Orim's Prayer MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment
Released	1997-10-14
Set symbol
Set name	Tempest
Set code	TMP
Number	32
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Donato Giancola

Key Takeaways

Orim’s Prayer can create card advantage by deterring attacks and preserving your board state.
It’s more about consistent defense over time than immediate impact, offering a strategic edge.
Though niche and mana-specific, its defensive potential justifies consideration in certain decks.

Text of card

If any creatures attack you, gain 1 life for each attacking creature.

"As usual, there will be time for prayer only *after* the worst happens." —Orim, Samite healer

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Orim’s Prayer doesn’t explicitly allow you to draw cards, it creates a situation where the opponent must consider the drawback of attacking, potentially leading to fewer attacks and thereby preserving your cards on the board. This subtle edge can contribute to card advantage over time.

Resource Acceleration: Orim’s Prayer doesn’t directly accelerate resources in terms of mana or card drawing. However, it can indirectly save resources by deterring opponents from attacking, thus conserving the life points and battlefield presence you’d otherwise need to invest resources to protect.

Instant Speed: Orim’s Prayer isn’t an instant, but its continuous effect once on the battlefield acts at a comparable level of influence. Though it doesn’t offer the timing flexibility of an instant, the consistent deterrent effect can throw off an opponent’s game plan, providing you with a strategic speed akin to the reaction time instant speed spells offer.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Though not applicable to Orim’s Prayer, it’s worth noting that spells with a discard requirement can put players at a disadvantage, especially when they are competing for card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Orim’s Prayer has a casting cost that includes white mana. This specific mana requirement means it might not seamlessly fit into multicolored decks or those that do not include white mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of three mana, including two white, Orim’s Prayer is on the higher end for an enchantment that serves a very niche purpose. This can be a drawback in fast-paced games where mana efficiency is key to success.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Orim’s Prayer offers a layer of defense by turning each attacking creature an opponent controls into a source of life gain for you. This effect scales well in multiplayer matches, making it an adaptable addition to decks that face numerous threats.

Combo Potential: This card can be a piece in life-gain synergistic strategies, working well with cards that trigger off life-gain events. Integrating it into such combos can fortify your board state and resource advantage.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta with aggressive creature-based decks, Orim’s Prayer shines by cushioning the blow from swarm strategies, allowing you to stabilize and mount a counter-offensive. Its relevance grows with the popularity of combat-centric decks.

How to beat

Orim’s Prayer is an enchantment card that thrives in games where multiple creatures attack. It acts as a deterrent by granting its controller life each time a creature swings their way. This can be particularly troublesome in multiplayer formats or against decks focused on swarming the board with attackers.

To effectively combat Orim’s Prayer, it’s essential to employ strategies that minimize the number of attackers or handle the enchantment directly. Enchantment removal spells are crucial. Cards like Disenchant or Naturalize are efficient ways to deal with Orim’s Prayer without investing many resources. In absence of direct removal, limiting the number of creatures that attack each turn can curtail the life gain and mitigate its impact. Consider using spot removal or board control elements to keep the opposing creature count low.

Another tactic is to adopt a more conservative playstyle. Concentrate on building a substantial board presence or enhancing a single creature to deliver significant damage in one attack, bypassing Orim’s Prayer’s ability to gain large chunks of life. By articulating your threats and choosing the right moment to strike, you can navigate around this enchantment’s life-gaining mechanism.

Cards like Orim's Prayer

Orim’s Prayer is a unique enchantment from the world of Magic: The Gathering that turns defensive strategies into a way to gain life. Directly related to this life-gaining mechanism is Riot Control, another card that also provides life for each attacking creature. However, Riot Control acts as a one-time instant with the added benefit of preventing all damage that would be dealt to you that turn.

Another enchantment worth mentioning in this context is Righteous Cause, which like Orim’s Prayer, grants life whenever a creature attacks, yet it applies not just to opponents’ creatures, but to your own as well, offering a more versatile life gain potential. There’s also the classic Ghostly Prison, which doesn’t grant life but imposes a tax on attacking creatures, potentially deterring opponents from attacking you in the first place. While Ghostly Prison affects the opponent’s choices rather than rewarding yours, it’s a formidable defensive measure in a similar category.

Evaluating the landscape of MTG cards with defensive and life-gain synergies, Orim’s Prayer stands out for its consistent passive life gain against adversarial tactics, establishing itself as a specialized choice for players leaning into a fortress-style defense.

Cards similar to Orim's Prayer by color, type and mana cost

The Restoration of Eiganjo // Architect of Restoration - MTG Card versions

Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant // Rune-Tail's Essence - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

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

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Orim's Prayer 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 Orim's Prayer card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.