Surge of Righteousness MTG Card

Surge of Righteousness excels in countering aggressive black or red creatures at critical moments. Its specific targeting and instant speed are pivotal for maintaining momentum in a match. Lifegain and disruption capabilities make it a worthy addition to sideboards.

Surge of Righteousness - Dragons of Tarkir

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant
Released	2015-03-27
Set symbol
Set name	Dragons of Tarkir
Set code	DTK
Number	42
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Marco Nelor

Text of card

Destroy target black or red creature that's attacking or blocking. You gain 2 life.

Though she stood alone, she struck with the force of an army.

Cards like Surge of Righteousness

Surge of Righteousness is an intriguing instant in the realm of Magic: The Gathering that offers a twist on creature removal. Its closest relatives in MTG include cards like Celestial Flare and Valorous Stance, which also navigate the tricky waters of defensive spells. Surge of Righteousness distinguishes itself with its specific targeting conditions, only allowing you to target a black or red creature that’s attacking or blocking. Celestial Flare, in contrast, forces a player to sacrifice an attacking or blocking creature but lacks the color restriction, giving it a broader reach but less precision.

Another related card, Valorous Stance provides a dual utility by either protecting a creature with indestructible or destroying a creature with toughness 4 or greater. While it offers versatility, it doesn’t guarantee the immediate board impact against aggressive decks that Surge of Righteousness can assure. Finally, Devour in Flames represents an alternative removal strategy, presenting a direct damage approach with additional land bounce to your hand, which can be strategically potent but is slower and less targeted than Surge’s instant speed precision.

In the spectrum of removal spells, Surge of Righteousness holds its ground by providing swift, targeted answers to specific threats at a pivotal moment, making it a specialized tool for players facing aggressive red or black decks.

Cards similar to Surge of Righteousness by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Surge of Righteousness provides a strategic edge by allowing you to efficiently deal with threats on the board. While it doesn’t directly draw you cards, removing an attacking or blocking creature can be pivotal in maintaining parity or swinging momentum in your favor without losing card resources.

Resource Acceleration: Though not a direct form of resource acceleration, Surge of Righteousness helps preserve your life total, which can be indirectly thought of as conserving the resource of time. This can give you the leeway to develop your board and use your mana more effectively in the long game.

Instant Speed: The instant nature of Surge of Righteousness means you can adapt to battlefield changes at a moment’s notice. It allows you to remain reactive and flexible, disrupting your opponent’s strategy during their turn and crucial combat phases, giving you a tactical benefit over sorcery speed alternatives.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike other removal spells, Surge of Righteousness necessitates that you not only have it in hand but also aligns with a very specific board state to be utilized effectively. This condition can be burdensome when you’re facing a multitude of threats that don’t match its removal criteria.

Specific Mana Cost: Surge of Righteousness requires both white mana and an additional colorless mana, which can be restrictive. This can be particularly challenging in multicolored decks that may not consistently have the necessary white mana available when Surge of Righteousness is most needed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost of two, it’s priced on a curve where players are looking for impactful plays. While efficient against specific creatures, its cost is high when considering its limited removal scope. This often results in the card being passed over for more versatile and cost-effective removal options in deck building.

Reasons to Include Surge of Righteousness in Your Collection

Versatility: Surge of Righteousness is a flexible removal option for sideboards, capable of dealing with various aggressive black or red creatures that frequently appear in multiple formats. Its instant speed allows for surprise plays and immediate impact on the board state.

Combo Potential: Not only does it remove threats, but the lifegain aspect can be a crucial component in decks that capitalize on life total as a resource or a trigger for other card synergies. It fits nicely into white’s defensive strategies and life matters themes.

Meta-Relevance: With the shifting landscape of competitive play, having a versatile sideboard card like Surge of Righteousness can be key to combating prevalent aggressive strategies. It shines in metagames where black or red creature decks dominate or in local game stores where such decks are commonly played.

How to beat Surge of Righteousness

Surge of Righteousness is a specialized removal spell in the world of Magic: The Gathering. Designed to check aggressive decks, it offers an efficient response to black or red creatures that are too quick off the mark. Although at first glance it seems like a clear-cut method to deal with specific threats, there are strategic ways to mitigate its influence during gameplay.

One effective tactic against Surge of Righteousness is diversifying the color palette of your creatures. Incorporate creatures outside of its restrictive color scope to diminish the chance of a critical creature being removed. Moreover, utilizing instant-speed tricks can also flip the script. Cards that grant hexproof or indestructible in response can render Surge of Righteousness ineffective. Additionally, countermagic serves as a direct foil, intercepting and neutralizing the spell before it achieves its purpose.

Ultimately, recognizing and anticipating the deployment of Surge of Righteousness arms a player with the advantage. Adjusting your play style, beefing up your creature’s defenses, or simply baiting out the spell can significantly reduce its impact, allowing you to maintain the upper hand in the duel.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Surge of Righteousness MTG card by a specific set like Dragons of Tarkir, 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 Surge of Righteousness and other MTG cards:

BUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Surge of Righteousness has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2015-02-25	However, if the creature becomes an illegal target before Surge of Righteousness resolves, it won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. You won’t gain life.
2015-02-25	If Surge of Righteousness resolves but the creature isn’t destroyed (perhaps because it regenerated or it has indestructible), you’ll still gain 2 life.