Icefeather Aven MTG Card

A versatile card, Icefeather Aven combines evasion with a unique bouncing morph ability. Demands specific mana colors, limiting it to certain decks but offering high reward plays. Cost and deck compatibility are considerations when assessing its value in gameplay.

Khans of Tarkir (KTK)
2014-09-26 - Number 178

Commander 2019 (C19)
2019-08-23 - Number 194

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Bird Shaman
Abilities	Flying,Morph
Power	2
Toughness	2

Text of card

Flying Morph (You may cast this card face down as a 2/2 creature for . Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.) When Icefeather Aven is turned face up, you may return another target creature to its owner's hand.

Cards like Icefeather Aven

Icefeather Aven holds a unique spot within the roster of flying creatures in Magic: The Gathering. This card draws a parallel to other creatures like Healer’s Hawk, another flyer, albeit with a distinct absence of Icefeather Aven’s morphing ability. What sets Icefeather Aven apart is its dual potential – a two-cost flyer that can morph and bounce another creature when turned face up.

Examining Frost Lynx, we discover a similar battlefield impact with its ability to temporarily neutralize an opponent’s creature upon entry. However, the Lynx lacks both the flying attribute and the versatility that Icefeather Aven offers through its morph capability. Meanwhile, Aven Surveyor also shares the bounce effect but at a higher casting cost and without the morph trait, which restricts its strategic flexibility.

Such comparisons showcase Icefeather Aven’s agility in gameplay, offering tempo control with its bounce effect, evasion in the form of flying, and adaptability through morphing. This combination renders Icefeather Aven a solid choice for players seeking a multifaceted creature card for their decks.

Cards similar to Icefeather Aven by color, type and mana cost

Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy - MTG Card versions

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Icefeather Aven’s morph ability provides a unique form of card advantage as it’s a creature that can turn into a surprise blocker or be flipped to bounce an opponent’s threat, effectively dealing with two creatures in one swoop.

Resource Acceleration: Although Icefeather Aven isn’t a traditional ramp card, it offers a certain level of tempo acceleration by setting your opponent back. This can be particularly advantageous when you’re ahead on the board, allowing you to press your advantage further.

Instant Speed: The ability to morph Icefeather Aven at instant speed presents numerous tactical advantages. It can be turned face up to remove an attacker or blocker unexpectedly during combat, potentially swinging the game in your favor. Moreover, the flexibility to use your mana for other spells if Icefeather Aven isn’t needed adds a valuable layer of strategic depth.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Incorporating Icefeather Aven into your hand requires players to morph down the card first, which might not always align with your strategic needs. Playing it without the morph capability forfeits the valuable bounce ability, reducing its potential impact on the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Icefeather Aven’s activated ability necessitates both green and blue mana, which makes it exclusive to decks that can reliably produce both types of mana. This specificity can restrict the card’s inclusion to only certain types of multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of four mana to unlock its full potential (two to cast morphed and an additional two to activate its ability), Icefeather Aven’s cost can be steep considering other lower-cost cards that can provide similar or even better utility.

Reasons to Include Icefeather Aven in Your Collection

Versatility: Icefeather Aven offers flexibility to players by being a two-mana cost creature with flying that can easily fit into decks emphasizing evasion. Additionally, its morph ability allows for strategic plays, adapting to the evolving board state.

Combo Potential: With its bounce effect upon morphing, Icefeather Aven interacts harmoniously with other cards that benefit from creatures being returned to the hand or re-casted, thus enabling a variety of combo opportunities within those archetypes.

Meta-Relevance: Icefeather Aven holds significance in metas where tempo plays a crucial role. Its ability to disrupt opponent’s creatures while advancing your board presents a strong case for inclusion in decks looking to maintain or turn the tide in their favor.

How to beat

Icefeather Aven is a versatile creature in the world of MTG with the ability to temporarily remove threats from the battlefield. To tackle this evasive creature, it’s essential to have a strategy that limits its effectiveness. One approach is to maintain a steady board presence. Since Icefeather Aven requires bouncing another creature upon morphing, ensuring you have low-value targets can diminish the impact of its return to the hand ability.

Moreover, instant speed removal spells are highly effective against Icefeather Aven. Being able to target it while the morph is on the stack or in response to its activation can remove the threat before it can be used. Additionally, counter magic works well to negate the creature entirely, disrupting your opponent’s tempo and preserving your board state.

Lastly, cards that restrict the use of activated abilities can shut down Icefeather Aven’s utility. By preparing your deck with these diverse strategies, you can counter the tempo swing Icefeather Aven is looking to create and keep the control of the game firmly in your grasp.

BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the dynamics Icefeather Aven brings to the table reveals its potential to be a game-changer in MTG. Its blend of evasion, tempo control, and utility through morphing sets it apart as a valuable creature in any collection. Whether you’re tweaking your deck to enhance its tempo or seeking to disrupt your opponents with strategic creature bouncing, Icefeather Aven can be a crucial addition to your arsenal. Dive deeper with us into strategies that optimize the use of Icefeather Aven, uncover additional synergies, and sharpen your skills for competitive play. Elevate your deck’s potential and navigate the battlefields of MTG with finesse.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Icefeather Aven MTG card by a specific set like Khans of Tarkir and Commander 2019, 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 Icefeather Aven and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Icefeather Aven Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2014-09-26 and 2019-08-23. Illustrated by Slawomir Maniak.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2014-09-26	Khans of Tarkir	KTK		178	2015	Normal	Black	Slawomir Maniak
2	2019-08-23	Commander 2019	C19		194	2015	Normal	Black	Slawomir Maniak

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Icefeather Aven 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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2014-09-20	A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent, as well as Auras and Equipment that were attached to the permanent, aren’t affected.
2014-09-20	Any time you have priority, you may turn the face-down creature face up by revealing what its morph cost is and paying that cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. Only a face-down permanent can be turned face up this way; a face-down spell cannot.
2014-09-20	At any time, you can look at a face-down spell or permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down spells or permanents you don’t control unless an effect instructs you to do so.
2014-09-20	Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn’t cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger.
2014-09-20	If a face-down permanent leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or if the game ends.
2014-09-20	If you control the only other creatures when Icefeather Aven is turned face up, you must target one of them. You choose whether that creature is returned to its owner’s hand as the ability resolves.
2014-09-20	Morph lets you cast a card face down by paying , and lets you turn the face-down permanent face up any time you have priority by paying its morph cost.
2014-09-20	The face-down spell has no mana cost and has a converted mana cost of 0. When you cast a face-down spell, put it on the stack face down so no other player knows what it is, and pay . This is an alternative cost.
2014-09-20	When the spell resolves, it enters the battlefield as a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It’s colorless and has a converted mana cost of 0. Other effects that apply to the creature can still grant it any of these characteristics.
2014-09-20	You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield in order to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for doing this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield.