High flying
| High Flying | |
|---|---|
| Mechanic | |
| Introduced | Mirage |
| Last Used | Core Set 2021 |
| Statistics |
32 cards 84.4%  6.3%  3.1%  6.3% |
| Scryfall Search | |
| oracle:"High Flying" | |
High flying is a slang term used to describe the combination of flying with the drawback of only being able to block other creatures with flying.[1]
Description[edit | edit source]
While the term is in use both among players and R&D, the combination is not keyworded, and is not expected to become so.[2][3] It is primary in blue.[4]
The blocking restriction was first printed on Mirage's Chaosphere, a world enchantment that restricted all flying creatures to high flying instead. The first creatures printed with the downside were released in Portal and Weatherlight. Because it combines an evasion ability with a matching blocking restriction, it is functionally similar to shadow, and creatures with high flying generally cost less than a creature with only flying.
Creatures[edit | edit source]
- Ascending Aven (3/2) — Morph
- Battlefield Percher (2/2) —
: +1/+1 until end of turn. - Belbe's Percher (2/2)
- Brazen Borrower (3/1) — Flash; Adventure: Return target nonland permanent an opponent controls to its owner's hand.
- Cloud Djinn (5/4)
- Cloud Dragon (5/4) — Functional reprint of Cloud Djinn except for creature type.
- Cloud Elemental (2/3)
- Cloud Pirates (1/1)
- Cloudseeder (1/1) — Flying itself but can create token of Cloud Sprite with high flying.
- Cloud Spirit (3/1)
- Cloud Sprite (1/1) — Functional reprint of Cloud Pirates except for creature type.
- Dreamcaller Siren (3/3) — Flash; When Dreamcaller Siren enters the battlefield, if you control another Pirate, tap up to two target nonland permanents.
- Hoverguard Observer (3/3) — Functional reprint of Stronghold Zeppelin except for creature type.
- Long-Finned Skywhale (4/3)
- Novellamental (2/1) — Functional reprint of Welkin Tern except for creature type (silver-bordered).
- Rishadan Airship (3/1) — Functional reprint of Cloud Spirit except for creature type.
- Rishadan Brigand (3/2) — When Rishadan Brigand enters the battlefield, each opponent sacrifices a permanent unless he or she pays
. - Scrapskin Drake (2/3) — Functional reprint of Cloud Elemental except for creature type.
- Shacklegeist (2/2) — Tap two untapped Spirits you control: tap target creature you don't control.
- Skywinder Drake (3/1) — Functional reprint of Cloud Spirit except for creature type.
- Stormbound Geist (2/2) — Undying
- Stormcloud Djinn (3/3) — : +2/+0 until end of turn and deals 1 damage to you.
- Stratozeppelid (4/4)
- Stronghold Zeppelin (3/3)
- Tattered Haunter (2/1) — Functional reprint of Welkin Tern except for creature type.
- Vaporkin (2/1) — Functional reprint of Welkin Tern except for creature type.
- Welkin Tern (2/1)
Enchantments[edit | edit source]
- Air Bladder — Aura
- Chaosphere — World
- Dense Canopy — Aura
- Stratus Walk — Aura; When Stratus Walk enters the battlefield, draw a card.
High reach[edit | edit source]
One card does not have flying but has reach instead.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (November 7, 2016). "A Few More Words from R&D". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 21, 2015). "Why are cards like Cloud Flyer and Welkin Tern...". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 16, 2012). "Are there any mechanics that are on the fringe of being evergreen?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 22, 2016). "Gloomwidow is the first non-blue creature since Nemesis to have "can block only creatures with flying".". Blogatog. Tumblr.
