Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist MTG Card
2021-09-24 - Number 13
2022-01-28 - Number 13
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Cleric |
| Abilities | Disturb,First strike,Transform,Ward |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Key Takeaways
- Increases board presence with its Ward ability as it flips into Chapel Shieldgeist.
- Allows efficient resource allocation, speeding up the deployment of larger threats.
- Offers strategic flexibility with the Disturb cost, enabling adaptive gameplay.
Text of card
First strike Ward (Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays .) Disturb (You may cast this card from your graveyard transformed for its disturb cost.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist provides a notable card advantage with its Ward ability as it flips. Once it becomes Chapel Shieldgeist, it offers a form of repeating card advantage by protecting your other creatures from targeted spells while forcing opponents to pay more, thus maintaining your board presence.
Resource Acceleration: While this card doesn’t directly provide mana acceleration, its initial low cost allows you to deploy other resources more efficiently. Investing early in the game with Chaplain of Alms permits smoother resource allocation in later turns, enabling you to play bigger threats more quickly.
Instant Speed: Although the card itself does not operate at instant speed, its Disturb cost allows you to strategically decide when to bring Chapel Shieldgeist to the battlefield. This flexibility ensures that you can adapt and respond to the gamestate at an opportune moment, ideally when your opponent is least prepared to deal with its protective abilities.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist offers utility, players must be wary of its transform requirement. Primarily, the condition necessitates that a certain number of creatures you control must die in a turn, which can sometimes be challenging to orchestrate, especially against decks that avoid killing your creatures.
Specific Mana Cost: The card’s initial side, Chaplain of Alms, requires one white mana, which means it’s most feasible in monochrome white or decks with a heavy white component. It may strain mana resources in a multicolor deck scenario, especially if the deck is not optimized for white mana stability.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When you consider that the card transforms into Chapel Shieldgeist on the reverse, the combined mana cost for both effects – from casting to transformation – is substantial. For the benefits offered, some players may find that a straightforward creature with a static ability might serve their strategy without the need to navigate the additional layers of playing and transforming the Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: The duality of Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist lends itself to various deck types, and its front side as a 1/1 creature with ward can ward off early game aggression, while its flipped version, Chapel Shieldgeist, provides a defensive utility with its ability to block additional creatures.
Combo Potential: This card’s transform ability can be maximized in decks focusing on death triggers or flicker effects, allowing for a strategic toggle between its two modalities to adapt to ongoing gameplay circumstances.
Meta-Relevance: Given that creature-heavy decks are prevalent in many metagames, having a flexible card that can serve both offensive and defensive roles like Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist makes it a smart addition to stay competitive.
How to beat Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist
Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist is a unique card that offers players in MTG defensive versatility and value over time. On its front face, Chaplain of Alms comes at a low cost and carries ward, making it a resilient first-line defender. However, to effectively tackle this card, it’s crucial to employ the correct strategy. Using removal spells that don’t target, such as board wipes or effects that force the player to sacrifice a creature, can bypass the ward ability of Chaplain of Alms.
The flip side, Chapel Shieldgeist, further complicates matters with its ability to prevent damage to other creatures. The key to countering this lies in timing: engaging in combat tricks or deploying wider strategies that generate several threats at once can overload the Chapel Shieldgeist’s protective capacity. Instant-speed interaction, which can alter the state of the board or remove the card before it can affect combat, proves excellent at this juncture.
Lastly, direct player damage spells or alternate win conditions are effective as they navigate around the Chaplain’s defenses, focusing on ending the game without dealing with it directly. Therefore, flexibility in approach and an understanding of when to switch tactics are the benchmarks in outmaneuvering the capabilities of Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist.
Cards like Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist
Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist stands out in MTG’s roster of versatile creatures. Its likeness is often compared to other transform cards such as the honorable Legion’s Landing, which metamorphoses into Adanto, the First Fort. Like Chaplain of Alms, Legion’s Landing also puts emphasis on early creature presence and later transforms into a utility land. However, the Chaplain’s dual creature nature offers steadfast resilience on the battlefield through its ward ability post-transformation.
Another card that echoes the Chaplain’s duality is Cloistered Youth // Unholy Fiend. Initially, this card presents a passive creature that flips into an aggressive threat. Cloistered Youth differs in its lack of defensive capabilities which are found in Chaplain of Alms’s second form, Chapel Shieldgeist with its spirit synergies and protective ward.
Assessing these cards reveals that while there are similarities in the transformative nature of these MTG cards, Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist remains a compelling choice for players looking for defensive agility combined with a powerful transition from early utility to a more formidable spirit defender in the later stages of the game.
Cards similar to Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Innistrad: Double Feature, 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 of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist 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
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Printings
The Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-09-24 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Anastasia Ovchinnikova.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-09-24 | Innistrad: Midnight Hunt | MID | 13 | 2015 | Transform | Black | Anastasia Ovchinnikova | |
| 2 | 2022-01-28 | Innistrad: Double Feature | DBL | 13 | 2015 | Transform | Black | Anastasia Ovchinnikova |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-09-24 | "Disturb -ost]" means "You may cast this card transformed from your graveyard by paying -ost] rather than its mana cost." |
| 2021-09-24 | A spell cast this way enters the battlefield with its back face up. |
| 2021-09-24 | Disturb is found only on the front faces of some double-faced cards. |
| 2021-09-24 | If you copy a permanent spell cast this way (perhaps with a card like Double Major), the copy becomes a token that's a copy of the card's back face, even though it isn't itself a double-faced card. |
| 2021-09-24 | The back face of each card with disturb has an ability that instructs its controller to exile if it would be put into a graveyard from anywhere. This includes going to the graveyard from the stack, so if the spell is countered after you cast it using the disturb ability, it will be put into exile. |
| 2021-09-24 | To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a disturb cost) you're paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of a spell cast using disturb is determined by the mana cost on the front face of the card, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was. (This is a special rule that applies only to transforming double faced-cards, including ones with disturb.) |
| 2021-09-24 | When you cast a spell using a card's disturb ability, the card is put onto the stack with its back face up. The resulting spell has all the characteristics of that face. |
