Serf MTG Card
| Type | Token Creature — Serf |
| Released | 2016-06-10 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Eternal Masters |
| Set code | EMA |
| Power | 0 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 5 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Token |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Aaron Miller |
Key Takeaways
- Serf cards can provide card advantage and resource acceleration, crucial for maintaining a strong board position.
- Despite potentially high mana costs, they’re versatile and can influence the game by facilitating combos or blocking.
- Counter Serf strategies with board-clearing spells and disrupt synergies to manage swarms and maintain control.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Serf card often comes with abilities that can lead to a substantial boost in a player’s hand or battlefield presence. This is pivotal for securing the upper hand and creating options for future turns.
Resource Acceleration: This card can work wonders in ramping up your mana resources. Whether it’s tapping for mana or helping you deploy other resources quicker, it proves to be a solid choice for speeding up your gameplay and staying ahead of the curve.
Instant Speed: If a Serf card can be played at instant speed, it grants you the flexibility to adapt to the game as it unfolds. Not only does this keep your opponents guessing, it also enables strategic responses to their actions without compromising your turn plans.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Serf cards typically necessitate players to discard other cards to trigger abilities or enhance performance. This discard mechanic can put the player at a disadvantage, especially in a tight game where every card in hand counts toward a possible victory.
Specific Mana Cost: Some Serf cards come with a very specific mana requirement that can be challenging to meet in multi-colored decks. A commitment to their colors means sacrificing deck versatility and can potentially slow down your game strategy.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Many Serf cards come with a commanding mana cost when compared to other creatures of similar strength. This cost can make them less effective for their mana value, particularly when faster, lower cost options could contribute to your board presence or overall strategy much sooner.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: The serf MTG card slots into various deck archetypes due to its ability to serve as an early blocker or a sacrifice outlet. This card’s adaptability makes it a strategic component in decks focusing on token generation or defensive tactics.
Combo Potential: Given its nature as a low-cost creature, the serf can synergize with numerous combo pieces that benefit from having multiple creatures on the field. It’s particularly effective in engines that capitalize on sacrificing creatures for value or combo-based win conditions.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where aggro decks are prevalent, having a serf card can help stabilize early-game onslaughts. Moreover, its utility in sacrifice strategies can dismantle opponents’ boards in long-drawn control matchups, making it a versatile pick for shifting metagames.
How to beat
The Serf MTG card presents a unique challenge when encountered on the battlefield. As a token creature that’s often generated by other cards like Sengir Autocrat, it’s part of a strategy that can overwhelm opponents with numerous weak units. To efficiently manage and take control against Serf tokens, board-clearing spells can be extremely effective. Spells like Wrath of God or Damnation which destroy all creatures are particularly useful for resetting the board. This helps remove the clutter of multiple tokens and allows you to focus on more significant threats.
In gameplay settings where Serf tokens are supported by other, more powerful cards aimed at buffing such tokens, it becomes essential to disrupt these synergies. Spot removal spells that target enablers or enchantments, such as Disenchant or Naturalize, can break the backbone of a token strategy. Direct creature removal like Path to Exile or Doom Blade can also be useful in taking out key creatures that are generating or empowering the Serf tokens.
Remember, addressing the root cause – the cards that create and buff the serfs – is the most sustainable strategy to gain the upper hand. Keeping a balanced mix of removal spells in your deck is a well-rounded approach to counter this and other swarm strategies in your Magic: The Gathering matches.
Cards like Serf
The Serf card in Magic: The Gathering holds a unique place as a token producer among the vast array of MTG cards. It’s often compared to other token-generating cards such as Thraben Doomsayer, which also creates creatures, albeit with a different flavor and application. Thraben Doomsayer summons 1/1 white Human tokens and can influence the board by turning into a rallying point for a tokens strategy.
Seeking parallels, Raise the Alarm is an immediate contender, creating two 1/1 white Soldier tokens at instant speed. While Serf tokens are smaller, less impactful individually, the ability to amass them over time with cards such as Serf-bound Peasantry can provide a persistent threat or defensive strategy. Another similar card is Dragon Fodder, producing two 1/1 red Goblin tokens, offering quicker, albeit temporary, tactical advantages in the battlefield. Dragon Fodder sacrifices the potential for long-term token generation in favor of immediate board presence.
Ultimately, evaluating the Serf card alongside these similar tokens reveals a strategic depth in MTG. Tokens diversify strategies and playstyles, allowing players to tailor their decks with either ephemeral swarms or gradually burgeoning forces, a decision guided by the unique attributes that cards like Serf bring to the table.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Serf MTG card by a specific set like 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 Serf 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
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