Peregrine Griffin MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Griffin
Abilities	First strike,Flying
Released	2011-07-15
Set symbol
Set name	Magic 2012
Set code	M12
Power	2
Toughness	4
Number	29
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Steve Prescott

Key Takeaways

Peregrine Griffin excels at maintaining aerial board control and creating card advantage with its flying ability.
It can be imposing due to its balanced power and toughness, but is limited to white mana decks.
Despite a somewhat high mana cost, it offers versatility and contributes to a meta where fliers dominate.

Text of card

Flying First strike (This creature deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.)

A griffin is not just an eagle's wings and a lion's claws. It is also the fiercest of hearts.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Peregrine Griffin rewards players with a flying creature capable of breaking stalemates or securing aerial dominance. Its ability to stay on the battlefield can help you maintain presence and pressure, indirectly leading to card advantage over opponents struggling to find answers.

Resource Acceleration: By offering a respectable power and toughness ratio for its cost, Peregrine Griffin efficiently utilizes resources. Slotting into decks with mana-accelerating artifacts or enchantments, it accelerates your board state development by providing a significant threat that requires immediate attention from your adversary.

Instant Speed: While the Peregrine Griffin itself isn’t an instant, its synergy with flash-enabling cards can allow for surprise defenses or offensive maneuvers. Placing it on the battlefield at the end of an opponent’s turn can shift the game’s momentum in your favor, utilizing the element of surprise to optimize your resource outlay and strategic planning.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: This bird creature doesn’t demand a card discard, yet decks integrating it might compel you to pitch other valuable cards in order to reliably cast it amidst a competitive environment.

Specific Mana Cost: The Peregrine Griffin card necessitates both white and generic mana, limiting its effectiveness exclusively to decks that are replete with white sources or possess ample mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost requiring four resources, its presence on the battlefield comes relatively late. Moreover, when assessing its power and toughness against other similarly costed creatures, one might find more impactful alternatives.

Reasons to Include Peregrine Griffin in Your Collection

Versatility: Peregrine Griffin brings a level of adaptability to any deck, soaring in flying decks or acting as a solid aerial defender in others. Its ability to take to the skies can bypass ground stalls and offer an offensive edge.

Combo Potential: This card can interact smoothly with strategies that are centered around creatures with flying, or with flicker effects that leverage its enter-the-battlefield trigger to control the board and outmaneuver opponents.

Meta-Relevance: Given that flying creatures always have a place in MTG, including a Peregrine Griffin can be a savvy move. In a meta swamped with ground forces, it serves as a reliable overhead threat that requires an answer from opponents lacking reach or fliers of their own.

How to beat

Peregrine Griffin serves as an agile creature for any MTG deck aiming to establish a presence in the skies. With its ability to fly and decent power and toughness, it can be a challenge to overcome. However, like all cards, there are strategies to mitigate its effectiveness on the battlefield.

To counter Peregrine Griffin, consider using removal spells that can target creatures in the air, such as Murder, which can destroy any creature outright, or Skywhaler’s Shot for a more favorable mana cost and the additional perk of scrying. Another effective tactic is to utilize reach creatures, such as Giant Spider, which can block flying creatures and help maintain control of the board. Ensnaring creatures in a Pacifism enchantment also nullifies the threat without necessitating the destruction of the Griffin.

Ultimately, while Peregrine Griffin can be a formidable force from above, a deck equipped with the right answers is more than capable of grounding it and maintaining dominion over the game.

Cards like Peregrine Griffin

The Peregrine Griffin takes flight in the world of Magic: The Gathering as a versatile creature card. It stands in a realm of flying creatures that command the skies, similar to the likes of Suntail Hawk. Both share the key flying ability, allowing them to soar over ground-based defenses with ease. Yet, what elevates the Peregrine Griffin is its greater power and toughness, ensuring it can survive longer and hit harder in the aerial combat of the game.

Another bird in the flock is the Pegasus Sentry. Much like the Peregrine Griffin, it has the power of flight, yet it is more mana-efficient, enabling a quicker play. On the flip side, the griffin boasts a stronger combat presence, which can be crucial in the later stages of the match. Additionally, we can compare it with War Falcon, which also requires a certain synergy with other card types to be at its best. The Peregrine Griffin, however, stands independently strong and doesn’t rely on other cards to unlock its potential.

In summary, while there are many feathered friends in the skies of Magic: The Gathering, the Peregrine Griffin demonstrates a solid balance between mana cost and combat prowess, making it a reliable choice for any player looking to dominate the aerial battlefield.

Cards similar to Peregrine Griffin by color, type and mana cost

Enduring Angel // Angelic Enforcer - MTG Card versions

Celestial Gatekeeper - MTG Card versions

Kiyomaro, First to Stand - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Peregrine Griffin MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2012, 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 Peregrine Griffin and other MTG cards: