Grazing Whiptail MTG Card


Gives decks a defensive edge against flyers, filling a specific role without the need for additional spells. Restricts deck-building flexibility due to specific green mana requirements and might not suit fast-paced strategies. Its adaptability in combating flyer-heavy metas and Dinosaur-type synergies make it a worthwhile collection addition.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Dinosaur
Abilities Reach
Power 3
Toughness 4

Text of card

Reach

Often found browsing on the upper canopies of Ixalan's jungles, whiptails are known to absently bat away anything foolish enough to interrupt their meal.


Cards like Grazing Whiptail

Grazing Whiptail, a creature card from the world of Magic: The Gathering, is often compared to other creatures that bring a combination of decent power, toughness, and reach. This card specifically, a dinosaur with 3/4 stats, stands as a solid blocker against flying creatures thanks to its reach ability. In its realm, cards like Giant Spider share this characteristic. The Spider, although slightly weaker in power, is a long-standing defender with reach and also poses a threat to creatures in the air.

Looking further, Penumbra Spider enters the conversation. It not only has reach but brings a 2/4 body to the battlefield that creates a black Spider creature token with reach upon death, hence providing a recurring defensive wall. While Grazing Whiptail doesn’t offer this kind of resilience, its higher power sometimes gives it the edge in offensive scenarios.

Summarizing, Grazing Whiptail competes well in a niche of creatures within Magic: The Gathering that offer aerial defense while maintaining offensive capabilities. Balancing power, toughness, and functional abilities, it becomes a clear choice for many green decks looking to enhance their creature lineup against flyers without investing in high-cost cards.

Giant Spider - MTG Card versions
Penumbra Spider - MTG Card versions
Giant Spider - MTG Card versions
Penumbra Spider - MTG Card versions

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Grazing Whiptail’s unique ability as a creature to deal with flying threats helps preserve your hand by not requiring additional cards to handle evasive enemies.

Resource Acceleration: This card isn’t directly responsible for resource acceleration, but its presence on the battlefield can indirectly lead to better control over the game’s pace, helping you to efficiently manage your resources.

Instant Speed: While Grazing Whiptail itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its reach attribute allows it to be a deterrent during the opponent’s turn, giving it the utility similar to an instant by being able to block flying creatures anytime they attack.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Grazing Whiptail requires a specific mana alignment with two green mana in its casting cost, restricting its inclusion to green-centric or two-color decks that can reliably produce green mana.

Discard Requirement: While Grazing Whiptail does not directly require you to discard cards, if you’re playing a deck with specific mana requirements, having it stuck in your hand could indirectly lead to discarding other valuable cards for a more immediate play.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a four mana total cost, which is on the higher side for its 3/4 body and reach ability, there may be more cost-efficient creatures available that could fit better in a deck optimized for speed or one that demands early board presence.


Reasons to Include Grazing Whiptail in Your Collection

Versatility: Grazing Whiptail’s ability to reach through the skies makes it an adaptable addition to decks struggling with flyer-heavy strategies, providing a solid blocker or attacker when needed.

Combo Potential: This creature can be combined with cards that benefit from creatures with reach or those that synergize with its Dinosaur typing, offering interesting interactions and enhancements in certain deck builds.

Meta-Relevance: As metagames shift, if aerial threats become prevalent, the inclusion of Grazing Whiptail offers an immediate answer, ensuring your deck remains competitive and balanced against flying-centric tactics.


How to beat

Grazing Whiptail presents a unique challenge on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This creature card distinguishes itself with its reach ability, enabling it to block flying creatures, a trait that can be a real nuisance for those leveraging an aerial strategy. Its hefty three toughness also means it can often survive clashes with common airborne threats.

To effectively handle Grazing Whiptail, it’s advisable to use removal spells that can bypass its reach ability. Direct damage spells that deal at least three damage, such as Lightning Strike or Shock, can eliminate the Whiptail without it becoming an obstacle in combat. Targeted removal like Murder or Cast Down are also efficient tools in removing the pesky dinosaur from the board. If spells aren’t an option, creatures with power greater than three or those with deathtouch can trade with Whiptail effectively, so considering your combat strategy can pay off.

Ultimately, overcoming Grazing Whiptail in MTG is about being prepared with the right removal or knowing how to outmaneuver it in combat. With these strategies, the Whiptail’s imposing presence can be more easily managed, allowing you to regain aerial dominance or simply maintain control of the board.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Grazing Whiptail MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan and Game Night 2019, 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 Grazing Whiptail and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Grazing Whiptail Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-09-29 and 2019-11-15. Illustrated by Gabor Szikszai.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-09-29IxalanXLN 1902015NormalBlackGabor Szikszai
22019-11-15Game Night 2019GN2 482015NormalBlackGabor Szikszai

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Grazing Whiptail has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal