Avian Oddity MTG Card

Cycling Avian Oddity can replace it in hand while offering a flying boost to another creature. Instant speed cycling adds a strategic layer, letting players adapt to the game’s dynamics. Though costly to cast, Avian Oddity’s versatility in flight-centric strategies is undeniable.

Avian Oddity - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Bird
Abilities	Cycling,Flying
Released	2020-04-24
Set symbol
Set name	Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
Set code	IKO
Power	2
Toughness	4
Number	42
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Simon Dominic

Text of card

Flying Cycling (, Discard this card: Draw a card.) When you cycle Avian Oddity, put a flying counter on target creature you control.

Cards like Avian Oddity

Avian Oddity is a unique creature card in the expansive world of Magic: The Gathering that finds its niche among flying creatures with its twist – it’s not just airborne but also boosts another creature’s aerial capabilities when it cycles away. This is somewhat similar to Winged Words, a spell that draws cards specifically for a lower cost if you control a creature with flying. However, Avian Oddity directly contributes to the board state by enhancing another creature’s power.

Another card akin to this is Gust of Wind, which, although not giving any power boosts, has a reduced casting cost and also draws cards if you control a creature with flying, aligning with the theme of aerial advantage. Avian Oddity edges out by leaving a permanent impact on the board, albeit restricted to the cycling ability. Additionally, Mistral Charger serves as a more straightforward flying creature option, without the cycling flexibility but with a consistent low-cost presence in the air.

Each of these cards offers something beneficial for decks capitalizing on flying creatures. Yet, Avian Oddity stands out for its ability to empower another creature in a pinch, offering both surprise offensive potential and card cycling benefits.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Avian Oddity features the benefit of cycling, giving players an opportunity to replace it with another card in their hand, thereby not losing card equity when the creature isn’t an optimal play. Additionally, when cycled, it provides a flying counter to another creature, offering strategic diversity and potential aerial superiority.

Resource Acceleration: While Avian Oddity itself doesn’t provide direct resource acceleration, the flying counter it grants after cycling can expedite the clock on your opponent. By enhancing another creature’s ability to deal damage undeterred by ground blockers, you potentially shorten the game, saving resources in the long run.

Instant Speed: Cycling can be done at instant speed, which adds a layer of flexibility to the card. Players can wait until the end of the opponent’s turn to decide whether to cycle Avian Oddity, thus keeping their options open and reacting to the current state of the board for maximum efficiency.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Engaging with Avian Oddity requires you to discard another card, which could deplete your hand faster than you’d like, especially in tight situations where every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Avian Oddity demands a specific mana configuration to cast, which may not align with the flexibility needed in multi-hued decks, potentially causing it to be a dead draw in a game where color accessibility is a pressure point.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: This card comes at a relatively steep cost considering its benefits. With four mana needed to bring it into play, it competes with other staple four-drops that may offer immediate impact or more impressive board presence, thus questioning its slot in a finely-tuned deck.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Avian Oddity proves to be a flexible card, suitable for decks that capitalize on flying creatures or need a late-game power boost thanks to its ability to mutate enhancing its adaptability.

Combo Potential: Its flying ability can be paired with numerous strategies that may benefit from granting this evasion to other creatures or using it to enable abilities that are unlocked upon dealing combat damage to a player.

Meta-Relevance: Given that skies can often be less clogged in certain metagames, Avian Oddity finds its niche by soaring over ground-based defenses, benefiting strategies that target an opponent directly from the air.

How to Beat Avian Oddity

Avian Oddity is one of those intriguing Magic: The Gathering cards that appeals to players for its flying capability and the ability to boost its power through card cycling. When this card is placed on the battlefield, it has the potential to cause significant upheaval, especially as players cycle their way to give it a +1/+1 counter, ramping up its presence considerably.

Aiding in overcoming Avian Oddity requires a strategy centered around removal spells or abilities that negate flying advantages. Incorporating spells that can target creatures in the air, such as Plummet or cards with reach attribute, can provide an efficient defense against it. Additionally, board wipes like Shatter the Sky or Doomskar can clear the battlefield of Avian Oddity along with other threats.

A well-thought-out strategy including well-timed removal and counter measures not only ensures that Avian Oddity doesn’t take over the game but also maintains a balance on the battlefield, enabling you to keep the upper hand against opponents deploying such flying aces in their deck strategies within the realm of Magic: The Gathering.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Avian Oddity MTG card by a specific set like Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, 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 Avian Oddity and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Avian Oddity has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2020-04-17	Some cards with cycling have an ability that triggers when you cycle them, and some cards have an ability that triggers whenever you cycle any card. These triggered abilities resolve before you draw from the cycling ability.
2020-04-17	Triggered abilities from cycling a card and the cycling ability itself aren’t spells. Effects that interact with spells (such as that of Cancel) won’t affect them.
2020-04-17	You can cycle a card even if it has a triggered ability from cycling that won’t have a legal target. This is because the cycling ability and the triggered ability are separate. This also means that if either ability is countered (with Disallow, for example), the other ability will still resolve.