Metallic Sliver — ruling 1

If the creature type of a Sliver changes so it’s no longer a Sliver, it will no longer be affected by its own ability. Its ability will continue to affect other Sliver creatures.

Metallic Sliver — ruling 2

Abilities that Slivers grant, as well as power/toughness boosts, are cumulative. However, for some abilities, like flying, having more than one instance of the ability doesn’t provide any additional benefit.

Metallic Sliver : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Metallic Sliver is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.

Complete guide

Metallic Sliver is a cornerstone of tribal history, being the first creature to carry the Sliver subtype without possessing an inherent ability. While it appears simple at first glance, its artifact nature and low cost make it a versatile tool in both artifact-heavy and tribal-themed decks. It serves as a blank canvas, waiting to be buffed by the rest of the Sliver hive.

What It Does

Metallic Sliver is a 1/1 colorless artifact creature. Unlike most Slivers that grant a bonus to all others of their kind, this card has no text of its own. Its primary purpose is to benefit from the 'Lord' effects of other Slivers while triggering cards that care about artifacts entering the battlefield.

How It Resolves Step by Step

When you cast Metallic Sliver, it goes on the stack like any other creature spell. Once it resolves, it enters the battlefield as a 1/1. If you control other Slivers that grant abilities (such as flying or haste), those abilities apply the moment Metallic Sliver touches the battlefield. Because it is an artifact, it is also subject to effects that target or modify artifact permanents.

Common Mistakes

A common misconception is that Metallic Sliver is 'useless' because it has no oracle text. However, Magic rules dictate that it is still a Sliver; if a different Sliver gives 'All Slivers' a bonus, Metallic Sliver receives it. Also, remember that if an effect changes its creature type to something else, it will lose any Sliver-based buffs it was receiving from the hive.

When to Play It

This card is best used in aggressive Sliver decks that need to lower their mana curve or in artifact decks that need a cheap body. Because it only costs one generic mana, it is easy to cast regardless of your mana base, making it a reliable choice for maintaining board presence early in the game.

Interaction examples

Generating the Hive

Sliversmith

If you have Sliversmith on the battlefield, you can pay one mana and discard a card to create a token. This token is an exact copy of Metallic Sliver. Both the card and the token will benefit from any other Sliver bonuses you have in play.

Artifact Synergy

Ornithopter of Paradise

Both cards are artifact creatures. If you have an effect that triggers when an artifact enters the battlefield, Metallic Sliver will trigger it just like Ornithopter of Paradise does. However, Metallic Sliver can also be boosted by Sliver-specific spells that wouldn't affect the Ornithopter.

Scaling Power

Walking Ballista

While Walking Ballista uses +1/+1 counters to grow, Metallic Sliver relies on other Slivers. If you have a board with both, the Ballista can deal direct damage by removing counters, while the Metallic Sliver provides a persistent body that can be pumped by tribal effects to protect your life total or attack.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Metallic Sliver

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1July 1, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
If the creature type of a Sliver changes so it’s no longer a Sliver, it will no longer be affected by its own ability. Its ability will continue to affect other Sliver creatures.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2July 1, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
Abilities that Slivers grant, as well as power/toughness boosts, are cumulative. However, for some abilities, like flying, having more than one instance of the ability doesn’t provide any additional benefit.
No other card is named in this ruling.