Serra the Benevolent MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Planeswalker — Serra
Loyalty 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Serra the Benevolent excels in creating card advantage with infinitely token generating emblems.
  2. The card’s emblem reduces mana costs, accelerating the deployment of impactful angel spells.
  3. Its ability to summon Serra Angels at instant speed disrupts opponents and bolsters defense.
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

+2: Creatures you control with flying get +1/+1 until end of turn. −3: Create a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying and vigilance. −6: You get an emblem with "If you control a creature, damage that would reduce your life total to less than 1 reduces it to 1 instead."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: One of the key strengths of Serra the Benevolent is its ability to generate card advantage through its emblem. The emblem, which stays on the battlefield indefinitely, produces Serra Angel tokens showcasing both flying and vigilance. This recurring token generation is akin to drawing a powerful card each turn, solidifying your board presence without having to deplete resources from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: Serra the Benevolent doubles as a resource accelerator, offering an emblem that effectively mitigates mana costs. With an emblem in play, the cost of angel spells you cast is significantly reduced, allowing for a swifter deployment of high-impact creatures and enhancing your board state while preserving mana resources for other strategic plays.

Instant Speed: While Serra the Benevolent itself is not an instant-speed spell, she contributes to an instant-speed game plan by creating a defensive buffer with her -3 ability. This ability puts a Serra Angel onto the battlefield, potentially at the end of your opponent’s turn if you have an ability to flash her into play. This tactical play disrupts opponent’s strategies, maintaining pressure and defensive capabilities while keeping mana available for other instant-speed interactions.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Serra the Benevolent doesn’t require a discard, but it’s important to note that its abilities may not offset this advantage if your hand is empty and you’re relying solely on her for board impact.

Specific Mana Cost: This planeswalker demands a strict mana combination of two white and two other, which could be challenging for multicolored decks that run on a tight mana base or those that can’t consistently produce white mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Serra the Benevolent’s mana cost is justifiable for its potential, in a format where tempo is critical, a four mana cost can be a considerable investment, especially if the board state does not favor planeswalker survival or if faster, more aggressive strategies dominate the play.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Serra the Benevolent boasts a flexibility in both angel and control-based decks, with her abilities supporting a wide range of strategies from life-gain to flying aggression.

Combo Potential: The card’s ultimate ability can pair incredibly well with various protection and duplication effects, potentially locking opponents out of the game with an indestructible worship emblem.

Meta-Relevance: With creature-heavy and aggressive decks often dominating play, Serra the Benevolent’s ability to create a Serra Angel token or provide a +1/+1 anthem effect keeps her highly relevant in the evolving metagame.


How to beat

Serra the Benevolent is a powerful planeswalker card that can be a game-changer in MTG. She embodies versatility, able to create vigilant flying creatures, pump your board, and even give you an emblem with a worship-like ability. Getting around her can be tricky, but not impossible. Targeted removals like Dreadbore or Hero’s Downfall can eliminate her before she starts generating too much value. Board control strategies also work; wrath effects can clear tokens she creates, diminishing her board presence. Counterspells are effective too; by denying Serra a spot on the battlefield, you maintain control of the game’s pace.

For those playing aggressive decks, direct attacks on Serra will force your opponent to use her defensively, preventing them from maximizing her abilities. Red deck players can rejoice with versatile options like Lightning Bolt, which can deal damage directly to Serra. Remember, pressure is key. Keep the battlefield free of flying tokens and make concerted efforts to limit the opponent’s ability to sustain a worship-state with Serra’s emblem. A balanced mix of offense and control can keep Serra the Benevolent from tipping the scales out of your favor.


BurnMana Recommendations

After analyzing the strengths and pitfalls of Serra the Benevolent, this MTG planeswalker’s place in your collection becomes clear. She’s a multi-faceted force that can pivot games in your favor through consistent token generation and emblem advantages. Whether you’re seeking to buff your angelic lineup or impose dominance with flying vigilance, understanding her intricacies can bring new dynamics to your gameplay. If you’re grappling with the nuances of including Serra in your deck or countering her in battle, we’ve got your back. Dive deeper with us, learn the ins and outs, and conquer your matches with poise. Knowledge is power—embolden your MTG strategy today.


Cards like Serra the Benevolent

In the world of Magic: The Gathering, Serra the Benevolent stands out as a powerful planeswalker card. Among its peers, it’s often compared to Elspeth, Knight-Errant, another imposing figure offering a different suite of abilities. Serra the Benevolent brings the unique ability to create a Serra Angel, a symbol of dominance in the air with its flying and vigilance. In contrast, Elspeth leans towards generating multiple Soldier tokens to build a formidable ground presence.

Likewise, Gideon Blackblade offers a comparison with its ability to become an indestructible creature until end of turn. While Gideon’s versatility in combat is noteworthy, Serra offers a consistent aerial threat. Another card worthy of comparison is Ajani, Caller of the Pride, which also boasts flying capabilities, though focuses on bolstering creatures on the battlefield rather than creating them from scratch.

Taking into account these similarities and differences, Serra the Benevolent indeed carves its own niche within the pantheon of planeswalker cards in Magic: The Gathering, offering a balanced mix of creature production and game-altering effects.

Elspeth, Knight-Errant - MTG Card versions
Gideon Blackblade - MTG Card versions
Ajani, Caller of the Pride - MTG Card versions
Elspeth, Knight-Errant - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Gideon Blackblade - Mythic Edition (MED)
Ajani, Caller of the Pride - Magic 2013 (M13)

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Elspeth, Sun's Nemesis - MTG Card versions
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The Wanderer - Commander Masters (CMM)
Grand Master of Flowers - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos (PAFR)
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Ajani Goldmane - Magic 2011 (M11)
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Gideon, Champion of Justice - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Ajani Steadfast - Commander Masters (CMM)
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar - Regional Championship Qualifiers 2022 (PRCQ)
Ajani, Adversary of Tyrants - Core Set 2019 Promos (PM19)
Ajani, Strength of the Pride - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Ajani Goldmane // Ajani Goldmane - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Teyo, Aegis Adept - Jumpstart: Historic Horizons (J21)
Archangel Elspeth - March of the Machine Promos (PMOM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Serra the Benevolent // Serra the Benevolent MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons Art Series and Modern Horizons, 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 Serra the Benevolent // Serra the Benevolent and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Serra the Benevolent // Serra the Benevolent Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2019-06-14 and 2021-08-26. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-06-05Modern Horizons Art SeriesAMH1 52015art_seriesborderlessMagali Villeneuve
22019-06-14Modern HorizonsMH1 262015normalblackMagali Villeneuve
32019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 12522015normalblackRebecca Guay
42021-08-26Jumpstart: Historic HorizonsJ21 1322015normalblackMagali Villeneuve

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Serra the Benevolent has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2019-06-14 If you have less than 1 life and somehow haven’t lost the game, damage dealt to you reduces your life total further below 0 (as normal).
2019-06-14 In a Two-Headed Giant game, damage dealt to you and/or your teammate that would reduce your team’s life total to less than 1 reduces it to 1 instead, as long as you control a creature. It doesn’t matter whether your teammate controls a creature, even if they’re the player being dealt damage
2019-06-14 In the Commander variant, combat damage you’re dealt by a commander is still tracked, even if it doesn’t change your life total.
2019-06-14 Serra’s emblem doesn’t prevent damage. It only changes the result of damage dealt to you. For example, a creature with lifelink that deals damage to you will still cause its controller to gain life, even if that damage would reduce your life total to less than 1.
2019-06-14 Serra’s emblem doesn’t stop loss of life from effects that say that you lose life.
2019-06-14 Serra’s first ability affects only creatures you control with flying at the time it resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn or that gain flying later in the turn won’t get +1/+1.

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