High Priest of Penance MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: High Priest of Penance shines in situations where you can utilize its destruction ability to effectively deal with troublesome permanents on the board. Every time it’s dealt damage, it lets you target an artifact, creature, enchantment, or planeswalker your opponent controls and destroy it, potentially providing a one-for-one trade or even better, if protected or recurring in-game.

Resource Acceleration: Though High Priest of Penance itself doesn’t directly contribute to resource acceleration, the removal of key pieces of your opponent’s strategy can indirectly accelerate your own game plan. By eliminating their resources, you pave a clearer path for your plays, effectively letting you stay ahead in the race to victory.

Instant Speed: With its ability triggering upon being dealt damage, High Priest of Penance allows for flexibility akin to instant speed interaction. This means during any combat phase, or in response to any action that causes it damage, you can disrupt your opponent’s board, forcing them to reconsider their strategy mid-turn and potentially ruining their momentum.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While High Priest of Penance has no direct discard requirements, it necessitates careful board management. This may indirectly result in a discard when strategically retaining removal spells to trigger its ability, constraining your hand and potentially costing precious resources.

Specific Mana Cost: High Priest of Penance demands both white and black mana, making it specifically tailored for Orzhov or multi-colored decks. This mana specificity can restrict deck-building flexibility, as including it in a mono-colored or a differently aligned strategy wouldn’t be viable.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although costing only two mana, it’s noteworthy that other two-drop creatures might provide a more immediate impact on the game. The value of High Priest of Penance is situational, dependent on it being targeted and destroyed, which can be a significant drawback when faster board presence is required.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: High Priest of Penance offers a unique defensive option for your deck, acting as a deterrent to opponents considering attacking you. This card can slot into a variety of deck builds, particularly ones that need to control the board and protect life totals.

Combo Potential: With the right setup, such as enablers that allow it to deal damage to itself, High Priest of Penance can repeatedly destroy any nonland permanent. This synergizes well with mechanics like indestructibility or regeneration.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where valuable enchantments, artifacts, and creatures dominate the field, the High Priest acts as a potential one-card solution to multiple threats. Its relevance in the meta is solid as it can be part of strategies that disrupt opponent’s key pieces.

How to beat

The High Priest of Penance is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering, capable of deterring opponents’ attacks due to its potential to destroy any nonland permanent if it’s dealt damage. To navigate around this strategic blockade, players often resort to indirect removal spells. These can bypass the Priest’s effect by not dealing damage but rather exiling the card or forcing a sacrifice, as seen with cards like Path to Exile or Diabolic Edict.

Alternatively, leveraging abilities that reduce toughness can effectively eliminate the High Priest of Penance without triggering its destructive capability. For example, using instant-speed spells such as Fatal Push during your own turn ensures the Priest is removed without repercussions. In a broader strategy, preventing the High Priest from reaching the battlefield altogether through counter spells also proves to be an effective measure.

The key to surpassing the High Priest of Penance’s shield-like nature lies in a well-curated deck that includes versatile removal options. By meticulously selecting spells that can sidestep the damage clause, players can maintain control over the board without fear of losing valuable permanents to the High Priest’s penance.

BurnMana Recommendations

Diving into MTG’s strategic depths showcases cards like High Priest of Penance as pivotal pieces in your arsenal. Understanding its nuanced role in the delicate dance of destruction and board control takes finesse and insight. With its ability to disrupt opponents at a moment’s notice, the High Priest becomes a force that demands an answer. As you refine your collection and elevate your gameplay, incorporating this card could be a game-changer. Ready for a deeper dive into strategies that can mold your MTG experience? Embrace the wisdom of the High Priest of Penance and fortify your deck. Unlock more insights and strategies with us and advance your journey to becoming a formidable player in the MTG realm.