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Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Card of the Day

Daily Since November 2001!

Simic Sky Swallower
Image from Wizards.com

Simic Sky Swallower
Commander

Reviewed December 13, 2011

Constructed: 3.90
Casual: 4.20
Limited: 4.50
Multiplayer: 3.67

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.  3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating

Click here to see all of our 
Card of the Day Reviews 

BMoor

Simic Sky Swallower

Ah, the many games I've played that ended when I dropped one of these. Flying to get over blockers, trample to get around them, and shroud to protect against removal spells. Truly this is a card worth ramping up to, and even today I consider it the benchmark of what makes a big, fat, finisher worth playing. The fact that it was reprinted in the Commander theme decks suggests that Wizards agree to some extent. It must be big, it must be able to get past a Drudge Skeleton, and it must have something that protects against a timely Doom Blade. I suspect I'll be using Triple S here as the benchmark for quite some time, even if only for the nostalgia of it.

Constructed- 4
Casual- 4.5
Limited- 4.5
Multiplayer- 4.5

David Fanany

Player since 1995

Simic Sky Swallower
 
One of the unfortunate, almost Orwellian, effects of the era of Titans is that we have an idea that creature that cost six or more were never viable in competitive Magic until this current era (sometimes expressed in those exact words). This is a shortsighted view that ignores the historical contributions of creatures like Rith, Two-Headed Dragon, Silvos, Yosei, and today's card Simic Sky Swallower. There was an era when even tournament Magic shuddered in the shadow of a seven-mana creature that let the Urzatron and other decks play unusually aggressively, knowing that most opponents couldn't outfight it and many would never be able to kill it. And to think it did it - I should correctly say, it does it, as there's even less reason to ditch this particular old card than there is most of the time - without having three triggered abilities.
 
Constructed: 4/5
Casual: 4/5
Limited: 5/5
Multiplayer: 4/5

Paul

Welcome back readers today we continue our fatty week and this is actually a card I’m a big fan of, in competitive environments it is severely outclassed but in casual it is still a 6/6 flying trample shroud. In standard no play can’t be played ect. In extended the same applies. In modern and eternal formats this is outclassed by newer cards that have been printed in recent years but it is still a solid creature that dodges removal and flies maybe a renamiator deck but Iona and Jin Gitaxis take the cake there. Let’s move on to casual and multiplayer where this card really shines the fact it can stand toe to toe with some dragons and angels and dodges non board sweeping removal due to shroud is pretty potent. There are bigger better and fatter creatures I would run but this guy is great to give my Mimeoplasm shroud and flying trample and get in for commander damage that is for sure. In limited it’s like an atom bomb big evasive creature with shroud will most often mean good game unless something drastic can be pulled off by opponents. Overall this card is outclassed but it still flies and dodges removal is a personal favorite.
 
Constructed: 1.5
Casual: 3.5
Limited: 5.0
Multiplayer : 3.5

Michael "Maikeruu" Pierno

Today's card of the day is Simic Sky Swallower which is a seven mana Blue/Green 6/6 with Flying, Trample, and Shroud.  This is an effective and somewhat expensive threat that can be difficult to deal with outside of a board clearing effect.  The cost and Shroud working against targeted enhancements being used hinder it though Trample and Flying make for nearly guaranteed damage every turn.  Overall this leviathan is a strong choice for a mana ramp or control deck using Blue and Green that needs a finisher as it is quite reliable in that role.
 
For Limited this is a huge bomb that will likely win most games it is played in as both the size and each effect on it are individually powerful in the format, but combined equal more than the sum of their parts.  The single Blue and Green mana in the casting cost is easy to manage in a multicolor deck and there should be no reason not to draft it first in Booster.  For Sealed even if only one of the colors is strong in your pool it is worth splashing the other to open up the inclusion of the Sky Swallower.
 
Constructed: 4.0
Casual: 4.0
Limited: 5.0
Multiplayer: 4.0

John
Shultis
Phoenix
Gaming

     Welcome to the card of the day section here at Pojo.com. Today we are looking at Simic Sky Swallower. Simic Sky Swallower is a rare creature that costs five generic, one blue, and one green mana. Simic Sky Swallower is a 6/6 that has Flying, Trample, and Shroud.

      While Simic Sky Swallower is definitely a “fatty” it may not be the best fatty that exists out there anymore, but back when it released in Dissension, it sure was a great option. While seven mana is a bit hefty, look at all the benefits. For starters, all true “fatties” should have trample. You just aren’t considered a fatty if some 0/1 token halts your advance. The next key benefit, Shroud. Shroud makes it really hard for the Simic Sky Swallower to be removed. Global spells are the only way to get it off the board, so long as it makes it to the board. But the main advantage that the Simic Sky Swallower has that many others do not, flying! How hard is it to stop a trampling, untargetable flier? Very. Since a lot of fliers are small, i.e. birds, it can be very hard to get enough things in the Simic Sky Swallower’s way to slow it don, or stop it at all. Granted dragons pose a very good way of stopping the Simic Sky Swallower, but would the trade off be worth it for your opponent.

      Of course, the greatest thing about the Simic Sky Swallower may well be it colors. The fact that it is already blue and green means it is a very good option for a Bant deck. Attacking with just the Simic Sky Swallower would then make it much bigger, still have trample and flying, but could gain a host of other abilities as well. For instance, if say Rafiq of the Many is on the board, he is going to get +1/+1 and double strike. And of course, green is very good at mana acceleration, meaning that the Simic Sky Swallower could drop long before turn seven. And the blue aspect means the option of holding a  counter spell for that apocalyptic spell is there.

       I like what the cards potential is, and how well it worked with other sets.
 
Limited: 3/5
Casual: 5/5
Constructed: 5/5
Multiplayer: 2/5

TDogg

The card of the day is Simic Sky Swallower.  He is a 6/6 Flample, Shroud for 7.  The cost invested in this guy is well worth it.  He has evasion and piercing, not to mention he can't be targeted.  It really doesn't' get much sweeter then this.  Flying fatty that gets around spot removal AND blocking him could still deal damage.  This guy is in green, the color that gets the most lands out, so if he is being played expect to see this guy turn 4 or 5, that is really going to suck.
 
Constructed: 4
Casual: 4.5
Limited: 4.5
Multiplayer: 3.5


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