Skyline Predator MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Drake
Abilities	Flying, Flash
Released	2012-10-05
Set symbol
Set name	Return to Ravnica
Set code	RTR
Power	3
Toughness	4
Number	50
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Wesley Burt

Key Takeaways

Flash ability provides unexpected blocking, creating surprise shifts in battlefield dynamics.
High mana cost reflects its game-ending potential, especially with optimal resource management.
Instant speed play keeps opponents guessing, maximizing tactical flexibility during matches.

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.) Flying

"It will dodge your first arrow and flatten you before there's a second." —Alcarus, Selesnya archer

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Skyline Predator ensures you stay ahead in the game by offering a surprise blocker with its flash ability, potentially trading with an attacking creature and thus balancing out the playing field.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing mana or acceleration, Skyline Predator’s six mana cost reflects its power level and evasive capabilities, potentially leading to a quicker close out of the game when your resources are optimally aligned.

Instant Speed: The flash ability permits you to play Skyline Predator at instant speed, keeping your mana untapped and your options open until the last possible moment. This flexibility lets you better respond to your opponent’s actions, making Skyline Predator a tactical asset in any match.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For Skyline Predator to flash into the battlefield, you need to have it in hand and ready to play, thus limiting your options to react with other instant-speed cards you might be holding.

Specific Mana Cost: Skyline Predator’s casting cost requires two blue mana, making it less flexible in multicolored decks that may not always have the necessary blue sources available at the right time.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At six mana, with four generic and two blue, Skyline Predator is considered to have a high casting cost for its abilities, especially when other creatures with flash can be played for less and may carry additional or more impactful effects.

Reasons to Include Skyline Predator in Your Collection

Versatility: Skyline Predator’s flash ability allows it to be a surprise blocker or an end-of-turn threat, making it a solid addition to decks that need to stay reactive and able to adjust to the board state on the fly.

Combo Potential: With its evasion through flying, this card pairs well with strategies that capitalize on creatures dealing combat damage to a player, such as cards that trigger card draw or damage bonuses.

Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to dodge sorcery-speed removals and its prowess as an airborne attacker, Skyline Predator can be particularly effective in metagames where control decks are prevalent or where flying creatures have fewer common predators.

How to beat

Skyline Predator stands as an intriguing presence in MTG, impacting the battlefield with its flash ability and formidable flying. As a card that can surprise opponents by entering the fray at a moment’s notice, effectively dealing with this Predator requires specific tactics. Patience and strategy are key to outmaneuvering this aerial threat.

The inclusion of instant-speed removal spells is critical for any player facing down a Skyline Predator. By holding onto cards like Doom Blade or Path to Exile until the Predator makes its unexpected entrance, players can efficiently remove it before it starts dominating the air. Counterspells also provide a strong line of defense, neutralizing the Predator before it even takes to the sky. Furthermore, incorporating creatures with ‘reach’ or those that can block flying creatures equips your deck with the necessary defense against such airborne assailants.

Moreover, fostering a game state that pressures an opponent’s resources can prevent the effective usage of Skyline Predator. Timing your plays to force the opponent to choose between deploying the Predator or handling your threats can tip the scales in your favor. Thus, a well-crafted strategy and the right cards in hand dismantle the advantage of Skyline Predator, keeping the skies of MTG safe for your own conquests.

Cards like Skyline Predator

Skyline Predator bursts onto the scene as a formidable force in the skies of Magic: The Gathering. Comparable flyers such as Air Elemental bring similar power and toughness to the battlefield. Both creatures command the aerial zone with their presence, but Skyline Predator takes flight with an edge – flash ability. This key feature allows the predator to swoop onto the battlefield unexpectedly and serve as a surprise blocker or an end-of-turn threat.

Shifting our gaze to Winged Coatl, another creature from the Magic universe with flash and flying, we notice it has deathtouch instead of a higher power, establishing it as a potent defender despite its lesser size. It isn’t a direct match in power to Skyline Predator, but the utility it provides can be pivotal in specific deck strategies. Conversely, Serra Angel, a classic staple with vigilance and a no tap when attacking advantage, presents enduring board control that Skyline Predator lacks. However, it doesn’t possess the versatile flash ability.

Ultimately, Skyline Predator asserts its uniqueness among flying creatures with its blend of might, aerial supremacy, and the unexpected timing its flash ability offers. This combination curates a tactical advantage, making it a valuable asset in MTG decks that thrive on reaction and surprise.

Cards similar to Skyline Predator by color, type and mana cost

Sun Quan, Lord of Wu - MTG Card versions

Arcanis the Omnipotent - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Skyline Predator MTG card by a specific set like Return to Ravnica, 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 Skyline Predator and other MTG cards: