Angel's Tomb MTG Card
2012-05-04 - Number 211
2015-07-17 - Number 222
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact |
Text of card
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, you may have Angel's Tomb become a 3/3 white Angel artifact creature with flying until end of turn.
"Faith can quicken the stones themselves with life." —Writings of Mikaeus
Cards like Angel's Tomb
Angel’s Tomb stands out in the realm of artifact cards in Magic: The Gathering with its unique ability to become a creature. It shares similarities with cards like Guardian Idol, which also transforms into a creature but does so without needing a creature to enter the battlefield. Unlike Angel’s Tomb, Guardian Idol acts as a mana source, granting a less conditional benefit to your mana pool.
When considering vehicles like Skysovereign, Consul Flagship, the use of creatures to turn them into a threat is mirrored, but Skysovereign brings its own power and toughness to the mix, along with impactful enter-the-battlefield and attack triggers. Angel’s Tomb, while less sturdy without the consistent power level of a vehicle, it gains the advantage of immediacy, as it doesn’t require crewing.
Assessing these similar cards, it’s evident that Angel’s Tomb provides a unique blend of flexibility and surprise to the battlefield. Its ability to quickly become a creature offers a distinct advantage over some of its contenders, making it a versatile choice for decks that thrive on reactive strategies and creature synergy.
Cards similar to Angel's Tomb by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Angel’s Tomb helps to fortify your battlefield presence every time you cast a creature spell by transforming into a 3/3 Angel artifact creature with flying. This continuous synergistic interaction creates incremental advantages which can steadily tilt the game in your favor as you deploy more creatures.
Resource Acceleration: While the card itself doesn’t directly produce additional mana, Angel’s Tomb allows you to accelerate your resource usage efficiently. It essentially grants you a cost-free creature that triggers each turn you play another creature card, enabling you to allocate mana elsewhere and optimize your turns for maximal impact.
Instant Speed: Although Angel’s Tomb isn’t an instant, the way it transforms at instant speed in response to playing creature spells can offer unexpected blockers or attackers during the combat phase. Being able to surprise an opponent with a sudden flyer when they least expect it can be a powerful and game-changing move.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Angel’s Tomb activates only when a creature enters the battlefield under your control, necessitating precise timing and board presence, which may not always align with your gameplay strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: While colorless, Angel’s Tomb requires three mana to play, which competes with other critical three-mana spells and permanents that might offer immediate impact or value to your game plan.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Considering its activation clause, the mana investment into Angel’s Tomb can be steep relative to other artifacts or creatures that provide more consistent benefits or powerful abilities for the same or lower mana cost.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Angel’s Tomb offers flexibility in a variety of deck types. As an artifact that becomes a creature, it can easily slot into strategies focusing on either of those card types, making it useful in multiple scenarios.
Combo Potential: With its ability to become a creature every time you cast a creature spell, Angel’s Tomb can be paired with abilities that care about creatures entering the battlefield or triggering artifact synergies, opening up numerous combo interactions.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment loaded with creature-based strategies, Angel’s Tomb can consistently transform into a significant threat. It is an underrated asset that can catch opponents off guard, adapting well to shifts in the meta.
How to Beat Angel’s Tomb
Angel’s Tomb is an intriguing artifact from the world of Magic: The Gathering that animates into a creature upon casting spells. While it may seem daunting, countering Angel’s Tomb is about disrupting the transformation or managing the creature it becomes. The key is to prevent your opponent from capitalizing on the tempo provided by this artifact.
One effective strategy is to avoid leaving creatures unblocked, as Angel’s Tomb only transforms when a creature enters the battlefield under your control. Removal spells are another solid countermeasure. Instant-speed removal can deal with the Angel as it turns into a creature, nullifying the threat immediately. Control players might opt for counter magic to prevent key spells that trigger the Tomb from resolving, thus stopping the animation process altogether.
Artifact destruction spells offer a direct way to handle Angel’s Tomb before it becomes a creature. Versatile options like Naturalize are useful, capable of eliminating the Tomb regardless of its state. Lastly, employing board wipes can reset the playing field, leaving the artifact in a state of vulnerability without a creature presence to protect it. With these strategies, Angel’s Tomb can be rendered a minimal threat to your path to victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Angel's Tomb MTG card by a specific set like Avacyn Restored and Magic Origins, 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 Tomb and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Angel's Tomb Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2012-05-04 and 2015-07-17. Illustrated by Dan Scott.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2012-05-04 | Avacyn Restored | AVR | 211 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Dan Scott | |
| 2 | 2015-07-17 | Magic Origins | ORI | 222 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dan Scott |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Angel's Tomb has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Angel's Tomb card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2015-06-22 | Effects setting Angel’s Tomb’s base power and toughness to specific values that begin to apply after Angel’s Tomb has become a creature will override the effect of Angel’s Tomb. For example, if an effect causes a 3/3 Angel’s Tomb to become 0/1, it will remain 0/1 until another effect (such as triggering the ability of Angel’s Tomb a second time or targeting it with Titanic Growth) causes those values to change. |
| 2015-06-22 | If Angel’s Tomb is already a creature when a creature enters the battlefield under your control, its ability will override any effects that set its base power and toughness to specific values, but other changes to its power and toughness (such as the one created by Titanic Growth) will still apply. |