Providence MTG Card
2016-07-22 - Number 37
2016-07-22 - Number 37s
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 7 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Sorcery |
Text of card
You may reveal this card from your opening hand. If you do, at the beginning of the first upkeep, your life total becomes 26. Your life total becomes 26.
There is power in prayer, regardless of who is listening.
Cards like Providence
Providence is an intriguing white magic spell in Magic: The Gathering that offers a unique life total adjustment. It’s akin to cards such as Lich’s Mirror, which also prevents losing the game for having 0 or less life. Providence allows players to set their life total to 26 when the game begins if it’s in their opening hand, or later in the game, it promises a significant life increase.
Comparatively, Beacon of Immortality is another life-doubling spell, but instead of setting life to a specific number, it doubles a player’s current life total. This could result in gaining more or less life than Providence offers, but is entirely dependent on the situation. Another similar card, Exquisite Archangel, provides a second chance mechanic, resetting the player’s life total when they would otherwise lose the game – offering a protection that Providence lacks.
In essence, each of these life-manipulating cards has its unique mechanics and scenarios where it outshines others. Providence holds its ground due to its potential for a strong early game advantage or a strategic mid-game reset.
Cards similar to Providence by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Providence offers a unique opportunity to organize your next moves by rearranging the top cards of your library, thus maximizing the potential for drawing the cards you need most.
Resource Acceleration: When Providence hits the battlefield, it can alter the tide of the match by allowing you to shuffle away unwanted cards, effectively accelerating your access to more useful resources in subsequent draws. This smoothing of draws can be critical in achieving your game plan more quickly.
Instant Speed: The capability to play Providence at instant speed is a significant tactical advantage. It allows you to adapt to the evolving game state, respond to your opponent’s threats, or simply use your mana efficiently at the end of your opponent’s turn if you didn’t have a need for it during your own turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Providence demands a hefty price for its potential lifesaving effect by necessitating the discard of a card from your hand. This could severely impact your strategy, especially in a clutch moment when every card counts.
Specific Mana Cost: The activation of Providence requires a precise combination of white mana. This restricts its use to decks that can reliably generate white mana and hampers its versatility across various deck types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a substantial casting cost of seven mana, Providence is a high-investment card. Other cards at a lower mana threshold might offer more immediate or varied advantages, making Providence a less attractive option in fast-paced games where efficiency is key.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Providence can serve as a unique safety net in your deck, with its effect setting your life total to 26 at the game’s start if it is in your opening hand. It supports various strategies, fitting well in decks that aim to stabilize early against aggressive opponents.
Combo Potential: When paired with cards that benefit from high life totals, such as Aetherflux Reservoir, Providence can be the starting point of a powerful life-gain combo, giving you a robust foundation to capitalize on life-based synergies.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where burn decks or other quick, damage-based strategies are prevalent, Providence offers a significant bump to your starting life total, giving you a crucial advantage and more room to deploy your strategy.
How to beat
The Providence card presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. This white sorcery provides a significant life-total advantage by raising a player’s life to 26 if it’s in the opening hand and revealed before the game starts. During the game, it can also offer protection by setting your life total to 26 when you’re in a tight spot. But, like all cards in MTG, Providence has its weak points.
To effectively counter this card, you should consider including effects that inflict damage based on the number of cards a player has or leverage aggressive strategies that can outpace the temporary buffer Providence offers. Employing cards that punish high life totals or control tactics to deny sorcery casting can also tilt the game in your favor. Another strategy is to rely on cards that can adjust a player’s life total with effects that set, rather than raise or lower, life points to ensure Providence doesn’t turn the tides. The right combination of speed, disruption, and tactical life-total manipulation will help checkmate this life-inflating sorcery.
Ultimately, defeating a player wielding Providence in MTG demands a balanced mix of foresight and adaptive playstyle, ensuring you’re equipped to bypass the lifeline it provides and maintain control over the game’s pace.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Providence MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Eldritch Moon Promos, 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 Providence and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Providence Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2016-07-22. Illustrated by Zack Stella.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-07-22 | Eldritch Moon | EMN | 37 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zack Stella | |
| 2 | 2016-07-22 | Eldritch Moon Promos | PEMN | 37s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zack Stella |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Providence has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Providence card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2016-07-13 | A player’s “opening hand” is the hand of cards the player has after all players have taken mulligans and “scryed” if applicable. If players have any cards in hand that allow actions to be taken with them from a player’s opening hand, the starting player takes all such actions first in any order, followed by each other player in turn order. Then the first turn begins. |
| 2016-07-13 | For a player’s life total to become 26, the player gains or loses the appropriate amount of life. For example, if your life total is 4 when Providence resolves, it will cause you to gain 22 life; alternatively, if your life total is 40 when it resolves, it will cause you to lose 14 life. Other cards that interact with life gain or life loss will interact with this effect accordingly. |
| 2016-07-13 | In a Two-Headed Giant game, Providence causes the team’s life total to become 26, but only you actually gain or lose life. (Each team’s starting life total in a Two-Headed Giant game is normally 30.) |
| 2016-07-13 | Revealing multiples of Providence from your opening hand won’t cause your life total to become 32 or any number other than 26. |
| 2016-07-13 | Your “opening hand” is the hand of cards you decide to start the game with after taking any mulligans. |