Reward the Faithful MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant
Released	2003-05-26
Set symbol
Set name	Scourge
Set code	SCG
Number	22
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Matt Cavotta

Key Takeaways

Card’s instant speed offers tactical flexibility and surprise elements during gameplay.
Life gain converts directly into resources, accelerating strategic plays and synergies.
Mana-intensive cost and color restrictions may hinder its inclusion in diverse decks.

Text of card

Any number of target players each gains life equal to the highest converted mana cost among permanents you control.

"When you have drunk your fill, pass the cup to others who thirst."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Reward the Faithful offers a significant boost in card advantage to players utilizing white in their decks. By providing life gain to multiple players at once, it can transform each point of life into card draws with the right synergies in play. For those looking to stay ahead in resources, this card can be a linchpin in strategies built around communal benefits and reciprocal gameplay.

Resource Acceleration: Although not a direct source of mana, Reward the Faithful’s potential for massive life gain can be converted into resources through other card effects that trigger off life gain. This can effectively accelerate your resource availability by enabling conditions for powerful plays much earlier than usual, especially in decks designed to capitalize on life total changes.

Instant Speed: The instant speed of Reward the Faithful allows players to remain flexible and responsive. This card can be utilized as a surprise element that disrupts opponents’ calculations, especially during combat or in response to life-threatening situations. It can also work as a strategic tool to enhance the effects of other cards that benefit from life gain triggers during the opponent’s turn, turning it into a versatile and unpredictable game-changer.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In some scenarios, Reward the Faithful’s efficacy hinges on having a sufficient card count in hand, as its mechanics may necessitate discarding as part of its cost or effect. This could prove detrimental when your hand is sparse, potentially sapping your tactical options.

Specific Mana Cost: Reward the Faithful requires white mana to play, which might not blend seamlessly into every deck archetype. Players running multi-colored decks might find it challenging to muster the right mana at the opportune moment, potentially leading to a dead card in hand during critical turns.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The card’s influence is potentially dwarfed by the investment it demands. With a considerable mana expenditure needed to bring Reward the Faithful into play, players may find that other cards in the same mana range offer a more substantial impact on the game’s state, presenting a higher value and versatility.

Reasons to Include Reward the Faithful in Your Collection

Versatility: Reward the Faithful shines in a variety of deck builds, particularly those centered around life gain and spell-slinging. Its low mana cost and instant speed allows for strategic timing that can shift the tide in both casual and competitive play.

Combo Potential: This card works exceptionally with strategies that capitalize on increasing life totals. Pairing it with cards that have lifelink or function as life doublers can create devastating combinations and a massive shift in life differences, propelling you far ahead of your opponents.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where aggressive and burn strategies are at the forefront, Reward the Faithful can be a counterbalancing force. It can quickly turn races against red deck wins or similar archetypes to your favor, establishing both a defensive and offensive advantage with proper timing and synergy within your deck. Its ability to impact all players also makes it a potential diplomatic tool in multiplayer settings.

How to beat

Reward the Faithful is a card that can tilt the scales in your opponent’s favor if underestimated. Its ability to channel life points directly from your life total to theirs makes it imperative to disrupt this exchange efficiently. To take the upper hand against this card, consider incorporating instant-speed removals or counterspells into your deck. Doing so enables you to preemptively negate the card’s activation or remove the target creature it may aim to bolster, rendering the life swap ineffective.

Tactical timing is also crucial. Engage your removal or counters when your opponent’s resources are low, especially after they deploy Reward the Faithful, banking on an immediate payoff. This diminishes the possibility of them recovering swiftly or countering your response. Additionally, implementing graveyard disruption can further weaken strategies reliant on recurring or capitalizing on Reward the Faithful’s capabilities. In this way, even if the initial execution is successful, the long-term benefits for your opponent are substantially reduced.

By being proactive and incorporating these strategies, you can ensure Reward the Faithful doesn’t become the pivot point for your opponent’s victory. With precision and foresight, you can turn this challenging card into an opportunity to solidify your own position in the game.

Cards like Reward the Faithful

Reward the Faithful is a unique card within the collectible landscape of Magic: The Gathering. Its effect is somewhat reminiscent of cards like Healing Salve, which also offers a life gain capability, but Reward the Faithful provides scalability based on mana investment. This marks a stark difference as Healing Salve grants a flat rate of healing with no room for augmentation based on available resources.

When considering alternatives, Congregate comes to mind. It too has the potential to provide substantial life gain, with effectiveness contingent on the creature count, rather than available mana like Reward the Faithful. Meanwhile, another life-gaining spell, Swords to Plowshares, instantly exiles a creature, subsequently giving life points to the creature’s controller, proportionate to its power. Although this is a one-time effect and control over the life gain isn’t as flexible.

The strategic impact of Reward the Faithful can be profound, especially in multiplayer settings where swinging life totals can dictate the course of the game. Unlike Healing Salve or Swords to Plowshares, Reward the Faithful can significantly influence the board state with potentially limitless life gain, aligning with the philosophy of a proper defense being a strong offense in the game of MTG.

Swords to Plowshares - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Reward the Faithful by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Reward the Faithful MTG card by a specific set like Scourge, 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 Reward the Faithful and other MTG cards: