Bloodthirsty Aerialist MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Vampire Rogue
Abilities Flying
Power 2
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Bloodthirsty Aerialist’s synergy with lifegain can transform it into a recurring powerhouse on the battlefield.
  2. Its potential is tethered to having other lifegain mechanisms within your deck for consistent growth.
  3. Despite its mana cost, its strategic versatility makes it a viable threat in many lifegain-themed decks.

Text of card

Flying Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on Bloodthirsty Aerialist.

A circus acrobat in life, she kills with such fluid grace that even her victims are awed by her performance.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The synergy of Bloodthirsty Aerialist with lifegain strategies provides continuous fuel for growth, effectively making every instance of life gain a potential threat enhancer. This dynamic can lead to significant card advantage over your opponents, as they must deal with an increasingly dangerous creature.

Resource Acceleration: Although Bloodthirsty Aerialist doesn’t provide direct resource acceleration, its aggressive cost-to-stat ratio, especially as it grows, means you’re efficiently allocating your mana towards a constantly scaling threat. As it demands answers from your opponent, other avenues of your gameplay may benefit from reduced pressure.

Instant Speed: While Bloodthirsty Aerialist itself is not an instant, it profits from the instant-speed life gain spells in your deck. Playing these life gain spells during your opponent’s turn before your Aerialist’s attack phase can often result in a surprise boost in power, turning the tides of combat in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Bloodthirsty Aerialist allows you to gain a +1/+1 counter each time you gain life, this ability hinges on having other cards in your deck that trigger life gain. Without a reliable method to gain life, the potential of this card is significantly diminished.

Specific Mana Cost: Bloodthirsty Aerialist requires both black mana and generic mana to cast. Decks without a solid black mana base or those that run on a multicolor strategy may struggle to meet the casting requirements consistently, limiting the card’s versatility across various deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing three mana with two being black specific can be somewhat steep for a 2/3 flyer. Considering that there are other cheaper creatures with lifelink or creatures that can grow more rapidly without the life gain condition, Bloodthirsty Aerialist can lag behind in terms of cost-efficiency in some aggressive deck strategies.


Reasons to Include Bloodthirsty Aerialist in Your Collection

Versatility: Bloodthirsty Aerialist has the adaptability to slot into a variety of black or multicolored decks. Its flying ability provides an excellent defense against ground-only attackers and becomes an offensive asset as it grows with each instance of life gain.

Combo Potential: This card thrives in synergy with life gain strategies, pairing well with cards that provide consistent life boosts. As your life total increases, so does the power of Bloodthirsty Aerialist, potentially creating a formidable aerial threat that’s hard to stop.

Meta-Relevance: With players frequently utilizing life gain mechanics, this card remains relevant in the current competitive scene. It’s a potent match for decks that aim to outlast and overpower the opposition through incremental advantages.


How to beat

Overcoming Bloodthirsty Aerialist in the realm of Magic: The Gathering requires strategic plays and taking advantage of its need for synergy. This vampiric threat grows stronger with each instance of gaining life, making it imperative to nullify life gain mechanics. Direct removal spells like Murder or Doom Blade provide an immediate answer. But, if those aren’t at your disposal, controlling the battlefield with deathtouch creatures can dissuade attacks or manage the board until a removal can be drawn.

Alternatively, using countermagic when the Aerialist attempts to enter the battlefield ensures you don’t have to deal with the creature at all. Should the Aerialist manage to stick, preventing life gain through cards like Tainted Remedy turns its strength into a liability, while cards like Rest in Peace can handle any graveyard interactions that might bring it back for another flyby. Keeping your life total high enough to withstand an aerial assault can give you the time needed to draw into these solutions or to overpower your opponent with broader threats.

To avoid the Aerialist reaching terrifying heights, address it early, remove its support, or transform its abilities into weaknesses, and your chances of securing victory will soar.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the art of Magic: The Gathering means continuously refining your deck and adapting to new strategies. With Bloodthirsty Aerialist, you’re introduced to a thrilling blend of life gain and offensive might, translating every health point gained into raw power for your vampire ally. Building around this card not only challenges you to think about synergy but also taps into the satisfying journey of scaling threats. If you’re eager to discover how Bloodthirsty Aerialist can turn the tides of battle in your favor and explore the synergy-laden world of lifegain decks, we’re here to guide your ascent. Amp up your MTG prowess with us and let your gameplay take flight.


Cards like Bloodthirsty Aerialist

Bloodthirsty Aerialist carves out its unique niche in MTG as a key creature in the life gain strategy decks. This vampire rogue functions similarly to Ajani’s Pridemate, which also gains a +1/+1 counter whenever you gain life. However, Bloodthirsty Aerialist boasts the added advantage of flying, giving it evasion over ground-based blockers. This aerial dominance can often make it a more threatening presence on the battlefield.

Another card in comparison is Cradle of Vitality. While not a creature itself, this enchantment amplifies the life gain strategy by not just putting one, but potentially multiple +1/+1 counters onto your creatures, directly proportional to the life gained. Still, Bloodthirsty Aerialist holds its ground with its creature type synergy and the fact that it’s a stand-alone threat that needs no additional board presence to be effective.

Between these counterparts, Bloodthirsty Aerialist stands as a formidable option, especially in a deck where lifegain is as consistent as the Aerialist’s flight, turning incremental gains into substantial power over time. For players crafting a strategy around health incrementation, the Aerialist offers a robust choice for offensive and defensive gameplay.

Ajani's Pridemate - MTG Card versions
Cradle of Vitality - MTG Card versions
Ajani's Pridemate - MTG Card versions
Cradle of Vitality - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bloodthirsty Aerialist MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2020 and Commander 2021, 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 Bloodthirsty Aerialist and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Bloodthirsty Aerialist Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2019-07-12 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Igor Kieryluk.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-07-12Core Set 2020M20 912015NormalBlackIgor Kieryluk
22021-04-23Commander 2021C21 1362015NormalBlackIgor Kieryluk
32022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 3812015NormalBlackIgor Kieryluk

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bloodthirsty Aerialist has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2019-07-12 Each creature with lifelink dealing combat damage causes a separate life-gaining event. For example, if two creatures you control with lifelink deal combat damage at the same time, Bloodthirsty Aerialist’s ability will trigger twice. However, if a single creature you control with lifelink deals combat damage to multiple creatures, players, and/or planeswalkers at the same time (perhaps because it has trample or was blocked by more than one creature), the ability will trigger only once.
2019-07-12 If Bloodthirsty Aerialist is dealt lethal damage at the same time that you gain life, it won’t receive a counter from its ability in time to save it.
2019-07-12 In a Two-Headed Giant game, life gained by your teammate won’t cause the ability to trigger, even though it caused your team’s life total to increase.
2019-07-12 The ability of Bloodthirsty Aerialist triggers just once for each life-gaining event, whether it’s 1 life from Impassioned Orator or 4 life from Dawning Angel. If you gain an amount of life “for each” of something or “equal to the number” of something, that life is gained as one event and the ability of Bloodthirsty Aerialist triggers only once.

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