Angel's Mercy MTG Card

Angel’s Mercy can negate significant damage, providing a strategic advantage even without card draw. Instant speed allows tactical play, offering flexibility to respond to opponents’ moves. Despite its life gain, the high mana cost and lack of immediate board impact must be weighed carefully.

Magic 2010 (M10)
2009-07-17 - Number 2

Magic 2012 (M12)
2011-07-15 - Number 4

Avacyn Restored (AVR)
2012-05-04 - Number 3

Magic 2013 (M13)
2012-07-13 - Number 3

Card sets	Released in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant

Text of card

You gain 7 life.

"Until that day I cursed the angels, those uncaring lights in the sky. They rewarded my scorn with the gift of time, every year of which I've spent in devotion to their names." —Torian Sha, soul warden

Cards like Angel's Mercy

Angel’s Mercy is a card well-known to MTG players for its instant life-gain ability that can shift the tide of the game. While it offers a considerable 7 life points boost, it draws parallels with cards like Renewed Faith, which provides a life gain of 6 and has cycling, allowing for a more flexible use by drawing a card when the life-gain isn’t needed.

Heroes’ Reunion is another contender in the life-gain arena. Though it offers a rapid increase of 7 life like Angel’s Mercy, its lower mana cost presents an advantage for players seeking a quick lifeline during early game stages. Similarly, Rest for the Weary stands out with its potential to gain 8 life when landfall is triggered, offering a variable benefit dependent on the board state that Angel’s Mercy lacks.

When comparing these cards, MTG enthusiasts must weigh the mana cost against the immediacy and conditions of the life gain. Angel’s Mercy provides a straightforward boost, whereas other options offer additional strategic value which can be pivotal in the course of a match. Selecting the right card often hinges on the synergy with one’s deck and the moment-to-moment decisions in gameplay.

Cards similar to Angel's Mercy by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Although Angel’s Mercy doesn’t directly draw cards, it can swing the game into your favor, effectively negating damage from previous turns and letting you catch up if you’re behind.

Resource Acceleration: While not a typical resource acceleration card, Angel’s Mercy can indirectly be considered one. By gaining 7 life, it acts as a buffer, potentially saving the resources you’d otherwise have to expend to stabilize your life total.

Instant Speed: Angel’s Mercy’s strength is magnified by its instant speed. This allows you to wait until the end of your opponent’s turn to decide whether to shore up your defenses or perhaps bait out a spell from an opponent before gaining a substantial amount of life.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Angel’s Mercy obliges players to allocate resources precisely since it doesn’t provide board presence or immediate impact. This could be a setback during crucial turns when card advantage plays a pivotal role.

Specific Mana Cost: With its white-specific mana cost, Angel’s Mercy can be restricting. Decks with a versatile manabase might struggle to accommodate such specific requirements, potentially hindering the deck’s performance.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At four mana for a mere seven life gain, Angel’s Mercy sits at a high cost end in terms of life gain spells. In competitive play, this cost-to-effect ratio is often overshadowed by more cost-effective alternatives or cards that provide additional benefits.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Angel’s Mercy is a flexible addition to any life-gain deck and acts as a valuable instant to bolster your life total at critical moments during a game.

Combo Potential: This card can be part of combos that revolve around life-gain triggers, enabling you to activate abilities or empower creatures that grow with each instance of life gain.

Meta-Relevance: In a game that values staying power, Angel’s Mercy can be particularly useful, offering a sudden life buffer against aggressive strategies that dominate the current gameplay environment.

How to beat

Angel’s Mercy stands out as a life-gain spell in the vast universe of Magic: The Gathering. For beginners, the immediate boost in life points can seem quite appealing. But when strategizing how to counteract Angel’s Mercy, it’s crucial to consider the card’s place in the meta. This spell offers a plain burst of life which, unlike other life-gain spells that might attach additional effects or come with bodies on board, may not significantly impact the board state.

Seasoned players often lean towards more synergistic cards that advance their position while still offering life gain. For instance, comparing it to cards like Absorb, which serves the dual purpose of countering an opponent’s spell and providing a life bonus, makes Angel’s Mercy appear less advantageous. Players can also disrupt life-gain strategies by capitalizing on cards that offer life-loss mechanics, or by applying pressure with aggressive plays to outpace the temporary reprieve granted by a simple life-gain.

In summary, Angel’s Mercy serves as a reminder of the importance of card efficiency in Magic: The Gathering. While it can provide a momentary cushion, the key to overcoming it lies in crafting a robust strategy that delivers tangible board advantages or applying relentless pressure to render the life gain inconsequential.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Angel's Mercy MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2010 and Magic 2012, 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 Angel's Mercy and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Angel's Mercy Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2009-07-17 and 2012-07-13. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2009-07-17	Magic 2010	M10	2	2003	Normal	Black	Andrew Robinson
2	2011-07-15	Magic 2012	M12	4	2003	Normal	Black	Andrew Robinson
3	2012-05-04	Avacyn Restored	AVR	3	2003	Normal	Black	Greg Staples
4	2012-07-13	Magic 2013	M13	3	2003	Normal	Black	Andrew Robinson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Angel's Mercy has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal