Skyshroud Archer MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Elf Archer
Released	1998-03-02
Set symbol
Set name	Stronghold
Set code	STH
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	114
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jeff Miracola

Key Takeaways

Offers board control with instant speed ability, pivotal for interacting with opponents’ flyers.
Limited by a green mana requirement and a discard cost, affecting deck flexibility.
In certain metagames, it proves vital for defense and elf synergies, countering flyers.

Text of card

oc T: Target creature with flying gets -1/-1 until end of turn.

In Rath, arrows are guided not by virtue but by necessity.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Skyshroud Archer provides a cumulative effect on board control, which can indirectly lead to card advantage. Your opponents may lose more creatures in battles due to the Archer’s ability to decrease the power of attacking flyers, effectively preserving your own creatures and resources.

Resource Acceleration: While Skyshroud Archer doesn’t directly accelerate resources through additional mana, its low casting cost allows for early game board presence. This means it leaves more mana available for other plays, contributing to a tempo advantage and resource efficiency.

Instant Speed: Skyshroud Archer’s activated ability operates at instant speed, granting you the flexibility to disrupt your opponent’s strategies during combat on their turn. This reactive capability can be a significant advantage, letting you adapt to the dynamic flow of the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Deploying the Skyshroud Archer to the battlefield doesn’t come without its downside. Players need to be prepared to discard another card, which can be particularly taxing in a game where holding onto a full hand could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Specific Mana Cost: The Skyshroud Archer is rooted deep in green mana, necessitating a specific forest-based mana cost. This can pose a challenge for players running multicolored decks who may not always have easy access to green mana when they need it most.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Skyshroud Archer can be a valuable asset for intercepting flyers with its ability to boost its own power, its effectiveness is weighed down by a comparatively high mana cost. There are alternative creatures in the game that offer equal or greater utility without such a significant investment, making the Skyshroud Archer a less optimal choice in scenarios where mana efficiency is key.

Reasons to Include Skyshroud Archer in Your Collection

Versatility: Skyshroud Archer can easily find a home in decks that emphasize elf synergy or those that focus on controlling the board with its reach ability, making it a valuable defender against flying creatures.

Combo Potential: With its ability to give a significant -1/-1 to target creature with flying, the Skyshroud Archer works well in combos that weaken or potentially eliminate airborne threats, playing a tactical role in archer or elf-themed decks.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where flying creatures are prevalent, having Skyshroud Archer can give you an edge by serving as an efficient and easily accessible deterrent, thus ensuring your deck has the means to counter popular flying-based strategies.

How to beat

Skyshroud Archer presents a unique challenge to overcome in MTG. As a creature with the ability to beef up its damage against flying creatures, it poses a notable threat to strategies that rely heavily on airborne assaults. One effective strategy to take it down is to utilize removal spells that can target it directly, bypassing its reach ability entirely. Spells like Shock or Fatal Push can efficiently dispose of the Archer before it becomes a nuisance.

Another tactic is to employ ground creatures with sufficient power to withstand the Archer’s defensive capabilities or to simply overwhelm the opponent with a greater number of creatures. This would dilute the Skyshroud Archer’s defensive impact on the game. Similarly, enchantments or artifacts that can hinder or neutralize abilities might also serve as viable means to controlling or removing Skyshroud Archer from the battlefield.

Ultimately, while Skyshroud Archer can be a formidable card against decks focusing on flying creatures, its low toughness makes it vulnerable to a variety of common removal methods, ensuring that players have multiple avenues to counteract its presence on the board.

Cards like Skyshroud Archer

The Skyshroud Archer comes into play in Magic: The Gathering as an affordable creature with an accessible mana cost and the unique ability to debuff flying creatures. When considering similar cards, the Elvish Archers stand out with their ability to not only block flying creatures effectively but also deal damage with their notable first strike attribute. These characteristics make the Elvish Archers a strong defensive play against swift aerial attacks.

In the realm of anti-air tactics, the Spidersilk Archer presents another comparison. Though it requires one more mana to play than the Skyshroud Archer, it boasts not only the capacity to hit multiple flying foes simultaneously thanks to its reach and deathtouch abilities but also an increased toughness, enhancing its survivability on the battlefield.

Examining these creatures side by side, Skyshroud Archer may appeal to those looking for a low-cost solution to flying threats, especially when considering its potential synergy with other elf-type cards. However, its competitors display a broader range of defensive capabilities, and their impact could prove more significant depending on the player’s overall strategy and the challenges faced during the game.

Cards similar to Skyshroud Archer by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Skyshroud Archer MTG card by a specific set like Stronghold, 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 Skyshroud Archer and other MTG cards: