Gust of Wind MTG Card

Gust of Wind disrupts opponents while providing card draw, useful in maintaining hand resources. Though not instant speed, it facilitates tempo plays pivotal for game-winning strategies. Its dependency on flying creatures can limit its playability in non-aerial centered decks.

Gust of Wind - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery
Released	2020-04-24
Set symbol
Set name	Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
Set code	IKO
Number	54
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Adam Paquette

Text of card

This spell costs less to cast if you control a creature with flying. Return target nonland permanent you don't control to its owner's hand. Draw a card.

Skysail's strength was also its vulnerability.

Cards like Gust of Wind

Gust of Wind is an intriguing performance enhancer for the blue deck flyers in Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to return a nonland permanent to its owner’s hand echoes the utility seen in classic bounce spells like Unsummon. Nevertheless, Gust of Wind comes with a prerequisite of controlling a creature with flying, which gives it a narrower scope but also reduces its casting cost, making it a more economic play under the right conditions.

Another spell in the same family, Into the Roil, offers a similar bounce effect without the flying requirement and has the added benefit of drawing a card if kicked. While it’s versatile, it doesn’t provide the cost discount seen with Gust of Wind. On the other hand, Blink of an Eye stands out for its flexibility, allowing players to bounce any nonland permanent with the added upside of card draw, though at an increased mana investment compared to Gust of Wind’s reduced cost tied to the flyers.

In summary, while Gust of Wind might seem limited by its requirement for flying creatures, this condition is turned into an advantage in the right deck, making it a powerful tool when tempo and mana efficiency are paramount in the aerial-focused strategies in Magic: The Gathering.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Gust of Wind, you not only return an opponent’s creature to their hand, disrupting their board presence, but you also draw a card upon resolution, potentially replacing itself in your hand and keeping your resources high.

Resource Acceleration: While this spell doesn’t directly accelerate resources in terms of mana, it does offer a cost reduction if you control a creature with flying. This reduction can help you deploy other resources or threats on the same turn, effectively speeding up your gameplay.

Instant Speed: Gust of Wind is a sorcery, but don’t underestimate its tempo swing. Although it’s not playable at instant speed, the ability to preemptively clear a potential blocker or attacker during your turn can set the stage for a game-winning move, maintaining the momentum squarely in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Gust of Wind necessitates that you control a creature with flying to play it for its alternative cost, which may not always align with your board state, thus becoming a hurdle, especially in non-flying centric decks.

Specific Mana Cost: With its specific mana requirement, including one blue, Gust of Wind can sometimes be a cumbersome draw in a multi-colored deck, especially during crucial turns where mana flexibility is paramount.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, this card can be a bit steep, especially considering there are other bounce spells available at a lesser cost or with additional benefits, making Gust of Wind a less optimal choice in certain scenarios.

Reasons to Include Gust of Wind in Your Collection

Versatility: Gust of Wind is a useful card that can be slotted into various blue-based decks, offering both a tempo play and card draw. Most effective in decks that utilize flying creatures, it can help maintain board control while refueling your hand.

Combo Potential: This card fits well into combos that capitalize on casting spells, especially ones that trigger upon casting noncreature spells or when drawing cards. It synergizes with decks that revolve around prowess-like mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: Gust of Wind is particularly beneficial in a meta that features numerous aggressive flyers. As it disrupts opponents’ board states while advancing your game plan, its inclusion can tip the scales in your favor against creature-heavy strategies.

How to beat

Gust of Wind is a versatile card in Magic: The Gathering that enables players to return a nonland permanent they don’t control to its owner’s hand. In addition, if you control a creature with flying, the card costs less to cast, making it an economical way to disrupt your opponent’s board presence. To effectively counter this card, consider employing strategies that limit the opponent’s ability to capitalize on flying creatures. Utilizing removal spells that target creatures with flying or playing creatures with reach can help to negate the cost reduction benefit of Gust of Wind.

Moreover, playing cards with hexproof or shroud prevents your opponent from selecting your permanents as targets, thereby diminishing the utility of Gust of Wind against your game plan. Additionally, employing instant-speed spells that can be cast in response to Gust of Wind, allowing you to either save your permanent or create a favorable situation for yourself, can also serve as a solid tactic against this particular spell. Being proactive in anticipating and preparing for removal spells is key to maintaining the momentum and securing your position in the game.

By understanding and implementing these strategies, you’ll be better equipped to mitigate the impact of Gust of Wind, maintaining control of the board and leading your deck to victory.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gust of Wind MTG card by a specific set like Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, 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 Gust of Wind and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gust of Wind has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Gust of Wind card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2020-04-17	Gust of Wind is unaffected if you no longer control a creature with flying after you’ve cast it.
2020-04-17	If the target nonland permanent is an illegal target by the time Gust of Wind tries to resolve, the spell won’t resolve. You won’t draw a card.
2020-04-17	Once you announce that you’re casting Gust of Wind, no player may take actions until the spell has been paid for. Notably, opponents can’t try to change whether you control a creature with flying.
2020-04-17	To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you’re paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions (such as that of Gust of Wind). The converted mana cost of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was.