Surtland Flinger MTG Card


Surtland Flinger - Kaldheim
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Giant Berserker
Released2021-02-05
Set symbol
Set nameKaldheim
Set codeKHM
Power 4
Toughness 6
Number377
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byDmitry Burmak

Key Takeaways

  1. Surtland Flinger excels at recurring card utility and maintains relentless board presence to outclass opponents.
  2. Resource acceleration is key; utilizing creatures as damage vectors paves the way for game-ending plays.
  3. Instant speed capability provides tactical advantage, allowing for reactionary play that can dictate match outcomes.

Text of card

Whenever Surtland Flinger attacks, you may sacrifice another creature. When you do, Surtland Flinger deals damage equal to the sacrificed creature's power to any target. If the sacrificed creature was a Giant, Surtland Flinger deals twice that much damage instead.

Victory before camaraderie.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Surtland Flinger is a boon for your deck when it comes to outmaneuvering opponents through sheer card utility. With its ability to recur from the graveyard to your hand, it ensures that you never run out of options and consistently pose a threat on the board.

Resource Acceleration: While not a direct source of mana, Surtland Flinger facilitates resource acceleration by allowing you to leverage your creatures as a means to deal damage indirectly. By effectively utilizing your creatures, you can clear the way for bigger threats or end the game outright.

Instant Speed: The threat of activating Surtland Flinger’s ability at instant speed keeps opponents on their toes. In the fast-paced world of MTG, being able to respond to your opponent’s moves during their turn can be the key to victory, and Surtland Flinger provides just that sort of tactical flexibility.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When playing Surtland Flinger, it demands a sacrifice in resources that can be crippling if you’re running short on cards. This requirement can unsettle your hand balance, often leaving you in a challenging position to maintain card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Surtland Flinger’s casting cost is restrictive, necessitating both red and blue mana. This specificity can limit deck building and reduce the card’s versatility, potentially excluding it from mono-colored or certain multicolored strategies that can’t meet the mana requirement.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a heftier mana investment compared to other options in your deck, Surtland Flinger may not be the first pick for efficiency. Its casting cost could slow you down, particularly in faster-paced games where lower-cost spells could provide more immediate impact on the board.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Surtland Flinger offers flexibility in deck building with its ability to turn any large creature into a potential source of direct damage. This opens up options for various deck archetypes, particularly those emphasizing big creatures or giant tribal synergies.

Combo Potential: Armed with the ability to essentially weaponize your creatures, Surtland Flinger thrives in a combo-centric environment. Imagine the possibilities of flinging a colossal creature at your opponent’s life total, potentially closing out games unexpectedly.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state that rewards creative strategies and the ability to work around traditional lines of defense, Surtland Flinger becomes a significant threat. It empowers creature-focused decks to bypass blockers and directly impact the game, giving players an edge in the right meta.


How to beat Surtland Flinger

Surtland Flinger presents players with an intriguing challenge on the battlefield. As a card that capitalizes on hurling giant creatures at your opponents, overcoming its formidable board presence is essential. One effective method to dismantle this strategy is to minimize the number of large creatures your opponent controls. Utilizing removal spells before Surtland Flinger can activate its ability is key. Spells like Fatal Push, Path to Exile, or Ravenous Chupacabra can help keep the board clear.

Another approach is to hold up counter spells, specifically for when your opponent attempts to cast Surtland Flinger, such as Counterspell or Dovin’s Veto. Additionally, playing cards that grant you or your creatures hexproof, like Shalai, Voice of Plenty, can prevent the Flinger from targeting you directly, which can be a significant turning point in the game. Lastly, enacting pressure with aggressive creatures or strategies can force your opponent to use their resources defensively rather than offensively with Surtland Flinger, shifting the game to your favor.

Overall, while Surtland Flinger can turn the tide of a match, ample preparation and a keen understanding of its mechanics can give you the upper hand, keeping you safely out of range from those flying giants.


Cards like Surtland Flinger

Surtland Flinger is a unique addition to the roster of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering, particularly within the Giant tribe. It draws parallels to the likes of Flameshadow Conjuring, which also revolves around leveraging the power of entering creatures. While Flameshadow Conjuring requires a mana payment to create a token copy of a nontoken creature that enters the battlefield, Surtland Flinger offers a different angle of utility by enabling you to throw creatures at your opponents directly, potentially causing massive damage.

Not far behind is the Thundercloud Shaman, which, like Surtland Flinger, is finely tuned for Giant synergies. The Shaman doesn’t require a tap activation but instead deals damage to all non-Giant creatures upon entering the battlefield, providing widespread board control. While the Flinger specializes in targeted removal and player damage, Thundercloud Shaman’s non-selective approach can be a game-changer in dealing with a swarm of smaller creatures.

Overall, Surtland Flinger stands out among Giants with its ability to recontextualize creature cards as ammunition, offering an aggressive and direct playstyle that can catch opponents off guard and quickly tip the game in your favor.

Flameshadow Conjuring - MTG Card versions
Thundercloud Shaman - MTG Card versions
Flameshadow Conjuring - Magic Origins (ORI)
Thundercloud Shaman - Lorwyn (LRW)

Cards similar to Surtland Flinger by color, type and mana cost

Fire Elemental - MTG Card versions
Earth Elemental - MTG Card versions
Eron the Relentless - MTG Card versions
Balduvian War-Makers - MTG Card versions
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Volatile Arsonist // Dire-Strain Anarchist - MTG Card versions
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Bonethorn Valesk - MTG Card versions
Frost Ogre - MTG Card versions
Heartless Hidetsugu - MTG Card versions
Shard Phoenix - MTG Card versions
Soul of Magma - MTG Card versions
Hunted Dragon - MTG Card versions
Fire Elemental - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Earth Elemental - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Eron the Relentless - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Balduvian War-Makers - Alliances (ALL)
Hivis of the Scale - Mirage (MIR)
Hulking Cyclops - Visions (VIS)
Flame Spirit - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Flowstone Salamander - Tempest (TMP)
Ma Chao, Western Warrior - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Covetous Dragon - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Dwarven Strike Force - Odyssey (ODY)
Volatile Arsonist // Dire-Strain Anarchist - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
Tephraderm - Onslaught (ONS)
Avarax - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Bonethorn Valesk - Scourge (SCG)
Frost Ogre - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Heartless Hidetsugu - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Shard Phoenix - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Soul of Magma - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Hunted Dragon - The List (PLST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Surtland Flinger 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 Surtland Flinger and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Surtland Flinger has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-02-05 Surtland Flinger’s triggered ability goes on the stack without a target. While that ability is resolving, you may sacrifice another creature. When you do, the reflexive triggered ability triggers and you pick a target to be dealt damage. This is different from effects that say “If you do” in that players may take actions after you’ve sacrificed the creature but before damage is dealt.
2021-02-05 Use the power of the creature as it was sacrificed to determine how much damage is dealt. Damage will be dealt before blockers are declared.

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