Vona, Butcher of Magan MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Vampire Knight
Abilities Lifelink, Vigilance
Power 4
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides card advantage through effective, recurring nonland permanent removal every turn.
  2. Implicit resource acceleration by saving cards and offering flexible, strategic plays on your turn.
  3. Demands careful life total management due to the substantial life cost for ability activation.
Vigilance card art

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.

Text of card

Vigilance, lifelink , Pay 7 life: Destroy target nonland permanent. Activate only during your turn.

"For four hundred years, I have led armies of conquest. These lands hold nothing that can stand against me."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Vona Butcher of Magan card brings significant card advantage by potentially removing threats each turn without spending additional cards from your hand. This provides a continually clear path for your attacks or defends your board with ease.

Resource Acceleration: Vona doesn’t directly provide mana acceleration in the traditional sense, but her ability to remove key pieces from your opponent’s board without using extra cards from your hand effectively saves resources. This implicit acceleration allows you to deploy more threats or hold up mana for responses more freely.

Instant Speed: Vona’s ability to destroy target nonland permanent isn’t at instant speed, but it is activated, which means you can use it during your turn at any point. This flexible timing lets you wait until the opportune moment during your turn to disrupt your opponent’s strategy, all while signaling to the opponent that removal is always at the ready, forcing them to play around it.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Vona, Butcher of Magan demands a strict adherence to your life total rather than a discard, as activating her ability costs 7 life. In tight matches, spending life so carelessly could position you precariously on the brink of defeat.

Specific Mana Cost: This legendary vampire knight requires a precise mana investment of one white, one black, and three generic mana. This specificity can restrict her presence to mainly Orzhov (white-black) decks, dampening her versatility across the varied MTG multiverse.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, her presence in the game arrives noticeably later. Considering the pace at which the MTG battlefield evolves, allocating resources to summon Vona might not always sync with the dynamic flow of the game, especially when alternatives may present more immediate board impact.


Reasons to Include Vona Butcher of Magan in Your Collection

Versatility: Vona Butcher of Magan offers a dynamic blend of life-linking and control, enabling you to maintain a strong defense while dictating the pace of play. This card is a fit for decks that thrive on life gain and those that require the flexibility to remove threats on the board.

Combo Potential: Vona’s ability to destroy nonland permanents at the cost of paying life paves the way for synergy with cards that capitalize on high life totals or benefit from activated abilities. She’s an enabler in decks that manipulate life for gain.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state dominated by powerful artifacts, creatures, and enchantments, Vona’s targeted removal can disrupt your opponents’ key plays. As the meta shifts, her relevance can either rise or hold steady, ensuring she remains a useful asset in your arsenal.


How to beat

Vona, Butcher of Magan is a formidable force on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering, offering both life-link and a unique ability to destroy nonland permanents at the cost of paying seven life. To overcome this powerful vampire knight, players should employ strategies that can either neutralize the card before it can utilize its ability or lessen its impact once it’s active.

One effective tactic is to use removal spells that can target and eliminate Vona before the opponent has a chance to take advantage of her abilities. Cards such as Path to Exile and Murder are prime examples, capable of dismissing her from the field swiftly. Additionally, countering Vona while she’s still a spell using counters like Cancel or Mana Leak can prevent her from ever entering the battlefield in the first place.

There’s also the option to weaken her through status effects. Enchantment cards like Pacifism restrict her from attacking, hence limiting her life-link ability and preventing her from activating her destructive capability. Lastly, since activating Vona’s ability requires significant life payment, maintaining pressure to keep your opponent’s life total low can deter them from using her ability or make it a risky move.


BurnMana Recommendations

Take your MTG journey to the next level by incorporating Vona, Butcher of Magan into your collection. Beyond her ability to clear the path of threats every turn and save valuable resources, she stands as a formidable asset in Orzhov decks. With the insights provided on her strengths and weaknesses, you’re better equipped to harness her full potential. Enhance your deck’s versatility and control with Vona’s unique abilities and ensure you have the right strategies to counteract her in play. Curious about integrating Vona into your deck or finding ways to defend against her? Step into a broader MTG strategy horizon with us and unlock the power of tactical play.


Cards like Vona, Butcher of Magan

Vona Butcher of Magan is a standout creature that brings a robust presence to any battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. With a similar lifelink ability, we can compare it to Exquisite Archangel. Both cards offer life-total protection but Vona allows targeted destruction of nonland permanents at the cost of her own life. In contrast, Exquisite Archangel sacrifices itself for a one-time effect to reset one’s life total.

Balan, Wandering Knight, is another card that shares Vona’s love for equipment. However, while Vona flexes with a versatile ability that can be activated each turn, Balan focuses more on becoming a formidable equipped creature in a single swift motion. Vona’s constant threat to opposing permanents cannot be overstated when compared to Balan’s singular offensive approach.

Examining these options, Vona’s potential for controlling the game and dictating the pace through her destruction ability elevates her position in the pantheon of MTG cards. Her utility and threat level offer a dynamic that few similar creatures can match, cementing her role as a powerful choice for players seeking both offensive and utility roles in their deck.

Exquisite Archangel - MTG Card versions
Balan, Wandering Knight - MTG Card versions
Exquisite Archangel - MTG Card versions
Balan, Wandering Knight - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Vona, Butcher of Magan MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan Promos and Ixalan, 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 Vona, Butcher of Magan and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Vona, Butcher of Magan Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2017-09-29 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-09-29Ixalan PromosPXLN 231s2015NormalBlackVolkan Baǵa
22017-09-29IxalanXLN 2312015NormalBlackVolkan Baǵa
32019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 14132015NormalBlackPig Hands
42023-04-21March of the Machine CommanderMOC 3422015NormalBlackVolkan Baǵa
52023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 2932015NormalBlackVolkan Baǵa

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Vona, Butcher of Magan has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Vona, Butcher of Magan card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2017-09-29 Vona's last ability can be activated during any step or phase of your turn, including the combat phase. It's possible to attack with Vona and then activate its ability before blockers are declared. Doing so won't remove Vona from combat.

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