Awe Strike MTG Card


Awe Strike - Mirrodin
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeInstant
Released2003-10-02
Set symbol
Set nameMirrodin
Set codeMRD
Number6
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byScott M. Fischer

Key Takeaways

  1. Awe Strike provides card advantage and tempo through surprise instant-speed combat disruption.
  2. However, it requires white mana and another white card in hand, reducing its deck flexibility.
  3. Despite its restrictions, Awe Strike’s defensive utility makes it a valuable addition to certain decks.

Text of card

The next time target creature would deal damage this turn, prevent that damage. You gain life equal to the damage prevented this way.

Stunned by the mere presence of the leonin kha, the nim raider quickly fell to its knees.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Awe Strike enables a unique kind of card advantage through combat trickery. By preventing damage from a powerful attacking creature, it can essentially neutralize an opponent’s turn, thereby preserving your board and maintaining card parity.

Resource Acceleration: Though Awe Strike doesn’t directly accelerate resources in traditional mana ramp ways, it allows you to efficiently use mana during an opponent’s turn. This can lead to effective mana utilization, giving you a tempo advantage when it’s your time to act.

Instant Speed: As an instant, Awe Strike offers flexibility critical in strategic gameplay. You can cast it in response to an opponent’s actions, potentially saving your creature from lethal damage or nullifying a combat phase that would otherwise be detrimental to your standing in the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Awe Strike compels the player to have another white card in their hand to use its Madness ability, which might be challenging during a game where your hand is dwindling.

Specific Mana Cost: Awe Strike’s cost necessitates white mana, which restricts its inclusion to decks running that color, potentially limiting its versatility across various deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing a single white mana might seem low, but considering the card’s effect is to prevent damage from a single source and gain life equal to that damage, there may be other spells in the same mana range that provide broader protection or more significant life gain.


Reasons to Include Awe Strike in Your Collection

Versatility: Awe Strike is a useful card in a variety of decks, particularly those that aim to protect key creatures or surprise opponents with instant combat tricks. Its ability to prevent all damage a creature would deal this turn and draw a card makes it a flexible defensive option.

Combo Potential: This card works well with strategies that capitalize on preventing damage or targeting your own creatures. It can be paired with other cards that trigger upon drawing cards or when damage is prevented, enhancing synergy within your deck.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where aggressive strategies are common, Awe Strike provides a valuable form of protection. It turns the tide against heavy hitters, buying you time to set up your game plan or thwart an opponent’s aggressive start.


How to beat

Awe Strike, a white instant card in Magic: The Gathering, is known for its ability to thwart an opponent’s attack by preventing all damage a single creature would deal this turn and, as a bonus, granting the creature’s controller life equal to the damage prevented. This can be a surprising turnaround during combat, making it critical to understand how to effectively play against it.

The key is timing and baiting. A wise approach is to initiate attacks with less crucial creatures first to draw out the Awe Strike. Alternatively, holding up instant-speed removal or counterspells can disrupt an opponent’s plans. Playing around an Awe Strike requires a strategic balance between aggression and patience, ensuring that when it does come into play, its impact on the game is minimal. Understanding the nuances of when to push for damage and when to hold back can mean the difference between victory and defeat when facing this potentially game-altering card.

Effective communication and a well-timed strategy can neutralize Awe Strike, keeping your key creatures safe from its life-giving prevention and ensuring that your path to victory remains unobstructed.


Cards like Awe Strike

Awe Strike is a unique instant in Magic: The Gathering, providing a versatile defense by preventing all damage a creature would deal this turn and granting you life equivalent to the damage prevented. Comparable in its protective nature is Holy Day, an instant that prevents all combat damage for an entire turn, effective in stalling opponent strategies. While Holy Day is broader in scope, Awe Strike’s targeted application allows for more strategic plays, particularly in preserving key creatures from lethal attacks.

Another relevant card is Healing Salve, an option that either prevents the next 3 damage that would be dealt to any target this turn, or heals a player for 3 life. Though seemingly similar, Awe Strike offers the potential for greater life gain if the blocked creature is especially powerful. Lastly, there’s Safe Passage, which prevents all damage that would be dealt to you and creatures you control this turn. Although it covers a wide range, Awe Strike shines with its low cost and can be a game-changer in protecting individual creatures and swinging life totals.

When analyzing the strategic benefits in a game of Magic: The Gathering, Awe Strike holds its own against these similar spells by offering targeted protection combined with a potentially strong life gain aspect.

Holy Day - MTG Card versions
Healing Salve - MTG Card versions
Safe Passage - MTG Card versions
Holy Day - Legends (LEG)
Healing Salve - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Safe Passage - Magic 2010 (M10)

Cards similar to Awe Strike by color, type and mana cost

Death Ward - MTG Card versions
Blaze of Glory - MTG Card versions
Healing Salve - MTG Card versions
Swords to Plowshares - MTG Card versions
Purelace - MTG Card versions
Righteousness - MTG Card versions
Indestructible Aura - MTG Card versions
Glyph of Life - MTG Card versions
Warning - MTG Card versions
Heal - MTG Card versions
Anoint - MTG Card versions
Rally the Troops - MTG Card versions
Enlightened Tutor - MTG Card versions
Pollen Remedy - MTG Card versions
Sacred Rites - MTG Card versions
Pay No Heed - MTG Card versions
Path to Exile - MTG Card versions
Piety Charm - MTG Card versions
Hallow - MTG Card versions
Pure Intentions - MTG Card versions
Death Ward - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Blaze of Glory - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Healing Salve - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Swords to Plowshares - Murders at Karlov Manor Commander (MKC)
Purelace - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Righteousness - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Indestructible Aura - Chronicles (CHR)
Glyph of Life - Legends (LEG)
Warning - Ice Age (ICE)
Heal - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Anoint - Tempest (TMP)
Rally the Troops - Portal Second Age (P02)
Enlightened Tutor - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Pollen Remedy - Planeshift (PLS)
Sacred Rites - The List (PLST)
Pay No Heed - Torment (TOR)
Path to Exile - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)
Piety Charm - Onslaught (ONS)
Hallow - Darksteel (DST)
Pure Intentions - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Awe Strike MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin, 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 Awe Strike and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Awe Strike has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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