Wind Shear MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant
Released	1997-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Visions
Set code	VIS
Number	125
Frame	1997
Layout	normal
Border	black
Illustred by	John Matson

Key Takeaways

Provides strategic advantage by delaying opponents’ creatures, essential for control decks seeking to outmaneuver opponents.
Requires specific mana and a card discard, presenting a trade-off for its battlefield impact.
Combos effectively with certain deck strategies, enhancing control over opponent’s aerial assaults.

Text of card

All attacking creatures with flying get -2/-2 and lose flying until end of turn.

"As the winds abated, there was a shower of dragonscales, then nothing more." —Azeworai, "The Unruly Wind"

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wind Shear could be a role player in decks where manipulating card efficiency is crucial. Its potential to rebuff an opponent’s creature lineup could offer a temporary yet significant tactical edge, allowing savvy players to draw into more impactful cards or optimize their turns without the pressure of an immediate threat.

Resource Acceleration: Although Wind Shear doesn’t directly offer resource acceleration, it can indirectly contribute to it by disrupting your opponent’s battlefield. Slowing down your opponent can buy you time to develop your mana base and reach critical spells faster, thus accelerating your game plan while hindering theirs.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Wind Shear at instant speed gives players the flexibility to wait until the most strategically advantageous moment. This could be during the opponent’s attack phase to alter combat outcomes, or perhaps in response to an opponent’s spell or ability to mitigate its effects, all while leaving mana available for other potential plays.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Players must discard a card to harness the disruptive capabilities of Wind Shear. This can diminish your hand, making it potentially detrimental if you’re unable to sustain your card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Wind Shear’s casting cost requires both green and blue mana, restricting its inclusivity to decks that support these colors. Decks not tailored to this color combination will find the card impractical.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment for Wind Shear is notable when considering alternative spells in its category. With a casting cost that competes with other impactful four-mana spells, players may find it less attractive due to its situational nature and less immediate board impact.

Reasons to Include Wind Shear in Your Collection

Versatility: Wind Shear offers a crucial defensive mechanism, fitting seamlessly into a variety of decks that might be weak against flying creatures. It’s a reliable sideboard card when expecting opponents with heavy flying tactics.

Combo Potential: This card has potential in decks focusing on creatures with tap abilities, allowing you to control the skies while setting up for your next move. It can combo well with effects that trigger upon creature tapping or untapping, amplifying your defensive strategies.

Meta-Relevance: With flying creatures commonly present in many competitive formats, Wind Shear can be a game-changer. Its ability to keep the skies clear of threats makes it relevant, especially in a meta dominated by winged creatures that could pose a significant challenge to ground-based strategies.

How to beat

Wind Shear is a niche yet potentially potent card within the MTG arsenal. Primarily useful in combat, it can turn the tide by negating the power of flying creatures, shifting the aerial supremacy often sought after in many decks. If you’re facing an opponent utilizing Wind Shear, the key is to diversify your strategies beyond aerial offense. Employing creatures with abilities like reach or simply an array of robust ground forces can undermine the card’s specific utility, rendering it less impactful.

In addition to gameplay strategies, there are also direct answers in your deck that can neutralize Wind Shear’s effects. Counterspells are a straightforward solution, preventing the spell from resolving in the first place. Artifact removal spells can also be decisive since they can directly target the card if it’s an artifact. Alternatively, enchantment removal will help if Wind Shear is an enchantment. Ensuring you have a balanced deck that can adapt to multiple scenarios will invariably give you the upper hand, diminishing the value Wind Shear can provide to your opponent.

Overall, while Wind Shear possesses the potential to disrupt specific game plans, a well-rounded deck and a flexible approach to combat can effectively counteract its influence in the game, allowing you to maintain control of the battlefield.

Cards like Wind Shear

Wind Shear is a notable Magic: The Gathering card that offers players the unique ability to manipulate combat outcomes. When compared to other cards, its closest relatives might be those like Gust Cloak Savior, which also provides ways to alter combat by removing attacking creatures from combat. What sets Wind Shear apart is its ability to affect multiple flying creatures, potentially turning the tide of an aerial assault in your favor.

Another card to consider in conjunction with Wind Shear is Sudden Storm, which taps down creatures and prevents them from untapping during the next untap step, giving a different kind of control over combat scenarios. While Sudden Storm impacts the board immediately and can apply to any creatures, not just flyers, Wind Shear’s strength lies in its specificity and potential to be more disruptive in aerial-focused matchups.

Ultimately, Wind Shear holds its ground in MTG with its specialized control capability. It can be a game-changer in the right scenario, especially in formats where flyers are a common threat. Players who are mindful of the meta can leverage Wind Shear to excellent effect, making it a unique tool in their arsenal.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wind Shear MTG card by a specific set like Visions, 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 Shear and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wind Shear has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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