Bandage MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Bandage replaces itself in hand, maintaining card count while preventing damage.
  2. Its instant speed allows for tactical plays during crucial game moments.
  3. Requires targeting, limiting impact when a profitable target isn’t present.

Text of card

Prevent 1 damage to any creature or player. Draw a card.

Takara shook with guilt. She knew the last image her father had seen was her sword flashing toward him.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Bandage card offers a subtle boost in card advantage. By allowing you to draw a card after casting, it essentially replaces itself in your hand, ensuring your resources aren’t depleted.

Resource Acceleration: While Bandage doesn’t directly ramp your mana resources like some other spells, the card you draw can lead to further resource acceleration if it’s a land or ramp card.

Instant Speed: The beauty of Bandage lies in its instant speed, providing the flexibility to cast it when most advantageous, be it during combat to surprise an opponent or at the end of their turn to maintain card flow.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One limitation of Bandage includes needing to have a target for the spell, which might not always be profitable if you’re aiming for card advantage without compromising your board presence.

Specific Mana Cost: Bandage is a white spell needing a white mana to cast. This can be restrictive for multicolored decks that might struggle to have the right mana available at a crucial moment.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although costing only a single white mana seems low, when comparing Bandage to other one-mana cantrips in the game, the card’s impact on the game state is often less significant, making it a potentially less efficient choice in many situations.


Reasons to Include Bandage in Your Collection

Versatility: Bandage is a classic card that can be integrated into various deck types, particularly those that require quick responses to prevent damage. Whether it’s saving a creature from lethal damage or simply drawing a card, its ability to serve multiple purposes with a single mana cost makes it a staple for decks seeking flexibility.

Combo Potential: For those who enjoy intricate play, Bandage offers potential for combos. It serves as an enabler in decks that capitalize on casting spells or those that synergize with creatures being targeted. It’s an unassuming card that can be the linchpin in executing a complex series of moves.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta-game that features aggressive strategies with lots of direct damage, Bandage can provide an edge by mitigating damage and maintaining card flow. Its low casting cost and instant speed mean that it can effectively counter bursts of damage without sacrificing tempo, making it a relevant addition to sideboards or main decks alike.


How to Beat

Bandage is a unique white instant spell in Magic: The Gathering that allows a player to prevent one damage to any target and draw a card. The simplicity of this card’s effects can be deceiving. While it seems like a modest benefit, the fact that it replaces itself in your hand by drawing a card makes it a potential tool for both defense and card advantage.

To effectively counter a card like Bandage, one can employ strategies that minimize the usefulness of its damage prevention ability. Tactics such as using spells that deal damage to multiple targets simultaneously or spells that deal damage in large amounts can overwhelm the one-time damage prevention that Bandage offers. Additionally, employing cards that restrict the casting of spells or using discard effects to remove Bandage from an opponent’s hand before they have the chance to use it can prove effective. The key against Bandage is to limit the opportunities where its prevention and draw can be both timely and impactful.

Understanding the interplay between Bandage’s strengths and weaknesses can inform strategic decisions during the game. Analyzing when and how an opponent could derive the most benefit from such a spell is essential to undermine its potential and maintain a competitive advantage on the battlefield.


BurnMana Recommendations

With the Bandage card’s nuances dissected for both advantages and potential drawbacks, MTG players are well-armed to optimize their deck strategies. Its instant speed and combo potential add layers to gameplay, making it more than just a utility card — it’s a strategic asset. Recognizing the importance of meta-relevance, including Bandage in your collection could be a game-changer, especially in damage-heavy environments. Expand your strategic horizons with cards like Bandage that offer both protection and progression. For deeper insights and more advanced tips on building a resilient, flexible deck, step into our world of MTG knowledge and tactics. It’s here you’ll find ways to outmaneuver opponents and fortify your path to victory.


Cards like Bandage

The utility of Bandage in Magic: The Gathering lies in its simplicity and versatility. It’s easy to draw parallels between Bandage and other instant-speed white cards that offer healing and card draw. One card that immediately comes to mind is Heal. Both Bandage and Heal allow players to prevent damage and draw a card, though Heal targets only creatures while Bandage offers the flexibility to target creatures or players.

Renewed Faith is another comparable option, which gives players the choice between preventing damage and gaining life. Although it doesn’t draw a card outright, it offers a cycling ability to achieve a similar effect. Alabaster Potion is in this league as well, providing life gain and potential damage prevention, yet it lacks the card draw component, making Bandage a more efficient choice for maintaining card advantage.

Overall, Bandage stands as an accessible, yet powerful tool in its niche. With the capacity to thwart damage and replenish one’s hand, it proves to be a strong inclusion in decks looking to defend and draw simultaneously, ensuring that players can protect their board while sustaining their strategic options.

Heal - MTG Card versions
Renewed Faith - MTG Card versions
Alabaster Potion - MTG Card versions
Heal - Ice Age (ICE)
Renewed Faith - Onslaught (ONS)
Alabaster Potion - Legends (LEG)

Cards similar to Bandage by color, type and mana cost

Death Ward - MTG Card versions
Blaze of Glory - MTG Card versions
Healing Salve - MTG Card versions
Purelace - MTG Card versions
Swords to Plowshares - MTG Card versions
Guardian Angel - MTG Card versions
Righteousness - MTG Card versions
Indestructible Aura - MTG Card versions
Glyph of Life - MTG Card versions
Warning - MTG Card versions
Heal - MTG Card versions
Anoint - MTG Card versions
Rally the Troops - MTG Card versions
Enlightened Tutor - MTG Card versions
Orim's Touch - MTG Card versions
Pollen Remedy - MTG Card versions
Sacred Rites - MTG Card versions
Pay No Heed - MTG Card versions
Path to Exile - MTG Card versions
Piety Charm - MTG Card versions
Death Ward - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Blaze of Glory - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Healing Salve - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Purelace - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Swords to Plowshares - Murders at Karlov Manor Commander (MKC)
Guardian Angel - Limited Edition Beta (LEB)
Righteousness - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Indestructible Aura - Chronicles (CHR)
Glyph of Life - Legends (LEG)
Warning - Ice Age (ICE)
Heal - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Anoint - Tempest (TMP)
Rally the Troops - Portal Second Age (P02)
Enlightened Tutor - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Orim's Touch - Invasion (INV)
Pollen Remedy - Planeshift (PLS)
Sacred Rites - The List (PLST)
Pay No Heed - Torment (TOR)
Path to Exile - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)
Piety Charm - Onslaught (ONS)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bandage MTG card by a specific set like Stronghold and Tenth Edition, 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 Bandage and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Bandage Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1998-03-02 and 2015-05-06. Illustrated by Rebecca Guay.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-03-02StrongholdSTH 11997normalblackRebecca Guay
22007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 92003normalblackRebecca Guay
32015-05-06Tempest RemasteredTPR 72015normalblackRebecca Guay

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bandage has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2007-07-15 You draw the card when Bandage resolves, not when the damage is actually prevented.

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