Cloudreach Cavalry MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Soldier
Released	2003-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Legions
Set code	LGN
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	7
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Kev Walker

Key Takeaways

Provides strong card advantage and board presence for decks prioritizing synergy.
Resource acceleration from Cloudreach Cavalry can lead to faster strategy execution.
Ability to act at instant speed adds tactical depth and unpredictability.

Text of card

Cloudreach Cavalry gets +2/+2 and has flying as long as you control a Bird.

"It's easy to lose sight of hope until you gaze out from my vantage point."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cloudreach Cavalry shines in scenarios where deck momentum is crucial. This card’s potential to generate card advantage can’t be overstated as it can efficiently contribute to your board presence, making it a solid inclusion in decks that value synergy and incremental gains.

Resource Acceleration: When it comes to mana flexibility, Cloudreach Cavalry provides impressive resource acceleration. By potentially reducing the cost of your next spell or creature, it enables a swifter deployment of your strategy, helping you to outpace the opponent and execute your game plan ahead of schedule. This kind of tempo gain can be pivotal in the progression of a match.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast spells at instant speed offers a tactical edge, and Cloudreach Cavalry being able to interact on this axis can significantly enhance your strategic options. It allows you to efficiently manage your mana while keeping your adversaries guessing, preserving the element of surprise and flexibility to respond to threats or opportunities as they arise.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Cloudreach Cavalry has an ability that prompts you to discard a card. This effect can set you back, particularly in moments of the game where your hand size is critical, effectively reducing your options and potentially forcing you to give up crucial elements of your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Locked behind a particular mana combination, this card demands white mana as part of its casting cost. This requirement makes it less flexible, confining it to specific deck builds that can consistently provide the necessary mana types, potentially impeding its inclusion in more diverse or color-fluid decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its casting cost, Cloudreach Cavalry enters the battlefield later than some alternatives. While it offers certain benefits once played, the initial investment can be a hurdle, especially when faster decks could establish a dominating presence on the board before you’re able to leverage your cavalry’s advantages.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Cloudreach Cavalry adds a valuable dynamic to decks, being an early drop creature that can also strengthen other creatures later in the game. It’s a great fit for decks emphasizing flying creatures.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with strategies that aim to accumulate a multitude of flyers quickly, thus transforming it from a modest presence to a significant threat on the board.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment that favors aggressive flying creatures, Cloudreach Cavalry can become a staple by bolstering your aerial assault, or deterring opponents from attacking with its potential buff to other flyers.

How to beat

Cloudreach Cavalry is a card that can create significant advantages for players in Magic: The Gathering, especially in decks that focus on flying creatures. This white card elevates your aerial offense, turning your winged warriors into formidable threats the moment you control four or more creatures with flying.

To effectively counter Cloudreach Cavalry, control the number of flying creatures on your opponent’s battlefield. Removal spells that can target multiple creatures, such as board wipes like Wrath of God or Winds of Rath, become invaluable. If you keep their skies clear, the Cavalry’s potential becomes grounded. Engage in combat carefully, focusing on eliminating their fliers before the Cavalry’s effect can be activated, and prioritize removal of the card itself if possible.

Ensnaring cards that prevent creatures from attacking, such as Ghostly Prison, can also be a sound strategy, protecting you from the enhanced aerial assault. Moreover, using instant speed removals like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares to respond to the Cavalry hitting the board can nip the threat in the bud. Adapting your gameplay to manage your opponent’s flying threats will ensure you maintain control over the game.

Cards like Cloudreach Cavalry

Cloudreach Cavalry stands out in Magic: The Gathering as an intriguing option for players who aim to rally a swift airborne assault. In the realm of flying creatures, cards like Healer’s Hawk come to mind, sharing the advantageous flying trait albeit with a notable difference. While Healer’s Hawk provides life gain with its lifelink ability, Cloudreach Cavalry offers a chance to temporarily empower another creature when it attacks alone.

Another similar card to consider is Faerie Guidemother, offering flexibility as both a flying creature and a sorcery that can give another target creature a boost in power and the gift of flight. Unlike Cloudreach Cavalry, Faerie Guidemother’s adventure mechanic presents an additional way to utilize the card effectively in the game. The ability to have a built-in combat trick along with a creature is an attractive combo.

Assessing the choices, Cloudreach Cavalry carves a niche within the variety of flying creatures available to MTG players. It’s unique alone-attacker benefit encourages a strategy focused on decisive strikes with targeted strength increases, distinguishing it from other cards that prioritize static abilities or alternative actions.

Cards similar to Cloudreach Cavalry by color, type and mana cost

Voice of the Blessed - MTG Card versions

Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cloudreach Cavalry MTG card by a specific set like Legions, 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 Cloudreach Cavalry and other MTG cards: