Talons of Falkenrath MTG Card


Talons of Falkenrath - Dark Ascension
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant, Flash
Released2012-02-03
Set symbol
Set nameDark Ascension
Set codeDKA
Number105
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred bySvetlin Velinov

Key Takeaways

  1. Enhancing creatures at instant speed provides dynamic combat interactions and unexpected game conclusions.
  2. Ability to discard for effect converts unused cards into immediate power, optimizing hand resources.
  3. Mana cost and discard requirement could limit its use, demanding strategic deck construction.
Flash card art

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.) Enchant creature Enchanted creature has ": This creature gets +2/+0 until end of turn."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Talons of Falkenrath, the ability to discard a card to give a creature +2/+0 until end of turn can be a strategic move, transforming a dead draw into an offensive advance. This can help turn the tide by giving you a form of card advantage through better board state and potential damage output.

Resource Acceleration: Although Talons of Falkenrath doesn’t directly create resources, it serves as an effective form of resource acceleration by efficiently utilizing the cards in hand. This card maximizes your existing resources by potentially turning any card in your hand into a temporary power boost.

Instant Speed: This enchantment acts at instant speed, allowing you to enhance a creature’s power during combat or in response to an opponent’s actions. This timing flexibility can catch opponents off guard and create favorable combat scenarios or help finish games unexpectedly.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Talons of Falkenrath necessitates that players discard a card to activate its key ability. This could put the player at a strategic disadvantage, particularly in situations where their hand is already depleted or the held cards are valuable for upcoming strategies.

Specific Mana Cost: This card has an inherent limitation due to its color-specific mana requirements. It can be a challenge to incorporate into multi-colored decks that might struggle with mana consistency especially when needing to activate its ability quickly within gameplay.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Talons of Falkenrath offers a valuable effect, its mana cost is on the higher side when compared to other options available within this casting cost range. Players may find that allocating four mana to this card could hinder their ability to deploy other impactful spells in the same turn, thus affecting overall mana efficiency.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Talons of Falkenrath boasts a unique role in decks by enhancing creatures with crucial evasion abilities. Its ability to grant flying makes it a powerful inclusion in any deck looking to soar over ground-based defenses.

Combo Potential: Talons of Falkenrath elevates combo strategies that benefit from creatures dealing combat damage. With it, any creature can become a threat from above, potentially triggering impactful abilities upon connecting with an opponent.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame with creatures that dominate the ground, Talons of Falkenrath can shift the balance. It is particularly effective when the ground is congested, providing your creatures with an alternate route to victory.


How to beat

Talons of Falkenrath presents a unique challenge on the playing field, granting flying ability and a power boost with its equip feature. Like other equipment cards in Magic: The Gathering, this can turn an unassuming creature into a formidable aerial threat. To counteract this, players should consider incorporating targeted removal spells in their decks, which can dismantle an opponent’s equipped creature before they get the chance to swing in for considerable damage.

Utilizing cards with hexproof or shroud can be an effective strategy as well, making your creatures impervious to being equipped with the Talons by your opponent. Additionally, cards that prevent your opponent from equipping creatures or that destroy equipment directly, such as Disenchant or Naturalize, can be a direct answer to the card. Lastly, keeping a solid line of blockers with reach or flying creates a defensive barrier, reducing the impact of Talons of Falkenrath’s flying capability.

Strategic planning and the right card selections can turn the tide against equipments like Talons of Falkenrath. It’s about predicting your opponent’s moves and having the answers ready, ensuring they can’t maintain a strong aerial presence for long.


Cards like Talons of Falkenrath

Talons of Falkenrath emerges as a notable combat trick in the MTG multiverse. This card echoes the effects of other instant-speed enhancements like Brute Strength. Both Talons of Falkenrath and Brute Strength grant a creature an immediate power boost, yet Talons of Falkenrath provides an advantageous flying ability for the turn, a distinction that can turn the tide of aerial battles.

Looking at Rush of Adrenaline, we perceive a similar trend in the temporary enhancement arsenal. The card’s lower mana cost and the trample ability it bestows make it a contender, but it lacks Talons of Falkenrath’s capacity to lift your creatures above ground-based defenses. Comparably, Uncaged Fury delivers a significant double strike ability but at a higher casting cost, proving that Talons of Falkenrath strikes a balance between affordability and strategic versatility.

In essence, Talons of Falkenrath carves its niche among MTG instant tricks with its dual gift of might and flight, offering players a cost-effective tool for surprise maneuvers. It stands as a solid option for those looking to elevate their combat phase, proving its merit in the realm of instant-speed enhancements.

Brute Strength - MTG Card versions
Rush of Adrenaline - MTG Card versions
Uncaged Fury - MTG Card versions
Brute Strength - Oath of the Gatewatch (OGW)
Rush of Adrenaline - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)
Uncaged Fury - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)

Cards similar to Talons of Falkenrath by color, type and mana cost

Power Surge - MTG Card versions
Raging River - MTG Card versions
Smoke - MTG Card versions
Goblin Kites - MTG Card versions
The Brute - MTG Card versions
Giant Strength - MTG Card versions
Lightning Reflexes - MTG Card versions
Errantry - MTG Card versions
Goblin Festival - MTG Card versions
Scald - MTG Card versions
Cave Sense - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Surge - MTG Card versions
Maniacal Rage - MTG Card versions
Battle Strain - MTG Card versions
Goblin Bombardment - MTG Card versions
Underworld Breach - MTG Card versions
Lightning Rift - MTG Card versions
Fractured Loyalty - MTG Card versions
Fire Whip - MTG Card versions
Emblem of the Warmind - MTG Card versions
Power Surge - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Raging River - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Smoke - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Goblin Kites - Fallen Empires (FEM)
The Brute - Renaissance (REN)
Giant Strength - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Lightning Reflexes - Mirage (MIR)
Errantry - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Goblin Festival - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Scald - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Cave Sense - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Flowstone Surge - Nemesis (NEM)
Maniacal Rage - Conflux (CON)
Battle Strain - Odyssey (ODY)
Goblin Bombardment - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Underworld Breach - Theros Beyond Death Promos (PTHB)
Lightning Rift - Onslaught (ONS)
Fractured Loyalty - Mirrodin (MRD)
Fire Whip - Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)
Emblem of the Warmind - Future Sight (FUT)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Talons of Falkenrath MTG card by a specific set like Dark Ascension, 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 Talons of Falkenrath and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Talons of Falkenrath has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal

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