Samite Healer MTG Card
1993-08-05 - Number 37
1993-10-04 - Number 38
1993-12-01 - Number 38
1993-12-10 - Number 38
1993-12-10 - Number 38
1994-04-01 - Number 38
1994-04-01 - Number 38
1994-06-21 - Number 38
1995-04-01 - Number 47
1995-04-01 - Number 47
1997-03-24 - Number 58
1999-04-21 - Number 40
2001-04-11 - Number 38
2001-04-11 - Number 38★
2003-07-28 - Number 41★
2003-07-28 - Number 41
2005-07-29 - Number 39
2005-07-29 - Number 39★
2007-07-13 - Number 38
2022-11-28 - Number 334
2022-11-28 - Number 37
| Card sets | Released in 21 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Cleric |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
Tap to prevent 1 damage to any target.
Healers ultimately acquire the divine gifts of spiritual and physical wholeness. The most devout are also granted the ability to pass physical wholeness on to others.
Cards like Samite Healer
Samite Healer stands as a classic figure in the realm of creature cards with protective abilities in Magic: The Gathering. It is often compared to other life-preserving cards such as Healing Salve. Samite Healer grants the ability to prevent a small amount of damage to creatures or players which, while not as versatile as Healing Salve’s three options, can be repeatedly used each turn without any mana cost after it’s on the battlefield.
Another card with a likeness is Alabaster Mage. This card offers more flexibility with its ability to give target creature lifelink until end of turn, but for a mana investment each time. Unlike the passive ability of Samite Healer, Alabaster Mage requires a continuous output of resources to utilize its ability. Then there’s the Benevolent Bodyguard, as it sacrifices itself to protect another creature from the color of your choice, serving a single, yet potentially game-changing, purpose compared to the repeatability offered by Samite Healer’s passive defense.
When comparing these choices, Samite Healer may not have the once-off impact of some alternatives but provides steady, cost-effective defense in a long-term game strategy. Its consistent presence aligns well with strategies that aim for gradual advantage and battlefield presence in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Samite Healer by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Though the Samite Healer doesn’t directly increase your card count, it helps maintain board presence by protecting your key creatures. By preventing damage, it keeps your creatures on the board longer, effectively negating the need to draw additional creatures for defense.
Resource Acceleration: Samite Healer may not provide traditional resource acceleration like adding mana, but by preventing damage, it saves resources you might have spent on spells to protect your creatures or replace them. This allows you to allocate mana more efficiently elsewhere.
Instant Speed: The ability to prevent damage at instant speed gives you the flexibility to respond to threats during your opponent’s turn. This tactical advantage means you can be more strategic about how and when you protect your creatures, which is crucial in maintaining a solid defense.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While the Samite Healer doesn’t require you to discard cards, this card doesn’t offer help replenishing your hand, potentially leaving you with fewer options as the game progresses.
Specific Mana Cost: Samite Healer requires white mana to play. This can potentially be restrictive, as it dictates having a mana base aligned with white, limiting its use in non-white or multicolored decks that may not focus on white mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With other creatures and spells at similar mana costs offering more impactful abilities or greater power/toughness, the cost of investing in a Samite Healer might not always align with the strategic depth other cards can provide.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Samite Healer has the unique ability to prevent damage to creatures or players, making it a useful tool in decks designed around defense or life-gain strategies. Its capability to interact with damage prevention can be helpful in multiple game scenarios.
Combo Potential: Despite its simplicity, Samite Healer’s ability can combine well with effects that trigger on damage prevention, supporting synergies with certain white or artifact-based cards that benefit from its protective nature.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where aggressive strategies are prevalent, having a Samite Healer can provide unexpected resilience for your other creatures, disrupting your opponent’s tactics and allowing for game-stretching plays.
How to beat
Samite Healer holds its place in Magic: The Gathering as a classic means of creature protection. Once it’s active, its ability to prevent damage is extremely useful in defensive strategies. Though not a large threat on its own, it does help to maintain board stability by keeping key creatures shielded from harm. Recognizing the potential complications this kind of ability introduces during combat, players need to strategize to mitigate its effects.
To reliably counter the Samite Healer card, consider focusing on removal spells that can bypass its preventative ability. Direct damage spells or board wipes are effective here. Targeting it with Shock or Lightning Bolt ensures that the Samite Healer is dealt with swiftly, rendering its ability obsolete. Conversely, mass removal spells like Wrath of God can bypass the Healer’s protections altogether by not targeting creatures specifically but rather destroying all creatures at once. For longer-term strategies, utilizing enchantments or artifacts that limit the use of activated abilities can stymie the Healer without having to expend removal resources on it directly.
Overcoming a Samite Healer requires an effective mix of aggression, timing, and control. It’s all about recognizing when the Healer is at its most threatening and preemptively neutralizing it before it can significantly impact the game state in your opponent’s favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Samite Healer MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Samite Healer 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Samite Healer Magic the Gathering card was released in 17 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
Show/hide all sets| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1993-08-05 | Limited Edition Alpha | LEA | 37 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Tom Wänerstrand | |
| 2 | 1993-10-04 | Limited Edition Beta | LEB | 38 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Tom Wänerstrand | |
| 3 | 1993-12-01 | Unlimited Edition | 2ED | 38 | 1993 | Normal | White | Tom Wänerstrand | |
| 4 | 1993-12-10 | Collectors' Edition | CED | 38 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Tom Wänerstrand | |
| 5 | 1993-12-10 | Intl. Collectors' Edition | CEI | 38 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Tom Wänerstrand | |
| 6 | 1994-04-01 | Foreign Black Border | FBB | 38 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Tom Wänerstrand | |
| 7 | 1994-04-01 | Revised Edition | 3ED | 38 | 1993 | Normal | White | Tom Wänerstrand | |
| 8 | 1994-06-21 | Summer Magic / Edgar | SUM | 38 | 1993 | Normal | White | Tom Wänerstrand | |
| 9 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition | 4ED | 47 | 1993 | Normal | White | Tom Wänerstrand | |
| 10 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border | 4BB | 47 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Tom Wänerstrand | |
| 11 | 1997-03-24 | Fifth Edition | 5ED | 58 | 1997 | Normal | White | Tom Wänerstrand | |
| 12 | 1999-04-21 | Classic Sixth Edition | 6ED | 40 | 1997 | Normal | White | Tom Wänerstrand | |
| 13 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 38 | 1997 | Normal | White | Anson Maddocks | |
| 14 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 38★ | 1997 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 15 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 41★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 16 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 41 | 2003 | Normal | White | Anson Maddocks | |
| 17 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 39 | 2003 | Normal | White | Anson Maddocks | |
| 18 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 39★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 19 | 2007-07-13 | Tenth Edition | 10E | 38 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 20 | 2022-11-28 | 30th Anniversary Edition | 30A | 334 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Tom Wänerstrand | |
| 21 | 2022-11-28 | 30th Anniversary Edition | 30A | 37 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tom Wänerstrand |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Samite Healer has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |