Angelic Guardian MTG Card

Angelic Guardian’s buff provides combat resilience, ensuring a robust battlefield presence. Indirect resource acceleration results from maintained creature investments. Instant-speed ability adds a strategic surprise element in combat.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Angel
Abilities Flying
Power 5
Toughness 5

Text of card

Flying (This creature can't be blocked except by creatures with flying or reach.) Whenever one or more creatures you control attack, they gain indestructible until end of turn. (Damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy them.)

"No single arrow can pierce an entire flock."

Cards like Angelic Guardian

Angelic Guardian occupies a unique position in the pantheon of protective creatures in Magic: The Gathering. When assessing cards like the Angelic Guardian, Serra Angel naturally comes to mind. Both share the angelic theme and flying attribute, yet Serra Angel stands out with its ever-useful vigilance trait, allowing it to attack without tapping. Conversely, Angelic Guardian has an ability that shields your attacking creatures by making them indestructible for the turn, offering a different kind of tactical advantage during combat.

Guardian of the Gateless is another card worth mentioning in this dialogue. While it doesn’t bestow indestructibility, it does have the capacity to block any number of creatures each combat, providing a significant defensive benefit. Then there is the Aegis Angel, granting permanency to the indestructibility it bestows on another target creature upon entering the battlefield, unlike the Angelic Guardian’s conditional protection.

While each card presents unique strategic options, it is clear that Angelic Guardian has its place, especially for players looking to aggressively safeguard their creatures during combat phases. Its role in decks can be pivotal, particularly when orchestrating high-stake attacks that require the assurance of survival against potential blowback.

Serra Angel - MTG Card versions
Guardian of the Gateless - MTG Card versions
Aegis Angel - MTG Card versions
Serra Angel - MTG Card versions
Guardian of the Gateless - MTG Card versions
Aegis Angel - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Angelic Guardian’s ability to give all your attacking creatures indestructible until end of turn can be a game-changer. This protects your valuable creatures during combat, ensuring you keep a full board and can lead to significant card advantage as you maintain your presence while potentially diminishing your opponent’s forces.

Resource Acceleration: While Angelic Guardian doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, it acts as a form of resource protection, which indirectly accelerates your resources. By safeguarding your creatures in combat, you’re ensuring that your investments on the battlefield persist, saving the mana and cards that would otherwise be needed to replace them.

Instant Speed: Although Angelic Guardian itself doesn’t have flash, its triggered ability occurs instantly upon attack declaration. This sudden shift can catch opponents off guard, allowing you to dominate the combat phase unexpectedly. Being able to fortify your offensive line instantly adds a layer of strategy and protects your most crucial assets when they’re most vulnerable.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Angelic Guardian does not directly require discard as a mechanism, but holding onto it until you possess the necessary mana can put you at a disadvantage as you may miss out on laying down other cards that could be more immediately impactful in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Angelic Guardian requires a specific blend of mana, including white mana, which may not be as readily available or synergistic with decks not focused on white mana, thus potentially limiting its versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes multiple mana, Angelic Guardian can be challenging to play in the early rounds. Its cost demands a significant amount of resources which could be used to play a variety of smaller creatures or other spells offering more immediate effects or board presence.

Reasons to Include Angelic Guardian in Your Collection

Versatility: Angelic Guardian’s ability to grant your creatures indestructible whenever it attacks appeals to a wide array of deck styles. This kind of protection is a valuable asset in both aggressive and defensive strategies, fitting seamlessly into various deck archetypes.

Combo Potential: The synergistic nature of this card opens up opportunities for combo plays. Pairing Angelic Guardian with cards that capitalize on attacking, such as those that trigger upon combat damage or attack, enhances its strategic value significantly.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the current landscape of play, where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Angelic Guardian’s protective ability can shift the balance during combat phases. Its presence on the battlefield is a boon in matchups that rely heavily on such tactics.

How to beat

The Angelic Guardian is a formidable creature in the pantheon of MTG cards, offering both a protective aura and an aggressive edge. Known for its ability to grant indestructibility to other attacking creatures, toppling this celestial being requires strategic planning. Unlike some protectors that only shield themselves, Angelic Guardian extends its benevolence to its fellow combatants, presenting a multi-layered challenge.

To effectively counter this threat, consider utilizing removal spells that bypass its ability, such as Settle the Wreckage or using cards that change combat math, like Aetherize, to avoid its ability entirely. Additionally, board wipes that don’t target, such as Day of Judgment or Wrath of God can clear the board without concern for indestructibility. Death touch and sacrifice effects are also potent tools. Cards like Plague Engineer or edict effects, which force a player to sacrifice a creature, can neatly excise this guardian from the battlefield without triggering its protective clause.

Ultimately, understanding the intricacies of your opponent’s defenses and preparing the right answers is the key to success. In facing the might of Angelic Guardian, a well-stocked arsenal and a keen awareness of timing will see you through the battle unscathed.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Angelic Guardian MTG card by a specific set like Treasure Chest and M19 Gift Pack, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Angelic Guardian and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Angelic Guardian Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2016-11-16 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Sara Winters.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-11-16Treasure ChestPZ2 707672015NormalBlackSara Winters
22018-11-16M19 Gift PackG18 GP12015NormalBlackSara Winters
32019-07-12Core Set 2020M20 3022015NormalBlackSara Winters
42020-08-13Arena Beginner SetANB 22015NormalBlackSara Winters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Angelic Guardian has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal