Migratory Route MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Basic landcycling,Cycling,Landcycling

Key Takeaways

  1. Migratory Route excels in token generation, creating immediate aerial threats with its Bird creature tokens.
  2. Its landcycling feature offers vital mana base fine-tuning, enhancing deck consistency during play.
  3. Despite limitations like high mana cost, the card’s strategic versatility makes it a formidable presence.

Text of card

Create four 1/1 white Bird creature tokens with flying. Basic landcycling (, Discard this card: Search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: By summoning four 1/1 white Bird creature tokens with flying, Migratory Route promises a significant increase in your battlefield presence. This results in a valuable advantage as you populate the skies with multiple threats for your opponent to deal with.

Resource Acceleration: The card includes a basic landcycling ability, offering the flexibility to forego the initial effect in exchange for land. This enables players to fine-tune their mana base and ensure they are not left without the necessary resources to cast spells in the crucial stages of a match.

Instant Speed: Although Migratory Route is a sorcery and cannot be played at instant speed, its alternative landcycling ability does provide a way to use mana efficiently during an opponent’s turn if necessary. This tactical flexibility ensures that even if the card cannot be cast, it still can contribute to the strategic flow of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Migratory Route creates a significant number of Bird creature tokens, it can put you at a disadvantage by requiring you to discard another card. This prerequisite may not always align with your strategy, especially if your hand is already depleted and every card is crucial for maintaining game momentum.

Specific Mana Cost: Migratory Route has a multicolored mana cost, which includes both white and blue mana. This specificity can be restrictive as it fits primarily within Azorius-colored decks and may not be a viable option for players running decks that do not support these colors or multicolored manabases.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, this card can be seen as costly considering the current fast-paced nature of the game where board presence and tempo are decisive. When evaluated against other cards with lower mana costs, Migratory Route might not provide the same level of efficiency for establishing early board advantage or responding swiftly to an opponent’s threats.


Reasons to Include Migratory Route in Your Collection

Versatility: Migratory Route not only provides you with a significant presence on the board through five 1/1 flying Bird tokens but also presents the option to be cycled away for a new card, ensuring that it’s never a dead draw.

Combo Potential: This card slots seamlessly into token strategies and synergizes with effects that buff flying creatures or trigger upon creatures entering the battlefield, giving it power to turn the tide in combo-centric decks.

Meta-Relevance: Given Migratory Route’s ability to flood the board, it holds its ground in a meta that favors wide strategies, while the flying token advantage can be a pivotal factor against ground-based aggro decks.


How to Beat Migratory Route

Migratory Route is a well-known card in many players’ arsenals, thanks to its ability to amass a substantial bird token army and its useful cycling feature. When facing Migratory Route, understanding its dual nature as a token generator and a late-game draw is crucial. Its strength lies in quickly changing the battlefield dynamics by introducing multiple flying threats.

Counter strategies often revolve around either negating the card entirely or mitigating its impact. Board wipes like Wrath of God or Doomskar effectively clear the tokens post-deployment, while counterspells like Cancel can prevent Migratory Route from resolving. In addition, spot removals are less effective due to the number of tokens it creates, so mass removal is usually the recommended tactic.

For a more proactive approach, cards that restrict token generation, such as Hushbringer or Tocatli Honor Guard, can stifle the effectiveness of Migratory Route. Another avenue is to use cards like Aetherize to bounce the tokens back when they attack, thereby neutralizing an imminent offensive. Ultimately, timely intervention and understanding Migratory Route’s role in an opponent’s strategy will guide your path to overcoming it.


BurnMana Recommendations

If you’re keen on adding tactical depth to your deck, Migratory Route is a versatile card you might consider. It offers the duality of augmenting your airborne forces while also providing an alternative card draw through basic landcycling. In metas that value board presence, this card could very well give you the edge. The strategic dimension it brings to token-focused decks cannot be overstated. Looking to build a deck that capitalizes on creature tokens or seeking to enhance your current setup’s aerial tactics, Migratory Route might just be the piece you’re missing. Embrace the journey of deck building and let Migratory Route spread its wings in your collection. Learn more with us.


Cards like Migratory Route

Migratory Route in the realm of Magic: The Gathering is a powerful tool for players seeking to build an overwhelming board presence. This card bears resemblance to other mass creature-generating spells such as Storm Herd, which conjures a sizable flock of 1/1 Pegasus tokens based on your life total. Migratory Route delivers a fixed number of 1/1 Bird tokens with flying, but at a lower and more consistent cost than the life-dependent Storm Herd. Both present avenues to quickly amass an army, yet Migratory Route stands out with its basic landcycling ability, letting players exchange it for a basic land card when creatures aren’t the immediate need.

Another kindred spell is Nomads’ Assembly, which initially creates a token copy for each creature you control, then rebounds to potentially double your forces later. While the potential exponential token growth is appealing, Migratory Route offers the simplicity of immediate impact without dependency on a pre-existing board state. Finally, we have Notorious Throng, a spell that can produce a wave of tokens and provide an extra turn under the right conditions. However, it fits into a more niche deck type focused on rogues, making Migratory Route a more versatile choice for various deck themes that prioritize token generation.

Evaluating these options, Migratory Route holds a solid position among its peers in Magic: The Gathering for those seeking to create a considerable token presence while maintaining deck flexibility and consistency.

Storm Herd - MTG Card versions
Nomads' Assembly - MTG Card versions
Notorious Throng - MTG Card versions
Storm Herd - Guildpact (GPT)
Nomads' Assembly - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Notorious Throng - Morningtide (MOR)

Cards similar to Migratory Route by color, type and mana cost

Ordered Migration - MTG Card versions
Time Wipe - MTG Card versions
Fractured Identity - MTG Card versions
Ordered Migration - Invasion (INV)
Time Wipe - Doctor Who (WHO)
Fractured Identity - Doctor Who (WHO)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Migratory Route MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2016 and Treasure Chest, 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 Migratory Route and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Migratory Route Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 2016-11-11 and 2023-04-21. Illustrated by Winona Nelson.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-11-11Commander 2016C16 382015normalblackWinona Nelson
22016-11-16Treasure ChestPZ2 402015normalblackWinona Nelson
32018-06-08Commander Anthology Volume IICM2 1612015normalblackWinona Nelson
42019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 14562015normalblackWinona Nelson
52020-04-17Commander 2020C20 2222015normalblackWinona Nelson
62020-09-26The ListPLST CM2-1612015normalblackWinona Nelson
72021-02-05Kaldheim CommanderKHC 872015normalblackWinona Nelson
82023-04-21March of the Machine CommanderMOC 3362015normalblackWinona Nelson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Migratory Route has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

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