Windreaver MTG Card
2006-05-05 - Number 138
2012-03-30 - Number 19
2019-02-15 - Number 22
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Elemental |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- The card’s ability to draw and untap lands can significantly boost card and resource advantage.
- Instant speed activation allows for strategic flexibility and response during any phase.
- Despite its power, Windreaver requires careful mana management and may have a high casting cost.
Guide to Vigilance card ability
In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.
Text of card
Flying : Windreaver gains vigilance until end of turn. : Windreaver gets +0/+1 until end of turn. : Switch Windreaver's power and toughness until end of turn. : Return Windreaver to its owner's hand.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Windreaver offers the flexibility to draw a card upon using its blue mana ability, ensuring you maintain or improve your position in terms of card resources. This can be a game-changer in tight situations where card options are essential.
Resource Acceleration: Although Windreaver itself doesn’t directly provide additional mana, its ability to untap a significant portion of your lands can indirectly accelerate your resources. This can allow you to cast more spells or activate additional abilities in a single turn, potentially swinging the game in your favor.
Instant Speed: Windreaver’s abilities can be activated at instant speed, giving you the upper hand by adapting to the ever-changing battlefield during your turn or in response to your opponent’s actions. The versatility it offers in terms of timing makes it a formidable presence on the board.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Windreaver demands a diverse mana base for full utilization, which can strain your deck’s versatility, having to potentially discard other key spells for color fixing.
Specific Mana Cost: With its strict mana requirements, including two colors, the card poses a challenge in mono-color decks and can clash with a player’s mana curve in dual or multi-color strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Windreaver’s five-mana investment makes it a hefty cost for its stats and abilities, and in a game where tempo can decide the winner, its late-game deployment might come at the cost of losing board presence or not having mana available for other crucial plays.
Reasons to Include Windreaver in Your Collection
Versatility: Windreaver is a multi-faceted card that can adapt to various board states. Its ability to switch power and toughness, gain flying, or vigilance allows it to respond dynamically during the game, making it a fit for a variety of deck styles in MTG.
Combo Potential: This card’s array of abilities can synergize with decks that focus on ability activations or depend on creature flexibility. Its potential to become an offensive threat or defensive blocker at a moment’s notice makes it a prime candidate for intricate combo setups.
Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-shifting landscape of MTG’s meta, Windreaver’s capacity to adapt can make it a potent tool against decks that struggle to deal with creatures that can protect themselves or alter their combat roles quickly.
How to beat
Windreaver is a versatile threat in the MTG arena with its array of abilities that enable it to dodge sorcery-speed removal and overpower unsuspecting blockers. To counter this shapeshifting force, one must lean on instant-speed interaction. Removal spells like Path to Exile or Rapid Hybridization can effectively neutralize Windreaver before it gets a chance to activate its abilities, ensuring it won’t be a persistent nuisance on the battlefield.
Moreover, strategies that restrict abilities or impose taxing costs can cripple Windreaver’s effectiveness. Encasing it within an Imprisoned in the Moon, or transforming it with a card like Turn to Frog limits its utility and threat level. Keeping the pressure up and forcing your opponent to use resources at less than ideal times disrupts the synergy and flow Windreaver relies on. To truly dominate against this adaptable adversary, having a plan and the right suite of answers is key.
Ultimately, staying one step ahead and managing the pace of the game against Windreaver is crucial. If played correctly, the card’s strengths can be turned into vulnerabilities, making it possible for well-prepared players to topple this formidable foe.
Cards like Windreaver
Windreaver stands out in MTG as a versatile creature capable of altering its stats and abilities. When contemplating creatures with similar flexibility, Morphling immediately comes to mind. Like Windreaver, Morphling offers a variety of options to change its power and toughness. While both cards have variable power levels, Windreaver distinguishes itself by offering flying and vigilance, which Morphling lacks, providing a clear advantage when controlling the skies.
Aetherling is another creature that beckons comparison. It shares the adaptive capabilities of Windreaver, boasting the ability to modulate its offensive and defensive attributes. Aetherling can also achieve unblockability and has a unique exile ability for defensive maneuvering. While these traits make Aetherling highly evasive and difficult to remove, Windreaver’s ability to serve as a blocker on every turn by gaining vigilance offers a different kind of presence on the board.
When evaluating these cards side by side, each has its merits depending on the board state and the strategy at play. However, Windreaver’s additional keyword abilities give it a considerable edge in aerial combat and board control, making it a valuable asset in decks that capitalize on versatility and the element of surprise.
Cards similar to Windreaver by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Windreaver MTG card by a specific set like Dissension and Duel Decks: Venser vs. Koth, 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 Windreaver and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See Magic products
Printings
The Windreaver Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2006-05-05 and 2019-02-15. Illustrated by Aleksi Briclot.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2006-05-05 | Dissension | DIS | 138 | 2003 | normal | black | Aleksi Briclot | |
| 2 | 2012-03-30 | Duel Decks: Venser vs. Koth | DDI | 19 | 2003 | normal | black | Aleksi Briclot | |
| 3 | 2019-02-15 | RNA Guild Kit | GK2 | 22 | 2015 | normal | black | Aleksi Briclot |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Windreaver has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Windreaver card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-04-15 | Effects that switch power and toughness apply after all other effects that change power and/or toughness, regardless of which effect was created first. |
| 2013-04-15 | Switching a creature’s power and toughness twice (or any even number of times) effectively returns the creature to the power and toughness it had before any switches. |
