Celestial Archon MTG Card
2013-09-21 - Number 3★
2013-09-27 - Number 3
2015-11-13 - Number 64
2018-08-09 - Number 64
2023-09-08 - Number 63
2002-06-24 - Number 50128
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment Creature — Archon |
| Abilities | Bestow,First strike,Flying |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
Bestow (If you cast this card for its bestow cost, it's an Aura spell with enchant creature. It becomes a creature again if it's not attached to a creature.) Flying, first strike Enchanted creature gets +4/+4 and has flying and first strike.
Cards like Celestial Archon
Celestial Archon stands out in the enchantment creature card category in Magic: The Gathering, owing to its double role both as a creature and as a powerful aura. This versatility can be likened to the card Eidolon of Countless Battles, which also garners strength from other auras and creatures on the battlefield. Yet, what makes Celestial Archon unique is its bestowed ability that can turn any creature into a formidable threat, much like the bestowed mechanic of Hopeful Eidolon, although with a notably higher impact on the board state.
Chiming into the comparison is Heliod’s Emissary, another enchantment creature with a similar capacity to bestow. Though less expensive than Celestial Archon, its effects on gameplay are more subtle, enhancing creatures incrementally rather than transforming them into an immense threat. It’s this difference in potency and the strategic depth bestowed mechanic introduces that positions Celestial Archon in a niche of its own within Magic: The Gathering.
Considering their abilities and influence on game dynamics, Celestial Archon’s unique blend of power and flexibility allows it to shine among the enchantment creatures, making it a valuable asset for players who favor a strategy that adapts to various in-game scenarios.
Cards similar to Celestial Archon by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Celestial Archon stands out as a powerful option for gaining card advantage. When bestowed upon a creature, Celestial Archon is not only a formidable asset in itself but also turns its host into a more significant threat, essentially serving as two threats in one card. This can pressure your opponent to deal with multiple challenges simultaneously, potentially depleting their resources more rapidly.
Resource Acceleration: While Celestial Archon itself does not directly provide resource acceleration, its presence can indirectly lead to a better position for mana development. It compels opponents to consider using removal spells or abilities sooner, which can delay their own board development and advance your position on the battlefield.
Instant Speed: This characteristic isn’t applicable to Celestial Archon as it is a creature and an aura with the bestow mechanic that operates at sorcery speed. However, the flexibility of being able to cast it either as a creature or as an aura bestow onto another creature can give players pseudo-instant speed advantages by forging sudden, unexpected power boosts during the combat phase, catching opponents off guard.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Adding Celestial Archon to your hand carries the burden of parting with another card. In situations where your hand is already running on empty, this trade-off can intensify your resource scarcity.
Specific Mana Cost: Celestial Archon demands a precise blend of mana, including double white. This necessity can restrict its playability to decks that comfortably produce white mana, potentially sidelining it in more color-diverse strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that hits the board at five, including three generic and two white mana, the investment for Celestial Archon is noteworthy. When assessing your options, it’s essential to consider other creatures or enchantments that could offer a similar level of board impact for less of a mana commitment.
Reasons to Include Celestial Archon in Your Collection
Versatility: Celestial Archon is a dual-threat, serving as both a potent creature or as an enchantment to strengthen other creatures. Its flexibility allows it to adapt to any stage of the game, fitting comfortably in various deck types, particularly those centering around enchantment synergies or requiring solid airborne attackers.
Combo Potential: With the bestow mechanic, this card opens up opportunities for combos in decks that capitalize on creature buffs or constellation abilities. It becomes more than just a creature; it’s also an engine to enhance other cards’ impact on the battlefield.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state where flyers dominate, and control decks prevail, Celestial Archon stands out with its ability to swing the board in your favor either as a formidable attacker or as an enchantment that can make your key creatures even more threatening, maintaining relevance in various meta environments.
How to beat
Celestial Archon stands out in MTG as a formidable enchantment creature with the bestow ability, allowing it to either be a creature or an aura that can turn another creature into a significant threat. Its presence on the battlefield can shift the tide of the game due to its ability to pump a creature’s power and toughness while also granting it flying and first strike.
To tackle Celestial Archon, you need to anticipate its arrival or manage it once it’s on the board. Counterspells like Negate or Essence Scatter can prevent it from ever taking effect. In case it has already been cast, removal that bypasses its enchantment nature, like Doom Blade or Path to Exile for the creature it’s enchanting, is key. Board wipes like Wrath of God can clear the board regardless of its augmented state. Enchantment removal such as Naturalize or Disenchant also works wonders by targeting the Archon directly when it’s bestowing another creature.
Strategic foresight and a well-constructed deck are crucial when facing powerful MTG cards like Celestial Archon. Having a plan to counter or eliminate such threats ensures resilience during your matches.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Celestial Archon MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Theros Promos, 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 Celestial Archon 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 Celestial Archon Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2013-09-21 and 2023-09-08. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 50128 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Wesley Burt | ||
| 2 | 2013-09-21 | Theros Promos | PTHS | 3★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Wesley Burt | |
| 3 | 2013-09-27 | Theros | THS | 3 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Matt Stewart | |
| 4 | 2015-11-13 | Commander 2015 | C15 | 64 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Matt Stewart | |
| 5 | 2018-08-09 | Commander 2018 | C18 | 64 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Matt Stewart | |
| 6 | 2023-09-08 | Wilds of Eldraine Commander | WOC | 63 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Matt Stewart |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Celestial Archon 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 Celestial Archon card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-07-13 | A spell with bestow is either a creature spell or an Aura spell. It's never both. Similarly, a permanent with bestow is either a creature or an Aura, but not both. |
| 2018-07-13 | Auras attached to a creature don't become tapped when the creature becomes tapped. Except in some rare cases, an Aura with bestow remains untapped when it becomes unattached and becomes a creature. |
| 2018-07-13 | Bestow is an alternative cost to cast the spell with bestow. It can't be combined with other alternative costs, such as casting a spell "without paying its mana cost." |
| 2018-07-13 | If a permanent with bestow enters the battlefield by any method other than being cast, it will be an enchantment creature. You can't choose to pay the bestow cost and have it become an Aura. |
| 2018-07-13 | To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a bestow cost) you're paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was. |
| 2018-07-13 | Unlike other Aura spells, an Aura spell with bestow still resolves if its target is illegal. Instead of entering the battlefield as an Aura, the effect making it an Aura spell ends, it loses enchant creature, and it resolves and enters the battlefield as an enchantment creature. |
| 2018-07-13 | Unlike other Auras, an Aura with bestow isn't put into its owner's graveyard if the enchanted creature leaves the battlefield or becomes an illegal creature for the Aura to enchant. Rather, the effect making it an Aura ends, it loses enchant creature, and it remains on the battlefield as an enchantment creature. It can attack (and its abilities can be activated, if it has any) on the turn it becomes unattached if it's been under your control continuously, even as an Aura, since your most recent turn began. |