Winged Sliver MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Sliver
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers crucial evasion by giving all Slivers the power of flight, bolstering deck offensive strategies.
  2. Amplifies combo potential when paired with other abilities, optimizing Sliver deck interactions.
  3. Ensures meta relevance by countering decks lacking in adequate aerial defense capabilities.

Text of card

All Slivers gain flying.

"Everything around here has cut a deal with gravity." —Gerrard of the *Weatherlight*


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Winged Sliver uplifts your entire Sliver army, granting each of them flying—a key evasion ability. This can often provide an unblockable advantage that can swing games in your favor, as opponents may find it difficult to block your creatures if they lack reach or flying themselves.

Resource Acceleration: While Winged Sliver itself doesn’t generate mana or accelerate resources directly, by facilitating easier attacks with your creatures, it indirectly helps you maintain pressure on the opponent, potentially leading to more resources in the form of damage dealt and the option to draw cards if connected with certain Sliver synergies.

Instant Speed: Though Winged Sliver is a creature and not an instant, its low casting cost allows for a quick deployment, often when your opponents least expect it, making your Sliver army immediately more threatening in the air. This speed of play maintains tempo and can catch an opponent off guard, especially during the pre-combat phase.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although the Winged Sliver card itself doesn’t have a discard requirement, it’s important to be aware that having too many slivers with combined abilities like this can deplete your hand quickly. Keeping enough cards in hand to maintain options is crucial in any MTG game.

Specific Mana Cost: The Winged Sliver requires one blue mana. This restricts the card to blue-inclusive decks or those that have mana-fixing capabilities. It may not fit in colorless or decks that don’t support blue mana sources, ultimately limiting its versatility across various deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For two mana, a 1/1 creature might seem underwhelming. Other cards at this price point could offer more impactful board presence or capabilities. In fast-paced games, the mana spent on Winged Sliver might be better invested in spells or creatures that can more immediately influence the state of the game.


Reasons to Include Winged Sliver in Your Collection

Versatility: Winged Sliver offers a significant boost to decks focused on the Sliver archetype, granting the crucial ability of flying to all Sliver creatures you control. This card can seamlessly fit into any Sliver deck, enhancing its evasion capabilities.

Combo Potential: When combined with other Slivers that grant additional abilities or stats, Winged Sliver can be part of devastating combos. It works exceptionally well with Slivers that provide buffs, such as the Might Sliver, or with the Gemhide Sliver, facilitating mana acceleration.

Meta-Relevance: Given that aerial threats can be a deciding factor in many games, Winged Sliver has the potential to tip the scales in favor of Sliver decks, especially in a meta that lacks sufficient flying blockers or is heavy on ground-based strategies.


How to beat

Winged Sliver lets all Slivers take flight, granting them evasion that can be troublesome to deal with. This feature provides Slivers a significant advantage, making them harder to block and enabling them to soar over ground defenses. To counteract the advantages bestowed by Winged Sliver, one effective strategy is to utilize removal spells that don’t depend on blocking. Targeted removal such as Fatal Push or board wipes like Wrath of God can prove invaluable. Including such spells in your deck ensures that you can handle Winged Sliver and its kin regardless of their airborne capabilities.

Another tactic is the strategic deployment of creatures with reach or flying to intercept these enhanced Slivers. Cards like Spidersilk Armor can also be a universal solution, equipping all your creatures with the ability to block flyers. It’s crucial to adjust your deck to anticipate such airborne threats and respond accordingly. This preparation can keep you one step ahead in a meta where sliver decks are prominent.

Finally, countering the Winged Sliver spell directly with a Counterspell or similar effect can prevent your opponent from ever gaining that tactical advantage. By playing smart and being prepared for what Winged Sliver brings to the table, you can maintain control of the game and prevent Sliver decks from getting the upper hand.


BurnMana Recommendations

Upgrading your MTG arsenal with the Winged Sliver can add a dynamic layer to your Sliver deck, turning your ground swarm into a formidable air force. As you reflect on whether to integrate this card into your collection, remember that its ability to bestow flight en masse can swiftly shift the tide of a match. Consider the meta and the decks you often face; if they falter against flying threats, Winged Sliver might just be the ace up your sleeve. We welcome you to discover more strategies and card synergies that could make your Sliver deck not just resilient, but dominant. Harness the full potential of your collection and take your gameplay to new heights!


Cards like Winged Sliver

Winged Sliver is a pivotal creature card in Magic: The Gathering that has long captivated those who play with Sliver decks. It grants all Sliver creatures the ability to fly, swooping over ground defenses with ease. This compares closely to another Sliver enhancer, Galerider Sliver, which also endows Slivers with flying. However, Winged Sliver requires a more generic mana investment, making it slightly less colored mana restrictive than Galerider Sliver.

Moving through the Sliver ranks, there’s Heart Sliver that, instead of the skies, accelerates the pace on the battleground by giving all Slivers haste. This can turn the tables by allowing an immediate impact on the board, whereas Winged Sliver gears towards a steady aerial offense. Cloudshredder Sliver, however, blends both worlds by combining flying and haste, providing a more expensive but simultaneously more versatile enhancement.

Ultimately, every Sliver card brings a unique strategic edge to the collective, with Winged Sliver being a fundamental card for overcoming creatures without flying. In the intricate web of synergy that Slivers create, it stands out as an accessible and effective way to gain board advantage in the air.

Galerider Sliver - MTG Card versions
Heart Sliver - MTG Card versions
Cloudshredder Sliver - MTG Card versions
Galerider Sliver - Magic 2014 (M14)
Heart Sliver - Tempest (TMP)
Cloudshredder Sliver - Modern Horizons (MH1)

Cards similar to Winged Sliver 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 - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Zephyr Falcon - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Giant Albatross - Homelands (HML)
Phantasmal Sphere - Alliances (ALL)
Skyshroud Condor - Tempest (TMP)
School of Piranha - Exodus (EXO)
Coral Merfolk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Wu Light Cavalry - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Sea Eagle - Starter 1999 (S99)
Overtaker - Mercadian Masques Promos (PMMQ)
Hazy Homunculus - Prophecy (PCY)
Darting Merfolk - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Thought Eater - Odyssey (ODY)
Spellstutter Sprite - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Sneaky Homunculus - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Coral Eel - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Storm Crow - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Aquamoeba - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Soratami Cloudskater - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Minamo Sightbender - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Winged Sliver MTG card by a specific set like Tempest and Premium Deck Series: Slivers, 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 Winged Sliver and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Winged Sliver Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 1997-10-14 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by Anthony S. Waters.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11997-10-14TempestTMP 1061997normalblackAnthony S. Waters
22009-11-20Premium Deck Series: SliversH09 42003normalblackAnthony S. Waters
32015-05-06Tempest RemasteredTPR 822015normalblackAnthony S. Waters
42019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 6282015normalblackAnthony S. Waters
52023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 8602015normalblackAnthony S. Waters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Winged Sliver has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Winged Sliver card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2013-07-01 Abilities that Slivers grant, as well as power/toughness boosts, are cumulative. However, for some abilities, like flying, having more than one instance of the ability doesn’t provide any additional benefit.
2013-07-01 If the creature type of a Sliver changes so it’s no longer a Sliver, it will no longer be affected by its own ability. Its ability will continue to affect other Sliver creatures.

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