Anoint MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeInstant
Abilities Buyback

Key Takeaways

  1. Anoint converts underused permanents into crucial card resources, helping players gain a card advantage.
  2. It offers strategic flexibility with its instant speed, allowing for reactionary plays and end-turn tactics.
  3. The requirement to discard for its alternative cost and specific mana can limit Anoint’s utility in MTG.

Text of card

Buyback o3 (You may pay an additional o3 when you play this spell. If you do, put it into your hand instead of your graveyard as part of the spell's effect.) Prevent up to 3 damage to any creature.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Anoint delivers an efficient cushion for your assets by effectively transforming lesser-used permanents into vital card resources. This tactical exchange can position you for a substantial lead in resources.

Resource Acceleration: This spell is an ace up your sleeve for outpacing your adversaries. By converting existing creatures into fresh cards, Anoint fortifies your hand, potentially accelerating your strategic plays and giving you an edge on the battlefield.

Instant Speed: Its instant speed nature is a strategic boon, offering you flexibility to maximize your turns. You can seamlessly weave Anoint into your game plan, using it to pivot your stance reactively in response to your opponent’s moves or end-of-turn scenarios.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Anoint necessitates that a player discards another card to utilize its alternative casting cost, which can be particularly taxing when hand size is crucial to maintaining gameplay options or when each card in hand is vital to your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: This spell’s requirement for white mana limits its inclusion to decks that can reliably produce white mana, which might restrict its versatility across different archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a base casting cost that might be seen as steep for its primary function, Anoint may not always be the optimal choice, especially when there are other lower-cost spells that provide similar or greater utility.


Reasons to Include Anoint in Your Collection

Versatility: Anoint offers unparalleled flexibility in decks that are looking to maximize the use of their graveyard. With its ability to be played from the graveyard, it seamlessly integrates into strategies that juggle between the board and yard.

Combo Potential: As a card that can be used multiple times, Anoint works well with decks that synergize around spellcasting, life gain, or both, allowing for intricate combos that can turn the tide of the game in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: Considering its ability to keep key creatures on the board longer, Anoint proves its worth in a meta that’s heavy with removal. It stands as an essential piece in decks that aim to outlast and outmaneuver opponents’ strategies.


How to beat Anoint

Anoint stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a versatile spell capable of saving creatures from destruction or diminishing the damage from an opponent’s attack. It’s a utility card that finds a place in decks focusing on creature survivability. Comparable to spells that protect or regenerate, Anoint can often mean the difference between keeping a key creature on the board or losing it to removal.

However, strategies to overcome Anoint involve anticipating its use and working around its limitations. One of the main tactics to counteract Anoint’s impact is through the use of spells that don’t target individual creatures, such as Wrath of God or Damnation, which can sweep the board clear regardless of protective effects. Additionally, spells that force a player to sacrifice a creature get around Anoint’s ability, as they do not target the creature directly. Cards like Diabolic Edict can be especially useful in this respect.

Ultimately, understanding Anoint’s role in your opponent’s strategy is crucial. It requires careful timing and judicious choice of spells to ensure that when you’re ready to deal with your opponent’s creatures, Anoint won’t thwart your plans. This knowledge of the right tools to navigate around protective spells like Anoint can secure your position in the game.


Cards like Anoint

Anoint, a classic utility card from the Tempest set, holds its own in the realm of Magic: The Gathering life-gain spells. It parallels with cards like Healing Salve, both providing the option to either prevent damage or gain life. Anoint stands out with its ability to only prevent damage to creatures, whereas Healing Salve extends this benefit to players as well, offering greater versatility.

Comparatively, there’s also the card Bandage, which, similar to Anoint, is dedicated to creature protection. Bandage prevents one damage to a creature and allows a card draw, presenting an immediate advantage over Anoint in terms of card economy. Conversely, Anoint’s Alternative Casting Cost – paying life rather than mana, provides a strategic edge for those looking to maintain mana availability for other spells within their turn.

Ultimately, Anoint’s significance in MTG is reinforced through its cost-effectiveness in protecting creatures, and when expertly played, it can ensure mana resources are utilized for other pivotal moments in the game, positioning it as a resourceful choice in certain life-gain and defensive strategies.

Healing Salve - MTG Card versions
Bandage - MTG Card versions
Healing Salve - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Bandage - Stronghold (STH)

Cards similar to Anoint by color, type and mana cost

Death Ward - MTG Card versions
Blaze of Glory - MTG Card versions
Healing Salve - MTG Card versions
Swords to Plowshares - MTG Card versions
Purelace - 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
Rally the Troops - MTG Card versions
Enlightened Tutor - 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
Hallow - MTG Card versions
Pure Intentions - MTG Card versions
Holy Day - MTG Card versions
Death Ward - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Blaze of Glory - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Healing Salve - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Swords to Plowshares - Murders at Karlov Manor Commander (MKC)
Purelace - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Righteousness - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Indestructible Aura - Chronicles (CHR)
Glyph of Life - Legends (LEG)
Warning - Ice Age (ICE)
Heal - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Rally the Troops - Portal Second Age (P02)
Enlightened Tutor - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
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)
Hallow - Darksteel (DST)
Pure Intentions - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Holy Day - Ninth Edition (9ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Anoint MTG card by a specific set like Tempest and Tempest Remastered, 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 Anoint and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Anoint Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1997-10-14 and 2015-05-06. Illustrated by Eric David Anderson.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11997-10-14TempestTMP 31997normalblackEric David Anderson
22015-05-06Tempest RemasteredTPR 32015normalblackEric David Anderson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Anoint has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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