Bartizan Bats MTG Card

Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)
2018-10-05 - Number 62

Core Set 2020 (M20)
2019-07-12 - Number 319

Mystery Booster (MB1)
2019-11-07 - Number 571

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number GRN-62

Card sets	Released in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Bat
Abilities	Flying
Power	3
Toughness	1

Key Takeaways

Bartizan Bats offer indirect card advantage and synergize with graveyard resource acceleration.
Flying ability and low cost make Bats a nimble inclusion in black-themed decks.
Strategic counters to Bats include efficient removal spells and creatures with reach.

Text of card

Flying

"Bats are welcome to eat thousands of my pets. I have multitudes more that will ultimately eat the bats." —Izoni

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While the Bartizan Bats may not directly offer card drawing capabilities, its flying ability allows it to consistently deal damage and potentially draw out opponent cards in attempts to block or remove it, indirectly leading to advantageous board states.

Resource Acceleration: The bats themselves don’t accelerate resources; however, they fit well into decks that utilize graveyard strategies, potentially serving as a catalyst for creature synergies and combo setups that can lead to increased access to resources throughout the game.

Instant Speed: Although Bartizan Bats is a creature card without instant speed, its relatively low mana cost allows players to keep mana open for other spells and still deploy a threat during their turn, maintaining the strategy of instant speed plays.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Carrying a downside, Bartizan Bats mandates that you discard a card to activate certain abilities. This condition can backfire during gameplay when you’re already strained for cards in hand, making it less desirable when card advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Bartizan Bats includes black mana, which pigeonholes it into decks that run swamps or have a mana base that can support black spells. This specificity could limit the bat’s versatility and reduce the range of decks where it fits seamlessly.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that’s somewhat on the upper scale for its stats and abilities, Bartizan Bats might not provide the most bang for your buck. There are cards at a similar mana cost that could potentially offer greater impact on the game, making them more cost-effective choices in a deck’s creature lineup.

Reasons to Include Bartizan Bats in Your Collection

Versatility: Bartizan Bats serves as a reliable component in black aggro or midrange decks. Their flying trait allows them to evade common ground blockers and consistently apply pressure in the air.

Combo Potential: These bats can be a key piece in synergistic builds that benefit from flying creatures or death triggers, such as when paired with cards that buff fliers or use creatures in the graveyard.

Meta-Relevance: Given their low mana cost and flying ability, Bartizan Bats can be particularly effective in a meta where skies are less defended, providing you with an often unblocked attacker or a resilient defender against other flying threats.

How to Beat

Bartizan Bats may not stand out as one of the most fearsome creatures in MTG, but their flying ability can make them a persistent nuisance if left unchecked. This nocturnal flyer can chip away at an opponent’s life total with relative ease, turning the tide in games where evasion is key. To counteract this winged threat, creature removal spells such as Murder or Shock are effective means of clearing them from the board before they can do significant damage.

Enchantments like Pacifism or the ever-popular removal spell, Doom Blade, are also suitable options for neutralizing Bartizan Bats. These spells are cost-efficient and can easily handle the bats, as well as other comparable threats that might be lurking on the battlefield. Additionally, employing creatures with reach or any blocker with enough toughness can prove to be a simple yet effective defensive strategy against flying attackers like Bartizan Bats.

Ultimately, while Bartizan Bats might initially slip under the radar, seasoned players know to keep a ready reserve of answers to ensure that these creatures of the night don’t get the opportunity to seize control of the game. Considering your strategy and having the right removal or blockers in place makes dealing with Bartizan Bats a manageable task.

Cards like Bartizan Bats

Bartizan Bats enters the vast pantheon of flying creatures within Magic: The Gathering, bearing comparison to other night-bound predators like Vampire Nighthawk. These nocturnal creatures carve their own niches in the battlefield skies. The Bats, boasting a sturdy 3/1 body for only four mana, offer a dependable option for players looking to add a straightforward punch to their deck’s aerial arsenal. In contrast, Vampire Nighthawk commands a higher strategic position beyond mere attack potential, with lifelink and deathtouch making it a decidedly more versatile threat.

Child of Night, standing as a smaller kin, casts a lesser shadow with its 2/1 stat line. Its lifelink ability, however, can still provide a constant stream of life points, enabling it to be an asset in incremental strategies. On the wider spectrum of fanged flyers, we also see Skymarcher Aspirant. Lacking the raw power of Bartizan Bats, it compensates with ascend synergy and potential immunity to blockers, giving it a place in decks that aim for a state of board superiority.

Evaluating Bartizan Bats within the context of other flying options in Magic: The Gathering, it’s clear it offers a solid, budget-friendly flying card that can apply pressure in both offensive and defensive stances, holding its ground in the shadows of its more complex counterparts.

Cards similar to Bartizan Bats by color, type and mana cost

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Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bartizan Bats MTG card by a specific set like Guilds of Ravnica and Core Set 2020, 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 Bartizan Bats and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Bartizan Bats Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2018-10-05 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Nils Hamm.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2018-10-05	Guilds of Ravnica	GRN	62	2015	Normal	Black	Nils Hamm
2	2019-07-12	Core Set 2020	M20	319	2015	Normal	Black	Nils Hamm
3	2019-11-07	Mystery Booster	MB1	571	2015	Normal	Black	Nils Hamm
4	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST	GRN-62	2015	Normal	Black	Nils Hamm

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bartizan Bats has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal