Not sure I like this. There are better and more consistent ways to get a +1/+1 benefit to your creatures. The life gain on attack is nice, but probably takes at least a few creatures to make it worth it.
SyntheticDreamer
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This might have its uses, but most white decks would rather have Honor of the Pure, which always gives +1/+1 regardless of your life total. The second ability is a rather small bonus.
The anthem effect can be up consistently vs. a control deck. Just watch out for your shocklands.
Kryptnyt
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
I like attacking with bigger creatures! If I must gain life... so be it.
infernox10
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(4 votes)
I actually really enjoy this card more than other anthems. Obviously, the lifegain on attacking is the major upside that you're meant to consider. However, this makes calculating a nightmare for your opponent, and this is the factor that makes me most interested in it. Your opponent needs to be keeping seriously good track of what he or she is trading with, what he or she is willing to swing into, etc. All it takes is one hasty creature or Instant lifegain to totally blow out a presumed "safe" alpha-swing.
I really like the whole "starting life total" rules text. Makes it more fair in EDH and 2HG. Overall, it's really interesting. While Honor of the Pure and Glorious Anthem are both more consistent in terms of the pump, if you have a lot of creatures, the lifegain will actually help a lot. It ends up causing interesting decisions, so while both of the above are more 'playable' in a spikey sense, I think that this card is definitely more interesting.
darkterrorblade
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I don't care if its powerful or not. I love it.
ElCarl
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I assume the wording on this is to stop it being completely bonkers with Archangel of Thune.
Mode
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I like the considerate wording with the "starting life total" instead of the fixed "20 life", since it prevents abuse in formats where players start off with a different life total.
(I'm thinking of scenarios like Rune-Tail in EDH, where you'll usually just flip him right away once he's cast without the requirement of any lifegain whatsoever.)
majinara
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Hmmm... Well, in limited, the +1/+1 part will nearly never trigger, so you might get in the average about two life per turn. Meh. In constructed, it's better, since you can slap it into decks that include specific combos.
badmalloc
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
blah. too much do nothing.
rollinsclone
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I kinda love it. The +1/+1 is awesome, but the lifegain is what interests me about it. Just pure lifegain cards are usually not good, but this is letting you gain life for something you were going to do anyway (attack), and then you get a bonus once you've attacked with enough dudes. Very cool design, I can't wait to try it.
Pelichek
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The effect is cumulative? Both for life and for the bonus +1/+1.
Matsumoto
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
why not run 2 of these, and 4x honor the pure. in a token deck? stuff like gather the towns folk that puts 2 tokens out. I think this with haste creatures works well to, place pressure on your opponent, while supplementing your life to add +1/+1. It's strongly playable as 3 cost.
sonorhC
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This'll go well in a Darien EDH deck. Whenever you take damage, make creatures that can just heal that damage next turn, and keep on healing you if they stick around. Once it and all your other lifegain-from-creature cards put you over your starting value, it pumps up your by then huge army.
orzhov20
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Would this do well in an Orzhov life gain deck with Sanguine Bond?
talcumpowder0046
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Pros like me know that life and big creatures are good.
Comments (20)
Obviously, the lifegain on attacking is the major upside that you're meant to consider.
However, this makes calculating a nightmare for your opponent, and this is the factor that makes me most interested in it.
Your opponent needs to be keeping seriously good track of what he or she is trading with, what he or she is willing to swing into, etc.
All it takes is one hasty creature or Instant lifegain to totally blow out a presumed "safe" alpha-swing.
since it prevents abuse in formats where players start off with a different life total.
(I'm thinking of scenarios like Rune-Tail in EDH, where you'll usually just flip him right away once he's cast without the requirement of any lifegain whatsoever.)
In constructed, it's better, since you can slap it into decks that include specific combos.