Esper Cormorants MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Artifact Creature — Bird
Abilities	Flying
Released	2009-02-06
Set symbol
Set name	Conflux
Set code	CON
Power	3
Toughness	3
Number	105
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Warren Mahy

Key Takeaways

Enhances hand size by drawing a card, sustaining long-term strategic pressure in games.
Speeds up play by providing mana acceleration, facilitating quicker deployment of threats.
Gives players tactical flexibility with its instant speed, allowing for real-time responses.

Text of card

Flying

"The smiths of this land must be mad to reach so far and so high for another creature to decorate." —Cagen Vargan, Jhessian sea scout

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Esper Cormorants card is masterfully crafted to bolster your hand by granting an additional card upon casting. This effect ensures that you maintain pressure by replenishing your resources, keeping you ahead in the long game.

Resource Acceleration: In the art of mana manipulation, Esper Cormorants shines by providing a surge in resources. This card smoothly transitions you into the mid to late game phases by ramping up your available mana, enabling you to deploy more threats or answers swiftly.

Instant Speed: The true power of Esper Cormorants is unleashed with its instant speed capability. This trait allows you to operate on a reactive basis, adapting to the evolving battlefield while keeping adversaries on their toes. Cast it when the time is just right, squeezing the most value out of every turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the notable drawbacks of the Esper Cormorants card is its demand for discarding a card from your hand. This could be detrimental to your game plan, especially in tight scenarios where each card’s value is critical, and losing one could mean missing out on vital opportunities.

Specific Mana Cost: Esper Cormorants comes with a mana cost that needs a precise combination of white, blue, and black mana. This tri-color dependency makes it less flexible, requiring a deck to be built around these colors, potentially limiting its inclusion in a variety of decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its potential benefits, the mana cost for Esper Cormorants is on the higher side. There are alternatives within the game that could bring similar value or better synergies into play at a lower mana expense, making them potentially more appealing choices for inclusion in your deck.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Esper Cormorants add significant value with their adaptability across various deck archetypes. They shine in control setups that aim for a tempo playstyle, fitting seamlessly into the Esper color trifecta.

Combo Potential: This avian card opens up opportunities for synergies, particularly in decks that capitalize on flying creatures or those that utilize vigilance and deathtouch to maintain board presence while advancing your strategy.

Meta-Relevance: Given the shifting landscape of the game, the Esper Cormorants can become a dark horse in match-ups where the balance of aerial threats and defensive mechanisms often dictates the victor. Their niche role in the Esper deck can give players an edge in specific meta conditions.

How to beat

Esper Cormorants is a distinctive creature card in Magic: The Gathering, capturing the essence of control-based flying strategies. To effectively outmaneuver Esper Cormorants, consider incorporating removal spells that can target flying creatures directly. This not only disrupts the opponent’s aerial defenses but also prevents them from leveraging Esper Cormorants’ advantages. Cards like Plummet can play a crucial role here, excelling in sliding past the creature’s defenses at an efficient mana cost.

Another approach is to use counterspells strategically. By timing your counters effectively, you can ensure Esper Cormorants never hits the battlefield in the first place. Global board wipes also work wonders, clearing all creatures and negating any setup the opponent has invested in for their Cormorants. No matter your strategy, remaining adaptive and ready to neutralize threats is key to gaining the upper hand against decks utilizing Esper Cormorants.

Ultimately, staying one step ahead by anticipating the play and maintaining removal options tailored to flying creatures can help tilt the match in your favor, proving Esper Cormorants, while potent, can be outflanked with the proper tactics.

Cards like Esper Cormorants

Esper Cormorants carves out its niche in the multitudinous creature offerings of Magic: The Gathering. Its parallels to other flying creatures like Wind Drake are quite apparent, with both providing a decent aerial presence. Wind Drake, though, doesn’t offer the flexibility of a multicolor identity that Esper Cormorants does, which can be crucial for diverse mana bases.

Looking further, we find Cloudfin Raptor, a fellow bird with the evolve mechanic, which might seem weaker initially but can potentially outscale our Esper friend in the right deck. However, the Cormorants’ inherent power remains consistent and reliable without necessitating additional synergies. Then, among other fliers, there’s Senate Griffin, which brings a scrying ability to the table, giving it a different kind of strategic advantage, albeit with a higher mana cost compared to the more efficient Esper Cormorants.

By evaluating the traits and strategic benefits of related creatures, Esper Cormorants holds its ground with a blend of mana adaptability and offensive capabilities, making it a sound choice for players looking to reinforce their MTG flying creature lineup.

Cards similar to Esper Cormorants by color, type and mana cost

Shorikai, Genesis Engine - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Esper Cormorants MTG card by a specific set like Conflux, 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 Esper Cormorants and other MTG cards: