Riverwheel Aerialists MTG Card
2014-09-26 - Number 51
2017-11-17 - Number 71
2019-11-07 - Number 474
2020-09-26 - Number IMA-71
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Djinn Monk |
| Abilities | Flying,Prowess |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 5 |
Key Takeaways
- Provides aerial advantage; forces opponents to respond or suffer from its growing threat due to prowess.
- Encourages strategic play, rewarding players for casting noncreature spells with an increasingly powerful creature.
- Demanding a two-color mana base and six mana to cast, it may restrict deck-building options.
Text of card
Flying Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Adepts of the Riverwheel Stronghold can run through rain and never get wet; masters use the raindrops as stepping stones.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Riverwheel Aerialists can often secure card advantage through its formidable size, making it a prominent threat that demands an answer. Successfully connecting with the opponent or defending against their threats can lead to a beneficial trade-off in cards.
Resource Acceleration: While the Aerialists don’t directly accelerate resources, its presence alone accelerates the pressure applied on opponents, possibly forcing them to use their resources inefficiently to deal with it.
Instant Speed: Although the Aerialists themselves are not an instant-speed spell, they synergize well with spells of instant speed. Their prowess ability grants them a boost for each noncreature spell you cast, encouraging an interactive playstyle that optimizes instant spells during combat or the opponent’s turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While the Riverwheel Aerialists doesn’t have a discard requirement itself, it’s often found in formats or decks that favor looting effects. These can indirectly force you to discard other potentially valuable cards to keep up the synergy, which can be a downside if you’re already behind on card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: The card’s casting cost includes both blue and generic mana, which makes it somewhat restrictive. Decks that don’t run blue may not be able to make use of the Aerialists, and even in two-colored decks, the specific mana cost can occasionally lead to it sitting useless in your hand.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of six mana (a combination of four generic and two blue), the Aerialists are on the higher end of the mana curve. In many cases, cards that demand this amount of mana might impact the board immediately or have more significant abilities. Its high cost can hinder your early to mid-game tempo, which can be critical in faster-paced matches.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Riverwheel Aerialists can glide into a variety of blue-focused strategies, offering a substantial threat in the air. Its prowess ability ensures it scales in power with each noncreature spell cast, suitable for decks heavy in instants and sorceries.
Combo Potential: With the potential to grow its power with each cast spell, this card can synergize well with decks that chain multiple spells in a single turn, making it a surprisingly formidable flyer that can swing games.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment where airborne superiority can be a deciding factor, Riverwheel Aerialists stand tall as a resilient finisher. Its 4/5 flying stature for six mana holds its own, especially in limited formats or casual playgroups where the board can be locked by ground creatures.
How to beat
Riverwheel Aerialists is a formidable flyer in MTG, showcasing its prowess in the skies with a respectable 4/5 body and prowess ability. Players often slot it into their decks for its ability to grow stronger whenever a noncreature spell is cast. The aerialists become a major obstacle in the air, and handling this flying threat requires strategic moves.
To effectively counter Riverwheel Aerialists, consider employing removal spells that can bypass its growing power — spells such as Murder or Path to Exile ensure it leaves the battlefield regardless of its size. Ensnaring it with enchantments that prevent it from attacking or blocking, such as Pacifism, can also be crucial to keep those extra points of damage at bay. Moreover, engaging in combat with creatures that have deathtouch or reaching for the skies with your own flyers can neutralize the aerialists’ advantage. Lastly, playing around the prowess ability by timing your spells carefully to avoid boosting the aerialists’ strength is key — wait until your opponent is tapped out or doesn’t have the means to cast a spell and power up their creature.
In essence, while Riverwheel Aerialists can be a game-changer with its scalable threat level, keeping a few strategic counters at the ready in your deck can ensure you maintain control of the board and ultimately outmaneuver your opponent’s winged tactics.
Cards like Riverwheel Aerialists
Riverwheel Aerialists is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering, known for its prowess ability which increases its power with every noncreature spell cast. It shares similarities with other prowess creatures such as Monastery Swiftspear and Stormchaser Mage. When comparing them, Monastery Swiftspear stands out for its lower mana cost and haste, allowing for immediate impact on the game. Stormchaser Mage, while sharing the haste advantage, also benefits from having flying like Riverwheel Aerialists, making it evasive in combat.
Moving on, Jeskai Windscout is another creature that echoes the traits of Riverwheel Aerialists. Both flyers can bypass ground defenses, but the Aerialists boast a significant power boost with prowess. Nevertheless, Jeskai Windscout demands less mana, presenting a quicker play option.
Analyzing these cards, it is clear that Riverwheel Aerialists is a card that delivers a substantial combat threat if supported by a deck with an ample supply of noncreature spells. Its higher mana cost is offset by the potential for a massive increase in power, positioning it well within the cadre of prowess-enabled flying creatures in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Riverwheel Aerialists by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Riverwheel Aerialists MTG card by a specific set like Khans of Tarkir and Iconic Masters, 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 Riverwheel Aerialists and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Riverwheel Aerialists Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2014-09-26 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Jack Wang.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2014-09-26 | Khans of Tarkir | KTK | 51 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jack Wang | |
| 2 | 2017-11-17 | Iconic Masters | IMA | 71 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jack Wang | |
| 3 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 474 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jack Wang | |
| 4 | The List | PLST | IMA-71 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jack Wang |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Riverwheel Aerialists 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 Riverwheel Aerialists 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 | Any spell you cast that doesn’t have the type creature will cause prowess to trigger. If a spell has multiple types, and one of those types is creature (such as an artifact creature), casting it won’t cause prowess to trigger. Playing a land also won’t cause prowess to trigger. |
| 2014-09-20 | Once it triggers, prowess isn’t connected to the spell that caused it to trigger. If that spell is countered, prowess will still resolve. |
| 2014-09-20 | Prowess goes on the stack on top of the spell that caused it to trigger. It will resolve before that spell. |
