Wave-Wing Elemental MTG Card
2015-10-02 - Number 88
2019-11-07 - Number 542
2020-09-26 - Number BFZ-88
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Elemental |
| Abilities | Flying,Landfall |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
Flying Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, Wave-Wing Elemental gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
"Do you see? All of Tazeem strains at its tether." —Noyan Dar, Tazeem roilmage
Cards like Wave-Wing Elemental
Wave-Wing Elemental makes a splash in the world of Magic: The Gathering as a flying creature with a formidable presence. In the blue card pool, it reminds us of creatures like Windreader Sphinx which also leverages a flying ability, but with an additional upside of drawing cards whenever a creature with flying attacks. Despite the fact that Wave-Wing Elemental doesn’t offer card draw, its synergy with landfall – increasing its power and toughness until end of turn – provides a different kind of strategic advantage on the board.
Comparatively, we have Aven Gagglemaster from recent sets, another flying creature which also grants life gain upon entering the battlefield. Although its base stats are more modest than the Elemental’s potential heights, the immediate life swing can be pivotal in certain match-ups. And let’s not forget the classic Air Elemental, a straightforward flyer with a stable power and toughness. It lacks the landfall feature or any additional perks but is often a reliable choice for straightforward flying power.
In summary, while Wave-Wing Elemental competes among various other aerial threats, its unique interaction with lands provides a distinctive tactical layer for players to exploit, making it a worthy contender amongst other blue creatures with flight.
Cards similar to Wave-Wing Elemental by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When Wave-Wing Elemental enters the battlefield, if it’s executing a crucial rebound from your graveyard, this interaction can potentially secure a card advantage as it allows you to revisit spell effects.
Resource Acceleration: Flying high, this creature’s landfall ability can give your attackers a notable boost. Although not directly a resource accelerator, it represents the advantage of escalating threats on the board, contributing to a swifter route to victory.
Instant Speed: While Wave-Wing Elemental itself isn’t an instant, it capitalizes on the speed of instants in the game. The potential for instant speed plays before your turn maintains board state and bolsters its landfall trigger for additional power and toughness in fast-paced matchups.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: To unlock the strengths of the Wave-Wing Elemental, you often need to sacrifice an advantageous board position. Discarding as a requisite to cast can hamper your hand and diminish your strategic options, especially during the late game where every card counts.
Specific Mana Cost: Decks that strive for agility might find the Wave-Wing Elemental’s precise mana cost restrictive. Locked into a dual blue mana requirement, it demands a dedicated synergy within blue-leaning decks, which could hinder its utility in a more diverse mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the Wave-Wing Elemental comes with the promise of an evasive body, its elevated mana cost showcases a potential detriment. Other creatures or spells requiring less investment could yield comparable, if not superior, board impact, leaving Wave-Wing Elemental overshadowed in competitive formats.
Reasons to Include Wave-Wing Elemental in Your Collection
Versatility: Wave-Wing Elemental is adaptable in a variety of MTG deck styles, notably those leaning towards flying synergies or looking to capitalize on the Landfall ability, making it a solid choice for both casual and competitive play.
Combo Potential: Its Landfall ability provides a scaling bonus, excellent for decks that churn out multiple lands per turn. This potential for exponential growth opens the possibility for powerful turn sequences and synergistic deck builds.
Meta-Relevance: With flyers often being challenging to block in many game formats, the inclusion of Wave-Wing Elemental can catch opponents off guard, especially in a meta that’s heavy on ground creatures and light on aerial defense.
How to beat
Wave-Wing Elemental presents a serious aerial threat in Magic: The Gathering with its formidable flying ability and bolstered strength when landfall triggers. Decks that lack a solid flying defense might find it challenging to overcome this creature as it takes to the skies for significant combat damage.
To successfully counter Wave-Wing Elemental, direct removal spells are highly effective. Cards like Path to Exile or Murder allow you to bypass its land-empowered attacks by removing it from play entirely. Alternatively, having creatures with reach or spells that can grant this ability enables you to block and potentially defeat Wave-Wing Elemental without relying on flying creatures alone.
Controlling your opponent’s land count can also dampen the impact of Wave-Wing Elemental. If you limit their land drops, you inherently weaken the Elemental’s landfall-triggered power boost. Therefore, land destruction or denial strategies could be a viable path to mitigating the Elemental’s strength. In short, when armed with the right cards and strategies, Wave-Wing Elemental can be reduced from a towering threat to a manageable challenge in your MTG showdowns.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Wave-Wing Elemental MTG card by a specific set like Battle for Zendikar and Mystery Booster, 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 Wave-Wing Elemental and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Wave-Wing Elemental Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2015-10-02 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by John Severin Brassell.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2015-10-02 | Battle for Zendikar | BFZ | 88 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Severin Brassell | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 542 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Severin Brassell | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | BFZ-88 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Severin Brassell |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Wave-Wing Elemental has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Wave-Wing Elemental card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2015-08-25 | A landfall ability triggers whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control for any reason. It triggers whenever you play a land, as well as whenever a spell or ability puts a land onto the battlefield under your control. |
| 2015-08-25 | If the ability has an additional or replacement effect that depends on the land having a certain basic land type, the ability will check that land’s type as the ability resolves. If, at that time, the land that entered the battlefield is no longer on the battlefield, use its types when it left the battlefield to determine what happens. |
| 2015-08-25 | When a land enters the battlefield under your control, each landfall ability of the permanents you control will trigger. You can put them on the stack in any order. The last ability you put on the stack will be the first one to resolve. |