Angels are probably my favorite creature type, so I was excited when I saw the abilities and artwork, until I looked at the casting cost. Even a cc of 4 would improve it immensely.
Great flavor on this one though
Mode
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(6 votes)
Well it only requires a single white mana and has three abilities besides its 3/3 body, therefore this card is ok. Still not that great, but definitely an interesting simple card for future core sets.
Lestat13
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(6 votes)
Made for limited - no complaints here.
Belz_
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(12 votes)
Ah! A balanced variant on the Serra Angel. Not like that Baneslayer nonsense...
henz90
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(3 votes)
I love her art... I really like how they made the halos around the eyes instead of over the head. This card's art is my favorite! 5/5 just for that :D
Volcre
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(5 votes)
Not bad in limited but I still prefer Serra Angel.
ClowWizardEriol
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(2 votes)
This is way better than Angel of Mercy. Unfortunately, in the M10 standard environment, it's a target for Lightning Bolt (on top of being a target for Doom Blade).
Dingo777
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
sadly, it falls to lightning bolt, but that said, 5 for a 3/3 fs, flying vigilant creature? yes please, there is so much removal in standard with doomblade, terminate and hiddeious end, that this is not any worse for being a 3/3
and it is a fs vigilant with flying, in limited, with few fliers and even fewer first strikers, this guy is awesome
MrPink343
★★☆☆☆ (2.3/5.0)(5 votes)
A balanced Angel. Whooda thunk it?
True_Mumin
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(21 votes)
Yeah, thanks to Baneslayer this otherwise decent and well-balanced card looks like total crap. Bravo, Wizards.
jhimbob
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(6 votes)
I really like this card, it's great in Zendikar Limited...but is unfortunately overshadowed by Her Baneslayerness in any other format
JaxsonBateman
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
As has been mentioned, this is a fantastic card in limited. I had two of these out last night in most of my Zendikar draft matches, and together they could stop most of the mid-to-big creatures in the set as well as doing 6 damage of their own each turn. Team them up with some Giant Scorpions for the creatures with over 7 power and you set yourself up a nice wall.
Zulp
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(5 votes)
This card makes me praise the existence of the Baneslayer. Thanks to that unbalanced and extremely sought-after card, this card, which is perfectly acceptable and balanced, is unlooked for and therefore very cheap on the current card market. If you're making any sort of white deck nowadays, you can get four of these for under a dollar, whereas the Baneslayer is currently fifty dollars each. A good deal for those of us that refuse to use unbalanced, overblown cards.
PaladinOfSunhome
★★☆☆☆ (2.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Just awesome. need I say more?
3.5
badmofo
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(3 votes)
this chick is awesome. forget about the $50 angel unless you spent to get one (or more). Then go talk about that. This angel is awesome for her combo of abilities built in. You can use other abilities to make her ridiculously tough and in wouldn't be to hard to put it together... even a bonesplitter in your deck makes this chick pretty rough. then add some "creatures you control have trample" and it's gonna be a bloodbath! hell ya!
And check it out- magic: the baneslayer angel gathering is retarded. That is the most misfit card in the whole game if you ask me. They might as well re-release black lotus and the moxes. Then instead of the game being magic: the baneslayer angel gathering, it could be magic: the cards not everybody can have gathering.
This chick is way underrated. I She is a great flyer for any white/combo deck.
faisjdas
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Limited bomb!
mdakw576
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Nice card in limited, especially since it's easily splashable. Outside of that, there are better options unless you're building on a budget, and even then you can find better stuff.
Razmataz24
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
One of my favorite cards. That being said she needs some help. Pump her up and watch your opponents cry as your 3/3 medicore card becomes a Wrecking ball granted you can protect her.
For mono white try Cradle of Vitality -> Sunspring/ Rest for the Weary/ Angel's Mercy (or any big white life gain) to see this chick throw some pick punches and tanks to Vigilance... She will take a huge beating as well.
I was waiting for a reasonable creature to come out with these three abilities all printed on it.
Gaussgoat
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is a great card. Sure, there are super-strong alternatives around, but a 3/3 flyer with vigilance and first strike? Nice. Clear the airways and kill those death touching scum bags!
She's an almost perfect complement to an Exalted-based aggro deck. Note that she works well when teamed up with another 5cc flyer, the Battlegrace Angel.
was helping my friend modify his deck to get ready for a tournament we plan on attending soon, and he had one of these guys, and i wasnt sure but i threw him in to see. He ended up pretty much owning us and beat me up pretty bad with this dude.. Flying and vigilance and first strike are my three favorite abilities so thrown onto one guy... preeeeeeetty seeexxy
EvilCleavage
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Think about how crazy this card would be if it was only a 3 cost haha. Would be like the opposite of Vampire Nighthawk. I bet everyone would run this in that case. But. . it isn't the case lol. 4/5 for usefulness in limited and draft.
SleetFox
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
This is a very solid creature, but it's incapable of affecting the game nearly enough to warrant costing five mana. It's fun to play, at least.
3.5/5.
Zuriga_Sungama
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Hrm. I'd say first strike and enhanced splashability make up for having -1/-1 compared to Serra Angel. And I love Serra Angel.
BlackAlbino
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So you're saying it's good, but not in a way that's relevant to the game? That makes no sense.
No, it makes total sense. He's saying that it's overcosted. Is it? Not really, but baneslayer says hi.
aznxknightz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Angel of Mercy says "bye bye"
DarthParallax
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Ok folks, here's the score. This is Gatherer. You all probably got here by putting 'creature type-Angel' and hitting enter to look at hot art. Ok, well Gatherer is organized Alphabetically. Go back 3 cards. See that? That's Serra Angel. That card was the one and only creature in a deck called 'The Deck'. Back when 'Standard' was the kind of place that allowed you to play 4 copies of ass-busting cards like Necropotence, Balance, and Strip Mine.
Serra Angel was once agreed to be just plain the best. This is a splashable Serra, with Free Lifelink.
I dont care that Baneslayer Angel exists. I dont care that Vampire Nighthawk exists. This card is a strictly better Serra Angel, and Serra Angel was the keystone of a deck that could rip Caw-Blade, Jund, Faeries, and Affinity limb from limb. At once. (well ok, maybe it would have to tackle Affinity separately). My point is, this card deserves 5 stars. 4.5 is an insult to a card like this.
Baneslayer and Nighthawk I guess would be 5.5 or 6. They read more like fanfiction than real Magic cards though. The 'Akroma' joke where you give one card all the relevant keywords and protections you can think of only works once. The second time just looks lazy, like they couldn't think of anything better.
*Edit--Serra was 4/4, this is 3/3. This is still probably better.
Zoltantf
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Reading other people's comments, brings a smile to my face. There are many that know little, talk trash, and post absurd things. There are some that have something of value to contribute. I find all of the above interesting to read. Anyway, personal observation aside, this is a solid, flexible card. She is beating face during your combat phase, and standing guard for you on your opponents turn. Not overly costed, but not jaw dropping. A good angel to add in a multi-colored deck. I give it 4 stars.
It's so frutrating to see a cool card with great artwork released in an environment where it's immediately marginalized by more efficient and more powerful alternatives. With Voice of All and Guardian Seraph both at , it would have been entirely reasonable to give Shepherd of the Lost a toughness of 4 or a cost of ; even then it would be dwarved by Baneslayer Angel. Instead, we're left with an over-costed, unplayable chump who isn't worth the sleeve you'd have to put him in to play him outside of Limited.
With recent releases, a simple enchantment or equipment can make her devestating. Dark Ascension's Inquisitor's Flail can make her hit for 6 and not receive the double damage back. That combo works for casual players.
CaptainBlue
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This is a fine alternative to Serra Angel, really. In combat scenarios, first strike keeps her alive in a good deal of situations that would destroy her predecessor. Most aggro creatures in her mana range with a high power/low toughness trade-off, which SA would lose her life to blocking, would be rendered useless against her. At the same time, she can attack with less fear from quite a few defending flyers. Things with deathtouch aren't as much of a threat to her, and who wouldn't want first strike when Phyrexians are on the otherside of the board, dripping at the mouth with infect? Slap Basilisk Collar on her and you have a guardian angel that can protect you from any basic attacking creature on the board, gain you 3 life each turn and live to tell about it.
Against removal, she doesn't hold up quite as well as SA , though. There are a lot of burn spells out there that hit for 3 damage. If you could equip her with something like Swiftfoot Boots or Mask of Avacyn, however: problem solved.
I think the main factors that would decide which angel is best in your deck are your usage of equipment/auras and your early game creatures. With buffs, the Shepherd is superior. With a good early game defense, the first strike wouldn't be needed as much so you could focus on Serra's larger body to finsh your opponent more quickly.
Again, a good alternative. I just like Serra Angel's art more.
4.0/5
DoragonShinzui
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
It's somewhat concerning that this hasn't seen a Core Set reprint. I suppose we don't want to steal the thunder from Serra Angel, but come on guys, you reprinted Serra Avenger, didn't you?
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Terrific card for budget constructed. Without help your opponent will just cast a titan next turn and laugh at your 3/3 flying vigilance for 5 mana.
WarioMan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's literally half an Akroma. What's not to like? It's killer in Limited and has a spot in my cube alongside all its broken sisters.
Comments (46)
Great flavor on this one though
and it is a fs vigilant with flying, in limited, with few fliers and even fewer first strikers, this guy is awesome
3.5
And check it out- magic: the baneslayer angel gathering is retarded. That is the most misfit card in the whole game if you ask me. They might as well re-release black lotus and the moxes. Then instead of the game being magic: the baneslayer angel gathering, it could be magic: the cards not everybody can have gathering.
Miniboss for my GW deck.
For mono white try Cradle of Vitality -> Sunspring/ Rest for the Weary/ Angel's Mercy (or any big white life gain) to see this chick throw some pick punches and tanks to Vigilance... She will take a huge beating as well.
4/5
whuda thunk it?
Asha's Favor in creature form.
Yes, I'm talking to you, Vampire Nighthawk ;)
4/5
Strictly better than Skyrider Trainee?
3.5/5.
And I love Serra Angel.
No, it makes total sense. He's saying that it's overcosted. Is it? Not really, but baneslayer says hi.
Serra Angel was once agreed to be just plain the best. This is a splashable Serra, with Free Lifelink.
I dont care that Baneslayer Angel exists. I dont care that Vampire Nighthawk exists. This card is a strictly better Serra Angel, and Serra Angel was the keystone of a deck that could rip Caw-Blade, Jund, Faeries, and Affinity limb from limb. At once. (well ok, maybe it would have to tackle Affinity separately). My point is, this card deserves 5 stars. 4.5 is an insult to a card like this.
Baneslayer and Nighthawk I guess would be 5.5 or 6. They read more like fanfiction than real Magic cards though. The 'Akroma' joke where you give one card all the relevant keywords and protections you can think of only works once. The second time just looks lazy, like they couldn't think of anything better.
*Edit--Serra was 4/4, this is 3/3. This is still probably better.
A bad 5 mana angel -> Starlit Angel.
A good 5 mana angel -> Melesse Spirit, Angel of Light.
A very good 5 mana angel -> Serra Angel, Shepherd of the Lost, Angel of Flight Alabaster.
A too good 5 mana angel -> Baneslayer Angel, Angelic Overseer.
Against removal, she doesn't hold up quite as well as SA , though. There are a lot of burn spells out there that hit for 3 damage. If you could equip her with something like Swiftfoot Boots or Mask of Avacyn, however: problem solved.
I think the main factors that would decide which angel is best in your deck are your usage of equipment/auras and your early game creatures. With buffs, the Shepherd is superior. With a good early game defense, the first strike wouldn't be needed as much so you could focus on Serra's larger body to finsh your opponent more quickly.
Again, a good alternative. I just like Serra Angel's art more.
4.0/5