Malach of the Dawn MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Angel
Abilities	Flying
Released	2007-02-02
Set symbol
Set name	Planar Chaos
Set code	PLC
Power	2
Toughness	4
Number	24
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Steve Prescott

Key Takeaways

Its ability to return from the graveyard bolsters board presence, offering a strategic advantage in prolonged games.
Instant speed reanimation can surprise opponents, enhancing its defensive potential.
Though mana-intensive, its versatility can prove beneficial in mono-white or lifegain decks.

Text of card

Flying : Regenerate Malach of the Dawn.

"The sun rises, but the world still feels dark. Pray for the arrival of the malachim—they'll bring Dawn to the world and to our hearts." —Sister Betje, *Miracles of the Saints*

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Malach of the Dawn can be a valuable asset in games that draw out. With its ability to return to the hand from the graveyard, it ensures you maintain a creature presence on the board, giving you continual access to its potential thusly bolstering card advantage over time.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting mana resources, the unique resurrection ability of Malach of the Dawn allows for repeated use from a single card. This repeated play can indirectly save on resources as you do not need to expend additional cards to replace its effect on the battlefield.

Instant Speed: While Malach of the Dawn itself does not operate at instant speed, its graveyard-to-hand ability can be activated at instant speed. This provides strategic resilience, allowing you to wait until the end of an opponent’s turn for reanimation, thus keeping your options open and surprising opponents with recurred defensive capabilities.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: This card does not necessarily have a discard requirement, but when playing with Malach of the Dawn, you may find yourself at a disadvantage having to manage resources to keep this card effective in play.

Specific Mana Cost: Malach of the Dawn’s mana cost is quite specific, requiring three white mana. This can restrict deck building and is less flexible in a multicolored deck where mana fixing can become an issue.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a total of four mana, with three being color-specific, the casting cost of Malach of the Dawn is high considering the power and toughness it offers. In a game where speed is crucial, this could slow you down compared to other options that provide a more immediate board presence or impact. Additionally, the mana investment could hinder your ability to cast multiple spells in a turn, potentially limiting your strategic options.

Reasons to Include Malach of the Dawn in Your Collection

Versatility: Malach of the Dawn adds value to decks looking for flying creatures with a resilient edge. Its ability to return to play provides a persistent threat in any match-up, adapting well to various game states.

Combo Potential: This card shines when paired with strategies that benefit from creatures dying or re-entering the battlefield. Its graveyard-recall ability creates opportunities for synergy in life-gain, death-trigger, and reanimator decks.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where removal spells are abundant, Malach of the Dawn ensures that you maintain board presence. Its inherent resistance to common spells ensures it remains a relevant pick across multiple meta shifts.

How to beat

Malach of the Dawn presents an intriguing challenge on the battlefield with its ability to revive itself from the graveyard. With a mana cost involving triple white, this flyer is a pillar of resilience, especially in the late game. However, despite its imposing reputation, there are strategies to effectively counter it. Enchantment-based removal like ‘Banishing Light’ can neutralize it without sending it to the graveyard, thereby bypassing its reanimation ability.

Another approach is to manage your resources effectively, opting for exile effects that can handle Malach of the Dawn without allowing it to trigger its graveyard return. Cards like ‘Path to Exile’ offer a solution by providing a permanent answer, ensuring that it doesn’t return to haunt your game. Using counter spells when Malach is cast initially can also provide an efficient preemptive strategy, severing any opportunity for your opponent to establish their defenses or plan a comeback with Malach of the Dawn’s abilities.

Overall, while Malach of the Dawn can be a formidable foe, it’s not an unconquerable one. Strategic play that involves careful timing and the right choice of removal can ensure that this creature’s dawn is met with a swift dusk.

Cards like Malach of the Dawn

The steadfast Malach of the Dawn brings unique abilities to defender strategies in Magic: The Gathering. Floating amongst similar cards such as Resurrection, Malach of the Dawn shares the trait of returning creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield. Yet, it’s the ability to regenerate that sets it apart, offering a durability that Resurrection lacks.

Take Serra Angel as another comparison; it too offers vigilance and flying, common in white creature tactics. However, Malach of the Dawn has an edge with its regenerate ability, notably absent in Serra Angel, offering repeated defense prowess. Miraculous Recovery, while instant and grants a +1/+1 counter upon reanimation, doesn’t provide the sustained board presence or the regenerative resilience Malach brings to the game.

Evaluating its place within Magic: The Gathering, Malach of the Dawn holds a distinctive advantage with its combination of flying, vigilance, and regeneration. This blend gives it a substantial role in matches, especially when defending against recurring threats or executing long-term strategies.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Malach of the Dawn MTG card by a specific set like Planar Chaos, 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 Malach of the Dawn and other MTG cards: