Zephyr Net MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	2007-10-12
Set symbol
Set name	Lorwyn
Set code	LRW
Number	98
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Heather Hudson

Key Takeaways

Zephyr Net grants tactical advantage through combat interference, increasing creature survivability on board.
Instant speed enhances flexibility, challenging opponents to tackle unforeseen combat phase disruptions.
Despite its upsides, the discard requirement and blue mana specificity may limit its versatility in some decks.

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature has defender and flying.

Faeries hang beings that interest them as ornaments in the sky, each clique competing to outshine the prize of the last.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When you play Zephyr Net, it offers the tactical benefit of temporarily removing an opponent’s creature from combat. This can indirectly lead to card advantage, as your creatures are more likely to survive the confrontation, preserving your resources on the board for future turns.

Resource Acceleration: Although Zephyr Net doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration like a ramp spell would, the proactive use of it can safeguard your key creatures. This protection allows you to accelerate your game plan without the setback of losing crucial board presence to an unforeseen blocker.

Instant Speed: The power of Zephyr Net is amplified by its instant speed, giving you the flexibility to disrupt the combat phase on your opponent’s turn. This flexibility can force your opponent into difficult decisions, potentially causing them to misplay as they attempt to navigate around your open mana and the threat of a well-timed Zephyr Net.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To cast Zephyr Net, a player must discard a card, which can be a considerable setback when running low on hand options. This additional cost can force players to make challenging decisions about resource allocation, especially in tight games where every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Zephyr Net’s mana cost is specific to blue, demanding a certain deck composition to utilize effectively. Decks that do not run blue mana sources or have a limited amount might struggle to integrate this card into their strategies, potentially causing it to be a dead card in hand in non-blue matchups.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that may be deemed high for its effect, Zephyr Net can be a less desirable option compared to other cards that provide similar utility at a lower mana cost. Players might find other cards more cost-effective for controlling the battlefield or addressing threats from opponents.

Reasons to Include Zephyr Net in Your Collection

Versatility: Zephyr Net is a flexible option in blue control or tempo decks, providing a reliable way to neutralize threats or enable favorable attacks. It’s an effective tool for handling opponents’ creatures, especially in Limited formats or as a sideboard card in Constructed play.

Combo Potential: The synergy with cards that reward you for tapping or untapping creatures can be a game-changer. Zephyr Net can integrate into combos that manipulate the state of creatures, either for repeatable effects or to clear a path for your win conditions.

Meta-Relevance: The card’s ability to temporarily sideline popular creatures in the meta can help tip the scales in your favor. In an environment where creature-based strategies are prevalent, having Zephyr Net in your collection means you’re prepared to face a wide array of decks.

How to beat

Zephyr Net is a unique card that comes into play in specific scenarios during a Magic: The Gathering match. It sees its main use as a defensive trick, designed to prevent a creature from dealing damage for a turn. To effectively counter this spell, consider using creatures with the ability to untap themselves, therefore negating the effect of Zephyr Net. Additionally, cards with flash can be a great asset, allowing you to play your creatures on your opponent’s turn after they have cast Zephyr Net.

Alternatively, incorporating strategies that focus on non-combat damage or creature abilities that don’t rely on attacking can circumvent Zephyr Net’s purpose. Direct damage spells or creatures with tap abilities effectively bypass Zephyr Net, as their value does not solely depend on combat.

Given these insights, while Zephyr Net can provide a temporary respite for your opponent, adapting your strategy to include versatile tactics, active ability creatures, or instant-speed plays can ensure that Zephyr Net doesn’t become a major obstacle to your path to victory in the game.

Cards like Zephyr Net

Zephyr Net is an interesting piece in the landscape of Magic: The Gathering’s creature control arsenal. It parallels with cards like Gust of Wind, which not only bounces a creature to its owner’s hand but also allows for card draw if you control a non-Human creature. Zephyr Net, however, solely focuses on preventing a creature from blocking and draws a card at a lower cost without additional conditions.

Another competitor in this realm is Unsummon, a classic card that simply returns a target creature to its owner’s hand without the card draw, offering a clean and straightforward answer to an immediate threat. But, unlike Zephyr Net, Unsummon doesn’t offer the card advantage that can be crucial in tight situations. Then there’s also the card Capture Sphere, which incapacitates a creature completely by tapping it and preventing it from untapping during its controller’s untap step. This effect is more lasting compared to Zephyr Net’s temporary block prevention.

While assessing their strategic impacts on gameplay, Zephyr Net’s ability to prevent a creature from disrupting your attack, combined with card draw, indeed claims its unique position within Magic: The Gathering’s diverse suite of control cards.

Cards similar to Zephyr Net by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Zephyr Net 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 Zephyr Net and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Zephyr Net has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal