Impaler Shrike MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Phyrexian Bird
Abilities	Flying
Released	2011-05-13
Set symbol
Set name	New Phyrexia
Set code	NPH
Power	3
Toughness	1
Number	36
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Nils Hamm

Key Takeaways

Impaler Shrike excels at providing card advantage and bolstering your hand with its combat damage trigger.
Flying ability enhances deck versatility, fitting various archetypes and enhancing aerial combat.
Despite its strengths, it poses mana base challenges and demands strategic play to maximize benefit.

Text of card

Flying When Impaler Shrike deals combat damage to a player, you may sacrifice it. If you do, draw three cards.

"Interrogation is an unnecessary step for acquiring information." —Politus, Gitaxian morphologist

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Impaler Shrike provides a substantial boost when it hits the battlefield. The draw three cards ability kicks in upon dealing combat damage, ensuring a consistent flow of options and keeping your hand filled with potential answers or threats. This can be particularly powerful in formats where maintaining a card advantage can be the difference between victory and defeat.

Resource Acceleration: Though not directly providing mana or resources, the cards drawn from Impaler Shrike’s effect can lead to land draws or other acceleration mechanisms. It’s a subtle form of resource acceleration that indirectly contributes to your mana development and overall board presence, enabling you to play more cards at a pace that can outmatch your opponent’s.

Instant Speed: Impaler Shrike itself may not be an instant, but it promotes a strategy that keeps your options open. With cards in hand thanks to its ability, you can pose a constant threat by having the resources to react or play impactful spells at instant speed. Moreover, the nature of this flying creature demands an immediate answer, potentially clearing the way for your instants to resolve without interference.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When bringing Impaler Shrike into play, you might find yourself in a tough spot should it ask for a card to be ditched from your hand. This can potentially cripple your strategy, especially when your cache of cards is already running low, or each card in your hand is vital to your game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: Decks focusing on a broader spectrum of colors might hit a snag with Impaler Shrike’s mana requirements. This card’s necessity for blue mana can pose a challenge, potentially clashing with the fluidity and mana base of multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment needed to cast Impaler Shrike is not negligible. It’s important to weigh your options since there may be other creatures or spells that provide greater impact or value for a similar, if not lower, mana cost. In fast-paced games, this might set you back compared to opponents deploying more cost-effective spells.

Reasons to Include Impaler Shrike in Your Collection

Versatility: Impaler Shrike boasts a flexible role in many deck archetypes due to its flying ability, making it a formidable foe in the air and a reliable card draw mechanism when it connects with an opponent.

Combo Potential: When it deals combat damage, you may opt to draw cards, fueling your hand and opening opportunities for combos with increased card availability or synergizing with cards that reward you for drawing.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where flyers can dominate and card advantage is king, Impaler Shrike can prove to be a game-changer by consistently providing both offensive pressure and strategic depth to your gameplay.

How to beat

Impaler Shrike is a unique card in the strategic landscape of Magic: The Gathering, offering both aerial power and card draw potential. Its ability to draw cards upon dealing combat damage makes it a valuable asset in maintaining hand advantage. However, its dependency on direct attacks to leverage this ability presents a strategic vulnerability.

Tactics to mitigate Impaler Shrike’s impact can include employing flying blockers, which are readily available in many MTG decks. Cards that can grant reach to non-flying creatures also serve as an effective countermeasure, providing a defense against this airborne threat. Furthermore, removal spells are a direct way to handle Impaler Shrike, ensuring that it is neutralized before it can draw cards and swing the game in favor of your opponent.

Ultimately, understanding Impaler Shrike’s strengths and weaknesses is essential for players who seek to keep their opponents’ advantages at bay while playing Magic: The Gathering. By anticipating and countering your adversary’s moves efficiently, you can negate the benefits of their Impaler Shrike and maintain control of the match.

Cards like Impaler Shrike

Impaler Shrike adds to Magic: The Gathering’s roster of flying creatures with notable card draw abilities. It shares traits with cards like Mulldrifter, another flyer known for its card draw capability. The Shrike’s distinction arises with its “deals combat damage to a player” trigger which allows for repeated card advantage, provided it continues to connect with the opponent. Mulldrifter, while it provides a immediate card draw upon entering the battlefield, lacks the recurring benefit.

In comparison, another creature, Thieving Magpie, mirrors the Impaler Shrike’s ability to draw a card upon dealing damage to a player, offering a similar value on combat connection. However, the Magpie trades off with lesser power. Moreover, there’s the Sky Hussar, which also draws cards, but requires tapping two untapped creatures you control, diverging from the direct combat-related mechanic. This denotes a significant difference in the gameplay strategy between Sky Hussar and Impaler Shrike.

Evaluating these creatures side by side, Impaler Shrike occupies a unique position. It offers a balance in terms of cost, flying ability, and potential for consistent card draw, making it a card worth considering for players who seek to maintain hand advantage while presenting aerial threats.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Impaler Shrike MTG card by a specific set like New Phyrexia, 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 Impaler Shrike and other MTG cards: