Courier Bat MTG Card

Courier Bat - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)

Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
2021-11-19 - Number 102

Courier Bat - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)

Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
2022-01-28 - Number 369

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Bat
Abilities	Flying
Power	2
Toughness	2

Key Takeaways

Pros include card advantage through graveyard retrieval and synergies with instant speed and life-gain decks.
Cons encompass the discard requirement and mana specificity which may limit deck versatility.
Inclusion is warranted for its strategic value in fly-based and graveyard-utilizing archetypes.

Text of card

Flying When Courier Bat enters the battlefield, if you gained life this turn, return up to one target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

Swarms of bats poured from Lurenbraum Fortress carrying wedding invitations to vampires of every bloodline.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Courier Bat shines at ensuring you stay ahead in the game by offering the potential to return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand when it enters the battlefield. This not only populates your hand but can also disrupt your opponent’s strategy by bringing back a key piece you’ve lost earlier in the match.

Resource Acceleration: While the Courier Bat doesn’t directly produce additional mana or tokens, it does help in keeping your resource flow consistent. By retrieving creatures that may have ramp or other resource-generating abilities, it indirectly contributes to your mana development and overall board presence.

Instant Speed: Despite not having flash itself, the bat synergizes well with decks that operate at instant speed. It can be brought back to the field during your end step via various graveyard recursion mechanics, making it a versatile component in strategies that capitalize on timing and surprise tactics.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Courier Bat comes with a conditional ability that necessitates discarding another card, which can be a significant cost in situations where hand size is critical for maintaining strategic depth and options.

Specific Mana Cost: To cast Courier Bat, a player must have black mana available. This particular requirement confines the card’s compatibility predominantly to black or multicolored decks, thus limiting its flexibility across various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Courier Bat’s ability to return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand is valuable, its casting cost is slightly elevated considering the 2/1 creature body it provides. This can be a deterrent in formats where mana efficiency is paramount, and players may opt for lower cost creatures with a similar or better power-to-mana ratio.

Reasons to Include Courier Bat in Your Collection

Versatility: Courier Bat offers utility across various deck themes, particularly those that are life-gain centric or require flying creatures for consistent air defense or offense.

Combo Potential: Its ability to return a card from the graveyard to your hand complements strategies utilizing graveyard mechanics, enabling powerful combos with recurring creatures or spells.

Meta-Relevance: In a game often influenced by graveyard interaction and life-gain value, Courier Bat can provide significant recurring benefits, making it a compelling choice for decks looking to thrive in the current meta.

How to Beat Courier Bat in Magic: The Gathering

Courier Bat represents an intriguing element within the creature roster of Magic: The Gathering. With its flying ability and the potential to return a card from your graveyard to your hand when it enters the battlefield, it can offer a tactical advantage. However, dealing with this creature is a matter of strategic planning.

To effectively counterplay against Courier Bat, removal spells are a reliable solution. Consider utilizing instant-speed removals like Doom Blade or Shock to eliminate it before its ability triggers. Board wipes such as Wrath of God or Blasphemous Act can also clear the way if the bat becomes part of a wider creature threat. Moreover, setting up defenses with creatures that possess reach or additional flyers to block can prevent it from applying its graveyard recursion ability effectively.

Ultimately, maintaining control of the skies and being prepared to disrupt your opponent’s graveyard synergy are the keys to overcoming the challenges posed by Courier Bat. By keeping such countermeasures in your deck, you can ensure that the utility it provides to your opponent is minimized, maintaining your momentum and strategy intact throughout the duel.

Cards like Courier Bat

Courier Bat finds its winged kin within Magic: The Gathering’s broad array of creature cards, bringing a unique blend to the table. Similar to other creatures, such as Pilfering Hawk, it allows players to draw a card, advancing their strategy. Unlike Pilfering Hawk, which requires snow mana to activate its ability, Courier Bat offers the card draw contingent on gaining life this turn, potentially a more situational trigger yet a boon in life-gain decks.

Another comparable flier is Thieving Magpie, which guarantees a card draw with each combat damage dealt to a player. Courier Bat diverges by providing an immediate impact when it enters the battlefield, skipping combat’s uncertainty. Conversely, Audacious Thief takes a different approach, granting card draw whenever it attacks, independent of life gain, but risking the creature to opposing defenses.

As we navigate through the multitude of options, Courier Bat asserts its place within cards that meld life-gain and card advantage. This distinct synergy emboldens its role in dedicated MTG strategies, surpassing the limitations of its peers and offering a tactical edge for those looking to soar in their next game.

Cards similar to Courier Bat by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Courier Bat MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Crimson Vow and Innistrad: Double Feature, 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 Courier Bat and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Courier Bat Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-11-19 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Ilse Gort.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2021-11-19	Innistrad: Crimson Vow	VOW		102	2015	Normal	Black	Ilse Gort
2	2022-01-28	Innistrad: Double Feature	DBL		369	2015	Normal	Black	Ilse Gort

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Courier Bat has restrictions

Format	Legality
Standard	Legal
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Future	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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