Seraph Sanctuary MTG Card
2012-05-04 - Number 228
2016-02-26 - Number 33
2019-12-02 - Number 733
2019-12-02 - Number 1292
2020-09-26 - Number AVR-228
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
When Seraph Sanctuary enters the battlefield, you gain 1 life. Whenever an Angel enters the battlefield under your control, you gain 1 life. : Add to your mana pool.
Cards like Seraph Sanctuary
In MTG, the Seraph Sanctuary land card has a valued niche for life-gain decks. It’s often compared to Radiant Fountain, which grants an immediate two life but doesn’t offer the consistent life gain for angel plays. Seraph Sanctuary rewards players each time an angel enters the battlefield under their control, making it synergistic in angel-themed decks. It also taps for colorless mana, which can be valuable in multicolored decks that include angel cards.
Another similar land is Tranquil Cove, which also provides life when it enters the battlefield and generates white mana, a color often necessary for angel cards. However, unlike Seraph Sanctuary, it doesn’t trigger additional life gains with angel summons. Then we have Scoured Barrens, which matches the one-time life gain and taps for black or white mana, enabling broader deck construction but without supporting angel-centric gameplay.
Comparatively, Seraph Sanctuary shines in congregations of celestial beings, offering a repeatable boon every time these majestic creatures grace the battlefield. Its specialized ability ensures it remains a purposeful choice for those looking to soar to victory on the wings of angels.
Cards similar to Seraph Sanctuary by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Seraph Sanctuary provides an incremental advantage with life gain each time an Angel enters the battlefield under your control, ensuring that you’re not only bolstering your board presence but also increasing your survivability.
Resource Acceleration: While Seraph Sanctuary doesn’t directly produce additional mana, it ensures that your mana base remains flexible by tapping for colorless, which can be universally applied to various spells or abilities, helping to efficiently utilize your resources each turn.
Instant Speed: The life gain ability of Seraph Sanctuary triggers at instant speed, meaning it occurs right as the Angel enters the battlefield, which can be pivotal during combat or in response to direct damage, potentially shifting the scales in your favor unexpectedly.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Seraph Sanctuary does not have a discard requirement itself, it can be less ideal in a deck that leverages graveyard synergies or requires card retention to maximize impact.
Specific Mana Cost: The utility of Seraph Sanctuary can be inhibited by its need for a deck built around angels. Without this focus, its ability to provide life gain can remain largely untriggered, making it a niche card relative to more flexible land options.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Seraph Sanctuary does not cost mana to play, the opportunity cost is notable. In a fast-paced game, using a land slot for Seraph Sanctuary might delay critical plays when mana of specific colors is crucial, particularly in multicolor decks where each land’s ability to produce varied mana is highly valuable.
Reasons to Include Seraph Sanctuary in Your Collection
Versatility: Seraph Sanctuary offers a unique land choice that can seamlessly slot into any deck running white creatures, especially those with Angel synergies. Its ability to gain life upon the arrival of any Angel supports control and life-gain strategies alike.
Combo Potential: This card shines in combos, as the life gain can trigger abilities or ascend mechanics reliant on your life total. It’s an enabler for decks that capitalize on life changes, complimenting cards like Ajani’s Pridemate or Resplendent Angel.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta with a focus on aggro decks, the incremental life gain from Seraph Sanctuary provides a cushion that can be critical in outlasting your opponent. Furthermore, its relevance grows with the introduction of new Angels and life-gain synergistic cards in new sets.
How to beat
Seraph Sanctuary is an intriguing land card in Magic: The Gathering that can boost life totals while synergizing with angel-type creatures. Whenever an angel enters the battlefield under your control, Seraph Sanctuary allows you to gain 1 life, supporting a strategy focused on longevity and creature-based tactics. Despite its advantages, overcoming this card requires disrupting the gameplay it facilitates.
Countering Seraph Sanctuary effectively involves minimizing its impact or denying its activation. Removing the player’s angels before they trigger the life gain, using cards like Path to Exile or Doom Blade, can be critical. Land destruction spells or abilities that target nonbasic lands, such as Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin, can directly deal with the Sanctuary itself. Applying pressure with an aggressive deck strategy can also outpace the incremental life gain and challenge the angel deck’s slower setup time.
Ultimately, understanding the role of Seraph Sanctuary in an angel-focused deck will help in crafting a strategy to render it less effective. Timing, targeted removal, and applying continuous pressure can significantly reduce the Sanctuary’s influence on the game’s outcome.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Seraph Sanctuary MTG card by a specific set like Avacyn Restored and Duel Decks: Blessed vs. Cursed, 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 Seraph Sanctuary 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 Seraph Sanctuary Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2012-05-04 and 2019-12-02. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2012-05-04 | Avacyn Restored | AVR | 228 | 2003 | Normal | Black | David Palumbo | |
| 2 | 2016-02-26 | Duel Decks: Blessed vs. Cursed | DDQ | 33 | 2015 | Normal | Black | David Palumbo | |
| 3 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 733 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alayna Danner | ||
| 4 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 1292 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alayna Danner | ||
| 5 | The List | PLST | AVR-228 | 2003 | Normal | Black | David Palumbo |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Seraph Sanctuary has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |