Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeInstant — Adventure

Key Takeaways

  1. Combining creature utility with instant disruption, it adds depth and versatility to your play strategy.
  2. The card can restrict opponents’ moves, enhancing your control over the game tempo and flow.
  3. Understanding the card’s strengths against matchups is key to maximizing its tactical effectiveness.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Throne of Eldraine, 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 Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop and other MTG cards:

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Text of card

Tap up to two target creatures. (Then exile this card. You may cast the creature later from exile.)

In a castle that prizes loyalty above all, the bond between knight and griffin is unmatched.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop offers a two-for-one benefit by providing both a creature that can impact the board state and an adventure spell that can disrupt an opponent’s plays. When the adventure is cast, players effectively add two cards’ worth of value from a single card, enhancing their overall card economy.

Resource Acceleration: While this card doesn’t directly produce mana or artifacts, it allows players to maintain tempo by tapping opposing creatures with its adventure side. This “soft” resource acceleration can ensure that players are developing their board while hindering an opponent, thereby indirectly accelerating the player’s resource advantage.

Instant Speed: Dizzying Swoop can be cast at instant speed, granting players the flexibility to react strategically during the heat of battle. This adaptability makes it easier to navigate complex turns, surprise an opponent during their attack phase, or utilize mana efficiently by holding up the possibility of casting other spells or abilities.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Not applicable to Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop as there is no discard requirement for either side of the card.

Specific Mana Cost: Ardenvale Tactician requires white mana, which may not seamlessly fit into multi-colored or colorless decks, potentially limiting its versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana for a 2/3 flyer, there may be other creatures or cards that offer a better mana-to-impact ratio, especially in a deck where efficiency is key.


Reasons to Include Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop in Your Collection

Versatility: Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop offers dual utility, functioning as both a creature and an instant. When flexibility is key, this card adeptly adjusts to the ever-changing dynamics of the game.

Combo Potential: With the tactician’s ability to tap down opponents’ creatures, it pairs well with strategies that capitalize on controlling the battlefield. When combined with cards that reward you for tapping or untapping creatures, this can become a linchpin in an intricate combo.

Meta-Relevance: As the metagame involves decks that rely on key creatures to execute their strategy, having a card like Dizzying Swoop to disrupt those plans could prove essential, giving you an edge by affecting the tempo of your opponents’ plays.


How to beat

Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop is a versatile card in the world of Magic: The Gathering, giving players a dual utility of creature and instant. This card allows you to tap two target creatures your opponents control, providing a significant tempo swing in your favor. When paired with other control elements, it could easily become a nuisance for opponents, making your strategy a few steps ahead.

To outmaneuver Ardenvale Tactician, consider strategies that don’t rely heavily on creatures or incorporate ways to untap your resources. Cards with hexproof or that can’t be targeted by opponent spells or abilities will slip right through Dizzying Swoop’s grasp. Additionally, having instant-speed removal can disrupt the flow of your opponent’s offensive when they deploy the Tactician. Keeping a watchful eye on the board and managing your creatures is key.

In essence, defeating Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop requires thoughtful play and preemptive measures. Ensure your MTG deck has a blend of protective spells, quick removals, and elusive creatures to maintain the upper hand against this tactical challenge.


Cards like Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop

The Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop is a versatile card that players often compare to other modal double-faced cards. One such card is Giant Killer // Chop Down. Both cards offer utility by providing a creature with a tap-down effect on their other side. However, the Tactician allows for a less restricted tap-down effect with Dizzying Swoop, affecting two target creatures instead of one, although it does not offer the creature removal that Giant Killer does.

Another card akin to the Tactician is Shepherd of the Flock // Usher to Safety. Shepherd of the Flock provides utility in protecting your creatures or returning a key permanent to hand. While it lacks the tap-down mechanic, it offers greater flexibility in defensive maneuvers. Conversely, Ardenvale Tactician can directly impact the combat phase by disabling potential blockers or attackers.

Each card excels in different scenarios, but what makes Ardenvale Tactician stand out is its ability to influence combat significantly. Its dual functionality as both an offensive and defensive tool makes it a useful inclusion in decks focusing on strategy and tempo.

Giant Killer // Chop Down - MTG Card versions
Shepherd of the Flock // Usher to Safety - MTG Card versions
Giant Killer // Chop Down - MTG Card versions
Shepherd of the Flock // Usher to Safety - MTG Card versions

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Reverse Damage - MTG Card versions
Army of Allah - MTG Card versions
Holy Light - MTG Card versions
Blood of the Martyr - MTG Card versions
Piety - MTG Card versions
Martyrdom - MTG Card versions
Harsh Justice - MTG Card versions
Kor Chant - MTG Card versions
Just Fate - MTG Card versions
Waylay - MTG Card versions
Warrior's Honor - MTG Card versions
Radiant's Judgment - MTG Card versions
Restrain - MTG Card versions
Prismatic Strands - MTG Card versions
Teferi's Protection - MTG Card versions
Oblation - MTG Card versions
Wing Shards - MTG Card versions
Armed Response - MTG Card versions
Renewed Faith - MTG Card versions
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Printings

The Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-10-04 and 2019-10-04. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 787902015AdventureBlackAaron Miller
22019-10-04Throne of EldraineELD 2732015AdventureBlackAaron Miller
32019-10-04Throne of EldraineELD 52015AdventureBlackJason Rainville

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2019-10-04 An adventurer card is a creature card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it's in your graveyard, Giant Killer is a white creature card whose mana value is 1. It can't be the target of the triggered ability of Mystic Sanctuary.
2019-10-04 Casting a card as an Adventure isn't casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure.
2019-10-04 If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a creature spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won't be exiled and the spell's controller won't be able to cast it as a creature later.
2019-10-04 If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won't give you permission to cast it as a creature spell.
2019-10-04 If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it's not possible to cast the copy as a creature.
2019-10-04 If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose.
2019-10-04 If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it's a token) or cease to be a copy (if it's a nontoken permanent), and so you won't be able to cast it as an Adventure.
2019-10-04 If two targets are chosen for Dizzying Swoop and one of them becomes an illegal target but not the other, the legal target will be tapped and Dizzying Swoop will be exiled. If both targets are illegal, Dizzying Swoop will be put into your graveyard.
2019-10-04 If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it's legal to cast that spell. For example, if Giant Killer is exiled with the last ability of Vivien, Champion of the Wilds, you can't cast it as Chop Down.
2019-10-04 When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card's normal characteristics. The spell's color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics.
2019-10-04 You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions for the creature spell you cast from exile. Normally, you'll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.