Neurok Hoversail MTG Card


Neurok Hoversail - Mirrodin
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeArtifact — Equipment
Abilities Equip
Released2003-10-02
Set symbol
Set nameMirrodin
Set codeMRD
Number218
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byAlan Pollack

Key Takeaways

  1. Neurok Hoversail gives creatures flying, critical for unblocked attacks and potential card draw triggers.
  2. Its low equip cost efficiently allocates mana, complementing spells and abilities in your strategy.
  3. The instant flexibility of equipping can surprise opponents, converting creatures into aerial threats.

Text of card

Equipped creature has flying. Equip (: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery. This card comes into play unattached and stays in play if the creature leaves play.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Neurok Hoversail grants equipped creatures the key ability of flying. This utility can translate into card advantage by enabling unblocked attacks, potentially drawing cards if the creature has an associated combat damage trigger.

Resource Acceleration: What Neurok Hoversail lacks in direct mana acceleration, it compensates for with its low equip cost. Efficient utilization of mana resources ensures you can deploy other spells or abilities more effectively throughout the game.

Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, Neurok Hoversail offers the flexibility similar to instant-speed tricks. Attaching it during your main phase can catch opponents off-guard, turning a ground creature into an aerial threat at a moment’s notice.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Neurok Hoversail offers flying to a creature, equipping it requires you to discard a card, which can be costly if your hand is already depleted or if every card counts towards your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Despite being an artifact, equipping Neurok Hoversail demands one blue mana. This requirement can be restrictive for non-blue decks, thereby hindering its universal applicability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The initial cost to play Neurok Hoversail is low, but the equip cost can be considered high for the effect it grants. In MTG, there are alternatives that might give a creature flying for less mana or with additional benefits, providing a more efficient use of resources.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Neurok Hoversail offers a unique boon to creatures, allowing them to gain flying. This can be pivotal in various deck builds, particularly those needing to bypass blockers or wanting to add an evasion mechanic to powerhouse creatures.

Combo Potential: As an equipment with a low equip cost, it can seamlessly fit into artifact-centric decks that reward you for playing or attaching equipment. It’s an enabler in combos that require creatures to be airborne or in decks that benefit from artifact synergies.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where board stalls are common, giving your creatures the ability to fly over the top can be the difference between a locked board and a decisive victory. Additionally, artifact strategies are consistently present in various MTG formats, making Neurok Hoversail a viable option for decks looking to exploit this angle.


How to beat

Neurok Hoversail is an Equipment artifact card in Magic: The Gathering, known for granting flying to a creature it’s attached to. The adaptability of flying can be a serious game-changer in the right circumstances, allowing creatures to evade ground-based blockers. However, the multifaceted nature of MTG offers several strategies to counteract this advantage.

To neutralize the threat of a flying creature enhanced by Neurok Hoversail, removal spells are efficient and direct. Engaging in combat with a creature that already has flying or reach is one approach to regain aerial control. Additionally, using instant-speed interaction allows you to remove the equipped creature or the Hoversail itself before significant damage can occur. Enchantment removal spells can also dismantle the synergy by targeting Hoversail directly, circumventing its effects altogether.

Moreover, focusing on ramping up your board presence with more formidable creatures or introducing cards that impose restrictions on flying can tip the scales back into your favor. By understanding that mere evasion doesn’t always translate to victory, you can prioritize maintaining a versatile hand, prepared to dismantle such advantages swiftly and maintain the upper hand in any match.


Cards like Neurok Hoversail

Neurok Hoversail is a niche utility artifact in Magic: The Gathering, offering a simple yet powerful ability: it grants flying to a creature. It stands in a similar field with other equipment cards such as Cobbled Wings and Ghostfire Blade, both providing flying but with different conditions and benefits. Cobbled Wings, like Neurok Hoversail, is affordable and directly gives flying, but without additional stat boosts. Ghostfire Blade, on the other hand, can give a significant power and toughness increase to a colorless creature but comes at a higher cost and without the specific focus on flying.

Skilled players often weigh the cost-to-benefit ratio when selecting cards for their decks, and the inexpensive equip cost of Neurok Hoversail makes it a compelling choice for creatures that benefit greatly from aerial superiority. In contrast, Wings of Hubris requires a sacrifice to grant immunity from being blocked, which can be a hefty price for an assured hit. The balance of cost, benefits, and potential trade-offs is crucial in the delicate dynamics of MTG deck building.

In deck construction and gameplay strategy, Neurok Hoversail lies in a sweet spot for players looking for a cost-effective method to get their key creatures into the air, making it a noteworthy candidate in the pool of MTG equipment cards focused on the flying mechanic.

Cobbled Wings - MTG Card versions
Ghostfire Blade - MTG Card versions
Wings of Hubris - MTG Card versions
Cobbled Wings - Innistrad (ISD)
Ghostfire Blade - Khans of Tarkir (KTK)
Wings of Hubris - Theros Beyond Death (THB)

Cards similar to Neurok Hoversail by color, type and mana cost

Glasses of Urza - MTG Card versions
Wooden Sphere - MTG Card versions
Sol Ring - MTG Card versions
Iron Star - MTG Card versions
Black Vise - MTG Card versions
Urza's Chalice - MTG Card versions
Ivory Cup - MTG Card versions
Brass Man - MTG Card versions
Mana Vault - MTG Card versions
Soul Net - MTG Card versions
The Rack - MTG Card versions
Obelisk of Undoing - MTG Card versions
Feldon's Cane - MTG Card versions
Throne of Bone - MTG Card versions
Meekstone - MTG Card versions
Thran Foundry - MTG Card versions
Cursed Scroll - MTG Card versions
Candelabra of Tawnos - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Dreadnought - MTG Card versions
Signal Pest - MTG Card versions
Glasses of Urza - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Wooden Sphere - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Sol Ring - The Brothers' War Commander (BRC)
Iron Star - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Black Vise - Revised Edition (3ED)
Urza's Chalice - Masters Edition (ME1)
Ivory Cup - Revised Edition (3ED)
Brass Man - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Mana Vault - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Soul Net - Fifth Edition (5ED)
The Rack - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Obelisk of Undoing - Rinascimento (RIN)
Feldon's Cane - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Throne of Bone - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Meekstone - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Thran Foundry - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Cursed Scroll - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Candelabra of Tawnos - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Phyrexian Dreadnought - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Signal Pest - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Neurok Hoversail MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin, 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 Neurok Hoversail and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Neurok Hoversail has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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