Desperate Sentry MTG Card

Eldritch Moon (EMN)
2016-07-22 - Number 21

Desperate Sentry - Mystery Booster (MB1)

Mystery Booster (MB1)
2019-11-07 - Number 74

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number EMN-21

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Soldier
Abilities	Delirium
Power	1
Toughness	2

Key Takeaways

Desperate Sentry provides a 3/2 Eldrazi Horror token post-mortem, boosting your board strength and card value.
Indirect resource acceleration possible through synergy with self-sacrifice or delirium-focused deck strategies.
Though a creature card, Desperate Sentry can act as a deterrent, offering defensive utility akin to instant-speed spells.

Text of card

When Desperate Sentry dies, put a 3/2 colorless Eldrazi Horror creature token onto the battlefield. Delirium — Desperate Sentry gets +3/+0 as long as there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Desperate Sentry becomes especially potent upon its demise, cleverly providing you with a 3/2 Eldrazi Horror creature token. This two-for-one deal bolsters your board presence and ramps up card advantage effortlessly.

Resource Acceleration: While Desperate Sentry itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its synergy with self-sacrifice or delirium strategies can lead to indirect resource acceleration. Its transformative death triggers can rapidly advance your game state.

Instant Speed: While Desperate Sentry is a creature card and not an instant, its defensive capabilities can disrupt your opponent’s combat calculations. The mere presence of Desperate Sentry can deter attacks, mimicking the reactive utility of instant-speed interaction.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To fully utilize Desperate Sentry’s potential, a player may need to discard another card or sacrifice a creature to trigger its death ability. This could be a setback for players who want to maintain a full hand or are playing a creature-based strategy without expendable creatures.

Specific Mana Cost: Desperate Sentry requires two generic and one white mana to cast. This cost necessitates a dedicated source of white mana, which might not always be readily available in a multi-colored deck, possibly delaying its play or disrupting the mana curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana for a 1/2 creature, Desperate Sentry’s initial stats don’t offer immediate board impact compared to other three-mana creatures. Although it has the potential to leave behind a more substantial token upon death, players might find the initial investment steep when looking for immediate effects on the battlefield.

Reasons to Include Desperate Sentry in Your Collection

Versatility: Desperate Sentry is a card that can adapt to various deck types. As a creature that transforms upon death, it can add resilience in creature-based strategies or work as a defensive stand-in for control decks.

Combo Potential: With its ability to transform into a formidable Eldrazi Horror upon death, Desperate Sentry can be easily integrated into sacrifice and graveyard-centric decks, enhancing its utility and synergy with other cards.

Meta-Relevance: Considering its flexibility and combo-enabling death trigger, Desperate Sentry provides utility in a changing meta where creatures that offer value beyond their initial play are extremely beneficial.

How to Beat Desperate Sentry

Desperate Sentry is a creature card that can seemingly present a challenge on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. As a 3-mana cost card, it becomes a potent force when its power increases upon entering the graveyard from the battlefield. However, overcoming this card requires strategic planning and efficient use of removals.

One effective tactic is the use of exile-based removal spells. These spells prevent Desperate Sentry from triggering its ability to become stronger, which is pivotal because it removes the card entirely from the game. This method bypasses the graveyard, nullifying any potential benefits for the opponent. Additionally, efficient timing when playing your creatures and removals can hinder the opponent’s attempts to gain an advantage with Desperate Sentry’s “death matters” effect.

Ultimately, facing Desperate Sentry demands consideration of both its base state and potential growth after death. Choosing the right removal at the right time is key, and with smart gameplay, Desperate Sentry can be transformed from a formidable opponent to a manageable hurdle on your path to victory in Magic: The Gathering.

Cards like Desperate Sentry

In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, Desperate Sentry is a card that offers both defensive and offensive capabilities. One can draw parallels with Moorland Drifter, which similarly transforms under specific conditions. Desperate Sentry, however, benefits from the ability to leave behind a formidable 3/2 Eldrazi Horror token upon its demise. This multi-faceted trait is absent in Moorland Drifter, which simply gains flying.

Considering Thraben Standard Bearer as another similar card, it serves as a resourceful creature, creating 1/1 Human creature tokens. Nonetheless, Desperate Sentry excels in providing a larger token and a potential stat boost from the delirium keyword, giving it an edge in scenarios where graveyard manipulation is relevant. Peace of Mind, while not a creature, also plays in the graveyard synergy space. Yet it lacks the board presence Desperate Sentry offers but compensates with its repeatable life gain ability.

Thus, when evaluating the effectiveness and utility within their respective environments, Desperate Sentry holds a unique position. It not only defends stalwartly but also transitions into an offensive threat post-mortem, a duality that enhances its appeal among MTG players.

Thraben Standard Bearer - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Desperate Sentry by color, type and mana cost

Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Desperate Sentry MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Mystery Booster, 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 Desperate Sentry and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Desperate Sentry Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Mathias Kollros.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2016-07-22	Eldritch Moon	EMN	21	2015	Normal	Black	Mathias Kollros
2	2019-11-07	Mystery Booster	MB1	74	2015	Normal	Black	Mathias Kollros
3	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST	EMN-21	2015	Normal	Black	Mathias Kollros