Fledgling Imp MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Imp
Released	2001-10-01
Set symbol
Set name	Odyssey
Set code	ODY
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	137
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	John Matson

Key Takeaways

The Imp offers card advantage through recursion, enhancing strategic plays with continuous battlefield presence.
Requiring specific mana and a discard to employ, it can challenge hand and deck resources management.
Its flying trait and synergy with graveyard mechanics make it a flexible choice in specialized decks.

Text of card

o B, Discard a card from your hand: Fledgling Imp gains flying until end of turn.

Imps aren't born knowing how to fly—just how to annoy.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Fledgling Imp offers a substantial boost in card advantage with its ability to potentially return to your hand, allowing for repeated use and increased tactical options throughout the game.

Resource Acceleration: When the Imp springs into action, it can be an unexpected way to throw off your opponent’s pacing, effectively accelerating your resources by overpowering their strategies without warning.

Instant Speed: This creature’s potential for instant-speed interaction, courtesy of abilities or spells that synergize with it, makes it an agile component in any deck, capable of creating advantageous scenarios during the most crucial moments.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Fledgling Imp demands players to discard another card to activate its key ability. This condition can lead to a reduction in your hand, leaving you with fewer options as the game progresses. This especially poses a challenge when you’re trying to maintain card advantage or when you need all the resources you can get to counter your opponent’s moves.

Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost to summon the Fledgling Imp is not just quantitatively significant but also requires a specific combination of mana colors. This may not align well with all deck types, particularly those that run a multi-color scheme where the required black mana may not always be readily available.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the mana efficiency of the Fledgling Imp, it’s clear that the card comes with a relatively steep price for what it delivers. There are other creatures and spells within the same mana range that offer more impact without the inherent downside of discarding. This makes the Fledgling Imp a card that might not fit seamlessly into many strategies, possibly making it an overlooked choice for players optimizing their deck builds.

Reasons to Include Fledgling Imp in Your Collection

Versatility: Fledgling Imp brings a flexible approach to deck building. Its flying ability allows it to glide over ground-based defenses, and its low casting cost makes it easy to deploy in the early stages of the game or as a late-game tactical play.

Combo Potential: The creature synergizes well with decks that capitalize on graveyard manipulation. Being able to get it back onto the battlefield or using its death for advantageous triggers can be key in turning the tides of gameplay.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where evasive creatures can make a significant difference, Fledgling Imp may find its niche. In environments where the board is often cluttered with ground forces, this card can be a consistent source of damage, nibbling away at an opponent’s life total unimpeded.

How to beat

Fledgling Imp may seem like a minor threat at first glance, but underestimating this creature can lead to an unfortunate loss of control on the battlefield. This card, often found in decks that favor graveyard synergy, gives players a reusable creature that can recur from the graveyard. The key to combatting this pesky imp lies in understanding its mechanics deeply.

To outmaneuver the Fledgling Imp, players should aim to limit graveyard interactions. Utilizing cards that exile creatures from the graveyard, such as Scavenging Ooze or Relic of Progenitus, can prevent the Imp from making its comeback. Additionally, since the Imp relies on flying to be an effective nuisance, having creatures with reach or spells that can target flying creatures are invaluable assets in your arsenal. Adjusting your deck to include instant-speed removals can also catch an opponent off-guard, negating the Imp’s advantage. Cards like Shock or Fatal Push are effective at handling smaller threats immediately. With these strategies in mind, shutting down Fledgling Imp becomes a much more manageable task.

Always remember, reacting to such threats requires flexibility and a good understanding of your opponent’s deck mechanics. With the right counterplay, you can ensure Fledgling Imp’s impact on the game is minimal.

Cards like Fledgling Imp

Fledgling Imp finds its place in the vast library of flying creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Like Fledgling Imp, Vampire Bats also offers a flexible flying creature experience, allowing players to increase its strength at a moment’s notice. However, the Imp is set apart by its ability to start stronger right off the bat, being a 2/2 rather than the Bats’ initial 0/1 stats.

Comparing it with another flyer, the iconic Skittering Skirge emerges. This creature similarly demands a sacrifice upon playing another creature, illustrating a strategic similarity with Fledgling Imp which requires a sacrifice to bring it back from the graveyard. While the Skirge starts out as a potent 3/2, it lacks the recursion ability that Fledgling Imp boasts, making the Imp a persistent threat in long games.

The resilience and flexibility of Fledgling Imp make it a noteworthy contender within the scope of low-cost flying creatures, offering repeated value and tactical advantages, especially in decks that exploit graveyard mechanics and continuous creature plays.

Cards similar to Fledgling Imp by color, type and mana cost

Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Fledgling Imp MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey, 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 Fledgling Imp and other MTG cards: