Loyal Gyrfalcon MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Bird
Abilities	Defender,Flying
Released	2008-07-25
Set symbol
Set name	Eventide
Set code	EVE
Power	3
Toughness	3
Number	11
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Darrell Riche

Key Takeaways

Its ability to summon creatures upon attacking can sustain board advantage and pressure opponents.
Pairing well with instants, it offers tactical options and maintains a strong defense post-attack.
Owing to its combo potential and meta relevance, it’s a strategic pick for various deck types.

Text of card

Defender, flying Whenever you play a white spell, Loyal Gyrfalcon loses defender until end of turn.

It's tethered not to keep it from fleeing but to keep it from eating everything in sight.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Loyal Gyrfalcon provides a reliable way to increase your presence on the board by boosting your creature count every time it attacks. This sustained generation of aerial companions allows you to maintain a card advantage, keeping pressure on your opponent and forcing them to deal with multiple threats.

Resource Acceleration: As a low-cost creature with a noteworthy impact, Loyal Gyrfalcon can fit into decks aiming for a quicker, more efficient resource acceleration strategy. Its ability to summon additional creatures without extra mana investment can economize your plays, enabling you to allocate resources to other spells and abilities more freely.

Instant Speed: Though the Loyal Gyrfalcon itself isn’t an instant, it pairs exceptionally well with spells of instant speed. Acting as a catalyst for combat tricks and other instant-speed interactions, it enhances your strategic options during each attack phase. The vigilance attribute also implies that after attacking, your Gyrfalcon remains a formidable defender, ready to react to your adversaries’ attacks at a moment’s notice.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside of the Loyal Gyrfalcon card is that it asks you to discard another card in order to activate certain abilities. This can be a steep price to pay, especially when your hand is dwindling and every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: The Loyal Gyrfalcon comes with a specific mana cost that not all decks can accommodate comfortably. This could limit its versatility, making it a less optimal choice in decks that aren’t heavily invested in its color identity.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that’s on the higher side for its provided stats and abilities, the Loyal Gyrfalcon might not always provide the most efficient use of your mana. Other creatures in the same cost bracket could offer more bang for your buck, or lower-costed creatures could allow for a faster tempo.

Reasons to Include Loyal Gyrfalcon in Your Collection

Versatility: Loyal Gyrfalcon can seamlessly integrate into various decks, from aggressive fliers to control-based strategies that require dependable blockers. Its flying ability allows it to serve as an offensive threat in the air or as a stalwart defender against other creatures with flying.

Combo Potential: Due to its untap ability when you cast a white spell, Loyal Gyrfalcon pairs excellently with decks that have a plethora of low-cost white spells, potentially enabling multiple blocks or attacks in a single turn cycle.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where flying creatures are prevalent, Loyal Gyrfalcon shines by offering a cost-effective creature that can influence the board state significantly. Its ability to untap can catch opponents off-guard, making it a strategically valuable asset in the right matchups.

How to beat Loyal Gyrfalcon

Loyal Gyrfalcon poses a unique challenge amidst creatures in the realm of Magic: The Gathering. As a flying threat with the potential to become unblockable, it demands specific strategies to counteract. Unlike many creatures, simple board wipes aren’t always a guarantee against it, due to its rebound from the graveyard if equipped with auras.

To overcome Loyal Gyrfalcon, players must employ removals that exile or shuffle it into the library, bypassing the usual graveyard route. Spells like Path to Exile are incredibly efficient in this scenario, as they remove the Gyrfalcon from the game entirely. Strategic planning is also paramount, with enchantment removals like Disenchant to strip any auras before they trigger its unblockable ability. Tapping into countermagic like Negate can also offer preemptive control, foiling plans before the Gyrfalcon ever takes flight.

Ultimately, players must consider investing in versatile removals or counter strategies in their decks as safeguard measures. By understanding and leveraging the nuances of their existing arsenal, and possibly adding a few targeted solutions, overcoming a card like Loyal Gyrfalcon becomes less daunting and more a matter of tactical adaptation.

Cards like Loyal Gyrfalcon

Loyal Gyrfalcon is an intriguing flyer in Magic: The Gathering with some unique tactical advantages. It nestles among other vigilant fliers, like Serra Angel, often a standard for comparing airborne creatures with vigilance. While Serra Angel brings superior power and toughness to the battlefield, Loyal Gyrfalcon stands out with its lower casting cost and potential for early game aerial dominance.

Another feathery companion in this avian grouping is the Aven Sunstriker. Differing in abilities, Aven Sunstriker boasts double strike but has leaning requirements towards more dedicated white mana in its casting cost as opposed to Loyal Gyrfalcon’s flexibility with colorless mana. This makes the Loyal Gyrfalcon a bit more versatile in decks that are not strictly white. Yet, one can’t overlook Healer’s Hawk either, a one mana tiny flier with lifelink and vigilance, which although lacks the presence of Loyal Gyrfalcon, offers immediate life total advantages.

Analyzing them side by side, Loyal Gyrfalcon competes well in terms of cost-efficiency and board presence among MTG’s flyers, particularly in decks aiming for fast-paced, aggressive strategies with vigilant creatures maintaining defense readiness.

Cards similar to Loyal Gyrfalcon by color, type and mana cost

Coalition Honor Guard - MTG Card versions

Mangara, the Diplomat - MTG Card versions

Lightkeeper of Emeria - MTG Card versions

Cho-Manno, Revolutionary - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Loyal Gyrfalcon MTG card by a specific set like Eventide, 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 Loyal Gyrfalcon and other MTG cards: