Python MTG Card

Visions (VIS)
1997-02-03 - Number 68

Portal (POR)
1997-05-01 - Number 105

Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
1999-04-21 - Number 150

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Snake
Power	3
Toughness	2

Key Takeaways

Python ensures a steady stream of creatures, making it hard for opponents to starve you of board presence.
The card provides significant resource acceleration, which can turn the tide with quicker high-cost spell plays.
Flash allows Python to disrupt opponents’ strategies, introducing an element of surprise to the game.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Python card provides a unique edge by enabling the player to reveal cards from the top of their library until they reveal a creature card, essentially ensuring they never run out of creatures to play and maintaining a filled hand ready to respond to an opponent’s moves.

Resource Acceleration: This creature card not only slots into your battlefield but also can potentially untap lands or other mana sources, boosting your resource pool considerably. This acceleration can be the difference between victory and defeat as it allows for more flexibility and the casting of high-cost spells earlier in the game.

Instant Speed: With the Python card having flash, it can be cast at instant speed, giving you the ability to surprise your opponents by playing it at the end of their turn or during combat, catching them off guard and disrupting their strategy without missing a beat.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Python card mandates the disposal of a card from your hand to activate its capabilities. In the rhythm of the game, this can leave you at a disadvantage, especially if your hand is already depleted or if each card is vital to your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: The Python card comes with a color-specific mana requirement that might not seamlessly fit into every deck archetype. If you’re not running with the appropriate mana base, this card could sit uselessly in your hand, clogging your draws.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its high mana cost, Python may not be the most mana-efficient option in your deck. When considering your curve and the need for immediate impact on the board, it’s possible that there are other creatures or spells that could provide similar or better value much sooner in the game.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Python complements a plethora of deck archetypes, adept at intertwining with various strategies that capitalize on its conditional stats and creature type.

Combo Potential: Python’s intrinsic characteristics synergize well with cards that augment creature abilities, enabling powerful combos that can swiftly change the tide of the game.

Meta-Relevance: Given its adaptability, Python remains a compelling choice amidst a shifting meta, particularly countering decks that are susceptible to its presence on the board.

How to Beat

Python is known in Magic: The Gathering as a card that can slither its way into a player’s strategic pitfalls, often causing a constricting effect on their board state. The key to overcoming the Python lies in understanding its limitations. Like all creatures, removal spells are the bane of Python’s existence. A well-timed “Path to Exile” or “Doom Blade” can send it packing before it can lock down your game plan. It’s also susceptible to counter spells while it’s still a spell on the stack, so keep a “Counterspell” or “Mana Leak” at the ready.

Furthermore, Python is a creature that performs best when catching an opponent off-guard. Thus, maintaining board presence with creatures that can block or having instant-speed interaction to foil its plans are key strategies. To address the threat Python poses, players often adjust their deck to include versatile answers such as “Abrade” which can destroy it or deal with artifacts that Python might be synergizing with.

When players adequately prepare for potential threats like Python, they ensure their game against such creatures will be far less constricting. Board control, removal, and strategic foresight are your best weapons in the battle against the Python card in MTG.

Cards like Python

The Python MTG Card slithers into the realm of creature control with a distinctive twist. Creatures such as Ohran Viper share the reptilian theme and also offer a draw card ability upon dealing combat damage. However, Python distinguishes itself by potentially locking down an opponent’s creature without the need for combat, offering a different strategic advantage.

Considering other control options, the Ice Fang Coatl comes to mind with its flash ability allowing for tactical surprises and its deathtouch synergy with Python. Whereas Ice Fang Coatl gives card advantage immediately upon entering the battlefield, Python requires a longer-term setup to reap similar benefits through its creature-controlling capacity.

Ultimately, Python’s unique blend of creature-neutralizing power coupled with the potential for card draw makes it an interesting choice for players seeking to command the battlefield while maintaining card flow, a subtlety that sets it apart from its serpentine peers in MTG.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Python MTG card by a specific set like Visions and Portal, 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 Python and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Python Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1997-02-03 and 1999-04-21. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1997-02-03	Visions	VIS	68	1997	Normal	Black	Steve White
2	1997-05-01	Portal	POR	105	1997	Normal	Black	Alan Rabinowitz
3	1999-04-21	Classic Sixth Edition	6ED	150	1997	Normal	White	Steve White