Skywing Aven MTG Card
2002-02-04 - Number 47
2014-06-16 - Number 94
2018-12-07 - Number 69
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Bird Soldier |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
Flying Discard a card from your hand: Return Skywing Aven to its owner's hand.
"I am as the wind that bears me: harsh yet gentle, fleeting yet ever-present. Together we fly beyond imagination."
Cards like Skywing Aven
The comparison of Skywing Aven to other cards in Magic: The Gathering reveals its unique spot in the realm of flying creatures. This card can often be paralleled to its feathery kin, the Stormscape Familiar. Both share the primary trait of flying, yet Skywing Aven stands out with its flexible flying ability, allowing players to return it to their hand at a small cost. This offers strategic redeployment advantages absent in the Familiar.
Fleeting distractions like the Welkin Tern also orbit similar skies, graced with the gift of flight for a lower mana cost. However, unlike Skywing Aven, the Tern’s talents are grounded post-summoning. The Aven, meanwhile, boasts continuous aerial mastery, free to sweep back to the command of a player’s hand, evading perils or sworn blockers with ease.
Assessing these flying companions illuminates Skywing Aven’s value in a player’s deck, especially for those forging a strategy around maneuverable board presence. Its ability to flutter away from threats and tactical reusability makes it a formidable winged ally amidst the diverse skybourne units in Magic: The Gathering’s vast universe of cards.
Cards similar to Skywing Aven by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Skywing Aven ensures aerial superiority and has the flexibility to return to your hand, thus dodging removal spells and potentially granting a card-advantage edge against your opponent in the attritional battles of the skies.
Resource Acceleration: Although not directly related to resource acceleration, the agility in Skywing Aven’s design allows for strategic mana deployment, ensuring you can adapt to the ebb and flow of the match without losing tempo.
Instant Speed: Skywing Aven’s activated ability can be executed at instant speed, giving you the tactical advantage of surprise and reactivity. With the aptitude to fly over for damage or retreat to safety at a moment’s notice, it aligns with a dynamic and responsive playstyle.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: To take advantage of Skywing Aven’s primary ability to evade blockers, you’re compelled to discard a card. This mechanic can be especially taxing when you’re already facing hand depletion, potentially leaving you in a precarious position without enough options for subsequent turns.
Specific Mana Cost: Skywing Aven’s casting requirement includes blue mana, which inherently restricts its integration to blue-centric or multicolored decks. For players running other color themes, this makes the card less flexible and often not a viable choice for their strategy.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For three mana, one might evaluate the overall impact of including this card in their deck. Especially since the mana investment for a 2/1 flier can be steep when other cards in the same cost bracket may offer more substantial stats or impactful abilities that can alter the course of the game more significantly.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Skywing Aven adds value to blue-focused or fliers deck with its ability to take to the skies swiftly. Being able to dodge sorcery-speed removal thanks to its flying feature, it’s a flexible fit for decks seeking evasive creatures.
Combo Potential: This card’s unique discard and untap mechanism can be tactically used to trigger madness or graveyard abilities. This innate synergy with other cards enhances combos and strategy depth significantly.
Meta-Relevance: In the fluctuating play environment, Skywing Aven remains relevant due to its adaptability and the persistent presence of strategies emphasizing flying creatures. It’s a competent pick in a meta with few fliers or where evasion is key to overcoming ground-based board states.
How to beat
Skywing Aven presents itself as a flexible flier in the realm of MTG, allowing players to conveniently return it to their hand mid-game. Agility is the Aven’s biggest strength, offering a tactical edge particularly in aerial combat. Such utility isn’t without its shortcomings though, as keeping up mana for its activated ability might impede development of your board state.
To outmaneuver Skywing Aven, you must exploit its reliance on open mana. This can be achieved by enforcing pressure with removal spells or by setting up a defense with creatures that negate flying advantages. Both force the Aven’s controller to make tough decisions, whether to commit mana for its ability or to proceed with casting other spells. Range strategies can also be employed; cards that restrict activated abilities hamper the Aven’s usefulness significantly. For instance, powerful cards like Pithing Needle can be used to shut down the Aven’s bounce ability entirely, leaving it vulnerable to more traditional forms of creature control. Engaging in these strategic counters will ensure your dominance over Skywing Aven and secure your position in the game.
Overall, your success against Skywing Aven hinges on effective strategy and timely disruption. Maintain control, and the Aven’s flight will be nothing but a brief flutter in your path to victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Skywing Aven MTG card by a specific set like Torment and Vintage Masters, 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 Skywing Aven 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 Skywing Aven Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2002-02-04 and 2018-12-07. Illustrated by Matt Cavotta.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2002-02-04 | Torment | TOR | 47 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Matt Cavotta | |
| 2 | 2014-06-16 | Vintage Masters | VMA | 94 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Matt Cavotta | |
| 3 | 2018-12-07 | Ultimate Masters | UMA | 69 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Matt Cavotta |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Skywing Aven has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Skywing Aven card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-12-07 | Skywing Aven’s last ability can be activated only while it’s on the battlefield. |
| 2018-12-07 | You can activate Skywing Aven’s ability, then activate it again before that ability resolves. You may do this as many times as you’d like before resolving any of those abilities. |