Aarakocra Sneak MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Bird Rogue |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Released | 2022-06-10 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate |
| Set code | CLB |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 4 |
| Number | 54 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Andrea Radeck |
Text of card
Flying When Aarakocra Sneak enters the battlefield, you take the initiative.
"Shhh! I think I hear goblins. And I definitely smell them."
Cards like Aarakocra Sneak
The Aarakocra Sneak card puts a unique twist on creatures that excel in subtlety and surprise tactics within MTG. Sharing similarities with other evasive creatures, Aarakocra Sneak can compare to cards like Mist-Cloaked Herald. Both possess the ability to be unblockable, ensuring they can swing at opponents without fear of being blocked. However, Aarakocra Sneak brings additional flavor with its synergy in a party mechanic-based deck, offering more than just unblockable damage.
Skulking around the deck, we also find the prowess of Faerie Seer. While it offers scrying upon entering the battlefield instead of unblockability, its low mana cost makes it comparable in terms of an early board presence. But unlike Aarakocra Sneak, which promotes a build-up of a varied creature collective, Faerie Seer is strictly about top-deck manipulation. Another creature stirring in the shadows is Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive, allowing creatures with power or toughness 1 or less to be unblockable, potentially turning the tide for tiny aggressors in your deck.
Looking through the lens of utility and deck-building dynamics, Aarakocra Sneak offers a distinctive role for adventurers rallying their party members. It becomes clear that while unblockability is a common thread, the added party mechanic positions Aarakocra Sneak distinctively among MTG creatures geared towards subterfuge.
Cards similar to Aarakocra Sneak by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Aarakocra Sneak provides a unique edge by potentially sneaking cards into your hand whenever it deals combat damage to an opponent. This feathered rogue exemplifies card advantage by triggering an ability that could swing the game in your favor, stocking your hand with more options for future plays.
Resource Acceleration: If piloted correctly, Aarakocra Sneak not only accelerates your resources by ensuring a steady flow of cards but can also synergize with artifacts or enchantments that leverage the card draw for additional mana production. This interaction turns each sneak attack into more than just a hit – it’s a stepping stone to outpacing your adversary.
Instant Speed: Equipped with the ability to quickly adapt, this card can be paired with instant-speed spells or abilities to maximize your turn. After a successful attack, the immediate draw might just give you the instant spell you need to disrupt your opponent’s strategy. The Aarakocra Sneak’s power lies in its versatility, morphing each attack phase into a potential game-changer.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Aarakocra Sneak demands that you discard a card to utilize its abilities, which could be a setback when your hand is already running thin. This can lead to difficult decisions about which resources to sacrifice during pivotal moments in a game.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Aarakocra Sneak includes blue mana symbols, necessitating a deck with blue mana sources. This can be limiting for deck builders who are looking to run a multicolored strategy but may not have the necessary mana base to consistently cast it on curve.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that’s on the higher side for its effect, Aarakocra Sneak faces stiff competition from other creatures in the mana curve. Players might prefer lower cost creatures that offer similar sneaky abilities or evasion without the drawback of discarding cards.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Aarakocra Sneak brings flexibility to various deck archetypes as it is a creature that can fly under the radar, quite literally. Its evasion makes it an excellent fit for strategies that leverage flying creatures or require consistent attackers.
Combo Potential: As a Rogue, it can synergize with abilities that get triggered whenever a Rogue deals combat damage to a player. This potential for combo interactions could significantly enhance specific Rogue strategy decks.
Meta-Relevance: With the shifting landscape of the metagame, an evasive creature like Aarakocra Sneak can often find a niche. Particularly in metas with less aerial defense, it can be a cost-effective way to chip away at an opponent’s life total while also enabling additional synergies.
How to beat Aarakocra Sneak
Aarakocra Sneak has managed to flutter its way into the hearts of MTG adventurers, bringing a unique angle to gameplay with its combination of flying and card advantage. Confronted with this feathery foe, your strategy must pivot to mitigate the value it garners each time it attacks and isn’t blocked. Implementing aerial blockers is a straightforward solution. Creatures with reach or any form of flying can negate the Sneak’s evasion tactics, ensuring it can’t freely peck away at your life total or deck.
Removal spells also play a pivotal role. Efficient options that target creatures regardless of their evasion abilities can quickly ground the Aarakocra Sneak, deterring the opponent from gaining further card advantage. Sweepers are equally effective, especially those that can bypass its possible increased toughness. Moreover, if the strategy aligns, adjustment of playstyle to a more aggressive approach can shift the focus, compelling the opponent to use their Sneak defensively, which neutralizes its aggressive card draw potential.
Ultimately, the best remedy against Aarakocra Sneak is staying vigilant and adaptive. Any deck equipped with the right removal tools, blockers, or an assertive strategy can ensure that this winged trickster is nothing more than a fleeting concern in the skies of MTG.
BurnMana Recommendations
Mastering MTG decks means finding a balance between resource acceleration, versatility, and strategic gameplay. Aarakocra Sneak offers an intriguing blend of advantages to enhance your deck’s card flow and overall dynamic. Keep your play diverse and resourceful by embracing its card draw capability, and don’t overlook its potential to synergize with other rogues and flying creatures. As the game’s landscapes constantly evolve, cards like Aarakocra Sneak prove invaluable in staying one step ahead. Expand your collection with unique utility creatures like this and ensure your next battle is a testament to strategic depth. Dive deeper with us to sharpen your deck-building skills and tactics.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Aarakocra Sneak MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Aarakocra Sneak and other MTG cards:
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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Aarakocra Sneak has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Banned |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Aarakocra Sneak card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2022-06-10 | A player who currently has the initiative may take the initiative again. This causes that player to venture into Undercity again, but does not cause them to have multiple initiative designations. |
| 2022-06-10 | If the player with the initiative leaves the game, the active player takes the initiative at the same time that player leaves the game. If the active player is leaving the game or if there is no active player, the next player in turn order takes the initiative. |
| 2022-06-10 | If you aren't in a dungeon when instructed to venture into Undercity, you will put Undercity into the command zone and move your venture marker to Secret Entrance (the first room). |
| 2022-06-10 | If you're already in a dungeon when instructed to venture into Undercity, you move to the next room of that dungeon. If you are already in the last room, you will complete that dungeon and start Undercity. This is true whether you're already in Undercity or any other dungeon. |
| 2022-06-10 | In a Two-Headed Giant game, if both players on a team deal combat damage to the player that has the initiative at the same time, the player with the initiative will choose the order of the triggered abilities. Then, as those abilities resolve, one team member takes the initiative (and ventures into Undercity) and then the other team member does the same. The last player to take the initiative keeps it until the initiative changes again. |
| 2022-06-10 | Only one player can have the initiative at a time. As one player takes the initiative, any other player that had the initiative ceases to have it. |
| 2022-06-10 | Similarly, when instructed to venture into Undercity, you can't start a dungeon that isn't Undercity. |
| 2022-06-10 | The initiative is a designation a player can have. A player with the initiative designation is said to "have the initiative." The initiative carries two inherent rules. First, whenever a player takes the initiative, and at the beginning of the upkeep of the player with the initiative, that player ventures into Undercity. Second, whenever one or more creatures a player controls deal combat damage to the player who has the initiative, the first player takes the initiative. Also, some abilities will refer to having the initiative and provide other benefits. |
| 2022-06-10 | There is no initiative in a game until an effect instructs a player to take the initiative. Once a player is instructed to do this, they have the initiative until another player takes the initiative. |
| 2022-06-10 | You cannot venture into Undercity unless instructed to do so, either because you have the initiative at the beginning of your upkeep or because you take the initiative. Notably, if you aren't in a dungeon and an effect instructs you to venture into the dungeon (not venture into Undercity), you can't start Undercity. |