Chaplain's Blessing MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Released | 2016-04-08 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Shadows over Innistrad |
| Set code | SOI |
| Number | 10 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | John Stanko |
Key Takeaways
- Offers immediate survival benefit, potentially extending the game to draw into more impactful cards.
- Minimal resource investment for its effect allows for diverse strategic plays in the same turn.
- Lacks sustainable benefits over time, but its efficiency is notable in life-gain and defensive strategies.
Text of card
You gain 5 life.
"There was a time when the purpose of the church was to heal and protect. I would see that time return."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While Chaplain’s Blessing doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, gaining five life can indirectly contribute to card advantage. In games where survival is key, this life can be the buffer needed to draw into more impactful cards.
Resource Acceleration: Chaplain’s Blessing itself doesn’t produce mana or ramp, but the low cost of a single white mana means it requires minimal resource investment. This allows players to utilize their mana for other game-developing plays while still benefiting from the life gain.
Instant Speed: As a sorcery, Chaplain’s Blessing is played during your main phases. This timing helps set up the board state safely and allows for strategic planning, knowing you have secured additional life points as you commit other resources to the board.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Chaplain’s Blessing doesn’t require you to discard a card, considering its one-shot effect, it might not be as impactful as a card that provides a more sustainable benefit over time.
Specific Mana Cost: Chaplain’s Blessing requires white mana for casting, which could limit its inclusion strictly to decks that run white mana or have a reliable mana base that can accommodate white spells.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a single white mana, gaining 5 life is a straightforward effect. However, this card might fall short when compared to other one-mana spells that can influence the board state or offer more strategic value to the player, aside from a simple life gain.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Chaplain’s Blessing can be a versatile addition, serving as a low-cost way to gain a notable life boost. This can be particularly useful in decks that aim to stabilize early or in life-gain strategies.
Combo Potential: With its one mana cost, Chaplain’s Blessing can easily be woven into combos or synergies where life gain triggers other effects or beefs up certain creatures. It pairs well with cards that benefit from life-gain milestones.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment where aggro decks are prevalent, the rapid life gain Chaplain’s Blessing provides could be the edge needed to outlast early onslaughts and set the stage for a comeback.
How to Beat
Chaplain’s Blessing is a white spell card in MTG that offers a simple yet potent effect by granting you five life for a mere one white mana. It’s a card which can be strategically unremarkable yet undeniably useful when timed right, especially for those looking to stabilize against aggressive decks. To effectively challenge its impact, the key lies in strategies that outpace the incremental life gain or bypass it entirely.
Direct damage decks that can overwhelm the opponent quickly minimize the relevance of a one-time life boost. Evasive creatures can outmaneuver this defensive tactic, while spells that focus on reducing life totals in large bursts or through damage amplification, such as through commander damage in EDH, can easily render the life gain from Chaplain’s Blessing insignificant. Additionally, control decks with the capability to deny key spell resolutions or counter critical plays can bypass the life gain by primarily dealing with more significant threats on the board.
Remember, against white’s array of lifegain spells, a comprehensive strategy built around resilient threats or consistent pressure will often prevail over one-off life boosts, no matter how efficient or timely they may be played.
Cards like Chaplain's Blessing
Chaplain’s Blessing is a simple yet potentially life-saving card in the world of Magic: The Gathering. Much like the commonly known card Healing Salve, Chaplain’s Blessing offers immediate life gain, bestowing a generous five life points to its controller for a minimal mana investment. The immediate impact of such life gain in the early game can be the difference between stabilizing in a match and crumbling under early pressure.
Comparable cards include the likes of Rest for the Weary, which also serves the purpose of life gain, offering a base of four life points that doubles if landfall occurs. However, Rest for the Weary demands double the mana of Chaplain’s Blessing, making the latter more accessible in tight situations. Then there is Renewed Faith, which provides versatility by granting an option for card draw in addition to life gain, but at a higher mana cost and less life gain than Chaplain’s Blessing if the cycling is not utilized.
Each card in the life gain category serves a tactical purpose, and Chaplain’s Blessing shines with its cost-effectiveness and substantial instant boost, making it a card to consider for a defensive or life-based strategy deck in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Chaplain's Blessing by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Chaplain's Blessing MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad, 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 Chaplain's Blessing and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Chaplain's Blessing has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |