Helium Squirter MTG Card
2006-05-05 - Number 26
2015-05-22 - Number 47
2024-01-12 - Number 45
2024-02-23 - Number 87
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Beast Mutant |
| Abilities | Graft |
| Power | 0 |
| Toughness | 0 |
Text of card
Graft 3 (This creature comes into play with three +1/+1 counters on it. Whenever another creature comes into play, you may move a +1/+1 counter from this creature onto it.) : Target creature with a +1/+1 counter on it gains flying until end of turn.
Cards like Helium Squirter
Helium Squirter is an intriguing creature in Magic: The Gathering, known for its graft ability, a unique feature among blue creatures. When evaluating counterparts, Novijen Sages shares a role as a creature with graft, potentially strengthening other creatures on the battlefield. However, the Sages offer card draw at the expense of removing +1/+1 counters, a divergent approach compared to Helium Squirter’s focus on granting unblockable status.
Plaxcaster Frogling emerges as another family member with graft, bringing a defensive angle to the table. It can shield creatures with +1/+1 counters by turning them into an untargetable enigma for your opponents, much like how Helium Squirter ensures creatures can evade blockers entirely. However, the Frogling’s protection mechanism requires mana investment, which differs from the Squirter’s more offensive one-time activation cost.
Ultimately, when selecting creatures for a deck, Helium Squirter stands as a prized choice for players seeking to bypass enemy defenses directly. Its comparison to similar graft creatures suggests a specialized role within this niche, fitting for strategies that capitalize on combat advantages and the creation of formidable unblockable threats.
Cards similar to Helium Squirter by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Helium Squirter provides a repeatable ability to distribute +1/+1 counters, potentially to multiple creatures, which can significantly impact the board state by augmenting your creature’s power and toughness.
Resource Acceleration: This card synergizes well with decks focusing on proliferate mechanics or those that produce +1/+1 counters, accelerating the potency of your creatures each turn and fostering a more formidable presence on the battlefield.
Instant Speed: Helium Squirter’s ability to give creatures flying until end of turn can be activated at instant speed, offering strategic defensive and offensive maneuvers during combat or at the end of your opponent’s turn for surprise blocks or unblockable attacks.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Helium Squirter requires you to discard a card when activating its graft ability. This can become a setback during gameplay, particularly when your hand is already running low on cards or when every card in your hand is essential to your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: Helium Squirter’s activation cost includes color-specific mana. The need for both blue and colorless mana can restrict its inclusion in decks to those that can reliably produce both types of mana, potentially limiting deck-building versatility and strategic diversity.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its five mana cost for a 0/0 creature that depends on graft to be effective, Helium Squirter’s initial outlay can be steep relative to other options in the game. Players might find other creatures or spells that offer more immediate board presence or impact for the same or lower mana investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Helium Squirter is a card that can adapt to various deck themes due to its ability to give creatures flying, turning even the most grounded of creatures into potential aerial threats.
Combo Potential: With a graft mechanic, Helium Squirter becomes an integral component in synergy-centric decks, interacting with other counters or +1/+1 counter strategies that proliferate across the battlefield.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where evasive creatures are key to victory, Helium Squirter provides an edge, giving crucial creatures the ability to bypass ground-based defenses and alter the pace of the game in your favor.
How to beat
Helium Squirter commands attention as a unique creature within the MTG universe, especially when it comes to its modular ability and the potential to grant creatures the coveted flying capability. The key to triumphing over a card with such versatility is to prioritize removal spells or abilities that either negate abilities or can destroy creatures before the Helium Squirter can utilize its graft and flying enabler. Swift removal spells like Path to Exile or Abrupt Decay can efficiently handle the threat it poses by removing it from the field before it elevates other creatures’ threat levels.
Another strategy is to focus on flying blockers or reach creatures, which can neutralize the advantage that Helium Squirter’s flying distribution offers. Cards with the reach attribute, such as Silklash Spider or creatures with customizability like Adaptive Automaton, can adapt and stand against aerial assaults. Additionally, enchantments that restrict or remove abilities, such as Arrest or Darksteel Mutation, can render the Helium Squirter ineffective, nullifying the strategic edge it provides to your opponent’s creature army.
Ultimately, ensuring that your deck has answers to modular abilities and fliers will help prepare you for not only Helium Squirter but other similar threats that may arise during the course of a game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Helium Squirter MTG card by a specific set like Dissension and Modern Masters 2015, 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 Helium Squirter 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Helium Squirter Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2006-05-05 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by Hideaki Takamura.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2006-05-05 | Dissension | DIS | 26 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Hideaki Takamura | |
| 2 | 2015-05-22 | Modern Masters 2015 | MM2 | 47 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Hideaki Takamura | |
| 3 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 45 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Hideaki Takamura | |
| 4 | 2024-02-23 | Ravnica: Clue Edition | CLU | 87 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Hideaki Takamura |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Helium Squirter has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |