Silver Wyvern MTG Card
1998-03-02 - Number 43
2015-05-06 - Number 68
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Drake |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
Flying oo U Target spell or ability, which targets only Silver Wyvern, targets another creature of your choice instead. Play this ability as an interrupt.
Cards like Silver Wyvern
Silver Wyvern is an intriguing creature within Magic: The Gathering, offering a unique blend of flying defense and control with its abilities. It can be linked to the enchantment card Control Magic, which also allows a player to take command of an opponent’s creature. Yet, Silver Wyvern stands out as it’s a creature itself, capable of attacking and blocking, while Control Magic is limited to the control aspect without these additional perks.
In a similar category, Sower of Temptation presents another comparison. Sower of Temptation has the ability to seize an opponent’s creature upon entering the battlefield, much like Silver Wyvern’s ability to control creatures when it blocks. However, the Sower of Temptation affects the board immediately, whereas Silver Wyvern requires the right combat scenario to trigger its effect. Additionally, we have Beguiler of Wills, a card that allows you to gain control of an opponent’s creatures as long as you have more creatures than the opponent, which contrasts with Silver Wyvern’s need to be in combat.
When evaluating the utility and potency in gameplay, Silver Wyvern offers a dynamic approach to control strategies in MTG. Its ability to be active in combat while dictating ownership of enemy forces provides players with a robust and multifaceted tool for their decks.
Cards similar to Silver Wyvern by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Silver Wyvern provides a unique tactical advantage by allowing you to potentially control an opponent’s creature each time it attacks. This repeatable interaction can tip the scales in your favor, ensuring you maintain pressure on the battlefield while depleting your opponent’s resources.
Resource Acceleration: Although not a direct source of mana or token generation, Silver Wyvern’s control-switching capability can be used to disrupt your opponent’s ramp or utilize their accelerants, indirectly impacting resource availability for both players.
Instant Speed: The power of Silver Wyvern lies in its ability to affect the board at instant speed. During critical combat phases, the Wyvern can offer surprise defense or offense modifications, significantly altering the course of a turn and potentially the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: To bring the Silver Wyvern into play, you must often confront the challenging decision of discarding another card. This can set you back, particularly when your hand is already dwindling or if you’re sacrificing key pieces of your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: The Silver Wyvern demands a predominantly blue mana base with its casting cost, which can make it a difficult card to integrate in decks that span multiple colors or that do not have a strong mana-fixing component.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Fielding this creature on the battlefield comes at a steep price with a significant mana investment. There are alternative creatures and spells within the same mana range that might provide more immediate impact or versatility in a game that’s always evolving.
Reasons to Include Silver Wyvern in Your Collection
Versatility: Silver Wyvern offers flexible defense options with its flying ability, making it a strong defender against a variety of threats in the air. Its control power can also disrupt your opponent’s strategy, particularly in formats where creature-based tactics dominate.
Combo Potential: With the ability to return target creatures to their owner’s hands, Silver Wyvern can be a key component in bounce combos. Whether you’re resetting your own creatures for value or continually disrupting opponent plays, it provides synergy with various strategies.
Meta-Relevance: Silver Wyvern’s utility varies with the meta but shines in environments heavy on creature combat. Its evasion and control elements can give you an edge in battles of board presence and tempo control.
How to beat
Silver Wyvern is a distinctive flying creature within the Magic: The Gathering realm, boasting both defense and control elements. With the ability to redirect the target of spells, this card can frustrate opponents’ tactics, disrupting their play strategy effectively. To triumph over a Silver Wyvern, it’s essential to employ removal spells wisely. Instant-speed removals like Path to Exile or Fatal Push can be more effective, as they can be used in response to the Wyvern’s ability, helping to minimize the protective umbrella it creates.
Moreover, including cards in your deck that can’t be countered, such as Supreme Verdict, sidesteps the Wyvern’s redirect ability, ensuring your spells achieve their intended effect. Playing around Silver Wyvern requires a nuanced approach, often baiting out its ability or using spells that don’t target to navigate its defensive prowess. Other strategies involve board wipes, which don’t target individual creatures, or leveraging effects that grant your spells hexproof or uncounterability.
In essence, the key to outmaneuvering Silver Wyvern lies in a blend of clever play sequencing and deckbuilding choices that consider untargeted removals and uncounterable spells, ultimately dismantling the control it seeks to assert on the battlefield.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Silver Wyvern MTG card by a specific set like Stronghold and Tempest Remastered, 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 Silver Wyvern and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Silver Wyvern Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1998-03-02 and 2015-05-06. Illustrated by Colin MacNeil.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1998-03-02 | Stronghold | STH | 43 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Colin MacNeil | |
| 2 | 2015-05-06 | Tempest Remastered | TPR | 68 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Colin MacNeil |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Silver Wyvern has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Silver Wyvern card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | You must pick a legal target when redirecting the spell or ability. |