Skystreamer MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Griffin
Abilities	Assist,Flying
Released	2018-06-08
Set symbol
Set name	Battlebond
Set code	BBD
Power	3
Toughness	2
Number	31
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Dan Scott

Key Takeaways

Skystreamer enables card advantage and maintains hand momentum while playing.
Its versatility in MTG decks stems from instant speed and resource acceleration.
Skystreamer is impactful but may pose strategic challenges due to its cons.

Text of card

Assist (Another player can pay up to of this spell's cost.) Flying When Skystreamer enters the battlefield, target player gains 4 life.

Victories at Valor's Reach are broadcast via griffins in the sky above.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Skystreamer excels at providing players with an aerial blocker or attacker while simultaneously replacing itself in your hand, ensuring you don’t lose card momentum.

Resource Acceleration: When you cast Skystreamer, its abilities can give you an extra land drop for the turn, helping you ramp and outpace your opponent with larger threats or key spells earlier in the game.

Instant Speed: The ability to flash in Skystreamer provides you with flexibility, letting you decide the best moment to introduce this card into play, be it during combat or at the end of your opponent’s turn to maximize your mana usage.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Skystreamer demands you to discard a card to activate its pivotal ability. This can lead to a strategic setback, particularly during stages in the game when maintaining a full hand could prove crucial for your gameplay strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: The Skystreamer card comes with a mana cost that necessitates both blue and red mana. This requirement makes it less versatile, restricting it primarily to Izzet decks or those that can reliably produce both types of mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a total cost that includes three mana of any color plus one blue and one red, Skystreamer sits on the higher side of the mana curve. Other cards in the same cost bracket may offer broader impact or immediate board presence, diminishing Skystreamer’s comparative appeal in a fast-paced game environment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Skystreamer is a flexible card that can find a home in various deck builds, offering players the ability to adapt to diverse game situations with a single card in their roster.

Combo Potential: Due to its ability to synergize with flying- or sacrifice-themed cards, Skystreamer can be a linchpin in combos that turn the tide of play and unlock new avenues for victory.

Meta-Relevance: As the game environment continually evolves, Skystreamer can remain relevant, matching pace with popular deck types that value efficient creature effects and evasion tactics.

How to beat

Skystreamer presents itself as a creature card that can be quite a handful in Magic: The Gathering. This card leverages its flying ability, which allows it to evade many common ground-based defenses, making it a recurring threat in the aerial combat zone. Understanding the best approaches to neutralize Skystreamer is crucial for maintaining control of the game.

One effective strategy against Skystreamer is to employ removal spells that can bypass its flying ability. Having access to instant-speed removal such as Murder or Path to Exile ensures that you can address the threat swiftly before significant damage is done. Additionally, board wipes that don’t discriminate based on creature abilities, like Wrath of God or Damnation, can clear the skies of these pesky flyers.

Adapting your deck with creatures that can block flyers or with reach can provide a constant defensive answer to Skystreamer. Another route is to include cards that reduce its effectiveness, such as those that prevent or punish the opponent for attacking. Ensnaring creatures in spells like Pacifism or tapping them with Frost Lynx are alternative tactics to curb the offensive capabilities of Skystreamer.

Cards like Skystreamer

Skystreamer is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering, which can be compared to other similar cards that seek to offer players both aerial threats and utility. Winged Words, for example, is a card that shares the air superiority trait, granting its caster additional card draw while also leveraging the presence of flying creatures. However, Skystreamer stands out due to its robust stat line and its ability to also provide an aggressive option on the board.

In terms of versatility, Skystreamer recalls the utility of Cloudkin Seer, another flying creature that provides card draw upon entering the battlefield. Though Cloudkin Seer offers immediate card advantage, Skystreamer’s potential for higher damage output can be more appealing in decks that prioritize a beatdown strategy. Furthermore, the activation of card draw tied to a specific condition like Skystreamer’s can provide strategic depth to gameplay, demanding more tactical prowess from the player.

When evaluating the Skystreamer against its counterparts, it stands as a solid option for those seeking to blend aerial strength with strategic play. Its unique balance of power, utility, and conditional card advantage makes it a noteworthy consideration for MTG enthusiasts looking to optimize their deck performance.

Cards similar to Skystreamer by color, type and mana cost

Enduring Angel // Angelic Enforcer - MTG Card versions

Celestial Gatekeeper - MTG Card versions

Kiyomaro, First to Stand - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Skystreamer MTG card by a specific set like Battlebond, 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 Skystreamer and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Skystreamer 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 Skystreamer card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2018-06-08	Assist allows another player to pay for any amount of generic mana. If an effect changes the cost of the spell, the amount that player may pay will be more or less than the amount in the spell’s reminder text.
2018-06-08	If an effect allows a player to cast a spell spending mana “as though it were mana of any color” or “of any type,” that player must still pay for the colored mana in that spell’s total cost. That cost doesn’t become generic.
2018-06-08	Only the generic mana portion of a spell’s cost can be paid with assist. Any colored mana costs must be paid by the spell’s controller, even if the assisting player paid mana of that color.
2018-06-08	You may reveal a card with assist and discuss how to pay for it before you begin to cast the spell. Targets are chosen for that spell before you choose another player to help you pay for it and before that player has committed any mana to doing so.