Dawning Purist MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Cleric
Abilities	Morph
Released	2002-10-07
Set symbol
Set name	Onslaught
Set code	ONS
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	22
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Brian Snõddy

Key Takeaways

Dawning Purist can significantly impact resource balance by removing key enchantments from play.
The cycling drawback and strict white mana cost might limit the card’s inclusion in diverse decks.
Despite the higher mana cost, its meta relevance and enchantment control make it a strategic choice.

Text of card

Whenever Dawning Purist deals combat damage to a player, you may destroy target enchantment that player controls. Morph o1o W (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for o3. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dawning Purist offers strategic flexibility in a match by potentially purging the battlefield of enchantments. This action can disrupt your opponent’s plans and lead to a gain in the overall resource balance. The ability to return it to your hand with a white Aura spell keeps a threat present on the board and your hand well-supplied.

Resource Acceleration: While Dawning Purist itself doesn’t directly provide mana or acceleration, the removal of key enemy enchantments can indirectly speed up your game plan. By eliminating obstacles, you pave the way for your resources to be spent more efficiently on game-winning strategies.

Instant Speed: The inherent power of the Dawning Purist isn’t found in instant speed actions, but the card interacts favorably with instant speed spells in your deck. Casting a white Aura spell at instant speed to return Dawning Purist ensures you retain board presence and momentum, making it a formidable tool in the delicate dance of tempo and control.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Dawning Purist necessitates discarding a card for its cycling ability. This drawback can deplete hand resources, especially when a player is in need of multiple options or facing hand disruption tactics.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a strict white mana investment for casting, potentially complicating its inclusion in multi-colored or mana-intensive decks that might not always have white mana readily available.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that is somewhat high for its body and effects, Dawning Purist could be considered inefficient when alternative creatures or spells might provide a similar impact on the game at a lower cost, leaving more mana open for other strategies.

Reasons to Include Dawning Purist in Your Collection

Versatility: Dawning Purist offers a unique blend of utility by allowing players to remove enchantments from the game, which makes it a flexible choice for sideboards or as part of a main deck strategy against enchantment-heavy opponents.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with effects that return cards to a player’s hand or the library, essentially resetting its ‘come into play’ ability. It’s a solid piece in decks that capitalize on manipulating the battlefield and recurring removal effects.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where enchantments play a key role in prevailing deck archetypes, Dawning Purist can be a game-changer. Its presence on the board can act as an ongoing threat to opponents relying on enchantment-based strategies.

How to beat

Dawning Purist introduces itself as a niche but potent solution onto the battlefield of MTG, challenging players to adapt their strategies. This card, much like other creature spells with abilities linked to enchantments, requires consideration of what permanents you have in play. In order to circumvent the impact of this particular creature, the key lies in versatility and timing.

Consider holding off on casting enchantments that are vital to your game plan until you are able to remove Dawning Purist from the board. Removal spells that can bypass its protection abilities, such as those that don’t specify targeting an enchanted creature or any removal that deals with creatures without targeting (like board wipes or “edict” effects forcing a player to sacrifice), can efficiently handle the Purist. It’s also beneficial to manage the number of enchantments you play to minimize the Purist’s ability to disrupt your side of the field.

Strategically, leveraging instant-speed interactions to respond to the Dawning Purist’s ability activations can mitigate the card’s potential impact. Through precise removal timing and by being selective with enchantment plays, you can reduce the Dawning Purist’s significance and maintain control over the game’s flow.

Cards like Dawning Purist

The Dawning Purist occupies a unique niche in the realm of white enchantment removal in Magic: The Gathering. It can be likened to the likes of Keening Apparition and War Priest of Thune, both of which offer similar enchantment disposal utilities. Dawning Purist, however, distinguishes itself with an Orzhov overlap, enabling not just the destruction of an enchantment but also the opportunity to cause opponent life-loss as well.

Comparatively, Leonin Relic-Warder also serves as a relevant parallel, albeit being more transient in its removal effect due to the nature of exile until the creature leaves the battlefield. This offers a more temporary solution against enchantments unless the creature’s departure can be orchestrated. Dawning Purist stands out in that it outright destroys an enchantment, a more permanent approach to threat management without contingency on creature presence.

By analyzing their characteristics and tactical benefits in game situations, Dawning Purist proves to be a formidable option within this subset of cards. It offers players a lasting removal together with a damage component, an advantageous combination for maintaining board control and pressure on the opponent.

Cards similar to Dawning Purist by color, type and mana cost

Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dawning Purist MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught, 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 Dawning Purist and other MTG cards: