Cephalid Sage MTG Card
2002-02-04 - Number 29
2016-06-10 - Number 41
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Cephalid |
| Abilities | Threshold |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Cephalid Sage thrives in blue-based decks, utilizing card draw mechanics for hand control.
- The card has combo potential with threshold mechanics and strategic discard benefits.
- To counter it, focus on removal, graveyard disruption, and draw-restriction tactics.
Text of card
Threshold When Cephalid Sage comes into play, draw three cards, then discard two cards from your hand. (You have threshold if seven or more cards are in your graveyard.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Cephalid Sage, in the right scenarios, can be a significant source of card advantage. When paired with effects that increase the number of cards drawn or discarded, this creature can ensure you have a consistent flow of options, replenishing your hand effectively.
Resource Acceleration: Although Cephalid Sage itself does not directly produce additional resources, it enables resource acceleration through its synergy with cards that benefit from draw or discard mechanics, potentially unlocking new play lines and faster deployment of your strategy.
Instant Speed: The ability to activate Cephalid Sage’s draw effect at instant speed adds a layer of flexibility, allowing you to wait until the most opportune moment to refresh your hand, such as in response to an opponent’s move or at the end of their turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: When using the Cephalid Sage, you’re compelled to discard a card to activate its ability. This can lead to an undesired depletion of your hand, especially if you’re in a tight spot and need all the cards you can get.
Specific Mana Cost: To cast the Cephalid Sage, you need not only three generic mana but also one blue. This could potentially restrict the card to decks heavily based on blue mana, limiting its versatility across various deck types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total mana cost of four, this puts the Cephalid Sage in direct competition with other blue creatures and draw spells. When considering the potential for strategic advantage, you may find other options give you more bang for your mana buck.
Reasons to Include Cephalid Sage in Your Collection
Versatility: The adaptability of Cephalid Sage allows it to be a valuable addition to a variety of blue-based decks. Its card drawing ability fits perfectly into strategies focused on building hand advantage and controlling the game.
Combo Potential: This card excels in decks designed to exploit the threshold mechanic or where discarding cards can be leveraged for additional benefits, serving as a cog in intricate combo setups.
Meta-Relevance: With ever-changing deck archetypes, Cephalid Sage can offer much-needed card refreshment, especially important in environments where outpacing the opponent’s strategy could be the key to victory.
How to beat
Cephalid Sage, a valuable card in Magic: The Gathering, provides an interesting dynamic to gameplay with its card drawing mechanism. To effectively outmaneuver this card, players need to recognize its strength in providing a sizeable card advantage. One strategy to counteract this is through spot removal before the card’s threshold ability is activated, thus preventing your opponent from gaining the advantage of drawing three cards. Another tactic is to employ graveyard disruption tools, which inhibit the threshold from ever becoming active.
Utilizing cards that restrict your opponent’s card drawing abilities can also be crucial. These can include Notion Thief or Narset, Parter of Veils, which specifically target the card advantage strategy that Cephalid Sage leverages. Moreover, since Cephalid Sage must be tapped to use its ability, cards that keep creatures tapped or prevent them from untapping also serve as a counter. This ensures that the Sage’s ability is not repeatedly used each turn to the opponent’s benefit.
Overall, understanding the function of Cephalid Sage in MTG informs the development of a plan to diminish its impact on the game. Employing a mixture of removal, disruptive, and preventative strategies will ensure that the Sage’s card drawing capabilities are efficiently mitigated.
Cards like Cephalid Sage
Cephalid Sage offers a specialized mechanism in the realm of card draw within Magic: The Gathering. It functions as a creature that triggers card draw through its Threshold ability, sharing similarities with other card draw creatures like Merfolk Looter. Both cards allow players to draw and discharge cards, yet Cephalid Sage demands a substantial seven cards in the graveyard to activate its potential.
Another card worth mentioning is the Archivist, a creature that, like Cephalid Sage, permits the drawing of cards. However, Archivist does not necessitate a full graveyard. Meanwhile, Alhammarret, High Arbiter plays a different role in the card advantage strategy. It lets the controller peep into an opponent’s hand when it enters the battlefield and also provides ongoing card selection.
Card advantage and draw spells are essential in Magic: The Gathering and creatures like Cephalid Sage present an additional layer of strategy. Emphasizing on threshold, players must balance graveyard management to exploit its full benefit, adding depth to the card’s utility in comparison to counterparts that may offer simpler, but less conditional draw abilities.
Cards similar to Cephalid Sage by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Cephalid Sage MTG card by a specific set like Torment and Eternal Masters, 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 Cephalid Sage and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Cephalid Sage Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2002-02-04 and 2016-06-10. Illustrated by Keith Garletts.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2002-02-04 | Torment | TOR | 29 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Keith Garletts | |
| 2 | 2016-06-10 | Eternal Masters | EMA | 41 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Keith Garletts |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Cephalid Sage has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Cephalid Sage card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2016-06-08 | If you don’t have enough cards in your graveyard at the moment Cephalid Sage enters the battlefield, its threshold ability won’t trigger. If the number of cards in your graveyard changes and Cephalid Sage loses the ability once it has triggered, the ability will still resolve. |
| 2016-06-08 | You draw three cards and discard two cards all while Cephalid Sage’s ability is resolving. Nothing can happen between the two, and no player may choose to take actions. |
