Sigiled Starfish MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Starfish
Abilities Scry
Power 0
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Scrying each upkeep with Sigiled Starfish slowly builds card quality, shaping your gameplay advantage.
  2. Indirect resource acceleration comes from fine-tuning your deck’s draws to match your strategic curve.
  3. Early turn scry sets up your hand, letting you adapt swiftly to evolving board states and strategies.

Text of card

: Scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.)

Kruphix hid the most dire prophecies about humankind where humans would never find them and tritons wouldn't care to read them.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sigiled Starfish stands out due to its ability to scry 1 at the beginning of your upkeep. This consistent scrying translates into incremental card quality advantage over the course of the game, ensuring that you draw into the cards you need while filtering out those less useful in the current matchup.

Resource Acceleration: While the Sigiled Starfish may not directly produce additional mana or treasures, the efficient selection it provides allows players to dig through their deck to find necessary land drops or ramp spells. This becomes a sort of indirect resource acceleration by smoothing out draws and improving the chances of playing your spells on curve.

Instant Speed: Sigiled Starfish’s ability can be activated during your upkeep, which, while not at instant speed, provides a strategic advantage as it prepares you with the right card to play on your turn. In addition, by inspecting the top card of your deck at the beginning of the turn, you keep your options open without committing to a specific line of play until more information is revealed. This allows you to react to the game’s state and your opponent’s actions with greater knowledge and precision.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Sigiled Starfish, while devoid of a discard mechanic itself, may necessitate a strategically fuller hand to optimize its scry ability, making it less ideal during the late-game when cards in hand can be scarce.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring a specific blue mana to cast, this card’s accessibility is somewhat limited, fitting primarily into blue or blue-inclusive decks and potentially restricting its versatility across multiple deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although casting for two mana is not excessively high, in a format where efficiency is key, there are alternatives such as one-mana creatures or spells that could activate or affect the board more immediately, creating a dynamic where the Starfish’s cost-effectiveness is up for debate.


Reasons to Include Sigiled Starfish in Your Collection

Versatility: Sigiled Starfish is a staple for any deck that thrives on card selection and draw power. Its ability to scry 1 every turn ensures you maintain momentum by filtering the cards you draw.

Combo Potential: This aquatic ally can be a lynchpin in decks that capitalize on top-deck manipulation. Its synergy with cards that care about the top card of your library or that trigger when you scry drives multiple strategy engines.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the ever-shifting landscape of the game, having consistent scry in your corner can make all the difference. Sigiled Starfish adapts well in an environment where anticipating your opponent’s moves and adjusting your strategy accordingly is key to victory.


How to beat Sigiled Starfish

The Sigiled Starfish, known among players for its scrying ability, is a card that can potentially shape the battlefield’s destiny by allowing you to filter through your deck. This unassuming creature may not seem like a major threat at first glance due to its low power and toughness. However, its consistent scry effect each turn can give your opponent a significant advantage over time.

Overcoming the incremental advantage provided by the Sigiled Starfish involves either neutralizing its scrying ability or removing it from the field before it tilts the game balance too much. Cards with abilities that prevent activated abilities from being activated, such as Pithing Needle, can shut down the Starfish’s scry. As the Starfish’s influence grows over the course of the game, deploying an early removal spell like Fatal Push or Shock can easily dispatch it and salvage your long-term strategy.

Targeted removal is effective, but remember that the Starfish is often not the direct threat. It’s the card advantage it confers that can spell your downfall. Therefore, prioritizing your removals or considering disruptive capabilities available within your own deck, such as counter spells or even board wipes for wider threats, could be key in maintaining a lead against a strategy depending on the Sigiled Starfish.


BurnMana Recommendations

For seekers of strategic depth in Magic the Gathering, the Sigiled Starfish offers subtle power. This unassuming sea creature is a maestro at orchestrating the flow of your game through the gentle art of scrying. It’s a living compass that guides you toward your deck’s most critical cards while filtering away the flotsam. As you push forward on your MTG odyssey, consider how this starfish can be a beacon in the vast ocean that is your library. Dig deeper into its synergies and learn how to leverage its full potential, ensuring you’re always steering your deck in the right direction. Discover more tactics and insights with us and see how the Sigiled Starfish can become your quiet sentinel in the quest for victory.


Cards like Sigiled Starfish

The Sigiled Starfish, while unassuming in appearance, has found its niche within Magic: The Gathering due to its scrying ability at such a low cost. Comparable creatures like Augury Owl allow a one-time scry for three cards upon entering the battlefield. However, Augury Owl does not offer the same ongoing deck manipulation that Sigiled Starfish provides each turn. Conversely, there’s Omenspeaker, a creature that offers a one-time scry two when it comes onto the field, but again misses the recurring ability.

Crystal Ball is another card that shares the scry mechanic, allowing a deeper look into upcoming draws but at a higher activation cost of three mana. While Crystal Ball can scry more than one card at a time, it does not also add to your creature count like the Sigiled Starfish. Lastly, Seer’s Lantern provides an additional scry option and the ability to ramp, which can be crucial in the later stages of the game, yet still lacks the constant board presence of a creature like Sigiled Starfish.

Considering the continuous utility and low cost, Sigiled Starfish holds a unique position among its peers. It’s this simplicity and effectiveness in setting up future draws that make it a valued card for players looking to fine-tune their deck performance.

Augury Owl - MTG Card versions
Omenspeaker - MTG Card versions
Crystal Ball - MTG Card versions
Seer's Lantern - MTG Card versions
Augury Owl - Magic 2011 (M11)
Omenspeaker - Theros (THS)
Crystal Ball - Magic 2011 (M11)
Seer's Lantern - Oath of the Gatewatch (OGW)

Cards similar to Sigiled Starfish by color, type and mana cost

Vodalian Soldiers - MTG Card versions
Zephyr Falcon - MTG Card versions
Giant Albatross - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Sphere - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Condor - MTG Card versions
School of Piranha - MTG Card versions
Coral Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Wu Light Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Sea Eagle - MTG Card versions
Overtaker - MTG Card versions
Hazy Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Darting Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Thought Eater - MTG Card versions
Spellstutter Sprite - MTG Card versions
Sneaky Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Coral Eel - MTG Card versions
Storm Crow - MTG Card versions
Aquamoeba - MTG Card versions
Soratami Cloudskater - MTG Card versions
Minamo Sightbender - MTG Card versions
Vodalian Soldiers - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Zephyr Falcon - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Giant Albatross - Homelands (HML)
Phantasmal Sphere - Alliances (ALL)
Skyshroud Condor - Tempest (TMP)
School of Piranha - Exodus (EXO)
Coral Merfolk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Wu Light Cavalry - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Sea Eagle - Starter 1999 (S99)
Overtaker - Mercadian Masques Promos (PMMQ)
Hazy Homunculus - Prophecy (PCY)
Darting Merfolk - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Thought Eater - Odyssey (ODY)
Spellstutter Sprite - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Sneaky Homunculus - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Coral Eel - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Storm Crow - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Aquamoeba - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Soratami Cloudskater - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Minamo Sightbender - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sigiled Starfish MTG card by a specific set like Journey into Nyx and Magic Origins, 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 Sigiled Starfish and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sigiled Starfish Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2014-05-02 and 2022-07-07. Illustrated by Nils Hamm.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12014-05-02Journey into NyxJOU 522003normalblackNils Hamm
22015-07-17Magic OriginsORI 732015normalblackNils Hamm
32018-08-09Commander 2018C18 1022015normalblackNils Hamm
42019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 4882015normalblackNils Hamm
52020-07-17JumpstartJMP 1772015normalblackNils Hamm
62020-09-26The ListPLST ORI-732015normalblackNils Hamm
72022-07-07Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's GateHBG 9132015normalblackNils Hamm

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sigiled Starfish has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

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