Advanced Hoverguard MTG Card


Advanced Hoverguard - Fifth Dawn
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Drone
Abilities Flying
Released2004-06-04
Set symbol
Set nameFifth Dawn
Set code5DN
Power 2
Toughness 2
Number22
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byScott M. Fischer

Key Takeaways

  1. Card draw upon entering play bolsters hand, giving players strategic depth in their matches.
  2. Flash mechanic enables surprise plays, disrupting opponents’ strategy and controlling the game board.
  3. Despite the pros, mana requirements may limit deck flexibility, considering its four mana value.

Text of card

Flying : Advanced Hoverguard can't be the target of spells or abilities this turn.

"They are like their vedalken masters: untouchable, aloof, and omnipresent." —Bruenna, Neurok leader


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Advanced Hoverguard offers a boost in card advantage by granting a draw ability once it comes into play. This draw can replenish your hand, providing a strategic edge during the match.

Resource Acceleration: As a four mana cost creature, Advanced Hoverguard can quickly hit the battlefield early in the game, setting the stage for resource acceleration. Its presence can pressure opponents and network with other cards to streamline your mana usage.

Instant Speed: Equipped with the flash mechanic, this formidable flyer can be summoned at instant speed. This flexibility allows you to surprise your opponent by bringing Advanced Hoverguard into play at the most opportune moments, disrupting their strategies and enabling superior board control.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Advanced Hoverguard itself doesn’t require discarding, it may not synergize well with decks focusing on hand advantage. Such decks rely on maintaining card resources, which could be at odds with mechanics involving discards that are often present in the same colors.

Specific Mana Cost: Advanced Hoverguard’s casting cost demands two blue mana, potentially limiting deck-building options. Decks that run multiple colors could find this mana specificity restrictive, as it requires a more focused mana base to cast efficiently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a four mana cost for its capabilities, Advanced Hoverguard faces stiff competition from other creatures in its mana range. Players may find more impactful cards with similar or lower cost, thus questioning the card’s efficiency in a fast-paced game scenario.


Reasons to Include Advanced Hoverguard in Your Collection

Versatility: Advanced Hoverguard offers utility in many decks, providing a robust flying threat. This makes it a staple for blue-based control and aggressive strategies that require evasion to outmaneuver opponents.

Combo Potential: As an artifact creature, Advanced Hoverguard synergizes with mechanics that benefit from artifacts on the battlefield. Its shroud ability also protects it from targeted spells, making it an ideal component in combos that need resilient pieces.

Meta-Relevance: Against decks that heavily rely on targeted removal, Advanced Hoverguard shines. Its built-in protection makes it a persistent threat that can adapt well to various shifts in the playing environment.


How to beat

Advanced Hoverguard is an evasive creature card in Magic: The Gathering that can prove to be a real nuisance due to its flying ability and shroud, which prevents it from being the target of spells or abilities. To overcome this slippery threat, players should consider indirect removal options. Board wipes that don’t target, such as “Wrath of God” or “Damnation,” can clear the board including Advanced Hoverguard without having to target it specifically. Permament-based effects that can change the state of all creatures, like “Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite,” can also reduce the Hoverguard’s toughness to zero indirectly. Furthermore, playing cards that force your opponent to sacrifice creatures will bypass the shroud protection since sacrifice is not targeted. “Diabolic Edict” and “Liliana of the Veil” are prime examples of this strategy.

Controlling the game early is another tactic. By applying pressure with your own creatures or disrupting your opponent’s hand and strategy can prevent them from having the opportunity to play Advanced Hoverguard. Cards like “Thoughtseize” or “Inquisition of Kozilek” can remove the Hoverguard from your opponent’s hand before they have the chance to play it. Anticipating and planning for these protective creatures can guarantee that the Advanced Hoverguard doesn’t become an insurmountable obstacle.


Cards like Advanced Hoverguard

Advanced Hoverguard is a notable artifact creature in Magic: The Gathering, finding its parallels within the sphere of flying defenders. It shares a kinship with Thought Monitor in terms of being an artifact creature that benefits from flying and draws a card. While Thought Monitor requires assembling a larger number of artifacts to optimize its affordability, Advanced Hoverguard offers consistent protection with its ability to gain shroud until end of turn.

Turning to Spire Golem, there’s a visible similarity thanks to its affinity for islands which can reduce its casting cost, much like the synergies Advanced Hoverguard has with artifacts in reducing costs. However, Spire Golem lacks the interactive defensive mechanism that Advanced Hoverguard possesses. Silent Arbiter is another card with a different type of defensive utility that controls combat by restricting the number of attackers and blockers, yet it doesn’t offer the evasive promise of flight.

These comparative insights into Advanced Hoverguard and its kin highlight how it stands out in terms of flexibility and defense, making it a versatile pick for players valuing consistent board presence and protection in their MTG arsenal.

Thought Monitor - MTG Card versions
Spire Golem - MTG Card versions
Silent Arbiter - MTG Card versions
Thought Monitor - MTG Card versions
Spire Golem - MTG Card versions
Silent Arbiter - MTG Card versions

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Phantasmal Forces - MTG Card versions
Wall of Vapor - MTG Card versions
Tradewind Rider - MTG Card versions
Archivist - MTG Card versions
Thieving Magpie - MTG Card versions
Inga Rune-Eyes - MTG Card versions
Sakashima of a Thousand Faces - MTG Card versions
Laboratory Drudge - MTG Card versions
Johnny, Combo Player - MTG Card versions
Dream Prowler - MTG Card versions
Cytoplast Manipulator - MTG Card versions
Crookclaw Transmuter - MTG Card versions
Turtleshell Changeling - MTG Card versions
Glen Elendra Archmage - MTG Card versions
Fatestitcher - MTG Card versions
Argent Sphinx - MTG Card versions
Lumengrid Drake - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Infuser - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Dragon - MTG Card versions
Havengul Runebinder - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Advanced Hoverguard MTG card by a specific set like Fifth Dawn, 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 Advanced Hoverguard and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Advanced Hoverguard has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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