Invasion of Eldraine // Prickle Faeries MTG Card


Invasion of Eldraine // Prickle Faeries - March of the Machine
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Faerie
Abilities Flying
Released2023-04-21
Set symbol
Set nameMarch of the Machine
Set codeMOM
Power 2
Toughness 2
Number113
Frame2015
LayoutTransform
BorderBlack
Illustred byCristi Balanescu

Key Takeaways

  1. Prickle Faeries enhance hand strength by disrupting opponents, pivotal for MTG victory.
  2. The card accelerates resources and synergizes well with other faerie-type cards.
  3. Its instant speed ability allows for reactive and strategic MTG play.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Invasion of Eldraine // Prickle Faeries MTG card by a specific set like March of the Machine, 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 Invasion of Eldraine // Prickle Faeries and other MTG cards:

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Text of card

Flying At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, if that player has two or fewer cards in hand, Prickle Faeries deals 2 damage to them.

When the courts fell, Eldraine's fae turned from their usual pranks to deadlier tricks.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Invasion of Eldraine introduces cards like Prickle Faeries that offer significant card advantage by potentially disrupting your opponent’s strategy and maintaining a strong hand. Effective use of these cards can keep you ahead in resources and options, a crucial aspect of winning strategies in MTG.

Resource Acceleration: Prickle Faeries doesn’t only pose threats to your opponent’s creatures. This card can also contribute to resource acceleration by clearing the way for your more potent spells or by synergizing with cards that benefit from Faerie-type creatures or enchantments.

Instant Speed: Prickle Faeries’ ability to interfere with your opponent’s creatures at instant speed gives you the power to react swiftly to incoming threats. This can tilt the battlefield in your favor, ensuring you can adapt to evolving game states, which is a hallmark of strong MTG plays.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When casting Prickle Faeries from the Invasion of Eldraine set, players may be deterred by the mechanic that compels you to discard another card. This can be particularly taxing when you’re playing a tight game and your hand is your vital stockpile of strategic options.

Specific Mana Cost: Prickle Faeries requires a specific combination of mana types to deploy this mischievous unit onto the battlefield. Given that it aligns with the enchanting lore of Eldraine, your deck will need to support these mana types to utilize the card, potentially restricting its versatility across various deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The enchantment cost to get your Prickle Faeries fluttering may come across as steep, particularly when you consider other creatures or spells available within the same mana range. Savvy players might weigh their options, pondering whether the faeries’ unique benefits justify the higher investment relative to other choices that could provide a more immediate battlefield impact or long-term value.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Invasion of Eldraine’s Prickle Faeries offer a flexible role in numerous deck archetypes, serving well in strategies focused on disruptive plays as well as in enchantment synergies.

Combo Potential: These faerie cards have the ability to seamlessly interact with other faerie creatures and spells, enabling dynamic combo chains that can unexpectedly tip the scales in a match.

Meta-Relevance: Given their low mana cost and utility in affecting the board state, Prickle Faeries remain relevant in various metas, holding their ground against more prevalent tempo decks.


How to beat

Invasion of Eldraine introduced the whimsical Prickle Faeries card to Magic: The Gathering, adding an enchanting twist to control play styles. As creatures with potentially disruptive abilities, defeating these faeries requires strategic planning. One approach is to employ removal spells that can target multiple creatures at once, effectively clearing the board of these nuisances in one fell swoop. Cards such as Pyroclasm or Sweltering Suns work wonders by dealing damage to all creatures, ensuring that the faeries’ low toughness becomes their downfall.

Another tactic is to outpace the Prickle Faeries by focusing on more robust creatures with higher toughness or those with abilities that negate the faeries’ effects. By playing creatures that can withstand or avoid their abilities, you reduce the impact Prickle Faeries have on the game. Alternatively, using enchantments that prevent creatures from entering the battlefield or artifacts that tax or penalize the opponent for casting spells can limit the frequency and effectiveness of these faeries. Remember, timing and removal efficiency are key to overtaking the enchanting influence of Prickle Faeries in your MTG matchups.


Cards like Invasion of Eldraine // Prickle Faeries

Invasion of Eldraine has brought the whimsical Prickle Faeries to the forefront of versatile creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. These lithe allies resonate with other low-cost creatures, such as the Thornweald Archer, which also boasts reach and deathtouch capabilities. Prickle Faeries, however, trade the Archer’s higher toughness for the potential to dish out damage and tap an opponent’s creature, creating dynamic control on the board.

Another card to consider is Faerie Duelist. Much like Prickle Faeries, the Duelist can surprise opponents and alter combat outcomes with its flash ability. The Duelist, though, lacks the persistent board control provided by the Prickle Faeries’ tapping ability. Sedge Scorpion is a card that shines as a solid one-mana deathtouch creature, but without the ability to tap or the evasiveness of flying, it’s less a direct threat to your opponent’s strategies.

Overall, while there are many small, efficient creatures in Magic: The Gathering with deathtouch and control abilities, Prickle Faeries distinguish themselves through their unique combination of tapping and damage, positioning themselves as a valuable asset for players seeking fine control and tactical advantages.

Thornweald Archer - MTG Card versions
Faerie Duelist - MTG Card versions
Sedge Scorpion - MTG Card versions
Thornweald Archer - MTG Card versions
Faerie Duelist - MTG Card versions
Sedge Scorpion - MTG Card versions

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Hell's Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Rag Man - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Debaser - MTG Card versions
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions
Slinking Skirge - MTG Card versions
Gravedigger - MTG Card versions
Scandalmonger - MTG Card versions
Urborg Shambler - MTG Card versions
Whispering Shade - MTG Card versions
Cabal Surgeon - MTG Card versions
Filth - MTG Card versions
Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions
Bold Plagiarist - MTG Card versions
Dirge Bat - MTG Card versions
Gixian Puppeteer - MTG Card versions
Toxin Sliver - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Spirit - MTG Card versions
Nim Shambler - MTG Card versions
Bad Ass - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Numai - MTG Card versions

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Invasion of Eldraine // Prickle Faeries has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2023-04-14 A Siege’s controller can’t be its protector. If a Siege’s protector ever gains control of it, they choose a new player to be its protector. This is a state-based action.
2023-04-14 A battle can be attacked by all players other than its protector. Notably, this means a Siege’s controller can attack it.
2023-04-14 A battle can be dealt damage and be target of spells and/or abilities that target “any target.”
2023-04-14 A battle’s “defense” is displayed in the bottom right corner of the card. A battle enters the battlefield with that number of defense counters. If another permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of a battle, it also enters with that number of defense counters.
2023-04-14 As a Siege enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector.
2023-04-14 Battles can’t attack or block, even if one also becomes a creature. If an attacking or blocking creature somehow becomes a battle in addition to being a creature, it is removed from combat.
2023-04-14 Damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it.
2023-04-14 If a Siege never had defense counters on it (perhaps because a permanent became a copy of one), it can’t have its last defense counter removed. It will be put into its owner’s graveyard. You won’t exile it or cast the other face.
2023-04-14 If a battle has no defense counters, and it isn’t the source of a triggered ability that has triggered but not yet left the stack, that battle is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. This doesn’t cause a Siege’s intrinsic triggered ability to trigger.
2023-04-14 If a battle that’s being attacked somehow stops being a battle, it is removed from combat. Similarly, if its controller changes in the middle of combat, it is removed from combat.
2023-04-14 If a non-battle permanent that is already on the battlefield become a copy of a Siege, its controller chooses one of their opponents to be that battle’s protector. However, it will most likely be put into its owner’s graveyard because it has no defense counters (see below).
2023-04-14 If a permanent that is represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it will be exiled as that Siege’s triggered ability resolves, then it will be cast transformed. Note that this applies only to transforming double-faced cards, not to modal double-faced cards that can normally be played using either face.
2023-04-14 If a token or a card that isn’t represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it can’t be cast as its triggered ability resolves. It will remain in exile. If it’s a token, it will cease to exist the next time state-based actions are performed.
2023-04-14 In a multiplayer game, if the protector of a battle leaves the game and that battle is not currently being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it as a state-based action. If it is being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it once no creatures are attacking it. This means that it continues to be attacked and can be dealt combat damage as normal.
2023-04-14 Only creatures controlled by a battle’s protector can block creatures that are attacking that battle. This means a Siege’s controller can never assign creatures to block for it.
2023-04-14 Prickle Faeries’s ability will check as each opponent’s upkeep begins whether that player has two or fewer cards in hand. If they have three or more, the ability won’t trigger at all. If the ability does trigger, it will check the opponent’s hand again as it tries to resolve. If the opponent has three or more cards in hand at that time, the ability won’t resolve, and Prickle Faeries won’t deal damage to them.
2023-04-14 Sieges each have an intrinsic triggered ability. That ability is “When the last defense counter is removed from this permanent, exile it, then you may cast it transformed without paying its mana cost.”