The Skies Belong To: Unveiling the Color with the Most Flying in Magic: The Gathering

The color that boasts the most flying creatures in Magic: The Gathering is blue. While other colors certainly have their share of winged wonders, blue’s strategic identity is intrinsically linked to the aerial domain, granting it a significant lead in both the sheer number of flying creatures and the proportion of creatures within the color that possess flying.

A Deeper Dive into Flying and the Color Pie

Flying is a powerful keyword ability in MTG that allows creatures to bypass ground-based blockers, attacking directly and providing a significant advantage in both offensive and defensive strategies. The prevalence of flying within each color reveals crucial aspects of that color’s philosophy and gameplay.

Blue’s Aerial Supremacy

Blue’s dominance in the skies is no accident. It’s a reflection of the color’s core themes of knowledge, control, and manipulation. Flying allows blue to maintain a strategic overview of the battlefield, to select targets with precision, and to evade threats with ease.

• Number and Percentage: Blue not only has a vast number of creatures with flying, but also a comparatively high percentage of its creature base possessing the ability. This makes flying a key element of many blue-based strategies.

• Granting Flying: Beyond simply having flying creatures, blue is adept at granting flying to other creatures through spells and enchantments, further solidifying its aerial control.

• Synergies: Blue often features cards that reward players for having creatures with flying, creating powerful synergies and strategies centered around aerial combat.

White’s Winged Guardians

White is the clear second contender for aerial prowess. While it doesn’t have quite the same volume as blue, white’s flying creatures often embody its themes of order, protection, and vigilance.

• Angels: White is particularly known for its iconic angels, many of whom possess flying and other powerful abilities, making them formidable threats and defensive bulwarks.

• Tactical Advantage: White’s flying creatures often provide a tactical advantage through abilities like vigilance, life link, and first strike, reinforcing white’s focus on strategic combat.

Black, Red, and Green’s Limited Flight

While blue and white dominate the skies, black, red, and green each have a more limited presence in the aerial domain, often reflecting different aspects of their color philosophies.

• Black’s Demonic Flight: Black’s flying creatures often lean towards the demonic, embodying themes of aggression, corruption, and power at a cost.

• Red’s Hasty Assault: Red’s flying creatures tend to be aggressive and fast, reflecting the color’s focus on impulsivity and direct damage. Dragons are a prime example.

• Green’s Grounded Nature: Green generally avoids flying, emphasizing its connection to the earth and its preference for strength, growth, and natural harmony. However, green is excellent at eliminating flying threats.

FAQs: Expanding Your Knowledge of Flying in MTG

1. Why is blue so dominant in flying?

Blue represents intellect and strategy, and flying provides a tactical advantage that aligns perfectly with its core themes. Flying creatures allow blue to control the board, evade threats, and selectively engage in combat.

2. Does white ever surpass blue in flying in specific sets or formats?

While theoretically possible, it is highly unlikely. Blue is designed to have more flying than any other color.

3. What are some examples of blue cards that grant flying to other creatures?

Notable examples include Wing Shards, Levitation, and various auras and enchantments that provide flying to enchanted creatures.

4. Which color is best at destroying flying creatures?

Green is undeniably the best color for dealing with flying creatures. Spells like Hurricane, Plummet, and Windstorm are specifically designed to eliminate aerial threats.

5. Why does green generally avoid having many flying creatures?

Green embodies nature, growth, and a grounded connection to the earth. Flying doesn’t align with these core themes, as green prefers to dominate the battlefield with powerful ground-based creatures and natural magic.

6. Are there any exceptions to the rule that green rarely has flying creatures?

Yes, there are exceptions, though they are relatively rare. These typically involve creatures that represent natural phenomena, like birds or insects, or those that have been corrupted or transformed.

7. How does black use flying creatures differently than blue or white?

Black’s flying creatures often embody themes of aggression and domination, using flying to strike fear into opponents and to overcome resistance. They may also have abilities that involve sacrificing other creatures or paying life for power.

8. Is flying always a strong ability in Magic: The Gathering?

While generally strong, the value of flying depends on the specific format, the prevalence of other flying creatures, and the availability of removal spells that target flying creatures.

9. What is the best way to counter a deck that heavily relies on flying creatures?

Include a mix of removal spells that can target flying creatures, as well as creatures with reach or other abilities that allow them to block flying attackers.

10. How has the prevalence of flying changed throughout Magic’s history?

While the core distribution of flying across colors has remained relatively consistent, the power level and synergies associated with flying have evolved over time, with new cards and mechanics introducing new ways to utilize and counter flying strategies.

11. Does colorless have access to flying creatures?

Yes, artifacts (which are often colorless) can have flying. Some notable examples of colorless flying creatures include certain Eldrazi and artifact creatures.

12. What color combinations synergize well with flying strategies?

Blue-white (Azorius) is a classic combination for flying strategies, combining blue’s control and card draw with white’s defensive capabilities and powerful flying creatures. Black-white (Orzhov) also has access to flying and lifelink, making it a formidable combination.

13. What are some examples of cards that care about flying?

Cards like Thunderclap Wyvern and Empyrean Eagle benefit from having flying creatures.

14. How does reach interact with flying?

Creatures with reach can block creatures with flying, nullifying their evasion advantage.

15. Where can I learn more about Magic: The Gathering strategies and color pie?

There are many excellent resources available online, including the official Magic: The Gathering website and various community forums and content creators. Also, consider exploring the resources offered by the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org to understand how games like MTG can be used for educational purposes.

Conclusion

In the vast, strategic world of Magic: The Gathering, the skies are undeniably ruled by blue. Its abundance of flying creatures, combined with its ability to grant flying to others, establishes blue as the undisputed champion of the aerial domain. While other colors offer their own unique takes on flying, none can match blue’s comprehensive control and dominance of the skies.