Serra's Hymn MTG Card

Grants significant card drawing and resource acceleration advantages, crucial for outpacing opponents. Demands precise mana and may require discarding cards, which could hamper some strategies. A versatile card with combo potential, particularly useful in white-based control decks.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment
Released	1998-10-12
Set symbol
Set name	Urza's Saga
Set code	USG
Number	48
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Rebecca Guay

Text of card

During your upkeep, you may put a verse counter on Serra's Hymn. Sacrifice Serra's Hymn: Prevent up to X damage total to any number of creatures and/or players, where X is the number of verse counters on Serra's Hymn.

Cards like Serra's Hymn

Diving into the serene world of enchantments in Magic: The Gathering, Serra’s Hymn emerges as a noteworthy player in a symphony of similar cards. With its ability to tip the scales gently but steadily, Serra’s Hymn shares a thematic kinship with Glorious Anthem. While Glorious Anthem offers an immediate boost in power and toughness to your creatures, Serra’s Hymn achieves its crescendo over time, gradually increasing its influence with each verse counter, making it a subtle yet potential game-changer for deck builders seeking a long-term advantage.

Another similar enchantment, Honor of the Pure, shares the strategic aim of empowering creatures. Although it specifically enhances white creatures, its static boost is reliable and unfaltering, as opposed to the cumulative approach Serra’s Hymn adopts. On the flip side, Serra’s Hymn reveals its true potential in decks that can prolong the game, allowing it to grow in strength under the radar.

Each enchantment in Magic: The Gathering carries its unique tune, and while Serra’s Hymn isn’t an overture that immediately demands an audience’s attention, its repetitive verses can ultimately compose a formidable force, making it an enchanting consideration for players orchestrating a victory in the long game.

Cards similar to Serra's Hymn by color, type and mana cost

Mask of Law and Grace - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Serra’s Hymn thrives in decks where drawing cards is paramount. By providing repeatable card drawing opportunities, it helps players build a dominating hand, crucial to outmaneuvering opponents.

Resource Acceleration: This enchantment can be a linchpin in strategies focused on ramping up resources fast. It allows you to play key spells sooner than expected, which can be a game-changer in a tight match.

Instant Speed: The real edge of Serra’s Hymn comes with playing at instant speed, giving the flexibility to react swiftly to an opponent’s threats or end their turn with a decisive move. This maximizes strategic depth and timing, which are vital in controlling the flow of the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Serra’s Hymn requires players to discard a card, which could be detrimental to your hand size and overall strategies, especially in tight situations where every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a specific combination of mana, including white, which may not easily fit into multicolored or non-white decks, potentially limiting its versatility across various archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Serra’s Hymn could be considered costly as it sits at a higher mana value compared to other supportive enchantments or spells, making it a less appealing choice when curating a mana-efficient deck.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Serra’s Hymn is a flexible card that can seamlessly integrate into various deck archetypes. Ideal for white-based control or midrange decks, it can dynamically adjust tactics based on board presence.

Combo Potential: This card can serve as a cornerstone in synergistic combinations, working in concert with cards that benefit from enchantment interactions or life gain strategies.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where aggressive strategies are prevalent, Serra’s Hymn could prove vital by stalling opponents and setting up favorable conditions for a late-game victory.

How to beat

Serra’s Hymn is an interesting spell in Magic: The Gathering, specifically designed to bolster the defenses of your creatures. The main strategy to overcome this card lies in direct creature removals or board wipes, bypassing the enchantment’s protective buff. Cards like Wrath of God or Doom Blade can be pivotal to dismantle the fortified position Serra’s Hymn offers.

Additionally, enchantment removal spells are particularly effective against Serra’s Hymn. Spells like Disenchant or Naturalize allow players to target and destroy the hymn, thus eliminating the creature bonuses it provides. Counterspells also offer preemptive measures capable of nullifying Serra’s Hymn before it even hits the battlefield, with classics like Counterspell or Negate.

Ultimately, understanding the timing of when to deploy removal spells or choosing the correct method to disrupt the opponent’s strategy is key. It’s these nuances in gameplay and decision-making that enable players to triumph over proactive enchantments like Serra’s Hymn in Magic: The Gathering.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Serra's Hymn MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga, 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 Serra's Hymn and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Serra's Hymn has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Serra's Hymn card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2004-10-04	Adding a counter is optional. If you forget to add one during your upkeep, you cannot back up and add one later.
2004-10-04	You can activate the ability (choosing no targets) even if there are no verse counters on it. It doesn’t do anything useful if you do this.
2004-10-04	You count the number of counters, then divide up the prevention during the announcement of the ability. Each targeted creature receives the appropriate amount of damage prevention when the ability resolves.