Stormscape Familiar MTG Card


It lowers spell costs, offering tactical speed and smoother turn progression in gameplay. Mana specificity and hand dependence slightly hinder its universal flexibility and potential. Its unique role in tempo control makes it an important consideration for deck builders.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Bird
Abilities Flying
Power 1
Toughness 1

Text of card

Flying White spells and black spells you play cost less to play.

Each Stormscape apprentice must hand-raise and train an owl before attaining the rank of master.


Cards like Stormscape Familiar

Stormscape Familiar holds a unique position among the creature cards of Magic: The Gathering. Its closest relatives in terms of cost reduction for spells can be found in cards like Nightscape Familiar and Sunscape Familiar, both of which also decrease the mana necessary to cast certain colored spells. Stormscape Familiar, however, is distinctive in that it specifically targets white and blue spells, potentially accelerating strategies centered around these colors.

Another card worth considering in the same breath as Stormscape Familiar is Herald of the Suns. While it doesn’t reduce spell costs, it enhances the potency of white spells by giving them lifelink—a different approach to adding value to specific mana colors. Then there’s Baral, Chief of Compliance, which not only reduces the cost of instant and sorcery spells but also transforms any countered spell into a card-drawing opportunity.

To wrap it up, Stormscape Familiar proves to be an efficient tool for decks utilizing white and blue spells. The nuances among these comparatives boil down to specialized deck strategies, whether it’s cost-efficiency, augmenting spell effects, or generating card advantage—all pivotal factors for MTG players to consider.

Nightscape Familiar - MTG Card versions
Sunscape Familiar - MTG Card versions
Baral, Chief of Compliance - MTG Card versions
Nightscape Familiar - MTG Card versions
Sunscape Familiar - MTG Card versions
Baral, Chief of Compliance - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Stormscape Familiar by color, type and mana cost

Vodalian Soldiers - MTG Card versions
Zephyr Falcon - MTG Card versions
Giant Albatross - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Sphere - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Condor - MTG Card versions
School of Piranha - MTG Card versions
Coral Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Wu Light Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Sea Eagle - MTG Card versions
Overtaker - MTG Card versions
Hazy Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Darting Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Thought Eater - MTG Card versions
Spellstutter Sprite - MTG Card versions
Sneaky Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Coral Eel - MTG Card versions
Storm Crow - MTG Card versions
Aquamoeba - MTG Card versions
Soratami Cloudskater - MTG Card versions
Minamo Sightbender - MTG Card versions
Vodalian Soldiers - MTG Card versions
Zephyr Falcon - MTG Card versions
Giant Albatross - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Sphere - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Condor - MTG Card versions
School of Piranha - MTG Card versions
Coral Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Wu Light Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Sea Eagle - MTG Card versions
Overtaker - MTG Card versions
Hazy Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Darting Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Thought Eater - MTG Card versions
Spellstutter Sprite - MTG Card versions
Sneaky Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Coral Eel - MTG Card versions
Storm Crow - MTG Card versions
Aquamoeba - MTG Card versions
Soratami Cloudskater - MTG Card versions
Minamo Sightbender - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Stormscape Familiar reduces the cost of certain spells, effectively giving you a smoother game flow by freeing up resources that can be allocated elsewhere, such as drawing additional cards or playing more spells in a turn.

Resource Acceleration: The reduced casting costs for blue and black spells when Stormscape Familiar is on the field can lead to early deployment of higher-cost cards, serving as a form of indirect resource acceleration and giving you a tempo advantage over your opponents.

Instant Speed: While Stormscape Familiar itself isn’t an instant, the mana cost reduction it provides can be crucial in enabling the casting of instant speed spells when they are most impactful, particularly in blue and black spells that are notorious for their controlling and reactive nature.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Stormscape Familiar doesn’t force you to discard cards, it’s important to acknowledge that this card’s usefulness hinges on the presence of other cards in your hand. Lacking a robust hand can diminish its potential value, especially when your game strategy relies on creature synergy or cost reduction benefits.

Specific Mana Cost: Stormscape Familiar requires both blue and white mana to play. This specificity can make it less flexible in multicolor decks that do not primarily focus on these colors. Players may find themselves unable to cast it at a crucial moment if their mana base isn’t aligned properly, making it somewhat restrictive.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of two mana for a creature with modest stats, there is a debate about Stormscape Familiar’s efficiency. In faster-paced games or formats, players might prefer creatures that have a stronger immediate impact on the board or come with inherent abilities that justify their mana investment.


Reasons to Include Stormscape Familiar in Your Collection

Versatility: Stormscape Familiar isn’t just a creature; it’s a cost reducer for key cards in control and combo blue or black decks, which means it can be slipped into a variety of strategies with ease. Reducing the mana cost of spells even by one can significantly speed up your game plan.

Combo Potential: This familiar can be part of a high-value engine, synergizing seamlessly with spells that have high casting costs. In particular, it’s great in decks that aim to chain multiple spells in a single turn, hatching plans for a big finish.

Meta-Relevance: With the metagame ever-shifting, having a card that makes your blue or black spells cheaper is a valuable asset. It can help outmaneuver opponents by allowing you to cast more spells earlier in the game or leave mana open for reactive plays, an edge that can be crucial in any meta dominated by tempo play.


How to Beat Stormscape Familiar

Stormscape Familiar is a card that can be quite a strategic asset on the battlefield for blue and white spells in Magic: The Gathering. Its capacity to reduce mana costs can accelerate gameplay, allowing for quicker deployment of spells and creating an advantageous pace for those who wield it. This familiar grants a subtle but effective edge to players who enjoy a tempo-based approach to building their board presence.

Countering the effectiveness of Stormscape Familiar depends on disrupting your opponent’s mana curve or their tempo strategy. Therefore, to tackle this threat, targeted removal spells can be useful, especially those that can bypass its toughness. Consider spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile which are excellent at removing small creatures for a low mana cost. Another approach is to limit the familiar’s impact through the use of board wipes, which reset the playing field and nullify the mana-reducing advantage the familiar provides. Cards like Wrath of God or Supreme Verdict can accomplish this effectively.

Ultimately, successful play against Stormscape Familiar involves recognizing its potential in your opponent’s strategy and reacting swiftly. Removing it quickly is key to ensuring that your opponent doesn’t gain too much momentum from the mana advantages it offers.


BurnMana Recommendations

Stormscape Familiar emerges as a pivotal card for MTG enthusiasts seeking to fine-tune blue and black spell-focused decks. This unassuming creature’s cost reduction capability can pivot the tide of a game, providing players a strategic edge in developing their board and conducting swift, impactful plays. Whether you’re restructuring your deck to include this card or searching for the perfect synergy to enhance your gameplay, understanding its role in the current meta is vital. We encourage players to further their knowledge and insights. Dive deeper with us into the world of MTG strategy and optimize your deck with Stormscape Familiar as we explore its diverse applications in a competitive setting.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Stormscape Familiar MTG card by a specific set like Planeshift and Time Spiral Timeshifted, 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 Stormscape Familiar and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Stormscape Familiar Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2001-02-05 and 2006-10-06. Illustrated by Heather Hudson.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12001-02-05PlaneshiftPLS 361997NormalBlackHeather Hudson
22006-10-06Time Spiral TimeshiftedTSB 321997NormalBlackHeather Hudson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Stormscape Familiar has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Stormscape Familiar 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 Can never affect the colored part of the cost.
2004-10-04 If a spell is both white and black, you pay less, not less.
2004-10-04 If this card is sacrificed to pay part of a spell’s cost, the cost reduction still applies.
2004-10-04 The effect is cumulative.
2004-10-04 The generic X cost is still considered generic even if there is a requirement that a specific color be used for it. For example, “only black mana can be spent this way”. This distinction is important for effects which reduce the generic portion of a spell’s cost.
2004-10-04 The lower cost is not optional like with some other cost reducers.
2004-10-04 This can lower the cost to zero, but not below zero.