Raphael, Fiendish Savior MTG Card


Raphael offers card advantage by recurring creatures, enhancing threat availability each upkeep. Its ability to cheat in high-cost creatures effectively accelerates resource deployment. Bringing back creatures with instant effects complements a reactive playstyle.
Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Devil Noble
Abilities Flying
Power 4
Toughness 4

Text of card

Flying Other Demons, Devils, Imps, and Tieflings you control get +1/+1 and have lifelink. At the beginning of each end step, if a creature card was put into your graveyard from anywhere this turn, create a 1/1 red Devil creature token with "When this creature dies, it deals 1 damage to any target."


Cards like Raphael, Fiendish Savior

Raphael, Fiendish Savior marks its territory in Magic: The Gathering as a unique legendary creature, offering both menace and power-boosting abilities. When assessing cards like Lord of the Undead and Death Baron, we notice similar traits where they bolster other creatures. Lord of the Undead gives a slight power/toughness increase to other Zombies and provides graveyard utility, while Death Baron adds deathtouch, enhancing the threat of smaller creatures.

Amidst this assembly, we have Adaptive Automaton, a versatile creature that can mimic other creature types while boosting those of its chosen kind. Raphael, however, distinguishes itself by its capacity to grow stronger with each instant and sorcery spell you cast, adding a dynamic layer to the gameplay. Another card worth noting is Cemetery Reaper, which also pumps up fellow Zombies. Yet, unlike Raphael, it doesn’t possess the menace ability or have the potential to grow exponentially larger throughout the game.

Ultimately, while there are numerous cards that can increase the strength of your creatures, Raphael, Fiendish Savior’s menacing presence and synergy with instant and sorcery spells make it an imposing force on the battlefield, challenging opponents with its ever-growing might.

Lord of the Undead - MTG Card versions
Death Baron - MTG Card versions
Adaptive Automaton - MTG Card versions
Cemetery Reaper - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Undead - MTG Card versions
Death Baron - MTG Card versions
Adaptive Automaton - MTG Card versions
Cemetery Reaper - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Raphael, Fiendish Savior by color, type and mana cost

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Obosh, the Preypiercer - MTG Card versions
Mishra, Tamer of Mak Fawa - MTG Card versions
Demigod of Revenge - MTG Card versions
Dread Slag - MTG Card versions
Cultbrand Cinder - MTG Card versions
Kulrath Knight - MTG Card versions
Lightning Reaver - MTG Card versions
Monstrous Carabid - MTG Card versions
Spawn of Rix Maadi - MTG Card versions
Rakdos Ragemutt - MTG Card versions
Master of Cruelties - MTG Card versions
Underworld Cerberus - MTG Card versions
Kragma Warcaller - MTG Card versions
Nightfire Giant - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Raphael, Fiendish Savior shines by offering a unique twist on card advantage. Once on the battlefield, this card can potentially return a creature card at the beginning of each upkeep, ensuring you consistently have threats on hand.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly producing mana or treasure, Raphael’s ability to recur creatures can be considered a form of resource acceleration. Cheating high-cost creatures into play circumvents their mana costs, effectively accelerating your resource deployment.

Instant Speed: This card lacks instant-speed interaction inherently; yet, its ability to bring creatures with flash or other instantaneous effects back from the graveyard gives it a roundabout way of tapping into the benefits of instant speed. Planning around this can integrate well with a reactive playstyle.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Raphael, Fiendish Savior, necessitates the discard of a card as part of its ability to animate a creature card from the graveyard. This can backfire in situations where your hand is running low, as it might deplete valuable resources you’d prefer keeping.

Specific Mana Cost: Sporting a specific mana cost that includes both black and red, this card requires a dedicated mana base. It encourages deck-builders to plan around a Rakdos color scheme, potentially limiting its inclusion in more color-diverse strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: To unleash the full potential of Raphael, players will find themselves spending four mana, which is significant in the fast-paced Magic metagame. When compared to other cards at similar cost, some may provide more immediate or impactful presence on the battlefield without any additional requirements.


Reasons to Include Raphael, Fiendish Savior in Your Collection

Versatility: Raphael, Fiendish Savior’s ability to give creatures you control menace and +X/+X, where X is the number of demons you control, allows it to slot into various deck builds, particularly those looking to capitalize on aggressive strategies and tribal synergies.

Combo Potential: With a knack for reviving key Demon creatures from the graveyard, Raphael not only enhances your battlefield presence but also pairs well with mechanics that benefit from recurring or sacrificing creatures, opening doors to numerous combo interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where creature-based tactics dominate, Raphael’s inherent ability to disrupt opponent’s defenses through its menace ability can position him as a potent force, making it an asset in any collection aiming to stay competitive.


How to beat

Raphael, Fiendish Savior is a noteworthy addition to decks that thrive on graveyard strategies within Magic: The Gathering. Recognized for its ability to recur creatures from the graveyard, Raphael can be a persistent threat if left unchecked. To outmaneuver this demonic adversary, players should consider incorporating graveyard disruption in their strategy. Cards like Rest in Peace or Relic of Progenitus excel in stifling Raphael’s strength by exiling cards from the graveyard, thereby negating the central mechanic that this card leverages.

In addition, employing instant speed removal can be crucial when facing off against a deck featuring Raphael. Swift action such as Path to Exile or Assassin’s Trophy can exile or destroy Raphael before its ability triggers. This preemptive approach ensures that creatures do not return from the graveyard, thus minimizing your opponent’s advantage. Board wipes like Damnation or Wrath of God also serve as effective measures to comprehensively address a creature-heavy board that Raphael, Fiendish Savior may have fortified.

Ultimately, disrupting the graveyard-centric tactics often built around Raphael and remaining vigilant with removal spells will put you in a favorable position to counter this resilient card effectively. An adept player keeps these strategies in mind to prevent opponents from capitalizing on the full potential of Raphael, Fiendish Savior.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Raphael, Fiendish Savior MTG card by a specific set like Battle for Baldur's Gate Promos and Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, 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 Raphael, Fiendish Savior and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Raphael, Fiendish Savior Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2022-06-10 and 2022-07-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12022-06-10Battle for Baldur's Gate PromosPCLB 292s2015NormalBlackLivia Prima
22022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 2922015NormalBlackLivia Prima
32022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 5492015NormalBlackLivia Prima
42022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 4382015NormalBlackJustine Jones
52022-06-10Battle for Baldur's Gate Art SeriesACLB 402015Art seriesBorderless
62022-06-10Battle for Baldur's Gate Art SeriesACLB 752015Art seriesBorderless
72022-07-07Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's GateHBG 2492015NormalBlackLivia Prima

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Raphael, Fiendish Savior has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal