Sunspear Shikari 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.
Official card text
As long as this creature is equipped, it has first strike and lifelink. (It deals combat damage before creatures without first strike. Damage dealt by it also causes you to gain that much life.)
Complete guide
Sunspear Shikari is a versatile white creature that rewards you for utilizing Equipment in your deck. While it starts as a simple 2/2, it transforms into a formidable combatant once it picks up a weapon. Understanding its conditional keywords is the key to mastering this Cat Soldier.
What It Does
Sunspear Shikari is a 2/2 Cat Soldier that has a static ability checking for the presence of Equipment. As long as at least one Equipment is attached to it, it gains both first strike and lifelink. This makes it excellent for both aggressive pressure and stabilizing your life total against faster decks.
How It Resolves Step by Step
First, Sunspear Shikari enters the battlefield; it does not have first strike or lifelink yet. Next, you must pay an Equip cost or use an effect to attach an Equipment to it. As soon as the Equipment is attached, the static ability applies immediately. During combat, it will deal damage in the first combat damage step, and the lifelink will cause you to gain life simultaneously with that damage.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake involves timing. If an opponent destroys the Equipment after the first combat damage step has occurred, Sunspear Shikari loses first strike. Because it already dealt damage in the first step and no longer has first strike to qualify for the second step, it will not deal damage again. Additionally, lifelink and first strike are only active while the Equipment is physically attached.
When to Play It
This card belongs in dedicated 'Equipment matters' or 'Voltron' strategies. It provides a cheap, efficient body that scales exceptionally well with power buffs, as the lifelink benefit grows with every point of extra power you provide via your artifacts.
Interaction examples
Ornithopter of ParadiseIf you use Ornithopter of Paradise to produce mana to cast an Equipment and attach it to Sunspear Shikari, the Shikari immediately gains first strike and lifelink. The Ornithopter provides the color fixing needed to ensure you can always cast your modifiers on time.
Esper SentinelIn a deck featuring Esper Sentinel, your opponent is pressured to use removal spells on your creatures. If they cast a spell to destroy Sunspear Shikari, Esper Sentinel's ability triggers. If you have equipped Sunspear Shikari with an artifact that also boosts your other creatures' power, the tax for Esper Sentinel becomes even harder to pay, protecting your lifelink threat.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Sunspear Shikari
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If all Equipment attached to Sunspear Shikari somehow becomes unequipped after it deals combat damage in the first combat damage step, it won't assign combat damage in the second combat damage step.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Sunspear Shikari
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.