Beacon of Destiny MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Human Cleric |
| Released | 2003-02-03 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Legions |
| Set code | LGN |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 5 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | normal |
| Border | black |
| Illustred by | Tim Hildebrandt |
Key Takeaways
- Beacon of Destiny excels in damage control, crucial for maintaining life and creature defense.
- Offering instant speed redirection, it enhances flexibility in responding to immediate threats.
- While valuable, it demands careful mana and hand management, fitting specific deck builds.
Text of card
: The next time a source of your choice would deal damage to you this turn, that damage is dealt to Beacon of Destiny instead.
"We all borrowed life from the Ancestor to exist in this world. Today, I repay that debt."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Beacon of Destiny has a unique ability to control damage directed at you, allowing for strategic defense moves that can maintain your life total and overall board presence.
Resource Acceleration: Although not a direct source of mana production, Beacon of Destiny can be a form of resource acceleration by protecting key creatures that provide mana or other resources, ensuring their survival and your access to those resources.
Instant Speed: The ability to redirect damage at instant speed provides flexibility, letting you respond to threats during your opponent’s turn and making it a versatile card in any situation where you may be facing sudden bursts of damage.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Beacon of Destiny demands strategic hand management, as it often requires you to keep mana open to utilize its ability, potentially leading you to discard valuable cards in the process.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting requirement of a single white mana can be limiting if your deck is not heavily focused on or dedicated to white mana sources or if your mana base is taxed with multiple colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: At three mana, Beacon of Destiny occupies a competitive slot on the mana curve. Considering this cost, players may find that other creatures or spells at this point provide more impactful and immediate board presence or utility.
Reasons to Include Beacon of Destiny in Your Collection
Versatility: Beacon of Destiny offers flexibility in decks geared to protect important creatures or your life total. Its ability to redirect damage to itself can be vital in safeguarding high-value targets against direct damage spells or combat threats.
Combo Potential: This card can be a crucial piece in combinations aiming to exploit damage prevention or redirection mechanics. It can also be paired with effects that are triggered by taking damage, allowing you to manipulate outcomes beneficially.
Meta-Relevance: Depending on the prevalence of burn or aggro strategies in the game environment, Beacon of Destiny can serve as a unique defensive measure. By absorbing damage that would otherwise be detrimental to your board state or life, it has potential as a counter-strategy in certain metagames.
How to Beat Beacon of Destiny
Beacon of Destiny is a unique creature in Magic: The Gathering with an ability that allows it to redirect damage from a player to itself, potentially safeguarding the player from critical hits. Overcoming this defensive mechanism requires strategic play. Targeted removal spells like Doom Blade, Path to Exile, and Murder are effective ways to deal with Beacon of Destiny directly, bypassing its damage redirection ability.
Alternatively, employing board wipes such as Wrath of God, Damnation, or Blasphemous Act can clear the board of creatures including Beacon of Destiny without having to target it specifically. Another viable strategy is using effects that prevent abilities from being activated, such as the abilities of Pithing Needle or Phyrexian Revoker. These cards can shut down Beacon of Destiny’s tactic altogether, rendering it just another creature on the board.
Ultimately, understanding the capabilities of Beacon of Destiny and preparing to counteract its protection with removal or ability-negating effects can make it much easier to manage in your MTG games. Keeping a versatile removal suite in your deck will ensure you’re ready to face not only Beacon of Destiny but a variety of threats you may encounter.
Cards like Beacon of Destiny
Beacon of Destiny occupies a unique niche within Magic: The Gathering as a creature focused on redirecting damage. It draws parallels with cards like Paladin of Atonement, which also involves damage redirection but with the twofold advantage of gaining life and power. Unlike Paladin of Atonement, Beacon of Destiny doesn’t grow stronger with damage but offers absolute control over where the damage goes around the battlefield.
Another card that enters this realm is Mother of Runes, granting protection from a color of your choice for a target creature. While it does not directly redirect damage, it provides a preventive measure, effectively safeguarding key creatures. However, Beacon of Destiny allows redirection as a reactionary tool rather than granting preemptive immunity, giving players a flexible defensive option at any stage of combat damage assignment.
Assessing these cards and their interactions sheds light on Beacon of Destiny’s strategic edge in defending against various threats. With the ability to take the heat off your most valuable creatures, Beacon of Destiny can be a pivotal player in any defensive lineup in Magic: The Gathering, showcasing its versatility in control and lifegain decks.
Cards similar to Beacon of Destiny by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Beacon of Destiny MTG card by a specific set like Legions, 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 Beacon of Destiny 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
See Magic products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Beacon of Destiny has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
