Clockwork Avian MTG Card

Clockwork Avian offers dynamic board presence, growing stronger through accumulating +1/+0 counters. Its artifact nature provides synergy opportunities, activating powerful combos and accelerating resources. While potent, Clockwork Avian requires careful mana management and strategic play to maximize value.
Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeArtifact Creature — Bird
Abilities Flying
Power 0
Toughness 4

Text of card

Flying Put four +1/+0 counters on Avian. After Avian attacks or blocks a creature, discard a counter. During his or her upkeep, controller may buy back lost counters for o1 per counter; this taps Avian.

Cards like Clockwork Avian

Exploring Magic: The Gathering’s pantheon of artifact creatures, Clockwork Avian distinguishes itself through its blend of antiquity and mechanical ingenuity. It parallels with other artifact creatures like Arcbound Reclaimer. Both share the intrinsic flexibility of being artifacts but the Avian’s uniqueness lies in its powerful yet depleting +1/+0 counters, giving it a potential initial advantage over the Reclaimer which requires sacrificing other artifacts to retrieve more from your graveyard.

Another comparison can be made with the card Pentavus. Like the Avian, Pentavus offers a manipulation of counters, in this case to create and sacrifice 1/1 Pentavite tokens. While Pentavus requires more mana to play, it has the further advantage of renewable resources unlike Clockwork Avian’s one-time-use counters that dwindle with each activation, risking the creature becoming a mere statue.

Overall, Clockwork Avian stands out for its early game strength and sleek design reminiscent of MTG’s earlier sets. In terms of utility and long-term value, it might fall short compared to more modern counterparts which provide continuous or larger effects with similar or lesser investment.

Arcbound Reclaimer - MTG Card versions
Pentavus - MTG Card versions
Arcbound Reclaimer - MTG Card versions
Pentavus - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Clockwork Avian can be a formidable addition to a deck that aims to outlast an opponent. With its capacity to accumulate +1/+0 counters, it can effectively become a recurring threat on the board. Effectively using this bird to chip away at an enemy’s life total can yield a subtle but decisive edge as the game progresses.

Resource Acceleration: As an artifact creature, this avian can serve as a catalyst for strategies that benefit from artifacts. Its very presence can activate synergies or improve the output of cards that thrive on having numerous artifacts in play, paving the way to a stronger board presence and quicker deployment of critical threats.

Instant Speed: While Clockwork Avian itself isn’t an instant, its ability to untap during any player’s upkeep for a single mana offers a degree of flexibility often associated with instant speed interactions. This enables strategic conservation of mana until the most opportune moment, potentially catching opponents off guard by restoring Clockwork Avian to full strength before a critical block or attack.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In the case of Clockwork Avian, it lacks a direct discard requirement. However, balancing counters and ensuring its viability in long games can feel like a mental discard as players must carefully manage its abilities.

Specific Mana Cost: Clockwork Avian demands a specific combination of four colorless mana to cast. This requirement restricts its seamless integration, particularly in multi-color decks where mana could be better allocated to more versatile creatures or spells.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clockwork Avian’s casting cost can be on the steep side when compared to other creatures that offer immediate board impact. With a casting cost of five mana in total, players might find other creatures or artifacts more cost-effective and impactful for their strategic plays.

Reasons to Include Clockwork Avian in Your Collection

Versatility: Clockwork Avian stands out for its ability to adapt to various deck builds. It’s a creature that can be both an offensive threat and a defensive asset depending on how you manage its counters.

Combo Potential: With Clockwork Avian, players have the opportunity to craft numerous combos. Since it works with counter manipulation, it can seamlessly integrate with strategies that focus on proliferating or modifying those counters for beneficial effects.

Meta-Relevance: Given that artifact creatures can play pivotal roles within certain meta environments, Clockwork Avian can become quite a surprise asset, especially in formats where artifacts are given more importance.

How to beat

The Clockwork Avian is a unique artifact creature from Magic the Gathering with a compelling blend of power and intricacy. Hailing from the Antiquities set, this mechanical bird poses an intriguing challenge due to its ability to grow stronger each time it attacks. It’s integral to assess the Avian’s strengths and weaknesses to devise a strategy against it.

Counteracting the Clockwork Avian’s escalating threat necessitates a proactive approach. Creature removal spells are particularly effective, such as Doom Blade or Path to Exile, ensuring the Avian is dealt with before it accumulates too many +1/+0 counters. Artifact destruction, an approach highlighted by cards like Shatter or Naturalize, can be another efficient method to dismantle the Avian’s presence on the battlefield. Moreover, pacifying options like Pacifism prevent the Avian from attacking, thus stifling any further counter accumulation and neutralizing its offensive capabilities.

In essence, overcoming the Clockwork Avian in Magic the Gathering requires a strategy that halts its potential to become an imposing force. Timely removal, artifact disruption, or rendering it unable to engage in combat are key tactics in ensuring that this mechanical menace doesn’t take full flight.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Clockwork Avian MTG card by a specific set like Antiquities and Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border, 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 Clockwork Avian and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Clockwork Avian Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 1994-03-04 and 2011-01-10. Illustrated by Randy Asplund-Faith.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11994-03-04AntiquitiesATQ 451993NormalBlackRandy Asplund-Faith
21995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 3061993NormalBlackRandy Asplund-Faith
31995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 3061993NormalWhiteRandy Asplund-Faith
41995-08-01RenaissanceREN 1221993NormalBlackRandy Asplund-Faith
51995-08-01RinascimentoRIN 1101993NormalBlackRandy Asplund-Faith
62000-10-01Beatdown Box SetBTD 691997NormalWhiteRandy Asplund-Faith
72011-01-10Masters Edition IVME4 1901997NormalBlackRandy Asplund-Faith

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Clockwork Avian has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2004-10-04 Can attack or block even if it has no counters.
2004-10-04 If the ability to add counters resolves when there are already the maximum number of counters on it, any counters over the maximum are simply not added.
2004-10-04 Loses a counter even if it is affected by a Fog-like effect which prevents it from dealing damage.