Spectral Flight MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	2011-09-30
Set symbol
Set name	Innistrad
Set code	ISD
Number	79
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Johann Bodin

Key Takeaways

Enhances creatures significantly, adding +2/+2 and flying, for offensive and defensive strategic advantage.
Immediate impact on gameplay, can unexpectedly bypass common ground defenses to pressurize opponents.
Might consider the mana and card resource cost against other available strategies when playing.

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has flying.

"The church looks down on binding spirits into armor, but now I can look down on them." —Dierk, geistmage

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Spectral Flight affords a significant boost in the form of +2/+2 and flying to a creature, which can lead to more effective attacks and can potentially turn the tide of a game by enhancing a modest creature into a substantial threat.

Resource Acceleration: By granting flying, Spectral Flight can help the enchanted creature to avoid common ground blockers, effectively accelerating your damage resources and applying pressure to your opponent more swiftly.

Instant Speed: While Spectral Flight itself is an aura and not an instant, its impact on the battlefield can be immediate and surprising. If played during the main phase, it can catch an opponent unprepared and potentially clear the way for an unblocked attack, making its effects felt at crucial moments in the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Spectral Flight, while offering an enchanting aura, may present drawbacks when your hand is already depleted. It doesn’t directly result in card advantage, and thus, can be a risky play when you’re in need of keeping options available.

Specific Mana Cost: This card leans heavily into blue mana, necessitating a commitment in your deck to not only this color but potentially straining your mana base if trying to incorporate it into a multicolored strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at two mana might seem modest, but considering this enchantment only boosts one creature, the cost-to-benefit may not stack up favorably against other enchantments or equipment that provide additional versatility or resilience against removal.

Reasons to Include Spectral Flight in Your Collection

Versatility: Spectral Flight offers a straightforward yet powerful effect, granting a creature +2/+2 and flying. This makes it a perfect addition to any deck that aims to push through with airborne attackers, allowing even small creatures to become significant threats.

Combo Potential: The enchantment excels in decks that capitalize on creature abilities. Think of it as a stepping stone in enabling exhilarating win conditions with creatures that benefit from connecting with an opponent, or as a way to help your key creatures dodge ground-based defenses.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where evasion is paramount, Spectral Flight maintains its relevance. The meta often includes decks that lack flying creatures, making it a tactical asset to transform your ground-based creature into a formidable, evasive entity, tipping the scales in your favor against an unprepared adversary.

How to Beat Spectral Flight

Spectral Flight is a unique enchantment aura in Magic: The Gathering, known for giving a creature a significant boost with both increased power and the added benefit of flying. This combination can turn any creature into a formidable flying threat, making it essential to have strategies in place to handle such a situation.

To effectively counter Spectral Flight, it’s advisable to prioritize removal spells that can target either the enchantment or the enchanted creature. Spells like Disenchant or Naturalize allow you to directly remove Spectral Flight from the battlefield, mitigating its impact immediately. If targeting the creature is more suitable, consider using instant-speed removal like Murder or Path to Exile to eliminate the threat before it can deal damage.

In some cases, it might be strategic to bypass the creature completely. Cards that neutralize abilities or block flying creatures, such as Archetype of Imagination or Spiderweb Armor, can effectively diminish Spectral Flight’s influence on the game without having to remove it. As always, maintaining a flexible approach with a variety of answers in your deck will enhance your chances of overcoming enchantment-boosted creatures in MTG.

Cards like Spectral Flight

Spectral Flight is a distinctive enchantment card that offers one of the most sought-after combinations in Magic: The Gathering: power boost and flying ability. A parallel is easily drawn to cards like Griffin Guide, which also graces a creature with a significant power bump and the flying trait. Despite Griffin Guide granting a greater power increase, Spectral Flight’s lower mana cost and its blue color alignment can be strategically advantageous in certain decks that value speed and finesse.

Another analogous enchantment, Leap, also confers flying, but for one turn only, though it comes with the added bonus of drawing a card. Spectral Flight, when compared, provides a permanent upgrade unless removed, establishing a persistent threat on the battlefield. Then there’s Favorable Winds, a card that gives all your flying creatures a power and toughness boost. While it affects multiple creatures, it doesn’t grant flying itself; this is where Spectral Flight shines by directly and immediately elevating a specific creature’s offensive and defensive capabilities.

Assessing the available enchantments, Spectral Flight secures its niche within the group, particularly appealing to players crafting decks that capitalize on rapid aerial assaults and lasting battlefield dominance.

Cards similar to Spectral Flight by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spectral Flight MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad, 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 Spectral Flight and other MTG cards: