Royal Falcon MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Bird
Abilities Flying
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. A boost in card advantage and resource acceleration can be game-changers, making Royal Falcon a strategic asset.
  2. Instant speed play offers strategic flexibility during matches, making Royal Falcon adapt to evolving game states.
  3. Despite its strengths, Royal Falcon’s specific mana costs and discard requirements may limit deck-building options.

Text of card

Flying

Hunter by instinct, weapon by training.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Royal Falcon card can offer a significant boost in terms of card advantage. With its ability to potentially draw cards or force an opponent to discard, this card keeps your hand flush with options and puts pressure on your opponent’s resources.

Resource Acceleration: This majestic bird may provide a swift improvement to your resource management. By enabling cost reduction for upcoming spells or by generating tokens usable for various in-game strategies, it sets the stage for a more robust and rapid deployment of your game plan.

Instant Speed: Possessing the agility to act at instant speed gives the Royal Falcon card a tactical edge. It allows you to adapt to the evolving battlefield, casting it when the moment is most opportunistic without compromising your capacity to respond to threats or advantageous plays.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Engaging with Royal Falcon often means a card must be discarded from your hand, potentially depleting your options later in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of the Royal Falcon includes white mana, necessitating a deck predominantly featuring Plains or mana-fixing components to seamlessly integrate it.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For the power and abilities granted, the Royal Falcon comes at a notable mana expense, which could hinder your tempo against faster decks built for early aggression.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Royal Falcon offers a level of adaptability that many deck builders crave. Its low casting cost means it can easily be slotted into a variety of deck archetypes, from aggro to control, where a flying creature can be advantageous.

Combo Potential: As a creature with flying, Royal Falcon synergizes well with effects that enhance creatures with flying or benefit from having a flying creature on the battlefield, setting the stage for potent combinations.

Meta-Relevance: Given the constant shifts in the competitive scene, a card that fits into multiple strategies, like the Royal Falcon, remains a relevant choice. Its ability to chip in damage from the air can be critical in overcoming ground-stalled games.


How to beat

The Royal Falcon is a card that can impact the pace of your game in Magic: The Gathering with its notable flying ability. While it seems straightforward, this creature can be quite the nuisance if not addressed promptly. To counter its pesky airborne attacks, consider using cards that can block flying creatures or spells that can remove it without much cost. Cards like Plummet are perfect for this task, efficiently removing creatures with flying for a low mana investment.

Aside from direct removal, one can also utilize reach creatures, which are often overlooked but can be highly effective against flyers like the Royal Falcon. By including cards like Giant Spider in your deck, you’re not only preparing a direct answer to flying creatures but also developing your board presence with a creature that can defend against multiple threats. Additionally, enchantments that grant the reach ability or spells that can ground creatures temporarily can alter the battlefield dynamic, rendering the Royal Falcon ineffective during critical turns.

Ultimately, maintaining control over the skies is crucial in MTG. With strategic planning and a well-tailored deck, the Royal Falcon card, while potentially troublesome, can be neutralized, keeping your strategy soaring high.


Cards like Royal Falcon

Within the vast landscape of Magic: The Gathering, the Royal Falcon card nests comfortably among the multitude of creatures with flying abilities. Its closest relatives in terms of playability include cards like Sun Tail Hawk and Squadron Hawk. Both share the same mana cost and flying feature, but Squadron Hawk stands out by allowing you to search for up to three more copies of itself upon entering the battlefield, multiplying your aerial threats.

Considering utility, Healer’s Hawk also flutters into comparison. Although it boasts a lower power, the addition of lifelink compensates, making it a valuable card in decks focused on life gain strategies. Conversely, Royal Falcon’s straightforwardness can complement decks that are not reliant on synergistic intricacies but instead value consistency and the ability to apply early pressure from the skies.

Ultimately, in a duel where fine margins dictate the victor, the preference between Royal Falcon and its airborne cousins may very well hinge on the deck’s overarching strategy and the player’s tactical approach in the dynamic environment of Magic: The Gathering’s matches.

Squadron Hawk - MTG Card versions
Healer's Hawk - MTG Card versions
Squadron Hawk - Magic 2011 (M11)
Healer's Hawk - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)

Cards similar to Royal Falcon by color, type and mana cost

White Knight - MTG Card versions
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Starlight Invoker - MTG Card versions
White Knight - Duel Decks: Knights vs. Dragons (DDG)
Soul Shepherd - Weatherlight (WTH)
Soltari Monk - Tempest (TMP)
Keeper of the Light - Exodus (EXO)
Faith Healer - Urza's Saga (USG)
Angelic Page - Urza's Saga (USG)
Spirit Weaver - Invasion (INV)
Voice of the Blessed - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
Stoneforge Mystic - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Drannith Magistrate - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)
Leonin Lightscribe - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Silver Knight - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Longbow Archer - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Silverflame Squire // On Alert - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Flumph - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Cloudreach Cavalry - Legions (LGN)
Samite Healer - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Kor Firewalker - DCI Promos (PDCI)
Revered Dead - Planar Chaos (PLC)
Starlight Invoker - Tenth Edition (10E)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Royal Falcon MTG card by a specific set like Starter 1999 and Starter 2000, 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 Royal Falcon and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Royal Falcon Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1999-07-01 and 2000-04-01. Illustrated by Carl Critchlow.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11999-07-01Starter 1999S99 241997normalwhiteCarl Critchlow
22000-04-01Starter 2000S00 81997normalwhiteCarl Critchlow

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Royal Falcon has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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