Wakening Sun's Avatar MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost8
RarityMythic
TypeCreature — Dinosaur Avatar
Power 7
Toughness 7

Key Takeaways

  1. Creates immediate card advantage by clearing non-Dinosaur creatures upon entry.
  2. Encourages mana ramp strategies to deploy earlier, enhancing dinosaur decks.
  3. Demands precise timing for strategic play, akin to instant speed effects.

Text of card

When Wakening Sun's Avatar enters the battlefield, if you cast it from your hand, destroy all non-Dinosaur creatures.

"Kinjalli's encompassing rays herald new life in the moment of the sun's dawning." —Chitlati, Lightning Rider


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wakening Sun’s Avatar specializes in creating a powerful presence on the battlefield that can generate immediate card advantage by clearing the board of creatures. When it enters the battlefield, if you cast it from your hand, you can remove all non-Dinosaur creatures, potentially swinging the momentum in your favor while maintaining your board state.

Resource Acceleration: Although Wakening Sun’s Avatar itself is not a direct source of resource acceleration, its inclusion in a deck often synergizes with cards that ramp your mana. This synergy allows you to deploy this high-cost creature earlier than usual, leveraging the robust mana base typical in formats where dinosaurs excel.

Instant Speed: Wakening Sun’s Avatar may not have instant speed, but its ability to dramatically affect the board the moment it lands makes it almost as impactful as an instant speed sweeper in some scenarios. Strategically timing its deployment can be as crucial as the perfect instant, navigating around your opponent’s threats and setting up a clear path to victory.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Wakening Sun’s Avatar doesn’t require a discard, it does necessitate a significant investment in both deck construction and in-game resources to reach its full potential. Tailoring a deck to support its specific needs could result in having to let go of cards that don’t align with the dinosaur theme, potentially limiting strategic diversity.

Specific Mana Cost: This imposing dinosaur has a specific mana requirement that may prove challenging. The cost of three white mana paired with a total of eight mana makes it a commitment to fit into multicolored decks or those not heavily focused on generating large amounts of white mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The eight total mana needed to summon Wakening Sun’s Avatar is a costly investment, especially in games where speed is crucial. While its board-clearing ability is powerful, players might find themselves at a disadvantage if they can’t cast it in a timely manner or if it is removed before it can impact the board.


Reasons to Include Wakening Sun’s Avatar in Your Collection

Versatility: Wakening Sun’s Avatar can serve as a game-changing play in a variety of decks, particularly those tailored around the dinosaur tribe or large creatures. Its ability to wipe the board of all non-dinosaur creatures makes it an excellent fit for decks that aim to dominate with massive prehistoric beasts.

Combo Potential: This card’s potential to clear the board when it enters the battlefield complements strategies that seek to establish control by eliminating opponents’ threats. It can also be paired with effects that clone or bounce creatures to repeatedly leverage its destructive entrance.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors creature-heavy decks, Wakening Sun’s Avatar stands out as a powerful inclusion. Its ability to reset the battlefield can swing games in your favor, making it a relevant choice for players looking to counter popular creature-based strategies.


How to beat

Wakening Sun’s Avatar is a potent card in Magic: The Gathering that brings devastating board impact upon entry. This card is known for its ability to wipe out all non-Dinosaur creatures, a powerful effect when timing and deck composition align. However, like any formidable card, it has counterplays. Control decks, for instance, can hold up removal spells or counterspells to neutralize the Avatar before its ability resolves. A timely Cast Out or Counterspell can prevent the Avatar from ever taking effect. Additionally, sacrificing creatures in response to Wakening Sun’s Avatar’s ability allows for a player to maintain an advantageous board state despite the attempted clear.

Moreover, cards that grant indestructibility or bounce effects to creatures provide an alternative defense. Heroic Intervention is a superb option, giving permanents you control indestructibility for the turn, thwarting the Avatar’s destructive entry. Meanwhile, instant-speed bounce spells like Unsummon can temporarily remove Wakening Sun’s Avatar from the field, providing a window to counterattack or establish defenses. Understanding the importance of timing and proper resource management can turn the tide against the colossal Avatar.

