Tajuru Preserver MTG Card


Tajuru Preserver secures a consistent hand by shielding cards from forced sacrifices, ensuring a sustained card advantage. The creature’s protection of board presence indirectly boosts resource acceleration, vital for gameplay momentum. Known for its static ability, the Preserver maintains strategic fortitude against sacrifice, encouraging confident play.
Tajuru Preserver - Rise of the Eldrazi
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Elf Shaman
Released2010-04-23
Set symbol
Set nameRise of the Eldrazi
Set codeROE
Power 2
Toughness 1
Number211
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byrk post

Text of card

Spells and abilities your opponents control can't cause you to sacrifice permanents.

"No more blood shall be spilled to satisfy another's deluded lust for power."


Cards like Tajuru Preserver

Tajuru Preserver is a unique creature in MTG with a distinct ability to resist sacrifices. Its closest counterparts in the game come from a range that includes Sigarda, Host of Herons. Sigarda protects your creatures and your gameplay experience by preventing them from being sacrificed, a defensive strategy akin to that of Tajuru Preserver. Tajuru stands out by being more accessible mana-wise, which is a critical aspect in early game setup.

Another card worth mentioning is Tamiyo, Collector of Tales. Similar to Tajuru Preserver, Tamiyo provides immunity against sacrifice and discarding effects, not only protecting your creatures but also your hand. Whilst Tamiyo is versatile, it is also a planeswalker which changes the dynamics of your deck from the primarily creature-focused setup that Tajuru Preserver facilitates. It’s essential to evaluate the tactical advantages that each card serves in the context of your overarching deck strategy.

Ultimately, these cards, including Tajuru Preserver, serve a notable purpose in safeguarding player’s assets from forced sacrifice, a strategy often deployed by opponents in MTG. Its special ability to shield your gameplay from sacrifice effects makes it a prudent choice, especially in metagames where such tactics are prevalent.

Sigarda, Host of Herons - MTG Card versions
Tamiyo, Collector of Tales - MTG Card versions
Sigarda, Host of Herons - MTG Card versions
Tamiyo, Collector of Tales - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tajuru Preserver’s key strength lies in its ability to maintain your hand’s balance by safeguarding your cards from being sacrificed. The safeguard it presents keeps your resources intact, translating into a significant card advantage over the course of a game.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting your mana pool, Tajuru Preserver can indirectly contribute to resource acceleration by protecting your board presence. This allows you to continue deploying other mana-producing creatures or lands without setbacks from sacrifice effects.

Instant Speed Interaction: Though the Preserver itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its static ability ensures that at any point in the game, your strategy is shielded from urgent threats of sacrifice. This means you can play your creatures and spells with the confidence that their presence on the battlefield is preserved, allowing for uninterrupted strategic play.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Tajuru Preserver has no direct discard requirement itself, but it should be noted that its ability to prevent sacrifice effects doesn’t circumvent other types of discard mechanics that an opponent may employ. As such, if you’re required to discard as an action separate from sacrificing, this card’s ability won’t protect you from depleting your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring a specific combination of green mana, Tajuru Preserver may not fit seamlessly into multicolor decks that prioritize mana flexibility. If your deck runs on a tight mana curve or relies on multi-colored lands, the green mana requirement could affect the card’s playability in your deck.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While two mana is not an exorbitant amount, for a creature with stats like Tajuru Preserver, players might expect a lower cost or additional abilities. In competitive play, where efficiency is key, the mana cost may feel slightly high for what the card offers in terms of its specific niche protection ability against sacrifice effects.


Reasons to Include Tajuru Preserver in Your Collection

Versatility: The Tajuru Preserver offers flexibility to decks, guarding against strategies that force sacrifice, making it a solid sideboard option or a mainstay in environments teeming with sacrifice-based control decks.

Combo Potential: In combination with cards that have negative drawbacks involving sacrifice, such as certain eldrazi spawn producers, Tajuru Preserver allows you to reap the benefits without the typical costs, potentially enabling powerful synergies.

Meta-Relevance: With the recurring presence of sacrifice effects in competitive play, having Tajuru Preserver ready can give your deck the upper hand by neutralizing those strategies and maintaining your board presence.


How to beat

Tajuru Preserver is a unique card in Magic: The Gathering that provides a solid counter against strategies that would typically force players to sacrifice creatures or permanents. This green creature is effective at thwarting decks that rely on forced sacrifice mechanics—think cards like Dictate of Erebos or Grave Pact. Nonetheless, there are ways to navigate around the Preserver’s defenses.

One method is using board wipes that destroy all creatures or deal damage rather than specifically targeting sacrifice; cards like Wrath of God or Pyroclasm can bypass the Preserver entirely. It’s also worth considering exile removal spells or abilities which don’t cause sacrifice—exiling the Preserver with cards like Path to Exile can effectively neutralize its ability to protect your opponent’s board.

Another strategy lies in targeted removal or counterspells that can deal with the Preserver before its ability becomes problematic, especially in the early phase of the game. Ultimately, overcoming Tajuru Preserver involves having a backup plan to neutralize or bypass its protective capability and adapt your strategy to deal with resilient creature-based decks effectively.


BurnMana Recommendations

Unlocking the potential of Tajuru Preserver in your MTG deck can change the landscape of your gameplay. Its unique ability to prevent sacrifice effects turns it into a cornerstone for strategies that aim to maintain a strong board presence. Whether countering sacrifice-heavy decks or optimizing synergies with cards with detrimental sacrifice costs, this card’s strategic value cannot be overstated. Exploring the breadth of MTG’s meta-game with Tajuru Preserver in your toolkit offers exciting possibilities. Dive deeper into strategic guides and unlock powerful combinations to enhance your MTG experience. Let BurnMana guide your next foray into MTG mastery.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tajuru Preserver MTG card by a specific set like Rise of the Eldrazi, 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 Tajuru Preserver and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Tajuru Preserver has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2010-06-15 As a spell or ability an opponent controls resolves, if it would force you to sacrifice a permanent (as the annihilator ability does), you just don’t. That part of the effect does nothing. If that spell or ability gives you the option to sacrifice a permanent (as Prowling Pangolin’s ability does), you can’t take that option.
2010-06-15 If a spell or ability an opponent controls instructs you to perform an action unless you sacrifice a permanent (as Ogre Marauder does), you can’t choose to sacrifice a permanent. You must perform the action. On the other hand, if a spell or ability an opponent controls instructs you to sacrifice a permanent unless you perform an action (as Rishadan Brigand does), you can choose whether or not to perform the action. If you don’t perform the action, nothing happens, since you can’t sacrifice any permanents.
2010-06-15 This ability affects only sacrifices. It won’t stop a creature from being put into the graveyard due to lethal damage or having 0 toughness, and it won’t stop a permanent from being put into the graveyard due to the “legend rule.” None of these are sacrifices; they’re the result of game rules.
2010-06-15 You may sacrifice a permanent as a special action, even if the effect that allows you to do so comes from an opponent’s permanent (such as Damping Engine or Volrath’s Curse). No one controls special actions.
2010-06-15 You may sacrifice a permanent to pay the activation cost of an ability, even if that ability comes from a permanent an opponent controls (such as Excavation).
2010-06-15 You may still sacrifice permanents to pay the costs of spells you cast and abilities you activate, or because a resolving spell or ability you control instructs or allows you to do so. Notably, you may still sacrifice Eldrazi Spawn creature tokens for mana.