Suntail Hawk MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Bird
Abilities Flying
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Suntail Hawk can lead to card advantage and possesses early game threat potential with its flying ability.
  2. While it’s a versatile card, it can limit deck flexibility and may not be the most mana-efficient option.
  3. Despite its simplicity, it’s comparable to other one-mana flyers and has distinct appeals in certain decks.

Text of card

Flying

"Our forebears once flew like this—carefree, needing nothing but a warm nest and a full belly. Our intellect may be more burden than blessing." —Commander Eesha


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Suntail Hawk itself may not directly provide card draw, its early presence on the battlefield can lead to advantageous trades with opponents, effectively preserving your own card resources. It can also be a component in decks that capitalize on creature presence for card draw mechanisms.

Resource Acceleration: This one-drop creature allows for immediate aerial pressure, which can be a form of psychological resource acceleration. It pushes opponents to react faster, often using resources rashly to handle what can become an escalating threat with enhancements.

Instant Speed: Although Suntail Hawk isn’t an Instant, its low mana cost allows for effective mana management. You can deploy the Hawk and still have mana available for instant-speed interactions during your opponent’s turn, keeping the tempo in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Suntail Hawk itself does not have a discard requirement, it might necessitate discarding other valuable cards for a player to maintain a lean and efficient deck composition. Including too many low-impact creatures like Suntail Hawk can lead players to discard potentially more impactful cards.

Specific Mana Cost: Suntail Hawk requires white mana to be cast, which can restrict its usage predominantly to white or multicolored decks that have access to white mana. This specificity can hamper the flexibility in deck building for players who want to utilize a broader color palette.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its low absolute mana cost, when compared to the impact it provides, Suntail Hawk may not be the most mana-efficient creature. For a single white mana, players could often find creatures or spells that provide greater utility or board presence than a simple 1/1 flyer.


Reasons to Include Suntail Hawk in Your Collection

Versatility: Suntail Hawk is a cost-effective creature that can easily blend into various white decks. Its flying ability ensures it has a better chance of evading blockers and can be a consistent option for early game board presence.

Combo Potential: As a creature with flying, it works well with cards and abilities that reward controlling creatures with flying or benefit from increasing the number of creatures you control.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state that favors aggressive tactics, Suntail Hawk’s low mana cost can be instrumental in setting the tempo. It’s also efficient in decks that take advantage of early damage opportunities, still relevant in specific game formats.


How to Beat Suntail Hawk

Suntail Hawk, a staple in many white decks for its early flying presence in the game of Magic: The Gathering, can seem challenging to counter due to its flying ability. However, though this card is a low-cost creature with the advantage of taking to the skies, there are plenty of strategies that can easily neutralize it. Removal spells like Shock or Fatal Push can dispatch Suntail Hawk efficiently due to its single toughness. Moreover, using cards with the reach ability or ones that can summon flying blockers also serve as an excellent countermeasure against this feathery foe.

Deck builders often incorporate enchantments or artifacts that can nullify flying threats by either grounding them or making your creatures untouchable by flying attackers. Cards like Gravity Well or Spidersilk Armor deter flying creatures effectively. Additionally, employing flying creatures of your own can neutralize the Hawk, making it a simple feat to overcome its early game air superiority. By considering the flexibility of your deck against airborne creatures, Suntail Hawk can be far less imposing and easily dealt with, preserving the integrity of your life total and board presence.


Cards like Suntail Hawk

In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, the Suntail Hawk holds its ground as a modest yet reliable creature. Flying creatures like Suntail Hawk can often be an early game advantage, and it shares its skies with other one-mana flyers such as the Healer’s Hawk. Though both have the flying ability and a cost of a single white mana, Healer’s Hawk also boasts lifelink, giving a slight edge in terms of utility and survivability in the early game.

Another peer is the Judge’s Familiar, which, although costing one blue or white mana, carries with it the additional power of countering spells unless opponents pay the toll of one extra mana. This subtle control element can make a significant impact in gameplay, even though both it and Suntail Hawk sit at a humble one power. Mistral Charger also comes into play with its absence of any additional abilities but possesses a stronger body at 2/1. Despite these differences, the Suntail Hawk has a charm of its own by offering simplicity and efficiency in strategies favoring early and evasive creatures.

By analyzing these comparisons, it’s evident that while Suntail Hawk may not stand out with extra abilities, its role as a reliable and easily deployed flyer has cemented its place in MTG’s array of single-mana creatures.

Healer's Hawk - MTG Card versions
Judge's Familiar - MTG Card versions
Mistral Charger - MTG Card versions
Healer's Hawk - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)
Judge's Familiar - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Mistral Charger - Dissension (DIS)

Cards similar to Suntail Hawk by color, type and mana cost

Savannah Lions - MTG Card versions
Benalish Hero - MTG Card versions
Icatian Infantry - MTG Card versions
Icatian Scout - MTG Card versions
Icatian Javelineers - MTG Card versions
Kjeldoran Warrior - MTG Card versions
Trade Caravan - MTG Card versions
Vigilant Martyr - MTG Card versions
Honor Guard - MTG Card versions
Volunteer Militia - MTG Card versions
Nomads en-Kor - MTG Card versions
Soul Warden - MTG Card versions
Resistance Fighter - MTG Card versions
Honorable Scout - MTG Card versions
Devoted Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - MTG Card versions
Kor Duelist - MTG Card versions
Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful - MTG Card versions
Mother of Runes - MTG Card versions
Daru Mender - MTG Card versions
Savannah Lions - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Benalish Hero - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Icatian Infantry - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Icatian Scout - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Icatian Javelineers - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Kjeldoran Warrior - Ice Age (ICE)
Trade Caravan - Homelands (HML)
Vigilant Martyr - Mirage (MIR)
Honor Guard - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Volunteer Militia - Portal Second Age (P02)
Nomads en-Kor - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Soul Warden - Historic Anthology 1 (HA1)
Resistance Fighter - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Honorable Scout - Planeshift (PLS)
Devoted Caretaker - Odyssey (ODY)
Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Kor Duelist - Wizards Play Network 2009 (PWP09)
Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Mother of Runes - The List (PLST)
Daru Mender - Legions (LGN)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Suntail Hawk MTG card by a specific set like Judgment and Eighth Edition, 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 Suntail Hawk and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Suntail Hawk Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2002-05-27 and 2013-07-19. Illustrated by Heather Hudson.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-05-27JudgmentJUD 281997normalblackHeather Hudson
22003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 51★2003normalblackHeather Hudson
32003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 512003normalwhiteHeather Hudson
42005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 49★2003normalblackHeather Hudson
52005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 492003normalwhiteHeather Hudson
62007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 502003normalblackHeather Hudson
72007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 50★2003normalblackHeather Hudson
82013-07-19Magic 2014M14 402003normalblackHeather Hudson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Suntail Hawk has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

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