Hailstorm Valkyrie MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Snow Creature — Angel Wizard
Abilities	Flying,Trample
Released	2021-02-05
Set symbol
Set name	Kaldheim
Set code	KHM
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	97
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Bram Sels

Key Takeaways

In a snow-heavy deck, Hailstorm Valkyrie translates snow mana into a growing airborne threat.
Its ability to scale at instant speed makes it versatile during combat, impacting game decisions.
Demands for specific mana and strategic hand use may limit Valkyrie integration in diverse decks.

Text of card

Flying, trample {S}{S}: Hailstorm Valkyrie gets +2/+2 until end of turn. ({S} can be paid with one mana from a snow source.)

When the path to Starnheim was opened, vengeance rained down upon the enemies of Bretagard.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Hailstorm Valkyrie can be a strong presence on the board that potentially disrupts your opponent’s strategy. With its ability to scale in power and toughness, it ensures that from mid to late game, you maintain pressure with a growing threat.

Resource Acceleration: With Hailstorm Valkyrie, the key is leveraging snow mana. For players running a snow-heavy deck, the Valkyrie becomes a conduit to convert those snow lands into a formidable aerial asset, essentially accelerating your resource impact on the game.

Instant Speed: Although Hailstorm Valkyrie itself isn’t an instant, its ability to grow at instant speed is pivotal. This allows you to boost its stats on demand, particularly relevant during combat or at the end of an opponent’s turn to prepare for an assertive offensive.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Hailstorm Valkyrie demands the strategic use of your hand since activating its ability requires you to discard additional cards. This can pose a significant drawback when your hand size is dwindling and every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting this card binds you to a specific mana composition with a slice dedicated to snow mana. This not only limits the scope of the decks it can fit into but also may strain your mana base as you try to meet its specific needs.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Hailstorm Valkyrie is on the steeper side of the mana curve, which puts it in direct competition with other impactful four-manacost creatures and spells. While it has flying and trample, investing such resources might not always result in a favorable payoff compared to other options within the same cost bracket.

Reasons to Include Hailstorm Valkyrie in Your Collection

Versatility: Hailstorm Valkyrie thrives in environments where snow permanents are prominent. Its ability to gain flying and trample through snow mana makes it a flexible threat capable of adapting to various board states.

Combo Potential: This valkyrie scales with the number of snow permanents in play, working well with strategies that utilize snow lands and creatures. It opens up avenues for combos with cards that can repeatedly create snow tokens, bolstering its power quickly.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta with decks that lean heavily on snow synergies, Hailstorm Valkyrie’s potential to become a massive flyer presents a relevant challenge for opponents. As snow-based decks gain traction, including this valkyrie could provide you a competitive edge.

How to beat

Hailstorm Valkyrie presents an imposing challenge with its ability to grow stronger as you play more snow mana. This creature from MTG’s frosty realms can turn into a colossal threat if left unchecked on the battlefield. To counteract this, consider using removal spells that can bypass its increasing toughness. Direct damage spells like Shock or Lightning Bolt can handle it early on, whereas late-game contenders may require broader solutions such as Wrath of God or Doom Blade to ensure the Valkyrie’s descent.

Another strategy involves preventing the Valkyrie from amassing power. Hindering your opponent’s ability to accumulate snow mana is key. Cards like Blood Moon transform all nonbasic lands into basic Mountains, adeptly restricting the snow mana available to your adversary. This maneuver can keep the Valkyrie’s strength at bay. It’s essential to monitor the pace at which your opponent can utilize snow lands, and aim to disrupt their strategy quickly.

Lastly, engaging in combat with creatures that can either soar above or hold off Hailstorm Valkyrie can also prove beneficial. Flyers with higher power and toughness or those with deathtouch can dissuade attacks or force unfavorable trades. Bearing these tactics in mind helps to ensure that Hailstorm Valkyrie’s stormy presence on the board is effectively contained.

Cards like Hailstorm Valkyrie

Hailstorm Valkyrie stands as a unique creature in Magic: The Gathering, wielding the ability to power up with snow mana. When observing its similars, Frostwalk Bastion immediately comes to mind, which also benefits from snow mana to become a menacing creature. Both cards utilize this special mana type for offensive advantages that can turn the tide in snowy terrain themed decks.

Drift of the Dead is another card that builds on the snow land synergy, scaling its power and toughness with the number of snow-covered lands you control. Unlike Hailstorm Valkyrie, which requires an ongoing mana investment to keep growing, Drift of the Dead maintains its force passively, providing a steady defense. Yet, it’s the Valkyrie’s flight ability, unmatched by Drift’s grounded might, that gives it a strategic edge in many game scenarios.

Ultimately, while there are several cards that interact with snow mana in various ways, Hailstorm Valkyrie’s combination of aerial offense and scalable power offers a distinctive choice for MTG enthusiasts crafting a deck around snow permanents. Its versatility in response to snow mana accessibility can often result in significant impact on the battleground.

Cards similar to Hailstorm Valkyrie by color, type and mana cost

Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions

Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hailstorm Valkyrie MTG card by a specific set like Kaldheim, 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 Hailstorm Valkyrie and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hailstorm Valkyrie has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2021-02-05	Snow is a supertype, not a card type. It has no rules meaning or function by itself, but spells and abilities may refer to it.
2021-02-05	Snow isn’t a type of mana. If an effect says you may spend mana as though it were any type, you can’t pay for {S} using mana that wasn’t produced by a snow source.
2021-02-05	Some cards have additional effects for each {S} spent to cast them. You can cast these spells even if you don’t spend any snow mana to cast them; their additional effects simply won’t do anything.
2021-02-05	The Kaldheim set doesn’t have any cards with mana costs that include {S}, but some previous sets do. If an effect says such a spell costs less to cast, that reduction doesn’t apply to any {S} costs. This is also true for activated abilities that include {S} in their activation costs and effects that reduce those costs.
2021-02-05	The {S} symbol is a generic mana symbol. It represents a cost that can be paid by one mana that was produced by a snow source. That mana can be any color or colorless.