Ultimately, being able to preemptively plan for the deployment of Wakening Sun’s Avatar or to react swiftly with the tools at your disposal will make the difference between being overrun by this powerful creature and overcoming a seemingly insurmountable threat.


BurnMana Recommendations

Diving into the strategic depths of MTG can lead to discovering powerhouse cards like Wakening Sun’s Avatar. Capturing the essence of a game-changing effect, it can define your matches with its board-altering ability. Whether you’re entrenching your collection with tribal themes or looking to crush opponent’s strategies, including this card could be the keystone to a formidable deck. Stepping into MTG’s complex universe comes with challenges, but with cards like this, each duel is a new horizon. Unlock the full potential of your deck and outmatch your opponents—explore more with us and command the might of the greatest creatures of MTG.


Cards like Wakening Sun's Avatar

Wakening Sun’s Avatar stands out in the realm of creature spells that offer mass removal effects. A distinguished member of this category, it can entirely clear the battlefield of non-Dinosaur creatures upon entering. This sweeping effect mirrors that of Day of Judgment, which also destroys all creatures, but without the creature benefit and specificity. However, Wakening Sun’s Avatar demands a higher mana investment and is restricted to a Dinosaur-centric deck to fully utilize its potential.

Comparably, the Wrath of God card is an iconic option known for its clean board wipe ability. It too doesn’t bypass any creature type, yet comes at a lower mana cost. Each of these cards can drastically shift game dynamics, though Wakening Sun’s Avatar provides an additional creature body as well. In the niche of Dinosaur tribal decks, the Avatar is unparalleled, but in more general deck constructions, players might incline towards the more flexible and less costly Wrath of God.

The strategic advantage of deploying Wakening Sun’s Avatar goes beyond raw destructive power, rewarding those who sculpt their builds around Dinosaur synergy. In this way, it carves a unique niche, earning its place in MTG as a formidable and game-changing creature spell.

Day of Judgment - MTG Card versions
Wrath of God - MTG Card versions
Day of Judgment - Zendikar (ZEN)
Wrath of God - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Cards similar to Wakening Sun's Avatar by color, type and mana cost

Akron Legionnaire - MTG Card versions
Avatar of Hope - MTG Card versions
Silver Seraph - MTG Card versions
Avacyn, Angel of Hope - MTG Card versions
Angel of Deliverance - MTG Card versions
Myojin of Blooming Dawn - MTG Card versions
Akroma, Angel of Wrath - MTG Card versions
Myojin of Cleansing Fire - MTG Card versions
Angel of Salvation - MTG Card versions
Celestial Force - MTG Card versions
Zetalpa, Primal Dawn - MTG Card versions
Flight of Equenauts - MTG Card versions
Herald of the Forgotten - MTG Card versions
Moonshaker Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Akron Legionnaire - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Avatar of Hope - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Silver Seraph - Judgment (JUD)
Avacyn, Angel of Hope - Commander Masters (CMM)
Angel of Deliverance - Shadows over Innistrad Promos (PSOI)
Myojin of Blooming Dawn - Neon Dynasty Commander (NEC)
Akroma, Angel of Wrath - Commander 2020 (C20)
Myojin of Cleansing Fire - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Angel of Salvation - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)
Celestial Force - Commander 2011 (CMD)
Zetalpa, Primal Dawn - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)
Flight of Equenauts - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)
Herald of the Forgotten - Commander 2020 (C20)
Moonshaker Cavalry - Wilds of Eldraine (WOE)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wakening Sun's Avatar 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 Wakening Sun's Avatar and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Wakening Sun's Avatar Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2017-09-29 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by Tyler Jacobson.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-09-29Ixalan PromosPXLN 44s2015normalblackTyler Jacobson
22017-09-29IxalanXLN 442015normalblackTyler Jacobson
32023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 682015normalblackTyler Jacobson
42023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 4762015normalblackTyler Jacobson
52023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 1392015normalblackTyler Jacobson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wakening Sun's Avatar 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 Wakening Sun's Avatar card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2017-09-29 If you cast a creature spell that enters the battlefield as a copy of Wakening Sun's Avatar, such as Clone, the enters-the-battlefield ability will trigger.
2017-09-29 If you put Wakening Sun's Avatar onto the battlefield from your hand without casting it, its ability won't trigger.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks