Wings of the Guard MTG Card

Gain card advantage with the potential for card draw and deck manipulation abilities when you play Wings of the Guard. Instant speed play provides strategic depth, allowing players to react and surprise opponents during their turn. Discard requirements and specific mana costs present strategic considerations when integrating Wings of the Guard into decks.

Wings of the Guard - Conspiracy: Take the Crown

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Bird
Abilities	Flying,Melee
Released	2016-08-26
Set symbol
Set name	Conspiracy: Take the Crown
Set code	CN2
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	26
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Lars Grant-West

Text of card

Flying Melee (Whenever this creature attacks, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each opponent you attacked with a creature this combat.)

Within the city walls, Adriana's falcons hunt vermin of all kinds.

Cards like Wings of the Guard

Wings of the Guard is an intriguing card within the family of creature spells in Magic: The Gathering. It stands out with its melee ability, an attribute that isn’t widely seen across many cards. A distinct comparison can be made to Gustcloak Savior, which also offers a way to protect creatures during combat. However, Gustcloak Savior provides a broader defensive mechanism by allowing redirection of the combat damage to itself.

Squadron Hawk is another card that may come to mind; it brings more creatures to your hand rather than providing in-battle benefits. While not directly comparable in terms of immediate board impact, Squadron Hawk helps increase your aerial presence in the long run. On the other hand, Wings of the Guard offers an immediate tactical advantage by possibly bypassing defenders and being harder to block during ample attacks.

Assessing these cards’ roles within a deck, Wings of the Guard is a low-cost option that can become a persistent thorn in an opponent’s side, aligning with a strategy that favors having multiple attackers. In contrast, cards like Gustcloak Savior and Squadron Hawk cater to different play styles, focusing on defense and creature accumulation respectively.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wings of the Guard provides value by potentially replacing itself in your hand. When cast, depending on the synergies present in your deck, this card can lead to drawing additional cards or manipulating the top cards of your library, ensuring that you maintain the upper hand in card resources against your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: This card can contribute to resource acceleration by synergizing with mechanics that reward you for casting spells. Some decks may leverage this to trigger prowess or inspire effects, which in turn can advance your board state much faster than your opponent might expect. The right deck build can take the seemingly simple effect of Wings of the Guard and turn it into a significant advantage.

Instant Speed: The ability to play Wings of the Guard as an instant adds a layer of strategic depth to your game. This flexibility allows you to react to your opponent’s actions during their turn or at the end of their turn, keeping up the element of surprise. Instant-speed spells can disrupt your opponents’ plans while leaving your options open as the game unfolds.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Wings of the Guard mandates that you discard another card to activate its potent abilities, representing a strategic drawback, particularly when you’re managing a minimal hand size.

Specific Mana Cost: This card necessitates a precise combination of mana colors to cast, which could pose a challenge in multicolored decks that struggle with mana consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Charging three mana for its effects places Wings of the Guard at a higher spectrum compared to alternative options, which might deliver similar benefits at a lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Wings of the Guard lends itself to a range of deck builds due to its ability to serve both as an efficient aerial blocker and an aggressive flyer in the early game stages.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes particularly well with mechanics that capitalize on flying creatures or those that trigger upon dealing combat damage, amplifying its effectiveness within certain combo frameworks.

Meta-Relevance: As aerial threats can be pivotal in shaping the battlefield dynamics, having Wings of the Guard in your collection could provide a significant edge against opponents in a meta where flyers are pivotal.

How to Beat Wings of the Guard

Wings of the Guard is an interesting card in MTG, offering a reconnaissance angle to gameplay. Flight and elusiveness are its key features, making it a tricky card to contend with. When facing this card, one needs to consider strategies that can handle creatures that benefit from evasion. Ground-based defenses will not suffice against such a card that can effortlessly soar over them.

An efficient approach is employing reach or flying creatures of your own, which can block and remove Wings of the Guard from the field of battle. Spells that can target flying creatures, regardless of their power, are also vital. Additionally, there are various enchantments and spells that strip creatures of abilities or buff your own defenses against flying threats. Implementing board sweepers could also reset the playing field, reducing the advantage Wings of the Guard might provide its controller.

Ultimately, countering Wings of the Guard requires a mix of foresight and tactical adjustment. Keeping the skies monitored and having answers for evasion-centric cards is essential. Tailoring your deck to have these responses at the ready will ensure that Wings of the Guard doesn’t gain the upper hand.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wings of the Guard MTG card by a specific set like Conspiracy: Take the Crown, 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 Wings of the Guard and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wings of the Guard has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2016-08-23	Creatures that enter the battlefield attacking were never declared as attackers, so they won’t count toward melee’s effect. Similarly, if a creature with melee enters the battlefield attacking, melee won’t trigger.
2016-08-23	It doesn’t matter how many creatures you attacked a player with, only that you attacked a player with at least one creature. For example, if you attack one player with Wings of the Guard and another player with five creatures, Wings of the Guard will get +2/+2 until end of turn.
2016-08-23	Melee will trigger if the creature with melee attacks a planeswalker. However, the effect counts only opponents (and not planeswalkers) that you attacked with a creature when determining the bonus.
2016-08-23	You determine the size of the bonus as the melee ability resolves. Count each opponent that you attacked with one or more creatures. It doesn’t matter if the attacking creatures are still attacking or even if they are still on the battlefield. It also doesn’t matter if the opponent you attacked is still in the game.