Highspire Mantis MTG Card
2014-09-26 - Number 177
2019-11-07 - Number 1436
2020-09-26 - Number KTK-177
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Insect |
| Abilities | Flying,Trample |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
Flying, trample
Its wings produce a high-pitched, barely audible whirring sound in flight. Only Jeskai masters are quiet enough to hear one coming.
Cards like Highspire Mantis
Highspire Mantis joins the ranks of creature cards within MTG that meld power in the air with commanding board presence. A notable companion to Highspire Mantis is Skyknight Legionnaire. Both soar through the battlefield with flying, allowing them to evade ground-bound blockers. However, Skyknight Legionnaire boasts haste, enabling it to strike quickly upon entry. While Highspire Mantis doesn’t share this swift aggression, its trample ability compensates by potentially dealing excess damage to a player, even when blocked.
Comparisons can also be drawn with Sunhome Guildmage. While both represent the Boros legion and can deal significant damage, Sunhome Guildmage’s abilities focus on enhancing fellow creatures and generating tokens, unlike Highspire Mantis’ straightforward aerial offense. Moreover, Mantis claims a higher toughness, becoming a more resilient obstacle for your opponent.
Assessing these similar creatures, Highspire Mantis offers a blend of aggression and endurance. Its trample capability places it a notch above creatures lacking this trait and firmly establishes its value for players seeking to dominate the skies and close out games with decisive power.
Cards similar to Highspire Mantis by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While Highspire Mantis itself doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, it presents a persistent threat on the board that requires an answer from your opponent. By necessitating a response, it can effectively drain the resources from the other side, potentially leading to indirect card advantage through attrition.
Resource Acceleration: Highspire Mantis may not provide traditional mana acceleration, but its presence can pressure an opponent into misallocating their mana resources in order to deal with it. This can accelerate your own game plan by reducing the efficiency of your opponent’s resource management.
Instant Speed: Although Highspire Mantis is not an instant, its flying and trample abilities are assets that provide flexibility in your strategy. These features allow the mantis to be a formidable attacker in the air—a threat that can be held back until the most opportune moment to engage.
Card Cons
Specific Mana Cost: Highspire Mantis requires both white and red mana. This limits the card’s flexibility, meaning it can typically only be played effectively in Boros or multicolor decks that accommodate both colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The creature comes at a cost of four mana, which is a significant investment during the early to mid-game. Considering its 3/3 stat line and the presence of other creatures with impactful abilities at a similar cost, the mantis falls behind in terms of efficiency.
Discard Requirement: While not directly affecting Highspire Mantis itself, playing a creature with a restrictive mana cost and no immediate board impact might necessitate discarding other useful cards to maintain tempo, potentially putting you at a disadvantage.
Reasons to Include Highspire Mantis in Your Collection
Versatility: Highspire Mantis can be a flexible choice for decks that emphasize aerial dominance. With its flying and trample abilities, it can bypass blockers and deal excess damage to the opponent.
Combo Potential: This insect offers synergy with cards that reward you for controlling creatures with flying. Its trample ability also makes it a prime candidate for buffs or equipment that amplify combat damage.
Meta-Relevance: As a 4-drop with solid stats, this card slots well into midrange decks. If flying creatures are prevalent in the meta, Highspire Mantis can serve as both an offensive threat and a defensive flyer, providing relevant battlefield presence.
How to beat
Highspire Mantis is an intriguing creature card that brings a blend of flying and trample abilities to the battlefield in MTG. Having the power to both soar over ground blockers and trample over creatures with its excess damage makes it an asset not to be taken lightly. Its 4 mana cost places it in the mid-game spectrum, where board presence becomes key.
To effectively counter this card, removal spells are your best option. In red, a simple ‘Lightning Strike’ can deal with Highspire Mantis efficiently. If your deck is running black, ‘Doom Blade’ or ‘Murderous Rider’ can eliminate this threat without much fuss. In the case of a green deck, options like ‘Plummet’ or ‘Savage Punch’ utilize your creatures to fight and bring down flyers. For those using a blue-based control strategy, ‘Counterspell’ or ‘Unsummon’ can deal with the Mantis either on the stack or once it’s on the battlefield. White also offers tools like ‘Pacifism’ to neutralize its combat abilities without destroying it.
By preparing your deck with the appropriate answers before your match begins, you can ensure that Highspire Mantis doesn’t dominate the skies or crush your forces with its trampling might.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Highspire Mantis MTG card by a specific set like Khans of Tarkir and Mystery Booster, 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 Highspire Mantis 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 Highspire Mantis Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2014-09-26 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Igor Kieryluk.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2014-09-26 | Khans of Tarkir | KTK | 177 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Igor Kieryluk | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1436 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Igor Kieryluk | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | KTK-177 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Igor Kieryluk |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Highspire Mantis has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |