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Sheltering Ancient

{1}{G}

Creature — Treefolk

PLSTThe List#CSP-121uncommon
Foil
Border
black
Frame
2003
Pull rate
~1 in 121
Illustrator
Pete Venters
Found in
Mystery Booster Booster Pack (Retail Edition)
Printings2CombosIn 2
CommanderLegalModernLegalStandardNot legal
Format legality
AlchemyNot legal
BrawlNot legal
CommanderLegal
Competitive BrawlNot legal
DuelLegal
Future StandardNot legal
GladiatorNot legal
HistoricNot legal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
Old SchoolNot legal
PauperNot legal
Pauper CommanderNot legal
PennyNot legal
PioneerNot legal
PreDHLegal
PremodernNot legal
StandardNot legal
Standard BrawlNot legal
TimelessNot legal
Tiny LeadersLegal
VintageLegal
Trample Cumulative upkeep—Put a +1/+1 counter on a creature an opponent controls. (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.)
5/5
Trample
Market · per finishspark updated 1h ago · prices as of 2026-07-12
Foil+1.2%
$1.67
$0.85 low$0.45 gap
Cheapest playable copy$1.67· across 2 printings

Rulings

4 · latest Oct 1, 2008 · one tap opens all
  • WotCOct 1, 2008

    Paying cumulative upkeep is always optional. If it’s not paid, the permanent with cumulative upkeep is sacrificed. Partial payments of the total cumulative upkeep cost can’t be made. For example, if a permanent with “cumulative upkeep {1}” has three age counters on it when its cumulative upkeep ability triggers, it gets another age counter and then its controller chooses to either pay {4} or sacrifice the permanent.

  • WotCJul 15, 2006

    Creatures that can’t be the target of abilities can have +1/+1 counters put on them by Sheltering Ancient’s cumulative upkeep ability because it doesn’t target them. The same is true for creatures with protection from green or protection from any other quality Sheltering Ancient has.

  • WotCJul 15, 2006

    If no opponent controls a creature, you can’t pay the upkeep and must sacrifice Sheltering Ancient.

  • WotCJul 15, 2006

    You may choose a different creature to put each counter on, but you can also choose the same creature multiple times. The creatures don’t have to be controlled by the same opponent.