Path of Bravery MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers life gain plus a boost to creatures, favoring decks that regularly advance creature counts.
  2. Careful mana planning needed due to white-specific cost, possibly limiting deck diversity.
  3. Card stands out for life-increasing and power-boosting capabilities in creature-oriented strategies.

Text of card

As long your life total is greater than or equal to your starting life total, creatures you control get +1/+1. Whenever one or more creatures you control attack, you gain life equal to the number of attacking creatures.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Though not directly tied to card draw, Path of Bravery can potentially boost your life total significantly in creature-heavy decks, effectively granting you more resources to leverage against your opponent. A higher life total can also indirectly contribute towards maintaining card superiority by giving you the upper hand in races and exchanges.

Resource Acceleration: Path of Bravery can serve as a form of resource acceleration by enabling your creatures to be more effective in combat. Since creatures are often the main source of damage, enhancing their power with Path of Bravery’s static effect helps close out games quicker, potentially reducing the need for additional resources.

Instant Speed: While Path of Bravery itself is not an instant, it rewards decks that operate at instant speed. With creatures that flash in or effects that can unexpectedly bump your life total at the end of an opponent’s turn, this enchantment activates or strengthens, catching opponents off guard right before your turn begins.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Path of Bravery doesn’t require discarding as a direct cost, it does depend on having a substantial number of creatures to activate its benefits, often leaving players to weigh the risk of holding creatures in hand versus developing their board presence, which can be similar to a resource dilemma.

Specific Mana Cost: Path of Bravery’s white-centric mana cost may not fit every deck’s mana base, particularly those that are more color-diverse or unable to consistently produce white mana, potentially limiting its inclusion to mono-white or certain two-color decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The casting cost of three mana, including two white, for an enchantment that is contingent on life total and creature presence may seem steep compared to other cards in the same mana range that provide instant board impact or more versatile utility.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Path of Bravery shines as a dynamic addition to any deck that gains life regularly or boasts a high creature count. This card is not only a boon for buffing your creatures, but it also provides a steady life gain, anchoring it as a stalwart defense against aggressive opponents.

Combo Potential: The life you gain with Path of Bravery feeds into its own strength, potentially increasing the power and toughness of your entire swarm of creatures each turn. This engine of incremental advantage pairs well with cards that trigger off life gain or creature strength, offering nuanced layers to your deck’s strategy.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where life totals can be a tightrope walk, Path of Bravery presents an opportunity to tip the scales in your favor. Especially in a meta teetering towards creature-based strategies or where games drag out, securing additional life while boosting your offensive force can be the pivot point towards victory.


How to beat

Path of Bravery stands as an interesting challenge for Magic: The Gathering players, offering both a boon to life total and a potential buff to creatures as life totals climb. Tackling this enchantment requires a strategic approach, focusing on minimizing its impact. Removing the card outright with disenchant effects or spells like Erase can nullify its abilities, sharply reducing an opponent’s momentum.

Control decks might opt for counterspells when Path of Bravery is cast to prevent it from entering the battle in the first place. Monitoring one’s own life total and applying pressure can also be an effective strategy, ensuring that the conditions for the buff are rarely met. It is also worth noting that Path of Bravery relies on the player having at least as much life as their starting total—decks capable of consistently dealing damage can therefore keep its effects at bay. An essential part of conquering Path of Bravery lies in sustaining a proactive stance, challenging the life total it aims to protect.

In essence, staying one step ahead and including answers to enchantments in your deck are key strategies to overcome the advantages conferred by Path of Bravery. By doing so, you ensure that this card’s path does not lead to your defeat.


BurnMana Recommendations

At BurnMana, we encourage MTG enthusiasts to delve into the synergistic world of cards like Path of Bravery. It’s a tool that can enhance your strategy, meshing well with creature-heavy and life-gain decks. As we’ve explored its pros and cons, and how it can be both an asset and a challenge, it’s clear that this card has a rightful place in specific strategies. Understanding how cards compare and integrate with your deck is vital, and we’re here to help. Ready to refine your gameplay and make the most of Path of Bravery? Visit us for insights and tips to advance your MTG journey.


