Sylvan Safekeeper MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Wizard
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Strategic creature protection without drawing can maintain your board’s advantage over an opponent’s disruptions.
  2. Allows instant speed responses that offer dynamic play and leave mana open for other spells each turn.
  3. Sacrificing lands for defense may lead to a disadvantage, making judicious use of Sylvan Safekeeper’s ability crucial.

Text of card

Sacrifice a land: Target creature you control can't be the target of spells or abilities this turn.

"How could someone so small cause so much trouble?" —Nomad sentry


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Despite not allowing direct card draw, Sylvan Safekeeper provides a strategic edge by protecting key creatures. Its ability can safeguard high-value targets from removal, effectively negating your opponent’s attempts to disrupt your board and maintain your card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Sylvan Safekeeper itself does not accelerate resources in the traditional sense. However, by securing the survival of your crucial mana dorks or other creatures that provide ramp, it indirectly contributes to sustaining your resource acceleration throughout the game.

Instant Speed: The real power of Sylvan Safekeeper lies in its ability to use its sacrifice ability at instant speed. This allows you to respond dynamically to threats, keeping opponents guessing and making it difficult for them to successfully target your creatures. It’s a potent tool for protecting your board without having to leave mana untapped, letting you play other spells freely during your turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To protect a creature, Sylvan Safekeeper requires you to sacrifice a land, which can significantly set back your mana development, especially if used multiple times. Sacrificing lands can lead you to a position where you can’t play the spells you need to maintain board presence or respond to an opponent’s threats.

Specific Mana Cost: Although costing only a single green mana to cast, ongoing protection demands a continuous supply of lands to sacrifice. This dependence on green can make it less flexible in multi-colored decks where preserving various types of mana is crucial for casting spells of different colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the initial cast is cheap, the repeating cost of land sacrifices can accumulate to a comparatively high expense. This trade-off might slow down your game plan as other players advance without sacrificing their own resources, potentially leading to a disadvantageous position as the game progresses.


Reasons to Include Sylvan Safekeeper in Your Collection

Versatility: Sylvan Safekeeper offers a dynamic role in your lineup, adeptly supporting decks with his ability to shield key creatures from removal. The option to sacrifice lands for protection makes him a resilient addition, ideal for strategies that prioritize the survival of high-value creatures.

Combo Potential: This card shines in its ability to interact with lands and graveyard mechanics. Combining it with cards that benefit from land recursion or landfall can unlock powerful synergies and propel your strategic executions to new heights. Additionally, it serves as a safeguard for combo pieces, ensuring the integrity of your meticulously crafted win conditions.

Meta-Relevance: Given the high tempo and removal-heavy environments prevalent in various formats, Sylvan Safekeeper carves out its significance. It stands as a counterbalance to spot removal strategies, preserving your board state and maintaining your competitive edge against aggressive and control archetypes alike.


How to beat

Sylvan Safekeeper offers unique tactical advantages in MTG by providing a shield against targeted removal. To effectively counter this card, adaptive strategy shifts can be crucial. Employing board wipes that sidestep its protection ability ensures that the threat of Safekeeper is neutralized. Another tactic is to limit available resources, rendering its sacrifice ability less effective; this can be achieved through land destruction or stunting mana production. Additionally, targeting the player directly with damage or employing effects that don’t target creatures can also bypass Sylvan Safekeeper’s defensive measures. With a thoughtful approach, one can mitigate the influence of this compelling safeguard and maintain a competitive edge.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the art of protection and resource management is essential in Magic: The Gathering, and Sylvan Safekeeper serves as an exemplary guardian of your creatures. Its ability to transform lands into shields makes it a strategic ace, especially in deck builds that recover land or thrive on graveyard synergies. While it’s a powerful ally, the need to sacrifice precious lands can be a double-edged sword. Whether you choose to include Sylvan Safekeeper in your arsenal or learn to outmaneuver it, understanding its role could be the key to your next victory. Dive deeper with us and refine your playstyle with every shuffle and draw.


Cards like Sylvan Safekeeper

Sylvan Safekeeper offers a unique blend of creature protection and land sacrifice in Magic: The Gathering. In comparison, there are cards like Mother of Runes that grant protection to your creatures, but without the cost of sacrificing a land. The Safekeeper excels in formats where lands can be easily recouped, making its ability particularly potent in land-centric decks.

Another analog is the Spore Frog, which can also protect creatures by preventing all combat damage, but it does so as a one-time effect through its sacrifice. Unlike Spore Frog, Sylvan Safekeeper’s ability can be used multiple times, shielded by the number of lands a player is willing to forfeit. In a different corner, we find the card Knight of the Reliquary, which grows in power for each land card in your graveyard, synergizing well with the Safekeeper’s land sacrifice theme.

While each of these cards provides a way to shield your creatures, Sylvan Safekeeper remains unique for its ongoing capacity to guard against targeted effects, assuming you have the lands to spare. This tactical advantage positions the Sylvan Safekeeper as a resilient safeguard for valuable creatures, within the bustling ecosystem of Magic: The Gathering’s vast card pool.

Mother of Runes - MTG Card versions
Spore Frog - MTG Card versions
Knight of the Reliquary - MTG Card versions
Mother of Runes - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Spore Frog - Prophecy (PCY)
Knight of the Reliquary - Conflux (CON)

Cards similar to Sylvan Safekeeper by color, type and mana cost

Scryb Sprites - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Elves - MTG Card versions
Ghazbán Ogre - MTG Card versions
Shanodin Dryads - MTG Card versions
Wall of Wood - MTG Card versions
Village Elder - MTG Card versions
Spike Drone - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Elite - MTG Card versions
Elvish Berserker - MTG Card versions
Tree Monkey - MTG Card versions
Wild Dogs - MTG Card versions
Elvish Herder - MTG Card versions
Pouncing Jaguar - MTG Card versions
Scavenger Folk - MTG Card versions
Willow Geist - MTG Card versions
Fyndhorn Elves - MTG Card versions
Nimble Mongoose - MTG Card versions
Elvish Lyrist - MTG Card versions
Elvish Pioneer - MTG Card versions
Hana Kami - MTG Card versions
Scryb Sprites - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Llanowar Elves - 30th Anniversary History Promos (P30H)
Ghazbán Ogre - Masters Edition (ME1)
Shanodin Dryads - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Wall of Wood - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Village Elder - Mirage (MIR)
Spike Drone - Tempest (TMP)
Skyshroud Elite - Exodus (EXO)
Elvish Berserker - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Tree Monkey - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Wild Dogs - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Elvish Herder - Urza's Saga (USG)
Pouncing Jaguar - Urza's Saga (USG)
Scavenger Folk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Willow Geist - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Fyndhorn Elves - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Nimble Mongoose - The List (PLST)
Elvish Lyrist - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Elvish Pioneer - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Hana Kami - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sylvan Safekeeper MTG card by a specific set like Judgment and World Championship Decks 2002, 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 Sylvan Safekeeper and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sylvan Safekeeper Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2002-05-27 and 2017-06-09. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-05-27JudgmentJUD 1331997normalblackPete Venters
22002-08-14World Championship Decks 2002WC02 bk133sb1997normalgoldPete Venters
32014-11-07Commander 2014C14 2172015normalblackMagali Villeneuve
42017-06-09Commander AnthologyCMA 1522015normalblackMagali Villeneuve

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sylvan Safekeeper has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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