Sunscour MTG Card


Sunscour - Coldsnap
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Released2006-07-21
Set symbol
Set nameColdsnap
Set codeCSP
Number19
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byJim Murray

Key Takeaways

  1. Sunscour can turn the tide of a game by clearing multiple threats instantly, using it as a strategic reset.
  2. It demands specific conditions such as discarding your hand and having white mana, which can limit its use.
  3. Despite its drawbacks, Sunscour adds a unique twist to white control decks with its instant speed playability.

Text of card

You may remove two white cards in your hand from the game rather than pay Sunscour's mana cost. Destroy all creatures.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Sunscour requires you to discard your hand, it can create a major swing in board presence by clearing away multiple threats in a single move. This allows you to reset the board and potentially gain a tactical advantage, especially if your deck is built to recover quickly from such a reset.

Resource Acceleration: Unlike other board wipes, Sunscour offers a unique advantage in that it can be cast for an alternative cost of two white mana and discarding all the cards in your hand. This can be strategically useful in situations where you’re low on resources but need to respond to an overwhelming threat immediately.

Instant Speed: The ability to use Sunscour at instant speed gives you the flexibility to wait until the most opportune moment. You can pass your turn with mana untapped, bluffing counterspells or other tricks, and if the need arises, wipe the board right before your opponent’s turn begins or in response to an opponent’s move, affecting the pace and outcome of the game substantially.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Sunscour comes with a steep penalty for its potential board wipe benefit. To even cast it, you’re tasked with discarding your hand, which could leave you at a significant resource disadvantage, unable to rebound in the following turns.

Specific Mana Cost: The necessity of having two white mana available can be restrictive. This card demands a commitment to white mana in your deck, potentially limiting the flexibility and diversity of your mana base or your deck’s overall strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: This card’s alternative cost is undeniably appealing, but if you’re opting to pay the full seven mana, it’s quite a hefty price. There are other cards within the MTG realm that offer removal or board-clearing effects at a lower cost, providing similar outcomes without such a demanding investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Sunscour offers a unique advantage as it can be played in decks that prioritize both aggressive tactics and controlling strategies. With the potential to clear the board as an instant, it allows for strategic plays regardless of your position in the game.

Combo Potential: This card opens up various combo route opportunities, particularly in decks that benefit from self-milling or graveyard synergy. Its alternative casting cost can be a key play that synergizes with life-gain themes or white-based spells matter decks.

Meta-Relevance: Given the diverse range of threats in the current landscape, having an emergency reset button can be crucial. Sunscour can act as a powerful tool against creature-heavy decks, making it a timely addition to your arsenal when creature strategies dominate the tables.


How to beat

Sunscour presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its potential to clear the board early in the game. This powerful sorcery allows players to destroy all creatures at an alternative cost of discarding two white cards from their hand instead of paying its mana cost. Despite this sweeping ability, there are strategic methods to outmaneuver it. One effective way to counter Sunscour is by maintaining a diverse hand that includes cards capable of regenerating creatures or providing indestructibility. Cards like Golgari Charm or Boros Charm can be clutch, protecting your creature assets from being wiped out.

Additionally, utilizing instant-speed spells that can return creatures from your graveyard to play or your hand, such as Unearth or Aether Vial, can swiftly rebuild your board after a Sunscour resolves. Moreover, emphasizing permanents that aren’t creatures, like enchantments or planeswalkers, in your deck construction could strategically sidestep the destruction Sunscour brings to creatures. Thus, while Sunscour can be a formidable roadblock, a well-prepared deck with the right mix of protective spells and diverse permanent types can navigate past its wrath and carry on toward victory.


Cards like Sunscour

Sunscour presents itself as a unique removal option within the pantheon of white spells in MTG. It draws a parallel with the traditional Day of Judgment, as both cards clear the battlefield of creatures. However, Sunscour offers the unparalleled ability to be cast for free at the steep price of discarding two white cards from your hand, offering a strategic depth that Day of Judgment does not.

When comparing to Wrath of God, another benchmark for creature removal, Sunscour stands out due to its alternate cost. Wrath of God has the advantage of preventing creatures from regenerating, which Sunscour lacks, yet the flexibility of a potentially zero-mana cost can outweigh this drawback in fast-paced, aggressive white decks. Another card worth mentioning is Terminus, which tucks creatures to the bottom of their owner’s libraries instead of destroying them. While it circumvents indestructible creatures unlike Sunscour, Terminus does not share the same potential for a no-mana cost play.

Ultimately, Sunscour’s potential for instant speed and costless play gives it a distinctive edge in situations where preserving mana or surprising opponents is crucial, situating it as an unorthodox yet potent alternative to the suite of MTG white mass removal spells.

Day of Judgment - MTG Card versions
Wrath of God - MTG Card versions
Terminus - MTG Card versions
Day of Judgment - Zendikar (ZEN)
Wrath of God - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Terminus - Avacyn Restored (AVR)

Cards similar to Sunscour by color, type and mana cost

Look at Me, I'm the DCI - MTG Card versions
Ancestral Tribute - MTG Card versions
Realm-Cloaked Giant // Cast Off - MTG Card versions
Brilliant Restoration - MTG Card versions
Emeria's Call // Emeria, Shattered Skyclave - MTG Card versions
Approach of the Second Sun - MTG Card versions
Dimensional Breach - MTG Card versions
Roar of Reclamation - MTG Card versions
Enduring Ideal - MTG Card versions
Hour of Reckoning - MTG Card versions
Mass Calcify - MTG Card versions
Devout Invocation - MTG Card versions
Deploy to the Front - MTG Card versions
Profound Journey - MTG Card versions
Providence - MTG Card versions
Sublime Exhalation - MTG Card versions
Look at Me, I'm the DCI - Unsanctioned (UND)
Ancestral Tribute - Odyssey (ODY)
Realm-Cloaked Giant // Cast Off - Wilds of Eldraine Commander (WOC)
Brilliant Restoration - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Promos (PNEO)
Emeria's Call // Emeria, Shattered Skyclave - Zendikar Rising Promos (PZNR)
Approach of the Second Sun - Pioneer Challenger Decks 2021 (Q06)
Dimensional Breach - Scourge (SCG)
Roar of Reclamation - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Enduring Ideal - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Hour of Reckoning - Fallout (PIP)
Mass Calcify - Magic 2015 (M15)
Devout Invocation - Magic 2014 (M14)
Deploy to the Front - Warhammer 40,000 Commander (40K)
Profound Journey - Dragons of Tarkir (DTK)
Providence - Eldritch Moon Promos (PEMN)
Sublime Exhalation - Commander Masters (CMM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sunscour MTG card by a specific set like Coldsnap, 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 Sunscour and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sunscour has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2006-07-15 If you don’t have two cards of the right color in your hand, you can’t choose to cast the spell using the alternative cost.
2006-07-15 Paying the alternative cost doesn’t change when you can cast the spell. A creature spell you cast this way, for example, can still only be cast during your main phase while the stack is empty.
2006-07-15 You can’t exile a card from your hand to pay for itself. At the time you would pay costs, that card is on the stack, not in your hand.
2006-07-15 You may pay the alternative cost rather than the card’s mana cost. Any additional costs are paid as normal.

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