• Pirate Ship (Original Art)
  • Pirate Ship (Original Art)

    Pirate Ship (Original Art)

    Artist
    Tom Wanerstrand
    Origin
    Netherlands
    Year
    1993
    Set/Console Name
    Alpha
    Console/Game
    Magic the Gathering
    C.O.A.
    no
    Painted A.P.
    no
    Substrate Material
    Frisk C.S.10 Grafik 8 Illustration Board
    Substrate Dimensions
    7 13/16"W x 7 1/8"H
    Image Area Dimensions
    5 3/4"H x 7 3/16"W
    Frame Dimensions
    Unframed
    Handmade Protective Case
    YES

    Pirate Ship is a five-mana blue 4/3 creature originally printed in Alpha (1993), that can be tapped to have it deal 1 damage to any target. Pirate Ship can’t attack unless the defending player controls an Island, and must be sacrificed when you control noIslands. It’s one of the first true “Pirate” cards in Magic, long before the tribe was developed. The requirement for Islands and its sacrifice clause make it feel like a literal ship stranded at sea when the tides turn- classic early Magic storytelling through mechanics. Tapping Pirate Ship to let it deal 1 damage is a simple yet useful ability back in 1993, giving blue a way to “shoot things”, which was unusual for the color. This made Pirate Ship one of the first blue creatures with a repeatable damage ability. It has never been a competitive card, and was quickly outclassed by more efficient cards like Serendib Efreet and Air Elemental. Pirate Ship is not on the Reserved List, and has already been reprinted in Time Spiral.
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