Tine Shrike MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Phyrexian Bird
Abilities	Flying,Infect
Released	2011-02-04
Set symbol
Set name	Mirrodin Besieged
Set code	MBS
Power	2
Toughness	1
Number	17
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Adrian Smith

Key Takeaways

Tine Shrike’s infect mechanic offers a non-traditional route to victory, pressuring opponents differently than regular damage.
It poses a challenge to diverse MTG strategies due to specific mana needs and potential card disadvantage.
Despite its cons, Tine Shrike’s versatility makes it a substantial threat with the right deck synergy and meta.

Text of card

Flying Infect (This creature deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.)

A new bird of prey—one that hunts sentience.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tine Shrike’s infect ability can be instrumental in skewing the balance of power, potentially leading to a game state that limits your opponent’s options while advancing your own win condition without the need to draw additional cards.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly influencing mana, Tine Shrike can be pivotal in aggressive strategies, quickly reducing an opponent’s life total through poison counters and effectively accelerating the pace at which you close out the game.

Instant Speed: Tine Shrike itself doesn’t have instant speed; however, it pairs well with spells that you can cast at instant speed to surprise opponents with sudden, unblockable damage, or to save Tine Shrike from removal in a pinch.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Tine Shrike necessitates discarding a card in order to activate certain abilities. This can be particularly taxing when you find yourself with limited cards in hand, ultimately forcing you to make inconvenient trade-offs.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s cost is oriented around a specific combination of mana, which may not be feasible for every deck. Players running multicolor decks could encounter difficulties seamlessly fitting Tine Shrike into their strategies due to its demanding mana requirements.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Decks that aim for peak efficiency might find the mana cost to get Tine Shrike on the field somewhat steep. As players scout for cards that give the best value, Tine Shrike’s mana investment could be seen as excessive when compared to alternatives available in the format.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Tine Shrike’s abilities grant it great flexibility on the battlefield. Its infect quality allows it to deal damage in the form of -1/-1 counters, making it a meaningful addition to decks that aim to win through alternative means.

Combo Potential: With the infect mechanic, Tine Shrike pairs well with cards that increase power or grant additional combat phases, enabling you to accelerate the poisoning of your opponents. A single unblocked attack can become a significant threat when combined with the right synergies.

Meta-Relevance: Given the emphasis on creature-based combat in many metas, Tine Shrike serves a specific role in countering life-gain strategies and ensuring that damage remains permanent in the form of poison counters. Its presence can shift opponent’s strategies, giving you a psychological edge.

How to beat

Tine Shrike presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its Infect ability, which can turn the tide of a game in Magic: The Gathering. Unlike traditional combat damage, Infect deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters, which can lead to a swift defeat if not checked.

To counter this menacing creature, strategic use of removal spells is key. Spells like Doom Blade or Path to Exile can remove Tine Shrike before it has a chance to accumulate valuable poison counters on the player. It’s also important to maintain a line of defense with creatures that can either block or outclass Tine Shrike in combat.

Enhancing your deck with spells that grant your creatures protection from artifacts or grant hexproof can also serve as a shield against Infect strategies. Furthermore, because Tine Shrike lacks evasion abilities such as flying or trample, it can often be blocked by creatures to prevent it from dealing Infect damage. Keeping these strategies in mind will help ensure Tine Shrike doesn’t conquer your life total with its lethal ability.

Cards like Tine Shrike

Tine Shrike presents an attractive choice within the pool of infect creatures in Magic: The Gathering. It bears comparison to cards like Plague Myr, which not only carries infect but also serves as a mana dork. Tine Shrike stands out with its unique combination of flying and infect, providing a tactical advantage in evasion over Plague Myr that lacks the flying trait.

In the same category, we have Ichorclaw Myr which shares the infect attribute with Tine Shrike. Ichorclaw Myr, while not flying, has the ability to become more formidable when blocked thanks to its inherent ability to get a power boost. Tine Shrike foregoes this offensive adaptability for a consistent evasion ability, which can be critical in certain matchups.

When compared with Tine Shrike, another card that warrants mention is the Blighted Agent. This card, a staple in many infect decks, shares the unblockable nature of evasion rather than flying. While Tine Shrike benefits from flying and can block other flying creatures, Blighted Agent is guaranteed to go unblocked except by those with specific defenses against unblockable creatures.

Assessing these infect-empowered cards, Tine Shrike proudly secures its niche in Magic: The Gathering with its blend of airborne offense and potent infect capability.

Cards similar to Tine Shrike by color, type and mana cost

Coalition Honor Guard - MTG Card versions

Mangara, the Diplomat - MTG Card versions

Cho-Manno, Revolutionary - MTG Card versions

Sunspire Gatekeepers - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tine Shrike MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin Besieged, 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 Tine Shrike and other MTG cards: