Shimmerwing Chimera MTG Card


Shimmerwing Chimera - Theros Beyond Death
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment Creature — Chimera
Abilities Flying
Released2020-01-24
Set symbol
Set nameTheros Beyond Death
Set codeTHB
Power 3
Toughness 2
Number64
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byChristopher Burdett

Key Takeaways

  1. The Chimera’s ability offers card advantage and strategic gameplay through enchantment retrieval.
  2. Its requirement to bounce enchantments can be a limitation if not properly managed.
  3. In the right deck, Shimmerwing Chimera provides consistent value and combo potential.

Text of card

Flying At the beginning of your upkeep, return up to one other target enchantment you control to its owner's hand.

It swims upon the winds and soars through the waves.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Shimmerwing Chimera offers a unique opportunity to reclaim and reuse enchantments with its return-to-hand ability. This means you can potentially draw extra cards each turn when paired with enchantments that have card-drawing effects.

Resource Acceleration: By returning enchantments to your hand, the Chimera can help you trigger enter-the-battlefield effects multiple times. This synergy with enchantment-based strategies can lead to gaining more resources, ultimately accelerating your gameplay.

Instant Speed: While the Chimera itself isn’t an instant, its ability works during your upkeep, which sets you up for powerful plays just before your main phase. This timing allows you to maximize instant-speed spells on your turn or hold up mana for responses during your opponent’s turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside of Shimmerwing Chimera is the obligation it imposes on players to return another enchantment they control to their hand during their upkeep. This can inadvertently deplete their battlefield presence if they are unable to consistently play enchantments each turn.

Specific Mana Cost: With a specific mana cost that includes both blue and colorless mana, Shimmerwing Chimera confines its inclusion mostly to decks that can reliably generate blue mana, possibly excluding it from a broader range of strategies and multicolor decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a casting cost of four mana, including double blue, Shimmerwing Chimera might be considered costly, particularly in environments where the pace of gameplay is fast, and lower-cost creatures with immediate impact are preferred.


Reasons to Include Shimmerwing Chimera in Your Collection

Versatility: Shimmerwing Chimera offers flexibility by allowing you to return an enchantment you control to your hand at the beginning of your upkeep. This feature can be particularly advantageous in decks that exploit enter-the-battlefield triggers or require protection of key enchantments.

Combo Potential: The ability to bounce enchantments back to your hand each turn creates opportunities for infinite combos or recurring value in decks geared towards enchantment synergies, such as constellation mechanic interactions or enchantress-style play.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where enchantments play a significant role, Shimmerwing Chimera’s recurring enchantment retrieval can give you a repetitive advantage. It works well against decks that struggle to handle multiple instances of the same powerful enchantment effects.


How to beat

Shimmerwing Chimera offers a unique challenge in the world of Magic the Gathering, demanding both strategy and foresight to overcome. Found in enchantment-heavy decks, this wily creature can unhinge your game plan by returning an enchantment to its owner’s hand at their upkeep. This ability enables players to recycle enchantments with enter-the-battlefield effects, making it a recurring nuisance. To effectively counter this, consider using instant-speed removal spells before the Chimera’s ability triggers, or employ board wipes to clear the field of the Chimera and its enchantment allies in one fell swoop. Artifact-based removal tools can also be valuable, providing a permanent solution to the recurring threat of Shimmerwing Chimera.

Equally important as the removal spells are the timing and choice of targets. Prioritize disrupting your opponent’s key enchantments or their enchantment synergies to lessen the impact of Shimmerwing Chimera’s ability. This approach often forces the opponent to reconsider their strategy and adapt to the disruption of their setup. In sum, defeating Shimmerwing Chimera requires a blend of prompt action and strategic dismantling of its synergistic environment.


Cards like Shimmerwing Chimera

Shimmerwing Chimera is a unique enchantment creature within Magic: The Gathering that offers a distinct playstyle. This blue card from the Theros Beyond Death set has a creature type combination of Chimera and allows players to return an enchantment they control to their hand at the beginning of their upkeep. This triggers various abilities and sets the stage for repeated casting of enchantments with enter-the-battlefield effects.

When looking for parallels, one can consider Release to the Wind as a card with a somewhat similar effect. Release to the Wind exiles a nonland permanent and permits its owner to cast it without paying its mana cost. Although it does not specifically target enchantments, the concept of replaying ones own spells aligns closely. Another card that echoes this mechanic is Crystal Chimes, which, upon being sacrificed, returns all enchantment cards from the player’s graveyard to their hand. While not identical, as it’s a one-time use artifact and limited to graveyard retrieval, the value of reusing enchantments remains central.

In summary, Shimmerwing Chimera stands as a compelling choice for players looking to maximize enchantment synergies in their deck, offering consistent and repeatable utility that can fuel strategic advantages turn after turn.

Release to the Wind - MTG Card versions
Crystal Chimes - MTG Card versions
Release to the Wind - Rivals of Ixalan (RIX)
Crystal Chimes - Urza's Saga (USG)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Shimmerwing Chimera MTG card by a specific set like Theros Beyond Death, 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 Shimmerwing Chimera and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Shimmerwing Chimera has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

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