Quickling MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Faerie Rogue
Abilities Flying, Flash
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Quickling offers significant card advantage by reusing enter-the-battlefield effects or evading removal.
  2. Its flash ability enables surprise moves and adaptability during the opponent’s turn.
  3. Despite some drawbacks, Quickling’s versatility makes it a strong candidate for various deck types.
Flash card art

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.) Flying When Quickling enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you return another creature you control to its owner's hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Quickling shines in strategies that seek to maximize card advantage. With its ability to bounce another creature to your hand upon entry, it serves as a fantastic tool for reusing enter-the-battlefield effects or saving key creatures from removal.

Resource Acceleration: Although Quickling doesn’t directly generate mana, its low casting cost combined with its bounce ability can accelerate your resource utilization. Effective use of Quickling can lead to a tempo gain by reusing your own creatures with valuable effects or resetting resources for a bigger play.

Instant Speed: Quickling’s flash ability sets it apart, allowing players to deploy it at instant speed. This flexibility means you can make moves during your opponent’s turn, keeping your options wide open. Flash also enables surprise blocks or the ability to respond to removal, making Quickling a versatile inclusion in any deck that values timing and adaptability.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Quickling requires you to return another creature you control to your hand to cast it. In situations where your board presence is crucial, this effect can set you back, acting more as a detriment rather than an advantage, especially when you’re already behind.

Specific Mana Cost: Quickling has a mana cost that demands both blue mana specifically. This requirement can potentially restrict its integration into multi-colored decks that might not always have the necessary blue mana sources available at the right time.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a 2/2 body for two mana, Quickling’s stats are not exceptional. Considering that more competitively costed creatures exist which offer similar or enhanced abilities without forcing you to bounce another creature, Quickling’s mana cost seems a tad high for the effect it provides.


Reasons to Include Quickling in Your Collection

Versatility: Quickling offers flexibility in deck building due to its flash ability, enabling you to surprise opponents or save another creature by returning it to your hand. Its applications span multiple archetypes that value tempo or instant-speed interactions.

Combo Potential: Quickling’s ability to bounce another creature you control to your hand makes it a synergistic piece in decks that capitalize on enter-the-battlefield effects or require specific creature combinations to execute powerful combos.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where fast-paced aggro decks or decks reliant on targeted removal are prevalent, Quickling serves as an excellent addition. It can disrupt opponent’s plans while developing your board presence and maintaining card advantage.


How to Beat Quickling in Your Games

Quickling is a unique card that can add a twist to any Magic: The Gathering game. As a creature card that offers both flash and the ability to return another creature you control to your hand, it serves as a valuable tool for deck strategies centered around evasion or reusing enter-the-battlefield effects. However, there are several strategies you can employ to neutralize the advantages that Quickling provides.

One effective approach is to limit the targets Quickling can bounce by using spot removal spells on key creatures before Quickling is cast. This not only makes Quickling less impactful but can also strain your opponent’s resources and tempo. Countermeasures like Torpor Orb can also be integral, as this artifact negates the enter-the-battlefield abilities that Quickling may aim to exploit. Additionally, instant-speed removal or counterspells can disrupt Quickling’s flash play, forcing it onto the battlefield without protection. Lastly, cards that restrict casting or summoning can prevent Quickling from being played altogether, allowing you to maintain dominance on the board.

By understanding Quickling’s strengths and carefully managing your responses, you can effectively mitigate this card’s potential and maintain control in your Magic: The Gathering matches.


Cards like Quickling

The allure of Quickling lies in its dynamic playstyle within the Magic: The Gathering realm. Closely akin to cards like Faerie Impostor and Cloudshift, Quickling engages players in strategic creature repositioning. Faerie Impostor, while sharing the faerie type with Quickling, requires the immediate return of another creature upon entry. Yet, unlike Quickling, it does not offer flash, placing a limit on its flexibility.

Cloudshift, though not a creature, warrants comparison for its instantaneous creature flicker effect, allowing for immediate evasion or abuse of enter-the-battlefield triggers. However, it falls short in providing a solid body for board presence, a gap that Quickling fills adeptly. Speaking of board influence, the notorious Spellstutter Sprite also deserves mention. As another faerie, it introduces a countering ability upon entering the battlefield. While it doesn’t have the bounce-back mechanism of Quickling, its proactive interruption of an opponent’s play can be equally valuable.

To encapsulate, in the panorama of MTG’s vast library, Quickling offers a unique blend of tempo and tactical retreat, making it an intriguing choice for decks that value instant-speed interaction and the opportunity to reuse creature-based abilities.

Faerie Impostor - MTG Card versions
Cloudshift - MTG Card versions
Spellstutter Sprite - MTG Card versions
Faerie Impostor - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Cloudshift - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Spellstutter Sprite - Lorwyn (LRW)

Cards similar to Quickling by color, type and mana cost

Vodalian Soldiers - MTG Card versions
Zephyr Falcon - MTG Card versions
Lord of Atlantis - MTG Card versions
Giant Albatross - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Sphere - MTG Card versions
Soldevi Sage - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Condor - MTG Card versions
School of Piranha - MTG Card versions
Coral Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Wu Light Cavalry - MTG Card versions
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Overtaker - MTG Card versions
Hazy Homunculus - MTG Card versions
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Thought Eater - MTG Card versions
Spellstutter Sprite - MTG Card versions
Sneaky Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Coral Eel - MTG Card versions
Storm Crow - MTG Card versions
Aquamoeba - MTG Card versions
Vodalian Soldiers - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Zephyr Falcon - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Lord of Atlantis - Wizards Play Network 2024 (PW24)
Giant Albatross - Homelands (HML)
Phantasmal Sphere - Alliances (ALL)
Soldevi Sage - Alliances (ALL)
Skyshroud Condor - Tempest (TMP)
School of Piranha - Exodus (EXO)
Coral Merfolk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Wu Light Cavalry - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Sea Eagle - Starter 1999 (S99)
Overtaker - Mercadian Masques Promos (PMMQ)
Hazy Homunculus - Prophecy (PCY)
Darting Merfolk - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Thought Eater - Odyssey (ODY)
Spellstutter Sprite - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Sneaky Homunculus - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Coral Eel - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Storm Crow - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Aquamoeba - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Quickling MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2015 and Wilds of Eldraine Commander, 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 Quickling and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Quickling Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2014-07-18 and 2023-09-08. Illustrated by Clint Cearley.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12014-07-18Magic 2015M15 762015normalblackClint Cearley
22023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine CommanderWOC 1032015normalblackClint Cearley

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Quickling has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Quickling card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2014-07-18 If you control no other creatures when the enters-the-battlefield ability resolves, you must sacrifice Quickling.

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