Brave FalconhawkHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

Brave Falconhawk is a 4-mana creature with Flying that creates a Contested Game Ball token upon entering the battlefield. While you control a Contested Game Ball, the Falconhawk gains +1/+1 counters whenever it attacks, with the amount determined by the number of point counters on your Game Ball.

Resolving the Triggers

When Brave Falconhawk enters, its first ability goes on the stack to create the token. Later, when you declare it as an attacker, the second ability checks if you control a Contested Game Ball. If you do, the ability counts the point counters on those tokens as it resolves and places that many +1/+1 counters on the Falconhawk permanently.

Common Mistakes

A common error is forgetting that the Falconhawk must control a Contested Game Ball at the moment it attacks for the trigger to function. If your opponent removes your only Contested Game Ball in response to the attack, the ability will still resolve, but it will check the current state; however, the 'if' clause is checked both when the ability triggers and when it resolves.

When to Play It

This card is best utilized in aggressive white decks that can protect their permanents. Since the Falconhawk grows every time it attacks, it is vital to keep it alive through combat using its Flying evasion while accumulating points on your Contested Game Ball.

Interaction examples

Doubling the Game Ball Production

Roaming Throne

If you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield naming 'Bird', Brave Falconhawk will enter and trigger twice. You will create two Contested Game Ball tokens. When Brave Falconhawk attacks, Roaming Throne will also cause the +1/+1 counter ability to trigger twice, potentially doubling the growth of your creature.

Efficient Mana Ramp and Score

Solemn Simulacrum

In a mid-range strategy, you can use Solemn Simulacrum to ramp into the 4 mana needed for Brave Falconhawk. Once the Falconhawk is on the field, the land advantage provided by the Simulacrum ensures you have the mana to protect your Contested Game Ball while the Falconhawk scales in power.