Wind Dancer MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Faerie
Abilities Flying
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Wind Dancer’s ability enables better top library control for strategic draws essential for gameplay.
  2. Instant speed usage offers tactical advantage by responding to opponents or preparing draws.
  3. The card’s specific mana cost and requirement can limit its versatility in some decks.

Text of card

Flying oc T: Target creature gains flying until end of turn.

"Flying like a bird does not make you as free as one." —Volrath


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wind Dancer is skilled at manipulating the top card of your library. This subtle form of card advantage means you’re more likely to draw what you need, when you need it, shaping the quality rather than the quantity of your hand.

Resource Acceleration: While Wind Dancer doesn’t directly produce additional mana, her ability to reorder your library can facilitate smoother draws. This, in turn, can lead to more efficient resource use and acceleration as you execute a more consistent game plan.

Instant Speed: The power harnessed by Wind Dancer is the capability to use her ability at instant speed. This allows strategic depth, giving you the flexibility to respond to opponent’s moves or to surprise them by setting up your next draw just before your turn begins.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Wind Dancer card necessitates the discarding of another card to activate certain abilities. This could diminish your hand, making it less optimal when you’re trying to maintain card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Wind Dancer’s casting cost requires a mix of generic and specific mana, constraining it to decks that can generate the necessary mana combination without disrupting their mana curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating Wind Dancer’s mana expenditure in relation to its abilities, the card comes across as less favorable. Its cost may be high compared to other creatures or spells that offer similar or more influential effects on the gameplay with a lower mana investment.


Reasons to Include Wind Dancer in Your Collection

Versatility: Wind Dancer offers flexibility in deck building due to its ability to fit into various deck archetypes. Its low mana cost and flying ability make it a suitable choice for tempo and aggro strategies alike.

Combo Potential: This card can work well with strategies that utilize creatures with tap abilities, as it helps control combat dynamics by adjusting the flying capability of different creatures each turn.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where evasion is key, Wind Dancer’s ability to give or take away flying can disrupt opponent strategies, making it a relevant addition to any collection.


How to Beat Wind Dancer

Wind Dancer is a unique card in MTG that may catch many players by surprise, given its ability to control combat scenarios. This card shines by allowing the player to choose how their opponents’ creatures attack each turn. When you’re facing Wind Dancer, the key is to dismantle this control. One way to do this is by using removal spells such as Doom Blade or Path to Exile, which can effectively dispatch the Wind Dancer before its influence spreads on the battlefield.

Moreover, utilizing abilities that don’t target, like those granting mass -1/-1 to all creatures until end of turn, can circumvent Wind Dancer’s influence without triggering potential protections. Cards that change the rules of combat, like Silent Arbiter, can also limit Wind Dancer’s impact by constraining how many creatures can attack or block. Additionally, since Wind Dancer creates a subtle yet powerful defensive advantage, consider employing unblockable creatures or direct damage spells to bypass its control over combat and strike directly at your opponent.

Ultimately, overcoming the challenge of Wind Dancer requires a mix of strategic removal, clever combat tactic adjustments, and direct threats to your opponent’s life total.


Cards like Wind Dancer

The alluring Wind Dancer card stands out in the realm of creature control in Magic the Gathering. Resembling cards like Gustcloak Savior, which also offers the ability to protect and optimize your creatures’ combat steps, the Wind Dancer differs in its subtle approach. It gracefully taps to alter creature combat without requiring the creature to attack or block like the Gustcloak Savior does.

Another card worthy of comparison is the Galvanic Alchemist. Although it doesn’t interact directly with combat, it permits the untapping of creatures, which can be pertinent in conjunction with Wind Dancer for multiple activations. Yet, it lacks the direct battlefield influence that Wind Dancer possesses, instead opening avenues for combo potential in a deck.

In essence, the Wind Dancer carves a niche for itself among MTG creature-control options. With its modest mana cost and reusable combat manipulation, it offers a distinct advantage in tactical gameplay that is both subtle and effective, placing it in solid standing when considering its alternatives.

Gustcloak Savior - MTG Card versions
Galvanic Alchemist - MTG Card versions
Gustcloak Savior - Onslaught (ONS)
Galvanic Alchemist - Avacyn Restored (AVR)

Cards similar to Wind Dancer by color, type and mana cost

Vodalian Soldiers - MTG Card versions
Zephyr Falcon - MTG Card versions
Giant Albatross - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Sphere - 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
Sea Eagle - MTG Card versions
Overtaker - MTG Card versions
Hazy Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Darting Merfolk - MTG Card versions
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
Soratami Cloudskater - MTG Card versions
Minamo Sightbender - MTG Card versions
Vodalian Soldiers - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Zephyr Falcon - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Giant Albatross - Homelands (HML)
Phantasmal Sphere - 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)
Soratami Cloudskater - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Minamo Sightbender - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wind Dancer MTG card by a specific set like Tempest and Seventh Edition, 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 Wind Dancer and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Wind Dancer Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 1997-10-14 and 2015-05-06. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11997-10-14TempestTMP 1041997normalblackSusan Van Camp
22001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 1131997normalwhiteRob Alexander
32001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 113★1997normalblackRob Alexander
42014-06-06ConspiracyCNS 1112003normalblackCynthia Sheppard
52015-05-06Tempest RemasteredTPR 802015normalblackSusan Van Camp

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wind Dancer has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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