Auspicious Ancestor MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Human Cleric |
| Released | 1996-10-08 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Mirage |
| Set code | MIR |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 3 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Zina Saunders |
Text of card
If Auspicious Ancestor is put into the graveyard from play, gain 3 life. o1: Gain 1 life. Use this ability only when a white spell is successfully cast and only once for each such spell.
Cards like Auspicious Ancestor
Auspicious Ancestor stands as a unique creature card, bringing something special to life gain decks in Magic: The Gathering. It bears comparison to Patron of the Kitsune, as both offer a life gain on creature attacks, but Auspicious Ancestor offers more consistency with its preemptive ability to grant life upon casting white spells. Unlike the Patron, it doesn’t trigger off opponents’ creatures.
Looking at Ancestor’s Apostle, we stumble upon another equivalent, triggering life gain when casting cleric spells. However, it’s restricted to a cleric subtype, whereas Auspicious Ancestor is more versatile with white spells at large. In the purification game, Apothecary Geist also steps up, providing a spike in life when it enters the battlefield, yet it lacks the recurrent advantage conferred by our Ancestor.
To wrap it up, Auspicious Ancestor offers a steady blend of life gain and potential longevity, making it a cornerstone for players aiming to churn out white spells and bolster their health reserve against aggressive strategies in the game.
Cards similar to Auspicious Ancestor by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Auspicious Ancestor provides consistent life gain, which can be a form of card advantage when combined with cards that leverage life totals for drawing cards or affecting the board state.
Resource Acceleration: While not a direct source of traditional ramp, its ability to buffer your life total can indirectly accelerate your resources by allowing strategic investments in life-for-card effects or paying alternate costs that impact life.
Instant Speed: This card’s activated ability can be used at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to respond to threats during your opponent’s turn or to maximize your lifegain synergies at the most opportune times without sacrificing the pace of your own game plan.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: For Auspicious Ancestor, an additional card may need to be discarded to fulfill certain advantageous effects. This can be detrimental when your hand is lacking in cards, potentially leaving you at a strategic disadvantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Auspicious Ancestor requires a precise mana arrangement to be cast, meaning your deck must have a strong white mana base. This can limit deck flexibility and may not fit into multicolored deck strategies that don’t heavily feature white mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Necessitating a higher mana investment can be cumbersome, especially when there are alternatives that may provide similar benefits for less. The necessity to invest four mana might slow down your gameplay, especially in a fast-paced match where efficiency is key.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Auspicious Ancestor can be a key component in a variety of deck builds, particularly those that thrive on life gain and creature protection. Its ability to provide a constant source of life can be pivotal in matchups that drag into the late game.
Combo Potential: This card has great synergy with mechanics that capitalize on gaining life, potentially setting off chains of beneficial effects. It works well with cards that have lifelink or trigger upon gaining life, bolstering both offensive and defensive strategies.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where aggressive decks are common, Auspicious Ancestor can offer a buffer against early onslaughts, making it a strategic choice for players anticipating fast-paced opponents.
How to beat
Auspicious Ancestor is a unique life boost card in the world of Magic: The Gathering, offering an intriguing dynamic to the game’s strategy. Playing against it requires a tactical approach as it bolsters your opponent’s health each time they conjure a creature. A solid countermeasure is to limit creature spells or incorporate removal cards that can deal with multiple creatures at once. Look towards spells like Wrath of God or Damnation, which can sweep the board clean regardless of creature size, undercutting the Ancestor’s life-gain ability.
An alternative strategy involves direct admonishment. Use spells such as Despark or a simple Murder to target and take out Auspicious Ancestor itself. By excising this source of life points from the battlefield promptly, you can keep your opponent’s life total within reach. Additionally, Graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace or Tormod’s Crypt could nullify the life enhancement granted from its die trigger, further neutralizing your opponent’s advantage.
Overall, thwarting Auspicious Ancestor’s influence demands a well-thought-out blend of creature control and direct elimination. Focusing on these strategies not only hampers your opponent’s life-gain ambitions but also steers the game towards a position more favorable for your victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Auspicious Ancestor MTG card by a specific set like Mirage, 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 Auspicious Ancestor 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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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Auspicious Ancestor has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |