Bird Soldier MTG Card

Type	Token Creature — Bird Soldier
Abilities	Flying
Released	2009-04-30
Set symbol
Set name	Alara Reborn
Set code	ARB
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	1
Frame	2003
Layout	Token
Border	Black
Illustred by	Matt Cavotta

Key Takeaways

Bird Soldiers provide card advantage and quicken gameplay with abilities that outpace the opponent.
Despite their strengths, their specific mana costs and discard conditions may limit versatility.
Their inclusion in decks offers strategic flexibility, well-suited to maneuver within various metas.

Text of card

Flying

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Bird Soldier cards are often designed with abilities that let you draw additional cards, either on entering the battlefield or when certain conditions are met. This enables players to boost their hand and options, keeping them one flap ahead in the resource game.

Resource Acceleration: Many Bird Soldier cards have abilities that contribute to resource acceleration, like untapping lands or generating mana. This accelerates your game plan, allowing you to deploy threats and answers ahead of curve.

Instant Speed: Some Bird Soldier cards can be cast at instant speed, giving the strategic advantage of flexibility. Respond to your opponent’s moves by summoning a surprise blocker or capitalizing on the perfect moment to tilt the battlefield in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Some bird soldier cards come with a discard condition, meaning you have to let go of valuable cards from your hand which could hinder your strategy, especially when your hand size is already running low.

Specific Mana Cost: Many bird soldier cards require a mix of specific mana types, potentially restricting their inclusion in multi-colored decks that could struggle to produce the needed mana consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost of deploying a bird soldier card onto the battlefield is often higher than alternative creatures with similar stats or abilities. This could slow down your game pace and affect your board presence, making it tough to keep up with opponents who utilize lower-cost creatures for efficient board control.

Reasons to Include Bird Soldier Card in Your Collection

Versatility: Bird Soldier cards are not just a single entity but a thematic type found throughout MTG. These cards can seamlessly fit into various decks, with many offers flying, sometimes vigilance or other abilities that can prove invaluable on both offense and defense.

Combo Potential: These winged warriors often are part of synergistic plays, complementing both human and bird-centric strategies. Their tribal link can be exploited with cards that boost the power of Soldiers or Birds, creating formidable combo opportunities on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: Bird Soldiers can play a significant role depending on the current meta. With flying as a common ability, they effortlessly evade many ground-based defenses. In a meta that’s heavy with terrestrial creatures, having an aerial contingent can offer a strategic advantage, keeping your deck one step ahead.

How to Beat

Bird Soldier mtg cards bring a unique combination of flying and potential tribal synergies to the battlefield, making them a flexible adversary in Magic: The Gathering. These winged warriors often come with the ability to evade defenders, hitting critical points in the match so disrupting their air dominance is key to grounding their strategy. To effectively neutralize Bird Soldier cards, consider incorporating spells that can target flying creatures directly. Cards like Plummet or Raking Canopy act as perfect answers by picking off these high-flying threats without much fuss.

Moreover, confining them to the ground with enchantments like Gravity Sphere enables your ground forces to block and remove them from play more readily. In a broader sense, early game removal or board wipes like Day of Judgment can thwart not just individual Bird Soldiers, but entire flocks. Lastly, don’t forget about the power of card advantage. Exploiting their typically lower toughness with mass removal or keeping your hand full with efficient card draw ensures you’ll have the solutions to whatever they throw at you from their aerial arsenal.

Ultimately, while Bird Soldier cards can initially feel daunting to confront, once their agility is accounted for, they can be dealt with in a methodical and controlled manner, keeping the skies clear for your victory in MTG.

Cards like Bird Soldier

The allure of bird soldiers in MTG emerges from their unique blend of aerial agility and tactical prowess. A card representing this synergy is Aven Brigadier, a notable feathered warrior among such cards. Its strength lies in empowering other birds as well as soldiers, highlighting its value in creature-focused tribal strategies.

When examining cards like Aven Sentry, we see a simpler version of the bird soldier theme. While not as potent in empowering others, its flying ability and decent power make it a respectable choice for many decks. There’s also Battle Screech, which echoes the bird soldier concept by creating additional flying creatures, potentially swarming the opposition. It lacks individual might but compensates with its ability to rapidly expand your aerial forces.

Lastly, considering cards like Stormscape Familiar not only reflects the utility of the bird soldier archetype but also reduces the cost of your spells, maximising your mana efficiency in the longer games. Each card has its own context, and while Aven Brigadier may excel in boosting its comrades, others find their niche in cost reduction and generating multiple units. A tactical assembly of bird soldiers can thus significantly alter the flow of a game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bird Soldier MTG card by a specific set like Alara Reborn, 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 Bird Soldier and other MTG cards: