Giant Albatross MTG Card
1995-10-01 - Number 27b
1995-10-01 - Number 27a
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Bird |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
Flying o1oo U Bury all creatures that damaged Giant Albatross this turn. The controller of any of those creatures may pay 2 life to prevent that creature from being buried. Effects that prevent or redirect damage cannot be used to counter this loss of life. Use this ability only when Giant Albatross is put into the graveyard from play.
Cards like Giant Albatross
Giant Albatross is a unique creature within the realm of Magic: The Gathering, flying alongside other flying creatures. It shares the sky with Stormfront Pegasus, a card that similarly boasts flying. However, Giant Albatross has an interesting death-trigger mechanic that Stormfront Pegasus lacks. This mechanic allows the player to compensate for the Albatross’s death by imposing a penalty on the creature that brought about its demise.
Comparatively, Welkin Tern is another feathered friend in the flying community but does not carry the death-trigger ability. It does, however, offer a more aggressive strategy due to its higher power. Still, it’s the versatility and potential for battlefield control that sets Giant Albatross apart. Another card worth mentioning is Gustcloak Savior, offering protection for your attacking creatures, which can be pivotal in maintaining a strong aerial presence.
When assessing their place among avian allies, Giant Albatross provides a tactical edge that can be advantageous in games that pivot on creature interaction and control, making it a card worth considering for strategic deckbuilding.
Cards similar to Giant Albatross by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Giant Albatross can provide a unique form of card advantage. When it dies, you can pay an additional cost to return it to your hand, ensuring that you maintain resources and have a persistent board presence.
Resource Acceleration: Although not directly impacting your mana pool, the death-trigger ability of Giant Albatross can save mana in the long-term by recouping the card, effectively giving you a discounted creature play on your next turn.
Instant Speed: While Giant Albatross itself isn’t an instant, the ability to use its death-trigger at instant speed offers significant flexibility. You can choose to bring it back to your hand immediately during the resolution of its death-trigger, which allows you to react to the changing state of the game, making it a smart tactical play in response to your opponent’s actions.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Giant Albatross gameplay can sometimes hit a snag due to its discard requirement, making it a potentially costly choice in games where maintaining card advantage is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: With its need for both blue and generic mana, integrating Giant Albatross into multi-colored decks could create mana sourcing complications, particularly in decks that are not focused on blue mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although the Albatross brings unique capabilities to the board, its mana cost is on the higher side when compared to other creatures with similar or more impactful abilities, which can slow down your game tempo.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Giant Albatross has a unique mechanic that allows it to deter opponents from attacking by potentially returning to the battlefield upon death. This fits well in defensive or control strategies, providing utility across various gameplay situations.
Combo Potential: When combined with cards that can manipulate counters or benefit from creatures entering or leaving the battlefield, Giant Albatross can become part of intricate combos. Its death trigger can set off a chain of other effects, enriching your strategic play.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta with a prevalence of combat tactics, the Albatross offers a passive form of board control. Its recurrence can force opponents to consider alternative strategies, making it a relevant choice for decks looking to outlast aggressive opponents.
How to beat
Giant Albatross is a unique creature in the world of Magic: The Gathering that brings a particular set of abilities to the field. It’s not just another flying creature; it comes with a death-triggering ability that can be both an annoyance and a strategic tool. When Giant Albatross dies, if it was blocking or blocked by a creature, you can pay an amount of mana to put a death counter on that creature. The creature’s controller can remove that counter only by paying the mana cost for each one.
Overcoming Giant Albatross requires a tactical approach. Direct removal spells that don’t involve combat, such as Doom Blade or Path to Exile, can be cleanly efficient, bypassing its ability altogether. Alternatively, using spells or abilities that force the opponent to sacrifice creatures ensures that Giant Albatross’s triggered ability won’t activate since it wasn’t in combat.
Tactically speaking, it’s wise to avoid engaging Giant Albatross in combat unless you’re prepared to deal with the potential consequences. Flexible removal or evasion tactics stand as your best bet in handling this airborne adversary effectively in MTG.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Giant Albatross MTG card by a specific set like Homelands and Homelands, 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 Giant Albatross and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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
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Printings
The Giant Albatross Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 1995-10-01 and 1995-10-01. Illustrated by David A. Cherry.
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Giant Albatross has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Giant Albatross card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | The ability is a triggered ability and is only put on the stack once just after this card goes to the graveyard. |
| 2004-10-04 | The ability works even if the damage is redirected to the Albatross. |
| 2004-10-04 | The ability works no matter how it goes to the graveyard from the battlefield. It seeks out all creatures that damaged it during the turn and causes them to be destroyed. |