Cards like Path of Bravery

Path of Bravery stands out as a unique life-gaining card in Magic: The Gathering. It bears resemblance to other cards that bolster your forces, such as Honor of the Pure. Both cards provide your creatures with a power boost, yet Path of Bravery has the additional benefit of potentially increasing your life total, a feature Honor of the Pure lacks.

Comparably, we have Ajani’s Welcome, which shares the life-gain theme. This enchantment triggers life gain whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, ideal for swarm strategies. However, it doesn’t provide the same offensive capabilities, since it lacks the power increase granted by Path of Bravery. Intangible Virtue is another card that’s often mentioned alongside Path of Bravery due to its creature-boosting effect. Nevertheless, Intangible Virtue is specific to token creatures and, like Ajani’s Welcome, doesn’t contribute to your life total.

All told, Path of Bravery offers dual advantages in MTG, bolstering not only your creatures’ offensive power but also fortifying your life score, making it a noteworthy option for decks that seek to turn the tide through enhanced combat capabilities and resilience.

Honor of the Pure - MTG Card versions
Ajani's Welcome - MTG Card versions
Intangible Virtue - MTG Card versions
Honor of the Pure - Magic 2010 Promos (PM10)
Ajani's Welcome - Core Set 2019 (M19)
Intangible Virtue - Innistrad (ISD)

Cards similar to Path of Bravery by color, type and mana cost

Damping Field - MTG Card versions
Farmstead - MTG Card versions
Cooperation - MTG Card versions
Noble Steeds - MTG Card versions
Aura of Silence - MTG Card versions
Empyrial Armor - MTG Card versions
Cessation - MTG Card versions
Arrest - MTG Card versions
Glorious Anthem - MTG Card versions
Samite Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Pariah - MTG Card versions
Tattoo Ward - MTG Card versions
Sparring Regimen - MTG Card versions
Shielded by Faith - MTG Card versions
The Restoration of Eiganjo // Architect of Restoration - MTG Card versions
Oblivion Ring - MTG Card versions
Cage of Hands - MTG Card versions
Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant // Rune-Tail's Essence - MTG Card versions
Guardian's Magemark - MTG Card versions
Celestial Dawn - MTG Card versions
Damping Field - Antiquities (ATQ)
Farmstead - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Cooperation - Ice Age (ICE)
Noble Steeds - Alliances (ALL)
Aura of Silence - Commander 2015 (C15)
Empyrial Armor - Weatherlight (WTH)
Cessation - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Arrest - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Glorious Anthem - Junior Super Series (PSUS)
Samite Sanctuary - Prophecy (PCY)
Pariah - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Tattoo Ward - Odyssey (ODY)
Sparring Regimen - Strixhaven: School of Mages Promos (PSTX)
Shielded by Faith - Signature Spellbook: Gideon (SS2)
The Restoration of Eiganjo // Architect of Restoration - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)
Oblivion Ring - Magic Online Theme Decks (TD0)
Cage of Hands - Commander Legends (CMR)
Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant // Rune-Tail's Essence - The List (PLST)
Guardian's Magemark - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Celestial Dawn - Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Path of Bravery MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2014 and Iconic Masters, 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 Path of Bravery and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Path of Bravery Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2013-07-19 and 2020-07-17. Illustrated by Chris Rahn.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-07-19Magic 2014M14 262003normalblackChris Rahn
22017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 262015normalblackChris Rahn
32020-07-17JumpstartJMP 1262015normalblackChris Rahn

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Path of Bravery 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 Path of Bravery card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2017-11-17 If a creature enters the battlefield attacking after attacking creatures have been declared, the ability won’t trigger again because you didn’t declare that creature as an attacking creature. However, if such a creature enters the battlefield before the ability resolves, it will be counted when determining how much life is gained.
2017-11-17 If a creature you control is dealt damage at the same time that you gain life (most likely because a source you control with lifelink deals damage at the same time), and your life total becomes greater than or equal to your starting life total, apply Path of Bravery’s effect before considering whether or not the damage dealt to that creature is lethal.
2017-11-17 Path of Bravery’s triggered ability triggers only once, after attacking creatures are declared. For example, if you attack with five creatures, you’ll gain 5 life as a single event.
2017-11-17 Your starting life total is the life total you began the game with. For most two-player formats, this is 20. For Two-Headed Giant, it’s the life total your team started with, usually 30. In Commander games, your starting life total is 40.

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