Ethereal Absolution MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Enables board control by creating Spirit tokens and reducing enemy creature power simultaneously.
  2. Instant speed activation disrupts opponent plays and enhances your board during their turn.
  3. Demands specific mana but rewards players with strategic depth and combo potential.

Text of card

Creatures you control get +1/+1. Creatures your opponents control get -1/-1. : Exile target card from an opponent's graveyard. If it was a creature card, you create a 1/1 white and black Spirit creature token with flying.

"Time to let the dead be dead." —Kaya, to Teysa


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ethereal Absolution shines in its ability to effectively reduce opponent threats while boosting your own battlefield presence. Its static ability to weaken opposing creatures can swing the tide of the match in your favor, and by exiling cards from an opponent’s graveyard to create Spirit tokens, you secure ongoing board control and incremental advantage.

Resource Acceleration: While Ethereal Absolution doesn’t directly produce additional mana or Treasure tokens, the Spirits it generates offer a strategic advantage. This leads not only to a fortified board state but also can act as a means of accelerating resources indirectly by having more creatures to leverage for various effects and synergies within your deck.

Instant Speed: The second ability of Ethereal Absolution, activating at instant speed to exile target card from an opponent’s graveyard, gives you the flexibility to respond during your opponent’s turn. This can disrupt their graveyard strategies while simultaneously advancing your board position with a Spirit token—a dual benefit that can be a game changer.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Ethereal Absolution does not have a discard requirement as a must, building up a hand to maximize its benefits may deplete your deck’s resources, leading to potential disadvantages in longer matches.

Specific Mana Cost: Ethereal Absolution requires a precise combination of colors with both white and black mana. This specificity can restrict the card to only certain decks and may not easily fit into all strategies, particularly those that heavily focus on a single color or nonblack/nonwhite combinations.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing six mana to cast, this card comes with a steep price tag that could hinder its play in faster-paced games. Players might find themselves weighing its benefits against other lower-cost cards that deliver similar or more immediate impacts to the battlefield.


Reasons to Include Ethereal Absolution in Your Collection

Versatility: Ethereal Absolution isn’t just limited to one strategy. It works well in any deck that focuses on controlling the board or leveraging graveyard mechanics. Its static ability weakens your opponent’s creatures and strengthens your own, making it a great fit for any Orzhov deck or others that can manage its color requirements.

Combo Potential: This card has excellent synergy with effects that capitalize on creature deaths or token generation. By exiling creatures from graveyards, it fuels strategies revolving around death-triggered abilities and shuts down opponents’ recurral tactics. Additionally, the token it creates bolsters your defenses or can be used in conjunction with sacrifice mechanics for added value.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta heavy with aggro or creature-based combos, Ethereal Absolution can act as a powerful deterrent. It not only reduces enemy creature power, potentially nullifying swarm strategies, but also offers a recurring source of creature removal, which is crucial for maintaining board dominance against persistent creature threats.


How to beat Ethereal Absolution

Ethereal Absolution is an enchantment that can significantly impact the game with its static ability and its creature removal power. When facing this card, it’s essential to have a strategy for diminishing its influence. Disenchant and Mortify are efficient removal tools that can directly take out Ethereal Absolution from the battlefield. Counterplay can also involve enchantment-heavy decks that use cards like Tranquility or Back to Nature to clear the board of problematic enchantments. Your goal is to eliminate Ethereal Absolution before its controller can leverage the static bonuses and generate a substantial advantage with the token removal ability.

Another angle of attack is to focus on indirect approaches, such as placing pressure on the opponent’s life total with an aggressive strategy. By deploying creatures with hexproof or using cards that grant indestructible status, you can minimize the attrition that Ethereal Absolution can cause. Consider cards like Questing Beast, which can deal damage through the enchantment’s defenses, or Shalai, Voice of Plenty that provides protection for your creatures. The key is to adjust your game plan once you identify that your opponent is playing a deck that features Ethereal Absolution and to maintain a vigilant and adaptable strategy.

Ultimately, recognizing this enchantment’s potential threat and being prepared with answers in your deck is crucial. Quick elimination or implementing a resilient offensive can neutralize Ethereal Absolution, maintaining your board presence and pushing towards victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Master the art of strategy with a deeper understanding of Ethereal Absolution’s potential in your MTG arsenal. Capitalize on its power to sway games by considering its proactive and reactive capabilities. Integrate this formidable enchantment into decks that appreciate board control and graveyard manipulation for an endless stream of advantages. Recognize its mana demands and fit it into aptly colored decks to avoid color clashes. Keep exploring MTG for cards that align with and enhance the multifaceted strengths of Ethereal Absolution, or discover ways to counter it when you face it across the battlefield. Elevate your collection and your gameplay prowess by delving further into the strategic depth of MTG with us.


Cards like Ethereal Absolution

Ethereal Absolution stands out within the aura of enchantments in Magic: The Gathering with its unique blend of imposing board presence and graveyard disruption. If we look at cards like Grave Pact, we find similar control over creatures dying, yet Ethereal Absolution is exceptional for also boosting your creatures and weakening the opponent’s. It’s a glorious duality that isn’t found in Grave Pact.

Analogously, Leyline of the Void targets the graveyard, making it a benchmark for disrupting opponent strategies. However, unlike Ethereal Absolution, it doesn’t affect the battlefield directly. It remains impactful but serves a more niche role. Then we have Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, a creature that polarizes the battlefield like Ethereal Absolution but requires a commitment to white mana and doesn’t offer the recurring graveyard control.

Overall, Ethereal Absolution secures a top position among similar cards in MTG due to its versatility in creature enhancement and opponent board disruption, combined with the continuous purging of the graveyard. It’s a card that can turn the tides of battle in a way few others can.

Grave Pact - MTG Card versions
Leyline of the Void - MTG Card versions
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite - MTG Card versions
Grave Pact - Stronghold (STH)
Leyline of the Void - Guildpact (GPT)
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite - New Phyrexia (NPH)

Cards similar to Ethereal Absolution by color, type and mana cost

Athreos, Shroud-Veiled - MTG Card versions
Necromancer's Covenant - MTG Card versions
A Good Thing - MTG Card versions
Athreos, Shroud-Veiled - Theros Beyond Death (THB)
Necromancer's Covenant - Commander 2015 (C15)
A Good Thing - Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2021 (CMB2)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ethereal Absolution MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica Allegiance Promos and Ravnica Allegiance, 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 Ethereal Absolution and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ethereal Absolution Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-01-25 and 2019-01-25. Illustrated by Eric Deschamps.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-01-25Ravnica Allegiance PromosPRNA 170s2015normalblackEric Deschamps
22019-01-25Ravnica AllegianceRNA 1702015normalblackEric Deschamps

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ethereal Absolution has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

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