Alert - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Flumph - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Cloudreach Cavalry - Legions (LGN)
Samite Healer - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Kor Firewalker - DCI Promos (PDCI)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Quilled Sliver MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral, 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 Quilled Sliver and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Quilled Sliver has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2013-07-01 Abilities that Slivers grant, as well as power/toughness boosts, are cumulative. However, for some abilities, like flying, having more than one instance of the ability doesn’t provide any additional benefit.
2013-07-01 If the creature type of a Sliver changes so it’s no longer a Sliver, it will no longer be affected by its own ability. Its ability will continue to affect other Sliver creatures.

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