Appa, Loyal Sky Bison
TLA · uncommon · Released 2025-11-21
Power
Tier shown as baseline → best-case (in its ideal shell).
Derived from the 7 atoms below.
below rate
minor value alone
wants support
scales up
multiple modes
broadly useful
easily answered
Commander Bracket
Archetypes
No active conflicts.
Roles
Risks
Mechanics
Typal
—
Structural
Rationale
Appa is a 6cmc 4/4 flying legend that on ETB or attack either grants flying to a creature or Airends a nonland permanent you control — a blink-adjacent effect that lets you recast it for {2} and re-trigger ETBs. The Airbend mode makes it a pseudo-flicker engine for ETB creatures, auras, or equipment, but at 6 mana it competes with stronger flicker payoffs; it's a synergy piece rather than a format staple.
Learnings (3)
Appa's Airbend mode targets 'another' nonland permanent, so it cannot Airbend itself — the cost reduction and recast apply to the exiled card, not to Appa.
tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6
The Airbend mode is especially potent with Auras or Equipment: exiling them lets you reattach them for {2} to a new (or the same) creature, effectively re-triggering any 'when you cast/attach' effects at a reduced rate.
tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6
At 6 mana in white-only, Appa competes directly with premium 6-drops and better flicker engines; its value ceiling is largely limited to Avatar-themed or casual ETB-heavy shells.
tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6
Popularity
- EDHREC rank: #6,865