Flourishing Fox MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Fox
Abilities Cycling
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Flourishing Fox excels in cycling decks, boosting its threat level with each card cycled.
  2. As a creature, it faces restrictions in multicolor decks due to its specific mana cost.
  3. It remains meta-relevant, integrating well within aggressive and cycling-centric strategies.

Text of card

Whenever you cycle another card, put a +1/+1 counter on Flourishing Fox. Cycling (, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

"Day 1: These fox pups have really taken to me. "Day 4: Big. So big. Need additional security." —Jonald, mission naturalist, research notes


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Flourishing Fox shines in cycling decks, turning each cycle into a potential power-up. As you draw cards, the Fox grows, providing a compounding threat that demands an answer.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, Flourishing Fox accelerates your board presence. Every cycle is a step toward an overwhelming force, effectively using your resources to build a formidable opponent.

Instant Speed: The Fox’s ability to cycle at instant speed keeps opponents guessing. You can boost its power during the end step or in response to actions, maintaining pressure and adaptive gameplay.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Flourishing Fox demands frequent cycling to enhance its power, potentially depleting your hand rapidly. This trade-off can be restrictive during later stages of the game when maintaining a solid card presence is crucial for flexibility and resilience against opponent moves.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature card comes with a single white mana cost which can be restrictive. Although this seems easily playable, it can be problematic in multicolored decks that require a consistent mana base for a diverse spell lineup, limiting its inclusion to mainly mono-white or cycling-centered builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While one might argue that a single mana is economical, in the context of cycling decks, the cost might stack up. Investing mana every turn to cycle can detract from advancing the board state with more impactful plays. Additionally, decks that revolve around low-curve aggression could find Flourishing Fox less efficient compared to other one-drop options that offer immediate value without the need for additional mana investments.


Reasons to Include Flourishing Fox in Your Collection

Versatility: Flourishing Fox proves to be a flexible asset in cycling decks, allowing it to become a large threat early in the game. Its ability to grow with each cycle makes it adaptable to various gameplay strategies, fitting well into aggressive line-ups.

Combo Potential: This card works seamlessly with cycling synergies, amplifying its power for each card you cycle or discard. It enables combos with Zenith Flare in particular, where each cycle not only increases the Fox’s size but also fuels a potent end-game burn.

Meta-Relevance: With a consistent presence in the Standard and Historic formats, Flourishing Fox holds its ground in the meta, especially in decks centered around the cycling mechanic. Its low cost and scaling power as the game progresses make it an ever-threatening card to opponents.


How to beat Flourishing Fox

Confronting Flourishing Fox in Magic: The Gathering requires a strategic approach as this cycling card can quickly grow out of control. Its power lies in its ability to gain a +1/+1 counter each time you cycle another card. To counter this effectively, instant speed removal spells are key. Cards like Fatal Push or Bloodchief’s Thirst can take it out before it becomes a formidable threat. You might also consider enchantment removal like Disenchant, allowing you to handle cards that synergize with Flourishing Fox’s cycling ability.

Another tactic is to go on the offensive early in the game, pressuring your opponent and forcing them to use their resources defensively. This can prevent them from setting up the cycling synergy that Flourishing Fox thrives on. Additionally, cards with the keyword ‘reach’ or ‘flash’ can be useful for surprising an opponent who might assume their Flourishing Fox is safe to attack with. Lastly, leverage your own counterspell strategies to disrupt your opponent’s plays and keep Flourishing Fox from hitting the battlefield in the first place.

Ultimately, staying vigilant and using your removals at the right moment are the secrets to outmaneuvering an opponent leveraging Flourishing Fox in their deck.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the full capabilities of Flourishing Fox in MTG decks can be a game-changer. Its ability to grow with each cycled card turns it into a key asset, especially when paired with cycling-centric tactics and synergies. To make the most out of this one-drop, consider its strengths in the early game and its potential to become a major threat as the match progresses. If Flourishing Fox aligns with your playstyle or you’re looking to experiment with cycling strategies, delving deeper into strategies and synergies is worthwhile. Enhance your collection and strategic approach by uncovering the depth of this card’s potential in various MTG formats.


Cards like Flourishing Fox

The Flourishing Fox card has found its niche within cycling decks in Magic: The Gathering. This one-mana powerhouse grows with each cycle, likening it to the prowess-filled prowess of creatures such as Monastery Swiftspear, which also gets stronger with noncreature spells. Where Flourishing Fox shines is with its accumulating +1/+1 counters, offering a more permanent boost compared to the temporary power spike of Monastery Swiftspear.

Further comparison brings us to Valiant Rescuer, another card that synergizes with cycling. While it doesn’t grow like the Fox, it spits out 1/1 human soldier tokens for each first card cycled each turn, offering a wider presence on the battlefield. Both cards embody the strategic value of cycling mechanics and exemplify how cycling can affect board state in unique ways.

Assessing the mechanics and benefits, Flourishing Fox stands out in MTG formats that favor swift, cumulative advantages. It meshes well within the cycling theme and has proven itself as a formidable one-drop in cycling-centric decks.

Monastery Swiftspear - MTG Card versions
Valiant Rescuer - MTG Card versions
Monastery Swiftspear - Khans of Tarkir (KTK)
Valiant Rescuer - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)

Where to buy

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

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Printings

The Flourishing Fox Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2020-04-24 and 2020-04-24. Illustrated by Ilse Gort.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12020-04-24Ikoria: Lair of BehemothsIKO 132015normalblackIlse Gort
22020-04-24Ikoria: Lair of BehemothsIKO 3652015normalblackIlse Gort

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Flourishing Fox has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-04-17 Some cards with cycling have an ability that triggers when you cycle them, and some cards have an ability that triggers whenever you cycle any card. These triggered abilities resolve before you draw from the cycling ability.
2020-04-17 Triggered abilities from cycling a card and the cycling ability itself aren’t spells. Effects that interact with spells (such as that of Cancel) won’t affect them.
2020-04-17 You can cycle a card even if it has a triggered ability from cycling that won’t have a legal target. This is because the cycling ability and the triggered ability are separate. This also means that if either ability is countered (with Disallow, for example), the other ability will still resolve.

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