Ah, Serra Avenger. The little card that couldn't find a home. For WW she has impressive stats and good abilities, but the turn limit she can be played hurts (without cheating her in).
SavageBrain89
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(5 votes)
Even if she can't be played on before turn four, she's still useful because her cheap cost allows players more options to utilize extra mana.
HA! You can cast it on other people's turns. That's worth a chuckle.
zombietomb
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(10 votes)
My favorite card, from my favorite block.
Gwafa_Hazid
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(8 votes)
Now I must find some way of giving her flash.
Tommy9898
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
Why would you even want to play her early? By then you wrath to clear all the stupid slivers and thallids and then have mana left over to protect her with counterspells. She is a perfect beat stick for control decks, not aggro decks.
BrutalJim
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(8 votes)
Wait until turn 4 and just cast 2 of them.
EvilCleavage
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
This card is so amazing, like someone else said, just because you can't play this on your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd turn doesn't mean this card won't do some damage. If you drop two of these on turn four, if you're playing a W/G deck, with mana acceleration you could even get three out on turn four. I wish I had some of these, I'd put two or four in my angel deck, or even throw two into my soldier deck for some air support. Nothing wrong with breaking the theme a little! :)
SleetFox
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This would be an acceptable 4-mana card. Most of the time it can be considered as "2WW: when Serra Avenger comes into play, add 2 to your mana pool." Which is pretty swell.
But yeah, I wouldn't play this outside of an Azorius control deck. I think the only purpose it serves better than other cards is providing a good "finisher" that still lets you keep mana open.
Andon_A
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
Hmm... You could use Leyline of Anticipation to have her out on THEIR second/third turn, depending on who goes first. And, as has been said, She's a good angel for U/W
Paleopaladin
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(4 votes)
Hey Sweetheart, want to join me for a hot date at the Soul Foundry?
After thinking about this card awhile, I'm wondering what the designers were trying to do with this card? Is this the only card that can't be played on early turns? Why do they somehow rationalize a small first-turns delay with making a 3/3 flying vigilance angel for a paltry WW? (much less if you can sneak it out on someone else's turn) If this had suspend 2 for WW, it would still be overpowered. As it is, this has NO suspend or any penalty whatsoever after turn 3. Outside of hyper-fast tourney decks, this is simply WW for a 3/3 flying vigilance beatstick. Not balanced whatsoever.
Once upon a time, there lived Baneslayer Angel, Serra Angel, and Battlegrace Angel. Baneslayer Angel and Serra Angel would always make fun of Battlegrace Angel, but all three would band together to pick on Serra Angel's little sister, Serra Avenger.
With the help of her friends, Kor Firewalker and Intrepid Hero, Serra Avenger embarked on a personal quest, to the very pinnacle of Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle, to recover the fabled Sword of War and Peace. Upon her triumphant return, she kicked all the other angel's asses. They tried to flee, but Basandra, Battle Seraph kicked them back into play whenever they flew out of bounds.
This is the theme of my new deck, entitled "Sweet Little Sister: Serra Avenger, Coming of Age". An epic tale of rampaging dragons, exploding phoenixes, softcore S&M, and even a little hot necromantic action. Yes this story has everything.
+1 to the underdog.
Singe
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Her cheap WW cost allows for a greater mana flexibility. By turn 4 you can drop 2 of her or one of her with some Aura or Equipment boost.
Salient
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card was Wizards' way of trying to convince people that Day of Judgment is a really good card.
Ideatog
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Checked the comments to see if anyone had mentioned Flash yet. Did not expect to see Magic fanfiction. What a world.
Enelysios
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This might be my favorite magic card art ever, and playing her with leyline of anticipation is great fun in a blue/white weenie/control deck! I just wish I had the money for the full art promo version! Seriously though, I am thinking of making that deck into an angel tribal just for fun and because I love this baby.
JRE47
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(4 votes)
Coming back in M13! Missed her the first time around, and can't wait to throw her into a post-AVR Angel deck (among others).
Missile_Penguin
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Each Time Spiral card was an homage to at least one previously printed card.
This card references Serra Angel. Wizards of the Coast has said that this unique restriction was originally a larger part of the set's "playing with time" theme but was eventually reduced to just this single entry.
According to Brady Domeruth in 2006: "The Song of All chronicles the beliefs, worldview, and wisdom of the planeswalker Serra, as expressed through her angels. The Song has 1000 cantos of varying lengths. The whole song would take many days, perhaps over a week, to sing from start to finish. Its full text doesn’t exist, unfortunately. Nine parts of various cantos can be found in flavor text from 13 cards."
You guys are dead right about playing her on other people's turns. I'm making a completely tempo based deck. Here's how an awesome start would look: Opponent plays land, plays 1 drop. I start with Gemstone Mine in play. I play Plains, Hoodwink his land. Opponent plays land again, maybe attacks with 1 drop. I play Plains. Wait. On his turn, I play Scout's Warning and this baby, in response to an attack. She's ready to attack on my third turn. That's two turns ahead of game.
Aquillion
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Assuming no mana acceleration, you'll have four mana on turn four.
Even at four mana, a 3/3 flier with vigilance would be a very good card. Her unique setup make her even better, since you can play her on turn four and still have two mana left over for other things.
Comments (31)
But yeah, I wouldn't play this outside of an Azorius control deck. I think the only purpose it serves better than other cards is providing a good "finisher" that still lets you keep mana open.
Is this the only card that can't be played on early turns?
Why do they somehow rationalize a small first-turns delay with making a 3/3 flying vigilance angel for a paltry WW? (much less if you can sneak it out on someone else's turn)
If this had suspend 2 for WW, it would still be overpowered.
As it is, this has NO suspend or any penalty whatsoever after turn 3.
Outside of hyper-fast tourney decks, this is simply WW for a 3/3 flying vigilance beatstick.
Not balanced whatsoever.
Serra Avenger: (panting) "Why is it so far??"
Once upon a time, there lived Baneslayer Angel, Serra Angel, and Battlegrace Angel. Baneslayer Angel and Serra Angel would always make fun of Battlegrace Angel, but all three would band together to pick on Serra Angel's little sister, Serra Avenger.
With the help of her friends, Kor Firewalker and Intrepid Hero, Serra Avenger embarked on a personal quest, to the very pinnacle of Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle, to recover the fabled Sword of War and Peace. Upon her triumphant return, she kicked all the other angel's asses. They tried to flee, but Basandra, Battle Seraph kicked them back into play whenever they flew out of bounds.
This is the theme of my new deck, entitled "Sweet Little Sister: Serra Avenger, Coming of Age". An epic tale of rampaging dragons, exploding phoenixes, softcore S&M, and even a little hot necromantic action. Yes this story has everything.
+1 to the underdog.
This card references Serra Angel. Wizards of the Coast has said that this unique restriction was originally a larger part of the set's "playing with time" theme but was eventually reduced to just this single entry.
According to Brady Domeruth in 2006: "The Song of All chronicles the beliefs, worldview, and wisdom of the planeswalker Serra, as expressed through her angels. The Song has 1000 cantos of varying lengths. The whole song would take many days, perhaps over a week, to sing from start to finish. Its full text doesn’t exist, unfortunately. Nine parts of various cantos can be found in flavor text from 13 cards."
Those cards are Cessation, Congregate, Defensive Formation, Pegasus Charger, Planar Birth, Purify, Serra's Embrace, and a cycle of angels with various protections: Voice of Law, Voice of Grace, Voice of Reason, Voice of Duty, and Voice of Truth (another part of this cycle, Voice of All, does not have flavor text.)
Opponent plays land, plays 1 drop.
I start with Gemstone Mine in play. I play Plains, Hoodwink his land.
Opponent plays land again, maybe attacks with 1 drop.
I play Plains. Wait.
On his turn, I play Scout's Warning and this baby, in response to an attack. She's ready to attack on my third turn. That's two turns ahead of game.
Even at four mana, a 3/3 flier with vigilance would be a very good card. Her unique setup make her even better, since you can play her on turn four and still have two mana left over for other things.