Ethereal Whiskergill MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Elemental
Abilities	Flying
Released	2007-10-12
Set symbol
Set name	Lorwyn
Set code	LRW
Power	4
Toughness	3
Number	60
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Howard Lyon

Key Takeaways

The card can fill your hand with options, facilitating late-game play and strategy.
Ethereal Whiskergill may accelerate your game by enabling synergies and advancing board state.
It’s adaptable, fitting well in decks that capitalize on instant speed effects.

Text of card

Flying Ethereal Whiskergill can't attack unless defending player controls an Island.

Fallowsages debate whether the whiskergill is native to the Dark Meanders or merely dreamstuff made real.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Ethereal Whiskergill contributes to card advantage by possibly drawing you extra cards when it hits the battlefield or attacks, ensuring that your hand remains full of options for late-game strategies.

Resource Acceleration: If the Ethereal Whiskergill enables certain synergies within your deck, it can act as a form of indirect resource acceleration, helping to put more permanents into play and advancing your board state more rapidly than your opponent.

Instant Speed: While Ethereal Whiskergill itself isn’t an instant, if featured in a deck with flash-enabling effects, playing it at instant speed disrupts opponents by providing surprise blockers or end-of-turn threats, maintaining the element of surprise.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Ethereal Whiskergill comes with a requirement that demands discarding a card, posing a challenge if your hand is already running low on options. This trade-off can sometimes hurt your game by diminishing your available strategies.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Ethereal Whiskergill is color-specific, necessitating a synergistic mana base. This can make it challenging to fit this card into a multi-colored deck, limiting its versatility and potentially affecting deck consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When compared to other creatures of similar power and toughness, Ethereal Whiskergill stands out with a more demanding mana cost. The investment required for this card to hit the battlefield can impede early game momentum and might not align with the tempo of every deck archetype.

Reasons to Include Ethereal Whiskergill in Your Collection

Versatility: Ethereal Whiskergill serves as a strong addition to a wide array of blue-centric decks. Its ability to slot into a deck where flying creatures or evasive maneuvers are valued makes it a flexible card that can be pivoted to suit many strategies.

Combo Potential: This card shines when paired with synergistic pieces that capitalize on its flying ability or when utilized within combos that take advantage of bouncing creatures back to the hand or library. It lays the groundwork for intricate plays that can turn the tide of a game.

Meta-Relevance: With a meta that continuously adapts and evolves, Ethereal Whiskergill holds its own by providing consistent value in environments where controlling the board or the skies is crucial for victory, making it a relevant choice for competitive play.

How to beat

Ethereal Whiskergill presents a unique challenge on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. It’s a creature card that can significantly affect the gameplay with its evasive capabilities. Integral to overcoming Ethereal Whiskergill, it’s key to recognize that keeping land cards in your hand is a tactical nuance. Unlike creatures that can be blocked by those without flying, Ethereal Whiskergill requires thoughtful strategy due to its flying trait.

For a successful strategy, consider utilizing removal spells that can target flying creatures or ones that aren’t restricted by creature abilities. Cards like Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile offer efficient solutions regardless of the creature’s abilities. Additionally, cards that alter the combat dynamics, such as those granting reach or enabling you to deal damage irrespective of flying, can turn the tide in your favor. Cards like Giant Spider or Skywhaler’s Shot could provide significant advantage against airborne threats like Ethereal Whiskergill.

At its essence, dealing with Ethereal Whiskergill comes down to preparation and inclusion of versatile removals or counters in your deck. Proper anticipation and strategic deck-building can neutralize the challenges posed by such evasive creatures, preserving your chances of victory on the planes of Magic: The Gathering.

Cards like Ethereal Whiskergill

Ethereal Whiskergill is a unique creature card in the MTG universe with its own set of capabilities that set the stage for dynamic gameplay. When considering Ethereal Whiskergill’s ability to be unblockable as long as an opponent controls a blue permanent, it’s reminiscent of cards like Triton Shorestalker. Though the Shorestalker is perpetually unblockable, it lacks the conditional powerhouse effect that Ethereal Whiskergill wields.

Another card worthy of comparison is Mist-Cloaked Herald. Much like Triton Shorestalker, Mist-Cloaked Herald holds the same consistent unblockable quality. However, it doesn’t interact with the opponents’ permanent colors, thereby missing on the tactical advantage that could be leveraged from Ethereal Whiskergill’s specific requirement.

Comparing it to Tidal Warrior also illustrates design variations. Tidal Warrior has the utility to turn an opponent’s land into an Island, potentially enabling Ethereal Whiskergill’s unblockability indirectly. Nevertheless, Ethereal Whiskergill stands out due to its inherent evasion skill, which, with the right strategy, turns it into a formidable force on the aquatic battlefield of MTG.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ethereal Whiskergill MTG card by a specific set like Lorwyn, 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 Ethereal Whiskergill and other MTG cards: