High flying
| High Flying | |
|---|---|
| Mechanic | |
| Introduced | Mirage |
| Last used | Innistrad: Crimson Vow |
| Statistics |
36 cards  83.3%  5.6%  2.8%  5.6%  2.8% |
| Scryfall Search | |
| fulloracle:"can block only creatures with 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
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
- 1/1: Cloud Pirates, Cloud Sprite
- Cloudseeder — Normal Flying itself but can create token of Cloud Sprite that has high flying.
- 2/1: Tattered Haunter, Vaporkin, Welkin Tern, Novellamental (silver-bordered)
- 2/2: Belbe's Percher
- Stormbound Geist — Undying
- Battlefield Percher —
: +1/+1 until end of turn. - Shacklegeist — Tap two untapped Spirits you control: tap target creature you don't control.
- 2/3: Cloud Elemental, Wanderlight Spirit , Scrapskin Drake
- 3/1: Cloud Spirit, Skywinder Drake, Rishadan Airship
- Departed Soulkeeper — Disturb side of Devoted Grafkeeper
- Brazen Borrower — Flash; Adventure: Return target nonland permanent an opponent controls to its owner's hand.
- 3/2:
- Ascending Aven — Morph
- Cipherbound Spirit —
: Draw two cards, then discard a card. Transformed side ofSoulcipher Board - Rishadan Brigand — When Rishadan Brigand enters the battlefield, each opponent sacrifices a permanent unless he or she pays .
- Ascending Aven — Morph
- 3/3: Hoverguard Observer, Stronghold Zeppelin
- Dreamcaller Siren — Flash; When Dreamcaller Siren enters the battlefield, if you control another Pirate, tap up to two target nonland permanents.
- Stormcloud Djinn — : +2/+0 until end of turn and deals 1 damage to you.
- 4/3: Long-Finned Skywhale
- 4/4: Stratozeppelid
- 5/4: Cloud Djinn, Cloud Dragon
Enchantments
- Air Bladder — Aura
- Chaosphere — World; nonflying creatures gain Reach
- Dense Canopy
- Ominous Roost — Creates 1/1 Bird tokens with high flying
- Stratus Walk — Aura; When Stratus Walk enters the battlefield, draw a card.
High reach
One card does not have flying but has reach instead.
References
- ↑ 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.