Safehold Sentry MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Elf Warrior |
| Released | 2008-05-02 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Shadowmoor |
| Set code | SHM |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 22 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | William O'Connor |
Key Takeaways
- Safehold Sentry offers card advantage, replacing itself in hand, bolstering your game longevity.
- Instant speed utility provides strategic optionality, disrupting opponent plays effectively.
- Demands thoughtful play around its discard requirement and mana-specific costs.
Text of card
, {Q}: Safehold Sentry gets +0/+2 until end of turn. ({Q} is the untap symbol.)
"These bracers were worn by my father and by his mother before him. Boggart fangs have shattered on them. Cinder flames have withered at their touch. While I wear them, the safehold will not fall."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When deployed, the Safehold Sentry can provide significant value through its ability to replace itself in your hand. This is particularly useful in prolonging your game presence and outlasting your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: Though not direct in its approach, by sustaining board presence and demanding an answer, Safehold Sentry helps maintain your resources, indirectly contributing to your mana efficiency and overall tempo of the game.
Instant Speed: The utility of Safehold Sentry is further enhanced at instant speed, allowing for strategic plays that can disrupt an opponent’s tactics. This surprise element can shift the momentum of the game, making it a flexible option in various scenarios.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: With Safehold Sentry, players must be aware of the discard requirement to activate certain abilities. This can potentially diminish your hand, leaving you with fewer options as the game progresses.
Specific Mana Cost: Safehold Sentry demands a particular mana alignment to fully utilize its potential, possibly limiting its inclusion in multi-colored decks that could struggle to consistently provide the white mana necessary.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the mana investment against other creatures in its space, Safehold Sentry’s cost might seem steep for its base stats and abilities. Players may find alternative creatures or spells that provide greater value or impact on the battlefield for a similar or lower mana investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Safehold Sentry is adaptable to a wide array of strategies, fitting in well with decks that require defenders or those looking to leverage a creature with a moderate morph cost.
Combo Potential: This card can gain first strike as long as it is paired with another creature, enabling various synergies, particularly with cards that benefit from creatures with first strike or with tap/untap mechanics.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where aggressive strategies dominate, having an accessible creature that can take on the role of both an attacker and a defender can be crucial, making Safehold Sentry a timely addition against such strategies.
How to beat Safehold Sentry
Safehold Sentry stands as an interesting creature card within the vast arsenal of Magic: The Gathering. Its forte lies in its durability – an attribute that can bolster defense strategies for players. The Sentry’s primary ability to transform into a tougher version of itself after blocking only further cements its position as a reliable guard on the battlefield.
Overcoming this steadfast guardian requires a strategy that goes beyond brute force. Utilizing spells that bypass its blocking potential could be key – for instance, spells that force it to tap or those that prevent it from blocking altogether. Removal spells that don’t target, like board clears or sacrifice effects, are especially effective since they sidestep the Sentry’s transformation ability, ensuring it can’t become an obstacle for your attacking creatures.
It’s essential to consider these approaches when facing Safehold Sentry. A well-timed spell or an alternative attack route can neutralize this card, keeping the path to victory against a defense-oriented opponent clear.
Cards like Safehold Sentry
The allure of Safehold Sentry lies in its versatility as a defender in MTG. It can be likened to cards like Wall of Omens, both serving as sturdy early-game obstacles. Safehold Sentry, however, offers the added advantage of transforming into a more aggressive presence on the board with its ability to become a 3/3 creature by fulfilling its condition.
Another card that echoes this defensive posture is Guard Gomazoa. The Jellyfish shares the Sentry’s ability to fend off attacks but lacks the Sentinel’s potential for offensive adaptation. On a different note, the Walking Wall also stands its ground as a formidable defender. Although it’s able to become aggressive similar to the Safehold Sentry, activating this ability is more mana-intensive and it comes at a greater resource cost.
Evaluating the Sentry’s place among its kin, it presents a strategic asset with its blend of early defense and later offensive conversion. This makes Safehold Sentry a unique and valuable choice for players who appreciate both protection and the potential for a tactical shift to pressure their opponents.
Cards similar to Safehold Sentry by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Safehold Sentry MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor, 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 Safehold Sentry 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Safehold Sentry has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Safehold Sentry card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-05-01 | If a creature with an {Q} ability hasn’t been under your control since your most recent turn began, you can’t activate that ability, unless the creature has haste. |
| 2008-05-01 | If the permanent is already untapped, you can’t activate its {Q} ability. That’s because you can’t pay the “Untap this permanent” cost. |
| 2008-05-01 | When you activate an {Q} ability, you untap the creature with that ability as a cost. The untap can’t be responded to. (The actual ability can be responded to, of course.) |
