Elvish Skysweeper MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Elf Warrior
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers card advantage by removing multiple flying threats and maintaining board presence.
  2. Instant speed activation allows strategic flexibility during an opponent’s turn.
  3. Sacrifice requirement and specific mana costs may limit its utility in games.

Text of card

, Sacrifice a creature: Destroy target creature with flying.

The spires of Ravnica are no different from the tall trees of other planes. The elves navigate and protect them just the same.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Elvish Skysweeper’s ability to potentially remove multiple flying threats over the course of a game can deprive your opponent of their valuable assets while maintaining your board state, which can lead to a card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: The synergy with decks that focus on ramping and generating a lot of mana means Elvish Skysweeper can be an affordable way to leverage existing resources for controlling the skies, playing well into strategies that accelerate resource availability.

Instant Speed: Though not an instant itself, the Skysweeper’s activated ability can be used at instant speed, providing the flexibility to wait until the last possible moment to decide whether to utilize your mana for creature removal or other instant-speed interactions during your opponent’s turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Elvish Skysweeper requires sacrificing a creature as part of its activated ability. This can be detrimental, especially when your board presence is critical for maintaining control of the game.

Specific Mana Cost: The activation of this card’s ability is not only costly in terms of creatures but also requires one green mana. This requirement makes it less flexible, as you need to ensure you have the appropriate land or mana sources available.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: To utilize Elvish Skysweeper’s ability to its full potential, you need to invest a total of six mana – five of any color plus one green. This is a significant investment, particularly when there are other flying creature removal options available at a lower mana cost.


Reasons to Include Elvish Skysweeper in Your Collection

Versatility: Elvish Skysweeper offers flexible gameplay as both a low-cost creature and a flying deterrent. Its ability to destroy flying creatures can seamlessly integrate into various green decks that may lack air defense.

Combo Potential: This elf rogue can become a key piece in combos, especially with strategies that generate a multitude of creature tokens, leveraging them to consistently remove threatening flyers from the game.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where players favor flying powerhouses or token-generating archetypes, Elvish Skysweeper’s removal capability becomes increasingly valuable, keeping your skies clear and your opponents cautious.


How to beat

Confronting the Elvish Skysweeper in your MTG games can be quite the challenge, especially if you’re up against a deck that leverages its strength for aerial control. This creature is often used in strategies to remove flying creatures that threaten its owner, by combining its modest one mana activation cost with sacrificing another creature to bring down airborne threats. However, overcoming the Elvish Skysweeper is not beyond reach.

To outplay it, consider employing cards that prevent the Elvish Skysweeper from being targeted directly or indirectly. Options such as counter spells or abilities that grant hexproof to your flying creatures can invalidate its ability. Another strategy is to reduce the number of creatures your opponent controls, lessening the Skysweeper’s ammunition to sacrifice. You might also deploy flying creatures with indestructible or have abilities that trigger upon death, negating the disadvantage of potentially losing them.

The key lies in adapting your game plan by either fortifying your creatures against targeting, or by keeping your opponent’s side of the battlefield in check. With careful planning and strategic countermeasures, the Elvish Skysweeper’s influence on the sky can be effectively grounded.


Cards like Elvish Skysweeper

Elvish Skysweeper offers a unique role in Magic: The Gathering as both a creature and a removal tool. Its closest relatives in function include cards like Scattershot Archer and Tornado Elemental. Like Elvish Skysweeper, Scattershot Archer can be used to control flying creatures, posing a threat to those with smaller toughness. However, the Archer does so without the need to sacrifice other creatures and at no mana cost, though it is limited to only dealing damage rather than outright destroying.

Meanwhile, Tornado Elemental comes with a higher cost but packs a powerful punch, capable of dealing significant damage to flying creatures upon entry to the battlefield. What sets Elvish Skysweeper apart is its recurring ability to handle flying threats and the tactical advantage of being a low-cost creature, enabling it to fit smoothly into elf-themed decks that benefit from synergistic tribal bonuses.

When evaluating these options, Elvish Skysweeper holds its own, especially in decks that can consistently generate a stream of creatures to fuel its ability. It is a versatile card that not only strengthens your board presence but also keeps the skies clear of potential aerial assailants.

Scattershot Archer - MTG Card versions
Tornado Elemental - MTG Card versions
Scattershot Archer - Conflux (CON)
Tornado Elemental - Fifth Dawn (5DN)

Cards similar to Elvish Skysweeper by color, type and mana cost

Scryb Sprites - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Elves - MTG Card versions
Ghazbán Ogre - MTG Card versions
Shanodin Dryads - MTG Card versions
Wall of Wood - MTG Card versions
Rime Dryad - MTG Card versions
Village Elder - MTG Card versions
Willow Dryad - MTG Card versions
Spike Drone - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Elite - MTG Card versions
Elvish Berserker - MTG Card versions
Tree Monkey - MTG Card versions
Wild Dogs - MTG Card versions
Elvish Herder - MTG Card versions
Pouncing Jaguar - MTG Card versions
Taunting Elf - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Elite - MTG Card versions
Scavenger Folk - MTG Card versions
Willow Geist - MTG Card versions
Fyndhorn Elves - MTG Card versions
Scryb Sprites - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Llanowar Elves - 30th Anniversary History Promos (P30H)
Ghazbán Ogre - Masters Edition (ME1)
Shanodin Dryads - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Wall of Wood - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Rime Dryad - Ice Age (ICE)
Village Elder - Mirage (MIR)
Willow Dryad - Portal (POR)
Spike Drone - Tempest (TMP)
Skyshroud Elite - Exodus (EXO)
Elvish Berserker - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Tree Monkey - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Wild Dogs - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Elvish Herder - Urza's Saga (USG)
Pouncing Jaguar - Urza's Saga (USG)
Taunting Elf - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Llanowar Elite - Invasion (INV)
Scavenger Folk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Willow Geist - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Fyndhorn Elves - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Elvish Skysweeper MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds and Commander 2013, 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 Elvish Skysweeper and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Elvish Skysweeper Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2005-10-07 and 2022-10-14. Illustrated by Mark Tedin.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12005-10-07Ravnica: City of GuildsRAV 1622003normalblackMark Tedin
22013-11-01Commander 2013C13 1432003normalblackMark Tedin
32014-11-07Commander 2014C14 1922015normalblackMark Tedin
42017-06-09Commander AnthologyCMA 1042015normalblackMark Tedin
52022-10-14Game Night: Free-for-AllGN3 952015normalblackMark Tedin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Elvish Skysweeper has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks