Priest of the Wakening Sun MTG Card
2017-09-29 - Number 27s
2017-09-29 - Number 27
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Human Cleric |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may reveal a Dinosaur card from your hand. If you do, you gain 2 life. , Sacrifice Priest of the Wakening Sun: Search your library for a Dinosaur card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
Cards like Priest of the Wakening Sun
Priest of the Wakening Sun is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering, offering an early game advantage with its life gain ability. It bears resemblance to creatures like Healer’s Hawk, which also gives a life boost, but through lifelink upon dealing damage. Where Priest of the Wakening Sun shines is in its consistent life gain each upkeep, independent of combat, and in its late game potential to fetch a powerful dinosaur card from the deck.
Dawning Angel is another card that provides life gain, though as a one-time effect upon entering the battlefield. While the angel offers air support and is beneficial in combat, Priest of the Wakening Sun holds value over several turns, making it a persistent threat. Serra Ascendant is yet another life-centric card which grows stronger as your life total increases, a synergy that pairs well with the Priest’s ability.
Assessing these life-gain tactics, Priest of the Wakening Sun stands out for its utility, both at the start and towards the end of the game, for MTG players who appreciate strategic growth and resourceful plays.
Cards similar to Priest of the Wakening Sun by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Priest of the Wakening Sun provides consistent card advantage every upkeep with its ability to reveal a Dinosaur card from your hand and gain life equal to the revealed card’s converted mana cost. This can add up over several turns, offering a pivotal edge in the match.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly influencing mana resources, the Priest’s ability to search for a Dinosaur card and put it into your hand accelerates your access to pivotal creatures, effectively streamlining your deck’s performance and allowing you to execute your strategy faster.
Instant Speed: This card may not function at instant speed, but the value it offers during your upkeep is akin to drawing a card at the beginning of your turn, which can be considered a comparable benefit. Additionally, its sacrifice ability can be activated at instant speed to disrupt an opponent’s strategy or secure a defensive advantage.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While the Priest of the Wakening Sun provides valuable life gain and creature search, it also necessitates the discard of a Dinosaur card to trigger its latter ability. This can be restrictive, especially in deck configurations that lack a steady flow of Dinosaur cards, potentially leading to a loss of card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: The Priest of the Wakening Sun requires white mana for casting, which may not always align with the mana base in multicolored decks. Players might face difficulties fitting it into decks that aren’t heavily focused on white mana resources.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its conversion cost hitting five mana to activate its final ability, it can be deemed a hefty investment. This is due to other cards existing within the same mana realm that might fulfill an immediate board impact, causing many players to weigh its delayed value against other cards’ direct influence.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Priest of the Wakening Sun offers a consistent life gain mechanism and valuable creature-type searching that can slide into multiple deck styles, particularly those focused on tribal synergy or lifegain strategies.
Combo Potential: Boasting an ability to tutor for powerful Dinosaur cards, this card can set up strong combos by consistently accessing key pieces from your deck, bolstering your on-field presence turn after turn.
Meta-Relevance: Given its capability to frequently gain life, Priest of the Wakening Sun can be a thorn in the side of aggressive decks aiming to win quickly. This makes it a relevant card for stabilizing the board in fast-paced metagames.
How to Beat Priest of the Wakening Sun
Priest of the Wakening Sun is an intriguing utility creature in MTG that provides consistent life gain and a potent tutor effect for Dinosaur cards. With its low casting cost and ability to give you a five-life boost during each of your upkeeps, it can be a thorn in the side of aggressive decks aiming to reduce your life total quickly. However, its strength lies in its synergy with a Dinosaur-focused strategy, which can be its downfall as well.
To effectively counter Priest of the Wakening Sun, players should consider using removal spells that bypass its modest stat line. Spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can handle the Priest efficiently without much cost. Additionally, graveyard disruption can thwart the Priest’s second ability where it searches out a Dinosaur. Cards such as Tormod’s Crypt or Leyline of the Void ensure that once a Dinosaur is dealt with, it stays out of reach.
Furthermore, aggressive deck players can use haste and instant speed threats to overwhelm the Priest before its life gain becomes substantial. By prioritizing the Priest as an early target and employing precise disruption, players can mitigate the advantages it confers and maintain pace to secure victory against Dinosaur-centric opponents.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Priest of the Wakening Sun MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan Promos and Ixalan, 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 Priest of the Wakening Sun and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
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- Card Market
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- MTG Mint Card
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Printings
The Priest of the Wakening Sun Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-09-29 and 2017-09-29. Illustrated by Bastien L. Deharme.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-09-29 | Ixalan Promos | PXLN | 27s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Bastien L. Deharme | |
| 2 | 2017-09-29 | Ixalan | XLN | 27 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Bastien L. Deharme |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Priest of the Wakening Sun has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Priest of the Wakening Sun card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-09-29 | While resolving Priest of the Wakening Sun’s triggered ability, you can’t reveal multiple Dinosaur cards to gain more life. |
| 2017-09-29 | You can reveal the same Dinosaur card for multiple Priests of the Wakening Sun or for the same one over multiple turns. |
| 2017-09-29 | You don’t choose whether to reveal a Dinosaur card from your hand until the triggered ability of Priest of the Wakening Sun resolves. You may respond to the triggered ability by taking an action to get a Dinosaur card into your hand, such as activating its second ability. |
| 2018-01-19 | If an effect refers to a “ -ubtype] spell” or “ -ubtype] card,” it refers only to a spell or card that has that subtype. For example, March of the Drowned is a card that benefits Pirates and features Pirates in its illustration, but it isn’t a Pirate card. |