Celestial Mantle MTG Card
2009-10-02 - Number 6
2020-07-17 - Number 96
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
Text of card
Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +3/+3. Whenever enchanted creature deals combat damage to a player, double its controller's life total.
Upon such armor, even a mountain would break.
Cards like Celestial Mantle
Celestial Mantle stands out in the world of MTG enchantments with its unique ability to double a player’s life total upon dealing combat damage. Cards like Armadillo Cloak offer a boost with trample and life gain, yet they fall short of the impressive life-doubling feature of Celestial Mantle. Additionally, Armadillo Cloak provides life gain regardless of who controls the creature it’s attached to—a subtle but strategic difference.
Behemoth Sledge is another card that’s often compared for its life-linking ability, granting both increased power and toughness along with the life gain. Despite its strengths, it doesn’t offer the exponential life gain potential that makes Celestial Mantle so captivating. Then there’s Spirit Link, a classic aura that provides life gain equivalent to the damage dealt, which can be a formidable option but still doesn’t match the Mantle’s capability to skyrocket a player’s life total.
These comparisons highlight the distinct position Celestial Mantle holds among its counterparts, leveraging its unique doubling life feature to transform games in ways few other cards can. An embodiment of high-impact enchantments, it’s favored among players seeking dramatic swings in their life totals and a path to victory founded on resilience and endurance.
Cards similar to Celestial Mantle by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Equipping Celestial Mantle doubles a player’s life total when the equipped creature deals combat damage, creating substantial long-term advantage.
Resource Acceleration: With the life gain, cards and abilities synergizing with high life totals become more accessible, indirectly accelerating resource potential.
Instant Speed: While not an instant, the triggered ability of Celestial Mantle has a similar impact, allowing players to alter the course of the game unexpectedly during combat.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Celestial Mantle demands that you have another creature on the battlefield to attach it to, potentially causing card disadvantage if the creature is removed before the Mantle can be equipped.
Specific Mana Cost: Celestial Mantle’s casting cost is heavy on white mana, needing two white sources, which could be challenging in multicolored or mana-scarce decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of six mana, including double white, Celestial Mantle is a significant investment that might not immediately affect the board state, particularly when faster or more disruptive plays could be preferred.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Celestial Mantle is a unique enchantment that can turn any creature into a significant threat. Its ability to double a player’s life total can be game-changing in various formats, offering both defensive and offensive benefits.
Combo Potential: This card pairs wonderfully with creatures that have lifelink or with strategies that include multiple instances of damage in single turns. With each trigger, the life-doubling effect can stack, setting up for previously unreachable game states.
Meta-Relevance: In environments dominated by aggressive strategies, Celestial Mantle provides a counterbalance. It acts as a deterrent, making opponents think twice before attacking and can swing the tide in life-total races that are common in such metas.
How to beat
Celestial Mantle is a powerful Aura card in MTG, bestowing a massive advantage by doubling a player’s life total whenever the enchanted creature deals combat damage. While this effect may seem overwhelming, there are several ways to handle it. First, focusing on creature control strategies can prevent the enchanted creature from hitting your life total. This could involve removal spells to neutralize the creature before the Mantle’s effect triggers or using bounce spells to return the creature to its owner’s hand, simultaneously detaching the Aura.
Counterspell strategies can also be highly effective. By countering the Celestial Mantle as it’s cast, you prevent the potentially game-altering life gain. Enchantment removal spells are another avenue, targeting the Mantle after it has hit the battlefield to eliminate the threat without having to deal with the creature itself. Lastly, playing aggressive decks that put pressure on the opponent early on can lead to a victory before the Mantle becomes a factor. It’s about staying ahead and rendering the enchanted creature irrelevant by reducing the opposing player’s life total to zero, making the Mantle’s effect moot.
Effectively handling a Celestial Mantle involves anticipating the card, having the right answers at the right time, and sometimes simply outpacing the boost it provides. A balanced strategy and a robust removal suite can keep this celestial boon from outshining your path to victory.
BurnMana Recommendations
Mastering the art of MTG involves more than just collecting powerful cards; it requires understanding their strategic value and when to deploy them. Celestial Mantle is a prime example of a high-impact card that can significantly alter the pace and outcome of a game. Equipping the right creatures and protecting your investment can lead to a formidable advantage. Whether you’re countering aggressive strategies or striving for that match-winning play, the Mantle demands consideration. Dive deeper with us for insights and strategies on how to effectively wield this celestial boon and ensure your collection is as resilient as it is powerful.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Celestial Mantle MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar and Jumpstart, 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 Mantle 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
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Printings
The Celestial Mantle Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2009-10-02 and 2020-07-17. Illustrated by Steve Argyle.
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Celestial Mantle has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Celestial Mantle card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2009-10-01 | At the time the ability triggers, determine which creature Celestial Mantle is enchanting. As the ability resolves, determine who currently controls that creature (or, if it’s no longer on the battlefield, determine who controlled it when it left). That’s the player whose life total is doubled. It doesn’t matter who controls Celestial Mantle, who controlled the creature at the time the ability triggered, or what creature Celestial Mantle enchants at the time the ability resolves. |
| 2009-10-01 | If a creature dealing combat damage at the same time as the enchanted creature has lifelink, the life gained due to lifelink happens before Celestial Mantle’s triggered ability resolves. |
| 2009-10-01 | If a player’s life total is doubled, that player actually gains or loses the necessary amount of life. For example, if the life total of the enchanted creature’s controller is 14 when Celestial Mantle’s triggered ability resolves, the ability causes that player to gain 14 life. Other cards that interact with life gain or life loss will interact with this effect accordingly. |
| 2009-10-01 | If the enchanted creature’s controller has a life total below 0 (which is possible if that player controls Platinum Angel, for example), Celestial Mantle’s triggered ability multiplies that number by two. For example, if the player had -4 life, that player’s life total becomes -8. |
| 2010-06-15 | In a Two-Headed Giant game, Celestial Mantle’s essentially doubles the team’s life total. Specifically, the triggered ability will affect one player’s life total, and then the team’s life total is adjusted by the amount of life the player gains as a result of this ability. Suppose a creature enchanted by Celestial Mantle deals combat damage to an opponent, and that creature’s controller’s team has 11 life. That player then has 11 life, so it’s doubled to 22, for a net gain of 11 life. The team’s life total becomes 22 (11 + 11). |