Wingspan Mentor MTG Card
2020-04-24 - Number 72
2022-04-29 - Number 239
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Wizard |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
When Wingspan Mentor enters the battlefield, put a flying counter on target non-Human creature you control. , : Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control with flying.
Their bond grew over time, as did the height of their jumps.
Cards like Wingspan Mentor
Wingspan Mentor, a unique creature in the vast world of Magic: The Gathering, stands out for its ability to boost flying creatures. Its similarity to cards like Thunderclap Wyvern is evident, as it also empowers creatures with flying. Wingspan Mentor allows you to put a +1/+1 counter on a target creature with flying whenever it mutates, thereby offering ongoing benefits. Thunderclap Wyvern, however, gives an immediate power and toughness boost to flying creatures, though lacking the mutation synergy.
Examining other cards with a focus on flying creatures, Gravitational Shift emerges as a noteworthy comparison. While Wingspan Mentor provides incremental advantage to individual creatures, Gravitational Shift affects the entire board, enhancing your flyers while weakening the opponent’s non-flying units. In contrast, Gravitational Shift’s higher mana cost places it differently in a game’s strategic curve.
By comparing these cards, it’s clear that Wingspan Mentor has a specific role, particularly in decks that capitalize on the mutate mechanic. It not only increases the versatility of flying creatures but also serves as a recurring source of counters, proving to be a formidable card in MTG’s creature-oriented strategies.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Wingspan Mentor’s ability to manipulate draws by scrying is a subtle yet potent way to sift through a deck for key cards. This leads to a more consistent performance and the ability to respond to an opponent’s moves effectively.
Resource Acceleration: This card can be instrumental in boosting your creatures’ abilities. By placing a flying counter on a target creature, it enhances the battlefield presence and can lead to faster damage accumulation, putting you ahead in the race.
Instant Speed: The power of Wingspan Mentor comes from its versatility during gameplay. This card can adjust the board state at instant speed, allowing players to react to threats or optimize their own plays during an opponent’s turn without sacrificing the nimbleness of their own strategy.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Wingspan Mentor demands you to drop another card from your hand into the graveyard to activate its crucial ability. This can strain your hand size, especially in the late game when every card counts.
Specific Mana Cost: This creature requires both blue and colorless mana for casting, which may pose a challenge for multicolor decks outside the blue spectrum and limit its inclusion only to decks that heavily support blue.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that edges on the higher side for its given effects, there are cards that offer you similar or even greater flying support at a lower cost, making Wingspan Mentor a less tempting choice for some strategic builds.
Reasons to Include Wingspan Mentor in Your Collection
Versatility: Wingspan Mentor seamlessly integrates into decks that capitalize on flying creatures, offering a boost in power and the utility of tapping to grant card draw for further strategic plays.
Combo Potential: This card holds great synergy with strategies involving proliferate or +1/+1 counters to maximize the potential of your aerial threats while steadily enhancing your board presence.
Meta-Relevance: In a metagame where flying creatures are key to victory, Wingspan Mentor provides both an upgrade to your aerial forces and a consistent mechanism for card advantage, making it a valuable addition against various popular decks.
How to Beat Wingspan Mentor
Wingspan Mentor emerges as a unique component in creature-based strategies, particularly in decks that capitalize on flying creatures. This creature splendidly adds to your board’s evasiveness by granting one of your creatures with flying an additional +1/+1 counter each time you activate its ability. Its synergy with flying creatures can swiftly escalate the threat level on the board.
Defeating a card like Wingspan Mentor revolves around hampering its ability to boost other creatures. Efficient removal spells that can immediately address the Mentor are key here. If you find yourself up against an opponent employing Wingspan Mentor, turning to instant speed removal options such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile can prove to be a salvation. Another approach is to implement board wipe effects like Wrath of God to reset the playing field and nullify the accrued advantages.
Timing your removal or counterspells is crucial. It’s advisable to disrupt the combo before your opponent manages to proliferate counters and enhance their creatures beyond manageable thresholds. Anticipating the mentor’s deployment and maintaining board control are essential strategies to triumph over the subtle yet potent influence of Wingspan Mentor in the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Wingspan Mentor MTG card by a specific set like Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths and New Capenna Commander, 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 Wingspan Mentor 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
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Wingspan Mentor Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-04-24 and 2022-04-29. Illustrated by Sidharth Chaturvedi.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2020-04-24 | Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths | IKO | 72 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sidharth Chaturvedi | |
| 2 | 2022-04-29 | New Capenna Commander | NCC | 239 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sidharth Chaturvedi |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Wingspan Mentor has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |