Gwaihir, Greatest of the Eagles
Legendary Creature — Bird Noble
Flying Whenever Gwaihir attacks, target attacking creature gains flying until end of turn. At the beginning of each end step, if you gained 3 or more life this turn, create a 3/3 white Bird creature token with flying and "Whenever this token attacks, target attacking creature gains flying until end of turn."
Strategy & Gameplay
Gwaihir, Greatest of the Eagles is a compelling white creature from the Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set that brings both immediate board presence and progressive token generation to various deck strategies. As a five-mana 5/5 flyer, Gwaihir provides solid aerial offense on its own, but the real value emerges from its triggered abilities that reward an aggressive, life-gain focused game plan. The card's first ability ensures that whenever it attacks, you can grant flying to another creature, effectively pushing through aerial superiority and creating evasion for your ground creatures. The second ability is where the card truly shines, rewarding you for gaining three or more life in a turn by creating a 3/3 flying token that has the same flying-granting ability. This means decks built around lifegain mechanics like Orzhov Clerics, Selesnya Tokens, or White Weenie variants gain substantial value, turning life total gains into board development. In Commander, Gwaihir fits excellently into lifegain-focused decks where commanders like Karlov of the Ghost Council or Oloro, Ageless Ascetic naturally enable the token generation engine. The card is legal in Legacy, Vintage, Commander, Oathbreaker, and Duel Commander, making it accessible across multiple formats. Players seeking a card that generates card advantage while supporting aggressive flying-based strategies will appreciate Gwaihir's synergy with existing lifegain shells and its ability to turn incremental life gains into meaningful board presence that compounds turn after turn.
Illustrated by Jesper Ejsing