Crested Sunmare MTG Card


Generates a 5/5 indestructible token each turn you gain life, pressuring opponents to respond swiftly. Its 5/5 stats for five mana offer cost-efficiency, potentially accelerating your board presence with tokens. Works well with instant-speed life gain, allowing token creation during opponents’ turns for unexpected defenses.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityMythic
TypeCreature — Horse
Power 5
Toughness 5

Text of card

Other Horses you control have indestructible. At the beginning of each end step, if you gained life this turn, create a 5/5 white Horse creature token.

"It is evidence that some pure corner of the world must still exist." —Djeru, former Tah-crop initiate


Cards like Crested Sunmare

Crested Sunmare shines in any lifegain-themed deck. Its unique ability to create 5/5 Horse creature tokens at the end of each turn where you gained life sets it apart from many other creatures. When comparing to cards like Archangel of Thune, which bolsters your creatures permanently for each instance of life gain, the Sunmare offers a different angle of advantage by flooding the board with robust tokens. Both cards leverage life gain, but they each support the strategy in varying ways.

Another parallel can be drawn with Ajani’s Pridemate, a card well-known for growing with each life gain event. While the Pridemate swells into a singular potent threat, Crested Sunmare instead diversifies your battlefield presence with multiple indestructible creatures, albeit conditionally upon the Sunmare’s survival. This could provide a more sustainable defense against board wipes.

Assessing their place in competitive play, Crested Sunmare provides an impressive value engine in the right deck. Its ability to create an immediate impact on the board could be considered more advantageous than simply enhancing existing creatures or prioritizing a single threat, marking its distinguished role in the wide array of life gain strategy cards within Magic: The Gathering.

Archangel of Thune - MTG Card versions
Ajani's Pridemate - MTG Card versions
Archangel of Thune - MTG Card versions
Ajani's Pridemate - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Crested Sunmare by color, type and mana cost

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Shu Elite Companions - MTG Card versions
Conclave Phalanx - MTG Card versions
Veteran Bodyguard - MTG Card versions
Rashida Scalebane - MTG Card versions
Avenging Angel - MTG Card versions
Lancers en-Kor - MTG Card versions
Radiant, Archangel - MTG Card versions
Master Healer - MTG Card versions
Angel of Mercy - MTG Card versions
Serra Angel - MTG Card versions
Border Patrol - MTG Card versions
Enduring Angel // Angelic Enforcer - MTG Card versions
Sigardian Savior - MTG Card versions
Celestial Gatekeeper - MTG Card versions
Collector Protector - MTG Card versions
Kiyomaro, First to Stand - MTG Card versions
Belfry Spirit - MTG Card versions
Petra Sphinx - MTG Card versions
Barrenton Medic - MTG Card versions
Ivory Gargoyle - MTG Card versions
Shu Elite Companions - MTG Card versions
Conclave Phalanx - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Crested Sunmare. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Boros AggroBoros Aggro GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 12 2024
Mono-White Death & TaxesMono-White Death & Taxes GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 08 2024

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Crested Sunmare provides a persistent threat that encourages opponents to handle it quickly, otherwise you’ll amass an unstoppable herd of indestructible horses. This means either they spend valuable resources to deal with it or you gain sheer board presence, nudging the scales in card advantage to your favor with each passing turn.

Resource Acceleration: While Crested Sunmare itself doesn’t directly provide mana acceleration, its 5/5 body for five mana can quickly become a cost-efficient play. The potential to populate the battlefield with additional indestructible tokens without further investment can lead to efficient use of your mana, indirectly speeding up your resource utilization.

Instant Speed: Despite the Sunmare not having flash, it impacts games at instant speed vicariously through its ability, which triggers at the end of each turn you gained life. This synergizes with instant-speed life gain cards, allowing you to create indestructible Horse tokens during your opponent’s turn, effectively catching them off-guard and maximizing your turn efficiency.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While the Crested Sunmare doesn’t directly demand a discard, it synergizes with life gain, which occasionally comes at the cost of discarding cards. If your deck isn’t tailored to consistently provide such synergy, the Sunmare’s value diminishes.

Specific Mana Cost: Crested Sunmare asks for a significant investment of white mana – three white mana symbols out of its five total casting cost. This can be restrictive for multicolor decks that may struggle with the right mana availability when it’s needed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Priced at five mana, Crested Sunmare can be considered costly given the competitive landscape of five-drops in MTG. Its impact on the board is dependent on other life-gain elements being in place, which isn’t always guaranteed, making its immediate value less consistent compared to other options.


Reasons to Include Crested Sunmare in Your Collection

Versatility: Crested Sunmare offers a robust presence in both offensive and defensive positions, fitting well in life-gain decks as well as those focused on creature-based strategies. Its ability to create an indestructible 5/5 token every turn can swing the game in your favor.

Combo Potential: This card has excellent synergy with other life-gain cards. Pairing it with cards that provide a consistent life boost each turn can generate an overwhelming board presence, creating a relentless army of Horse tokens.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-heavy decks are prevalent, Crested Sunmare can serve as a cornerstone in your collection. Its potential to consistently populate the battlefield makes it a formidable match against various popular strategies.


How to beat

Crested Sunmare is an imposing presence in any MTG match, known for its ability to create an army of indestructible Horse tokens. Balancing the field against such a card requires strategic card play and timing. Removal spells that don’t destroy, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, can efficiently handle the Sunmare without triggering its indestructible effect. Counter spells also play a critical role when you aim to prevent this creature from ever hitting the board.

Board wipes like Damnation or Wrath of God can clear the tokens, as they skirt around the indestructible protection by not targeting individual creatures. It’s vital to keep the opponent’s life total in check as well, preventing them from gaining life and thus inhibiting the Sunmare’s token generation. Artifact and enchantment removal also help dismantle life gain engines that often accompany Crested Sunmare in decks. Ultimately, understanding when to disrupt your opponent’s strategy is key in triumphing over this formidable MTG card.


BurnMana Recommendations

With its ability to amass an army of indestructible tokens, Crested Sunmare stands as a powerhouse in life-gain focused decks. Its strategic edge can turn the tide of the game, making it a valuable addition to your MTG collection. Yet, the card’s full potential is unlocked when woven into a carefully crafted deck environment. If you’re seeking to bolster your deck’s performance or you’re simply interested in expanding your collection with impactful cards, understand the nuances of this unique card. Dive deeper with us, learn more about effective deck building, and start cultivating your own unstoppable herd of Horses on the battlefield.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Crested Sunmare MTG card by a specific set like Hour of Devastation and Hour of Devastation Promos, 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 Crested Sunmare and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Crested Sunmare Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2017-07-14 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-07-14Hour of DevastationHOU 62015NormalBlackLucas Graciano
22017-07-15Hour of Devastation PromosPHOU 6s2015NormalBlackLucas Graciano
32019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 12282015NormalBorderlessPaul Mafayon
42020-08-13Amonkhet RemasteredAKR 112015NormalBlackLucas Graciano
52020-09-26The ListPLST HOU-62015NormalBlackLucas Graciano

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Crested Sunmare has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Crested Sunmare card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2017-07-14 Crested Sunmare’s triggered ability cares only whether you gained life in the turn, even if Crested Sunmare wasn’t on the battlefield when that happened. It doesn’t care how much you gained, whether you also lost life, or even whether you lost more life than you gained.
2017-07-14 Crested Sunmare’s triggered ability won’t trigger unless you’ve gained life in the turn before the end step began. It can’t be satisfied by another triggered ability causing you to gain life during that end step.
2017-07-14 If a creature has been dealt damage, that damage remains marked on it until the cleanup step. If another Horse you control has been dealt lethal damage, and later in the turn Crested Sunmare leaves the battlefield, that Horse will be destroyed.