Eight-and-a-Half-Tails MTG Card


Provides strategic board presence through protection and evasion, effectively saving key creatures in play. Casts at instant speed allowing for reactionary plays and unexpected combat advantages against opponents. Despite benefits, it requires careful mana management and can strain the player’s resource allocations.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Fox Cleric
Power 2
Toughness 2

Text of card

: Target permanent you control gains protection from white until end of turn. : Target spell or permanent becomes white until end of turn.

"Virtue is an inner light that can prevail in every soul."


Cards like Eight-and-a-Half-Tails

The world of Magic: The Gathering is replete with legendary creatures, each with unique strengths and roles in gameplay. In this context, Eight-and-a-Half-Tails is an exceptional white legendary creature that stands out for its ability to protect and manipulate the board. A close comparison might be Mother of Runes, who similarly offers protection by granting another target creature protection from the color of your choice until end of turn. However, Eight-and-a-Half-Tails can extend this protection to any permanent, not just creatures, although it does come at a higher mana cost.

Kitchen Finks is another card worth mentioning, as it shares a resilience with Eight-and-a-Half-Tails. It doesn’t directly protect other permanents, but its persist ability ensures its own staying power on the battlefield. These creatures play a pivotal role in decks that aim to maintain board presence. Eight-and-a-Half-Tails also bridges the gap between offense and defense, allowing you to turn opponents’ permanents white and later protect your board from white, maneuvering through complex tactical stands.

Ultimately, Eight-and-a-Half-Tails offers MTG players a versatile, defensive option that can be pivotal in protecting valuable pieces and dictating the flow of the match, while also offering offensive strategies that can turn the tide in your favor.

Mother of Runes - MTG Card versions
Kitchen Finks - MTG Card versions
Mother of Runes - MTG Card versions
Kitchen Finks - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Eight-and-a-Half-Tails by color, type and mana cost

White Knight - MTG Card versions
Soul Shepherd - MTG Card versions
Soltari Monk - MTG Card versions
Talon Sliver - MTG Card versions
Keeper of the Light - MTG Card versions
Faith Healer - MTG Card versions
Angelic Page - MTG Card versions
Avenger en-Dal - MTG Card versions
Spirit Weaver - MTG Card versions
Voice of the Blessed - MTG Card versions
Stoneforge Mystic - MTG Card versions
Drannith Magistrate - MTG Card versions
Leonin Lightscribe - MTG Card versions
Silver Knight - MTG Card versions
Longbow Archer - MTG Card versions
Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions
Flumph - MTG Card versions
Cloudreach Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Samite Healer - MTG Card versions
Kor Firewalker - MTG Card versions
White Knight - MTG Card versions
Soul Shepherd - MTG Card versions
Soltari Monk - MTG Card versions
Talon Sliver - MTG Card versions
Keeper of the Light - MTG Card versions
Faith Healer - MTG Card versions
Angelic Page - MTG Card versions
Avenger en-Dal - MTG Card versions
Spirit Weaver - MTG Card versions
Voice of the Blessed - MTG Card versions
Stoneforge Mystic - MTG Card versions
Drannith Magistrate - MTG Card versions
Leonin Lightscribe - MTG Card versions
Silver Knight - MTG Card versions
Longbow Archer - MTG Card versions
Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions
Flumph - MTG Card versions
Cloudreach Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Samite Healer - MTG Card versions
Kor Firewalker - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Eight-and-a-Half-Tails offers strategic board presence by providing the ability to protect important creatures from removal or to ensure their attacks and blocks are successful. While it doesn’t draw cards directly, its abilities offer a distinct form of card advantage by outmaneuvering the opponent and effectively saving your creatures from being lost.

Resource Acceleration: Although this card doesn’t create mana or treasure tokens, its low cost of two white mana puts it on the board early in the game. Once active, players can swiftly allocate resources to shift the color of permanents, potentially accelerating strategies that rely on color-specific interactions and synergy.

Instant Speed: Eight-and-a-Half-Tails can use its abilities at instant speed, granting unexpected defensive maneuvers or offensive advantages during combat or in response to an opponent’s actions. This instant-speed interaction allows clever players to hold up mana and make critical plays even during the most tight-knit situations, effectively catching opponents off guard.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In relation to Eight-and-a-Half-Tails, while there’s no direct discard cost tied to the card itself, players must often weigh in the decision to hold onto white mana or other protective spells that effectively act as resources in hand. Utilizing its abilities can leave a player’s hand depleted, restricting reactive plays and strategic depth in a game where maintaining options is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: Eight-and-a-Half-Tails demands a mana base significantly skewed towards white to reliably utilize its abilities. This specific color dependency may hinder deck flexibility and force a commitment to heavy white mana sources, potentially limiting the inclusion in more diverse, multicolored builds where consistency is key.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although the initial cost for Eight-and-a-Half-Tails is reasonable, its ability costs can add up over multiple turns, especially in formats where mana efficiency is essential. In comparison to other cards with similar protection or evasion capabilities, the cumulative mana investment required to keep it operational can be a major strategic drawback, sometimes overshadowing the benefits it provides on the battlefield.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Eight-and-a-Half-Tails offers adaptable protection for your creatures and other permanents. Its ability to turn any permanent white, including itself, enables clever defensive or offensive strategies that fit a variety of deck types.

Combo Potential: This card ramps up the synergies with cards that favor white permanents or require protection. It can seamlessly integrate into combos by altering colors to dodge removal or enable beneficial interactions in a tight situation.

Meta-Relevance: The dynamic nature of Eight-and-a-Half-Tails makes it a solid choice given the shifting landscape of competitive play. It’s particularly potent in metas heavy with targeted removal, as it can consistently shield key components of your strategy from harm.


How to beat

Eight-and-a-Half-Tails is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering, known for its ability to offer protection through targeted color changes. Its capability to make permanents white and then grant them protection from a color of choice can be challenging to play against, influencing board state dynamics significantly.

To effectively counter this formidable creature, players should consider using colorless removal options. Cards like Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, that can exile regardless of color or protection, can neutralize Eight-and-a-Half-Tails without triggering its defensive abilities. Board wipes that don’t target, such as Supreme Verdict, can also clear the field without being hindered by protection abilities.

Furthermore, evading the card’s influence through the use of untargeted spells or abilities ensures that Eight-and-a-Half-Tails’ protective measures are rendered ineffectual. Ultimately, by strategically curating your deck with colorless answers or non-targeted effects, and timing your removal to avoid the mana availability for Eight-and-a-Half-Tails’ abilities, you can dismantle the protection it offers and gain the upper hand in your MTG matches.


BurnMana Recommendations

Unlocking the full potential of Eight-and-a-Half-Tails requires tactical prowess and a keen sense of timing. Its protection and evasion capabilities reflect the complexity and depth that MTG offers. To thrive across the planes of Magic, it’s crucial to understand not only your cards but to anticipate the strategies of diverse opponents. Having a guardian like Eight-and-a-Half-Tails in your corner can provide a unique edge. We recognize the relentless evolution of gameplay and the importance of staying ahead. Join our community to deepen your knowledge and strategize using Eight-and-a-Half-Tails to solidify your victories in the multiverse of MTG.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Eight-and-a-Half-Tails MTG card by a specific set like Champions of Kamigawa and Eternal Masters, 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 Eight-and-a-Half-Tails and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Eight-and-a-Half-Tails Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2004-10-01 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by Daren Bader.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12004-10-01Champions of KamigawaCHK 82003NormalBlackDaren Bader
22016-06-10Eternal MastersEMA 72015NormalBlackDaren Bader
32022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 6922015NormalBlackDaren Bader

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Eight-and-a-Half-Tails has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2016-06-08 A permanent spell that becomes white this way will enter the battlefield and continue to be white until end of turn.