Wings of Hope MTG Card


Wings of Hope - Invasion
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant
Released2000-10-02
Set symbol
Set nameInvasion
Set codeINV
Number289
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byWayne England

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides continuous card advantage with life-gain; very beneficial in life-oriented strategies.
  2. Limited to white mana decks; has a discard requirement which could be a drawback.
  3. Despite higher mana cost, it offers substantial versatility and meta-relevance for decks.

Text of card

Enchanted creature gets +1/+3 and has flying.

Urza knew Phyrexians would come through the air and sent his soldiers to greet them.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wings of Hope provides a steady stream of card value by allowing you to draw a card every time you gain life, ideal for decks that consistently trigger life gain throughout the match.

Resource Acceleration: By increasing your life total, this enchantment synergizes well with cards that benefit from higher life, accelerating your resource advantage and giving you an edge in building your board presence.

Instant Speed: As an enchantment, Wings of Hope offers lasting effects, but it synergizes well with instant-speed life gain spells, allowing you to draw cards during your opponent’s turn and maintain uninterrupted access to fresh resources.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One immediate drawback of Wings of Hope is the necessity to discard another card to utilize it. This aspect becomes particularly problematic when your hand is dwindling, and every card counts. Having to let go of potentially useful strategies later in the game for an immediate but uncertain benefit can tilt the balance unfavorably.

Specific Mana Cost: Despite its ethereal name, Wings of Hope anchors itself with a specific mana cost requirement, tying it intricately to decks that can produce white mana. This limitation narrows the spectrum of decks where the card can be optimally used, potentially barring it from the multicolored or non-white strategies that might not accommodate the stringent mana necessity.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Wings of Hope promises to lift your game, its relatively steep mana cost might anchor your strategy instead. For the investment of two white mana, the return might not soar as high as one would hope, especially when you place it against other options in the same mana range. It’s important to weigh whether the aerial advantage it provides is worth the cost, especially when alternatives could offer a more impactful board presence or game state shift.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Wings of Hope offers flexibility across various decks, giving creatures a much-needed boost with flying and lifelink. This can be especially beneficial in decks that focus on life-gain or those seeking to evade ground-based defenses.

Combo Potential: Enhances synergies with cards that thrive on life-gain or flying creatures. With the ability to create powerful interactions, it serves not just as an enhancement, but as a linchpin in many combo-centric strategies.

Meta-Relevance: Practical in a meta teeming with aggressive strategies, Wings of Hope can shift the tide of a game by offering both protective and offensive capabilities. It is a smart addition to decks looking to stay ahead in a constantly evolving battlefield landscape.


How to beat

Wings of Hope presents players with a unique combination of flying enhancement and life gain, offering both offensive and defensive advantages. This card’s ability to grant flying can evade many common ground-based defenses, while the life gain aspect helps maintain your life total, crucial in outlasting an opponent.

To effectively counter Wings of Hope, consider incorporating cheap removal or counterspells that can neutralize it before the enhanced creature becomes a major threat. Spot removals like Fatal Push or Shock can swiftly deal with smaller creatures before the life gain becomes significant. Additionally, enchantment removal cards like Disenchant or Naturalize offer a direct way to remove Wings of Hope from the battlefield, negating both of its benefits in one fell swoop.

It is vital to anticipate the deployment of Wings of Hope and hinder it proactively. By keeping up removal spells or holding back some mana for a potential counterspell, you can effectively mitigate the impact of Wings of Hope, thus maintaining control over the game and slowly steering it towards your favor.


Cards like Wings of Hope

Diving into the card pool, Wings of Hope from Magic the Gathering joins the ranks of enchantments designed to boost creatures’ capabilities. Wings of Hope can be likened to Flight, as they both offer the flying ability to a targeted creature. Despite sharing this air-lifting trait, Wings of Hope carries the additional benefit of granting a small power boost, granting not only mobility but also a slight edge in combat.

Equally notable is Angelic Gift. While it shares the flying-granting attribute with Wings of Hope, Angelic Gift edges ahead by drawing a card upon entering the battlefield, providing an immediate advantage beyond the battlefield. However, the lack of a power increase could be relevant in specific scenarios where the additional attack capability is vital. Then there’s Nimbus Wings which also gives a creature flying and a power boost, though it grants a more considerable increase compared to Wings of Hope for the same mana cost.

Analyzing these comparisons, Wings of Hope holds a firm spot in the spectrum of creature enchantments within Magic the Gathering. It balances the act of adding aerial prowess with a modicum of offensive enhancement, carving its own niche for players seeking lightweight and versatile upgrades.

Flight - MTG Card versions
Angelic Gift - MTG Card versions
Nimbus Wings - MTG Card versions
Flight - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Angelic Gift - Battle for Zendikar (BFZ)
Nimbus Wings - Zendikar (ZEN)

Cards similar to Wings of Hope by color, type and mana cost

Staggering Insight - MTG Card versions
Wings of Aesthir - MTG Card versions
Kjeldoran Pride - MTG Card versions
Angelic Shield - MTG Card versions
Curse of Chains - MTG Card versions
Monk Class - MTG Card versions
A-Dorothea, Vengeful Victim // A-Dorothea's Retribution - MTG Card versions
Dorothea, Vengeful Victim // Dorothea's Retribution - MTG Card versions
Regenerations Restored - MTG Card versions
Staggering Insight - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Wings of Aesthir - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Kjeldoran Pride - Coldsnap Theme Decks (CST)
Angelic Shield - Duel Decks: Venser vs. Koth (DDI)
Curse of Chains - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)
Monk Class - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos (PAFR)
A-Dorothea, Vengeful Victim // A-Dorothea's Retribution - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
Dorothea, Vengeful Victim // Dorothea's Retribution - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
Regenerations Restored - Doctor Who (WHO)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wings of Hope MTG card by a specific set like Invasion, 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 Wings of Hope and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wings of Hope has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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