Herald of Faith MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Angel |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Released | 2018-07-13 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Core Set 2019 |
| Set code | M19 |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 13 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Tommy Arnold |
Key Takeaways
- Herald of Faith offers consistent lifegain and board presence, critical in maintaining lead in matches.
- Works as a standalone card and synergizes with lifegain-centric strategies, enhancing its utility.
- While potent, its five mana cost and color specifics may limit its inclusion in some MTG decks.
Text of card
Flying Whenever Herald of Faith attacks, you gain 2 life.
The clerics prayed for salvation. The soldiers prayed for victory. Both prayers were answered.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Herald of Faith is adept at bolstering your on-board presence each time it attacks, which can effectively tip the scales in terms of life totals and keep you in the leading position.
Resource Acceleration: Although the Herald of Faith itself doesn’t directly accelerate your resources, its ability to consistently improve your life total can indirectly extend your resources by allowing you more turns to draw into them.
Instant Speed: While the Herald of Faith operates at sorcery speed, its endurance on the battlefield often forces opponents to play at instant speed, using their resources to deal with it, therefore giving you the tempo advantage.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Herald of Faith doesn’t have an inherent discard requirement, but it’s worth noting that in a hand with multiple high-cost cards, keeping up with the mana curve can lead to tough decisions about discarding.
Specific Mana Cost: This card requires both white mana and generic mana, which can sometimes be a hurdle in multicolor decks, especially if your mana base is not properly tuned to accommodate such needs.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, Herald of Faith competes with other game-changing five-drops, and players might find it less impactful compared to other available options at the same cost, particularly in faster or more efficient deck builds.
Reasons to Include Herald of Faith in Your Collection
Versatility: Herald of Faith boasts a flexible role in various deck archetypes, primarily because it serves as a robust flying creature that can be a game-changer in limited formats or even in casual play. Its ability to both attack from above and provide life gain with each swing illustrates its two-pronged approach to dominance on the battlefield.
Combo Potential: This card’s life-gain aspect creates synergy with strategies that thrive on such effects. For instance, combining it with cards that benefit from life gain or that are triggered by gaining life can lead to explosive sequences that swing games in your favor.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where combat damage prevails, Herald of Faith can be a relevant addition. The inherent value of a flying creature combined with the consistent life cushion it provides can make it especially useful in stalling aggressive opponents or outsizing other midrange threats.
How to beat
Herald of Faith is a notable card in Magic: The Gathering, known for its resilience and the ability to edge its owner closer to victory with repeated lifegain triggers. Sitting at five mana for a 4/3 flyer that gains two life each time it swings, it can quickly turn the tides of a game if left unchecked. To effectively counter this winged threat, understanding its strengths and weaknesses is crucial.
Control decks that run ample removal spells can handle Herald of Faith efficiently. Instant-speed answers such as Murder or Cast Down let you eliminate the Herald before the lifegain ability can impact the game. Sweepers like Wrath of God can also reset the board, removing Herald of Faith along with other creatures regardless of their size. If Herald of Faith does become a recurring problem due to cards that resurrect creatures from the graveyard, Graveyard hate cards such as Rest in Peace become a necessary inclusion in your deck to combat it.
Strategically, pressuring opponents early and maintaining control of the board state is key in not letting Herald of Faith dominate the game. Efficiently managing your resources and dictating the pace of the game will help you overcome the challenges posed by the persistency and incremental lifegain of Herald of Faith.
Cards like Herald of Faith
Herald of Faith stands as a noteworthy inclusion in the realm of flyers within MTG. When sizing up its characteristics, Serra Angel rises as a classic comparison. Both creatures possess flying and an ability to impact the game beyond just combat. Unlike Serra Angel with vigilance, Herald of Faith offers a consistent life-gain opportunity on attack, which can be pivotal in games favoring life totals.
Moving to Resplendent Griffin, we find a flyer with an adaptable presence via the ascend mechanic. While Herald of Faith offers a solid stats package, Resplendent Griffin can scale its impact, although it requires a specific board state to truly flourish. Lyra Dawnbringer then enters the discussion, projecting an aura of enhanced lifelink synergy. Lyra excels by providing bonuses to other angels you control, which could create larger swings in board state than the individual lifegain from Herald of Faith.
Assessing these options, Herald of Faith holds its ground as a valuable creature in MTG, especially in decks centered around lifegain strategies and mid-range combat approaches. Its meld of accessibility and impactful life swings makes it a card worth considering for specific game plans.
Cards similar to Herald of Faith by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Herald of Faith MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2019, 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 Herald of Faith 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 Herald of Faith has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
