Flycatcher Giraffid MTG Card


Flycatcher Giraffid - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Antelope Lizard
Released2020-04-24
Set symbol
Set nameIkoria: Lair of Behemoths
Set codeIKO
Power 3
Toughness 5
Number153
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byDan Scott

Key Takeaways

  1. Grants card advantage and smoother land draws, critical for maintaining game momentum.
  2. Enables additional land plays each turn, boosting resource and board advancement.
  3. Supports instant speed plays, keeping hands flexible for on-the-go adjustments.
Vigilance card art

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.

Text of card

Flycatcher Giraffid enters the battlefield with your choice of a vigilance counter or a reach counter on it.

Poachers use the harvested tongues to snare pests, plumb caves, and scale tall buildings.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Flycatcher Giraffid contributes to card advantage by allowing a peek at the top card of your library at any time, making strategic planning easier. In addition, its ability to put land cards from the top of your library into your hand ensures a steady flow of resources.

Resource Acceleration: By having the capacity to play an additional land on each of your turns, Flycatcher Giraffid creates significant resource acceleration. This can put you ahead of your opponent in terms of board presence and available mana, which is crucial for casting more impactful spells sooner.

Instant Speed: While Flycatcher Giraffid itself doesn’t have an instant speed ability, its presence can enable instant speed play by smoothing out land draws. This, in turn, may leave more options for you to hold up instant speed interactions without compromising the development of your board state.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Flycatcher Giraffid comes with a caveat necessitating the player to discard a card. This trade-off can be a serious hurdle, especially when your hand is already stretched thin, forcing strategic decisions about resource management.

Specific Mana Cost: Deck-builders are boxed in by the distinct green and white mana requirements of the Flycatcher Giraffid. This restriction can thwart its inclusion in a more varied mana base deck, potentially sidelining it in favour of more flexible creatures.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in with a mana value that might be considered steep for its stat line and abilities, there’s a debate to be had about the efficiency of including the Giraffid in your deck. Attention is warranted when evaluating its role against other options within the same mana bracket.


Reasons to Include Flycatcher Giraffid in Your Collection

Versatility: Flycatcher Giraffid is a creature card that can adapt to various strategies. Its static ability to possibly gain flying adds value in decks that require flexible attackers or blockers, making it a multifunctional card in your collection.

Combo Potential: This creature’s evolutionary ability allows it to explore synergies with counters and proliferate mechanics, providing ample opportunities to enhance its power or to interact beneficially with other cards on the battlefield that also thrive on additional counters.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where evasion is king, Flycatcher Giraffid’s conditional flying ability gives it an edge. In a creature-heavy meta, its potential to gain flying without needing external enablers can be a subtle but effective way to outmaneuver an opponent’s defenses or avoid ground stalls.


How to overcome Flycatcher Giraffid

Flycatcher Giraffid can be a quirky challenge to navigate around in MTG. Its ability to gain indestructible until the end of the turn when you cycle another card means that your usual removal spells might not be enough. Similar to resilient creatures like Adanto Vanguard, the key to overcoming a Flycatcher Giraffid lies in timing and the right choice of spells. Instead of attempting to destroy it during combat, save your removal for when the Giraffid’s ability isn’t active.

Consider using cards with exile effects, such as Path to Exile or Settle the Wreckage, which can bypass the indestructible aspect. Cards that force a sacrifice, like Diabolic Edict or Liliana’s Triumph, can also prove effective since they aren’t affected by indestructible. Counter spells remain another strong strategy; countering the card as it’s cast will prevent it from ever becoming a problem on the battlefield. On the board, offering trades or utilizing combat tricks can strategically negate the advantage Flycatcher Giraffid offers during cycling. By employing these methods, you’ll find that handling this long-necked creature is more about smart play than raw power.


Cards like Flycatcher Giraffid

The introduction of Flycatcher Giraffid to the world of Magic the Gathering brings a unique creature card to players keen on enhancing their decks. At first glance, its stat line and abilities may remind veterans of another card, Grazing Gladehart. Both exemplify the role of beneficial creatures for long-term strategies. However, Flycatcher Giraffid offers a vigilant edge, allowing it to attack without tapping and still serve as an effective defensive option during an opponent’s turn.

Looking beyond the planes of the gladehart, the Jungle Delver shares a familiar growth potential with our giraffid friend. While both can evolve over the course of play, Flycatcher Giraffid’s immediate impact on the board with its vigilance and reach capabilities provides an advantageous choice for many deck builders seeking versatile defenders.

Toward a harmonious conclusion, analyzing Flycatcher Giraffid alongside its counterparts showcases its potential in decks that value flexible defend-and-attack strategies. It holds a steady position among creatures that players may consider when crafting their next green-centric deck in Magic the Gathering, promising to catch more than just wayward insects on the battlefield.

Grazing Gladehart - MTG Card versions
Jungle Delver - MTG Card versions
Grazing Gladehart - MTG Card versions
Jungle Delver - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Flycatcher Giraffid MTG card by a specific set like 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 Flycatcher Giraffid and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Flycatcher Giraffid has restrictions

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

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