Avizoa MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Jellyfish |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Released | 1997-06-09 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Weatherlight |
| Set code | WTH |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 35 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | normal |
| Border | black |
| Illustred by | Paolo Parente |
Key Takeaways
- Avizoa’s bounce-back skill enhances card advantage and dodges removal, making it a resilient fixture.
- Its echo and flight abilities offer combo potential and ensure persistent board presence in many scenarios.
- Despite its strengths, Avizoa requires careful hand and mana management, which can be challenging.
Text of card
Flying Skip your next untap phase: Avizoa gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Use this ability only once each turn.
"Maybe we can trap them with bait," thought Tahngarth, eyeing Squee.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Avizoa can be a formidable draw engine in the right deck. With its capacity to return to the owner’s hand during the upkeep for mere two blue mana, it can repeatedly trigger enter-the-battlefield effects for consistent card draw or other beneficial triggers, keeping your hand stocked with options.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating resources, Avizoa’s returning ability allows you to cleverly maneuver around your opponent’s sorcery-speed removal, which can effectively save you resources. Additionally, its synergy with cards that benefit from creatures entering or leaving the battlefield can indirectly lead to enhanced resource acceleration.
Instant Speed: Avizoa’s ability operates at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to dodge targeted removal or benefit from surprise blockers. The discretion to return it to hand before your upkeep ensures you’re always one step ahead, preserving your board presence and maintaining optimal control of the flow of the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Avizoa requires a card to be discarded each time you wish to untap it on a turn other than your untap step. This can be particularly taxing on your hand, especially if the match drags on, diminishing your options and hand advantage over time.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a specific combination of blue and generic mana to cast it. For players running multicolor decks, the need for three blue mana sources can occasionally complicate its play, particularly in the early game or in mana-strained situations.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of 3 blue and 2 generic mana, Avizoa’s investment can be quite significant for its flying and echo abilities. Considering there are alternative creatures or spells with lower casting costs and comparable, if not superior, capabilities, this can make Avizoa a less attractive choice for competitive play.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Avizoa is a flexible addition to any player’s deck looking for a potent flying creature. It provides substantial air presence and can fit seamlessly into strategies that are built around evasion or flying synergies.
Combo Potential: With its unique ability to be untapped using energy counters, Avizoa offers intriguing combo possibilities. It can be paired with cards that generate or utilize energy in ways that can repeatedly exploit its untap mechanic.
Meta-Relevance: In a metagame that prizes resilience and continuous board presence, Avizoa shines by being able to dodge sorcery-speed removal. Thanks to its activated ability, it can remain a persistent threat, and maintain a defender status during the opponent’s turn.
How to beat
Avizoa is a tricky card to handle in MTG, primarily due to its potential for repeated activation of its flying ability. This evasion can make Avizoa a consistent threat, hovering over the battlefield and difficult to lock down. Nevertheless, there are effective strategies to neutralize this airborne nuisance. Targeted removal spells are highly effective; anything that can destroy or exile creatures bypasses the need to engage in combat. In addition, spells that can ground flying creatures, or remove abilities, will strip Avizoa of its key defense.
Introducing creatures with the ‘reach’ trait ensures you have defenders capable of intercepting Avizoa in battle. Board wipes also serve as an equalizer, clearing the skies of threats and resetting the field. If Avizoa’s activated ability is a particular thorn in your side, spells or abilities that counter activated abilities can be your saving grace. Cards that restrict your opponent’s mana resources are indirect but potent weapons, making Avizoa’s costly ability to maintain flight a heavy burden on your opponent’s resources.
Ultimately, adapting your deck to include versatile responses can prepare you for encountering Avizoa and similar threats. Balancing your deck with a mix of removal, control, and counterplay will give you a strong chance to best this sky-dwelling creature and maintain dominance in your game.
Cards like Avizoa
Avizoa is a unique creature card that offers MTG players an interesting defensive option. With similarities to cards such as Air Elemental, Avizoa provides a considerable aerial presence. Both are flying creatures, but Avizoa stands out with its ability to repeatedly bounce back to the player’s hand to dodge removal or block when needed. Air Elemental, in contrast, lacks this flexibility and remains a static force on the battlefield.
Comparing Avizoa to Thieving Sprite, another creature with a returning mechanic, shows a difference in utility. Thieving Sprite’s ability to disrupt an opponent’s hand can be crucial at certain points in the game, but its lack of flying makes it less versatile as a blocker. Another card worth mentioning is Scrapskin Drake, which boasts flying as well, yet doesn’t hold the same defensive capability as Avizoa, given that it cannot return to the hand and requires a specific mana color.
Avizoa’s mix of evasive flying and the strategic advantage of its return-to-hand ability helps it play a special role in MTG decks focused on defense and longevity. While there are other cards with echoing abilities, Avizoa’s blend of features ensures its niche within the game, especially in formats where creature control is pivotal.
Cards similar to Avizoa by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Avizoa MTG card by a specific set like Weatherlight, 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 Avizoa and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See Magic products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Avizoa has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Avizoa 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 | You skip the next untap step that you are not skipping for any other reason. In other words, the skips save up until you skip as many as required. |
