Zuberi, Golden Feather MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Legendary Creature — Griffin
Abilities	Flying
Released	1996-10-08
Set symbol
Set name	Mirage
Set code	MIR
Power	3
Toughness	3
Number	51
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Alan Rabinowitz

Key Takeaways

Zuberi enhances aerial combat, making your flying creatures tougher to defeat and more formidable.
Its static effect applies instantly, benefiting even creatures played at instant speed.
Zuberi’s precise mana cost and tribal focus demand strategic deck building.

Text of card

Flying Zuberi, Golden Feather counts as a Griffin. All other Griffins get +1/+1.

"If the griffins tell of their gods, perhaps they speak of feathers bright as the Sun." —Afari, *Tales*

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Zuberi, Golden Feather, shines by buffing your flying creatures, potentially leading to favorable trades or deterring opponents from engaging in combat. This could translate into retaining more of your crucial flyers on the battlefield, indirectly contributing to card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: While Zuberi itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its ability to protect and enhance flying creatures can lead to a more stable board presence. This enables you to invest mana into other aspects of your strategy with less worry about safeguarding your aerial assets.

Instant Speed: Zuberi, Golden Feather’s influence isn’t tied to an ability that needs to be cast at instant speed, but its static effect is always “on” once it’s on the battlefield. This means that any flying creatures played at instant speed will immediately benefit from its buff, allowing for dynamic combat adjustments during your opponents’ turns.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Zuberi, Golden Feather doesn’t necessitate a discard, it has a distinct limitation that requires deck-building around bird creatures to maximize its potential. This restricts flexibility and can be detrimental if you lack sufficient bird support in your deck.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting Zuberi, Golden Feather demands a precise combination of white and red mana, making it less versatile in a multicolored deck where mana fixing becomes critical.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes three generic and one white mana, Zuberi, Golden Feather can be costly compared to other options. Its ability might not justify the investment, especially when there are alternative options that might provide greater utility or synergy with your deck’s strategy for less mana.

Reasons to Include Zuberi, Golden Feather in Your Collection

Versatility: Zuberi, Golden Feather offers a broad range of deck-building options. As an anthem effect for flying creatures, it’s a perfect fit for tribal and flyer-centric strategies, potentially elevating casual and commander decks.

Combo Potential: This card shines when combined with cards that generate bird tokens or capitalize on flying synergies. It can act as a key piece in engines that reward you for playing with feathered friends or other creatures of the skies.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where flying creatures hold sway, Zuberi can be a game-changer by boosting the resilience and power of aerial onslaughts. Its presence on the board can turn the tide, making it a strategic choice for competitive play.

How to beat

Zuberi, Golden Feather presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its ability to boost fellow flyers. This card appeals especially to deck builders focusing on aerial strategies, as it can quickly turn a flock of flying creatures into a formidable force. When facing such a threat, consider incorporating cards that govern the skies. Spot removal spells like Path to Exile or Fatal Push can neutralize Zuberi before its effect becomes overwhelming.

Tapping into board wipes such as Wrath of God or Supreme Verdict can also effectively reset the playing field, negating the advantage Zuberi provides. Moreover, electing to play cards with reach or those that can pull creatures out of the sky, like Silklash Spider or Hurricane, can be a strategic response to Zuberi’s enhancement of flying creatures.

Remember, maintaining control of the board is key against a deck that features Zuberi, Golden Feather. Preemptively managing flyers and utilizing targeted removal or strategic board wipes can help ensure that Zuberi’s influence remains grounded.

Cards like Zuberi, Golden Feather

Zuberi, Golden Feather offers a boost to bird creatures unlike many other cards in MTG. It stands out most strikingly when compared to other lords such as Aven Brigadier, which also provides an augment to bird and soldier creatures. While Aven Brigadier offers a larger body and a triple tribal boost, Zuberi shines in its agility with a lesser casting cost, allowing for a quicker deployment to bolster your feathered forces.

Looking at another comparison, Adaptive Automaton is a flexible option that can act as a lord for any creature type, not just birds. However, Zuberi has the added advantage of offering protection with its damage prevention ability, a refined benefit that Adaptive Automaton lacks. Then there’s Soraya the Falconer, whose abilities focus mainly on Falcons, but she also grants the ability to give target bird banding, an interesting side strategy compared to Zuberi, Golden Feather’s straightforward damage prevention.

Ultimately, Zuberi, Golden Feather finds its niche within bird-centric strategies where it excels at accelerating the tempo and providing a layer of defense that can be crucial in maintaining aerial dominance on the battlefield.

Cards similar to Zuberi, Golden Feather by color, type and mana cost

Enduring Angel // Angelic Enforcer - MTG Card versions

Celestial Gatekeeper - MTG Card versions

Kiyomaro, First to Stand - MTG Card versions

Shu Elite Companions - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Zuberi, Golden Feather MTG card by a specific set like Mirage, 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 Zuberi, Golden Feather and other MTG cards: