Battering Sliver

Battering Sliver was originally introduced in the 2007 Time Spiral set as part of a nostalgic return to the Slivers, a hive-minded creature type that defined the Weatherlight Saga era of Magic: The Gathering. The card was designed to function within the tribal mechanics of the set, granting all Slivers the trample keyword to provide a much-needed offensive boost to the collective's board presence. Its inclusion in Time Spiral Remastered, released in 2021, served to curate the most iconic and mechanically significant cards from the original Time Spiral block into a refined draft experience.

The artwork for this version was provided by Greg Staples, a long-time contributor to the game whose style is known for its gritty, textured, and atmospheric qualities. Staples reimagined the creature with a focus on its aggressive, visceral physiology, emphasizing the jagged blades and chitinous armor that define the Battering Sliver's role as a frontline combatant. The illustration was received positively by players for its grounded, menacing aesthetic, which contrasted with the more stylized or abstract depictions found in earlier iterations of the Sliver creature type.