How to deal with flying creatures in MTG
2026-06-22
Flying is one of the most frustrating things to face if your deck can’t interact in the air. The good news: every color has clean answers. Here’s a practical playbook.
Staple cards
Block them with reach
Creatures with reach can block flyers. Green has the deepest pool, but reach shows up everywhere. A single well-placed reach creature can hold off an entire air force and stabilise the board.
Remove or neutralise
Flexible removal that hits “any creature” always answers flyers — keep a couple in your deck. Edicts, board wipes and “can’t attack/block” effects are great catch-alls when you can’t target.
Reach matters most in green/creature decks; control decks lean on removal and sweepers instead.
FAQ
- What beats flying in MTG?
- Reach creatures can block flyers, and any removal that targets “any creature” can kill them. Reach and flexible removal are the two main answers.
- Does first strike help against flying?
- Only if your creature can block the flyer — first strike doesn’t grant the ability to block flying. You still need reach or evasion of your own.