True Believer MTG Card

Onslaught (ONS)
2002-10-07 - Number 57

Tenth Edition (10E)
2007-07-13 - Number 53★

Tenth Edition (10E)
2007-07-13 - Number 53

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Human Cleric
Power	2
Toughness	2

Key Takeaways

True Believer ensures hand safety by providing constant protection against targeted spells.
Despite demanding two white mana, it fits well into white-centric strategies, promoting efficient turns.
While not immune to discard effects, its presence can deter direct disruption attempts by opponents.

Text of card

You can't be the target of spells or abilities.

So great is his certainty that mere facts cannot shake it.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Lack of this mechanic aside, its inherent resilience against targeted spells ensures your hand remains protected, indirectly contributing to maintaining card parity.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly a resource accelerator, True Believer’s low casting cost allows for an efficient mana curve, freeing up resources for other strategic plays in the early to mid-game.

Instant Speed: True Believer doesn’t operate at instant speed, but its static ability provides a persistent shield that is always active, giving you an advantage without needing to allocate mana or wait for the right timing to play an instant.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While True Believer doesn’t require a discard to play, having it on the field doesn’t protect you from discard effects, potentially leaving your hand vulnerable.

Specific Mana Cost: True Believer demands two white mana, making it a particular commitment to white mana and potentially a challenging fit in multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value of two primarily for its static ability, it may be considered costly, especially since it doesn’t impact the board immediately or provide an aggressive body.

Reasons to Include True Believer in Your Collection

Versatility: True Believer offers a unique defensive capability, making it a fine addition to decks focused on player protection. Its ability to provide shroud to its controller allows you to safeguard your strategies from targeted spells and abilities, making it adaptable across various playstyles.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combos involving cards or mechanics that benefit from preserving the controller’s privacy. For example, True Believer can be paired with cards requiring you to have a high life total by preventing opponents from disrupting your game plan.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where control decks and targeted disruption are prevalent, True Believer can be an essential countermeasure. Ensuring your strategies remain uninterrupted by opponents’ attempts to target you directly can be crucial for maintaining the advantage in a fast-paced game.

How to beat

When facing off against a card like True Believer in your Magic: The Gathering match, your usual strategies might need slight tweaking. True Believer stands out by offering an essential layer of protection to its controller – granting them shroud. This prevents them from becoming the target of spells or abilities introduced by opponents, making direct removal or control effects unusable.

To effectively circumvent this formidable capability, consider using board wipes or global effects that do not target a single player directly. Cards that change the battlefield conditions, like Wrath of God or Supreme Verdict, can help clear the board without needing to target. Alternatively, you can use abilities that impose a disadvantage on all players or creatures, thus skirting around the protections granted by the True Believer. Lastly, employing strategies that don’t rely on targeting the opponent, such as establishing a commanding board presence or amassing a large quantity of creature tokens, can outpace the protection that True Believer offers and lead you on a path to victory.

Bearing in mind these tactics, overcoming the challenge of True Believer comes down to smart deck building and adapting your play style to the unique obstacles it presents.

Cards like True Believer

True Believer stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a powerful creature that offers a unique protective ability. It shares the trait of granting its controller hexproof with cards like Aegis of the Gods, which also provides an immediate shield from targeted spells or abilities from opponents coming your controller’s way. However, True Believer’s edge lies in its creature type, Human Cleric, which has greater synergy potential within human or cleric tribal decks.

Another comparison is to Witchbane Orb, an artifact that similarly gives its controller hexproof. While Witchbane Orb has the benefit of being harder to remove from the board due to its artifact nature, True Believer boasts a lower mana cost, making it a more agile play in the early game. Lastly, we have Ivory Mask, mirroring the protective aspect albeit with a higher mana cost but as an enchantment, it avoids creature removals.

Overall, True Believer offers a mix of agility, creature synergies, and a defensive angle that can be wielded to great effect in player strategies. Its balance between cost, card type, and protective ability makes it a notable option for decks looking to guard against targeted threats.

Cards similar to True Believer by color, type and mana cost

Voice of the Blessed - MTG Card versions

Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase True Believer MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught 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 True Believer and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The True Believer Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2002-10-07 and 2007-07-13. Illustrated by Alex Horley-Orlandelli.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2002-10-07	Onslaught	ONS	57	1997	Normal	Black	Alex Horley-Orlandelli
2	2007-07-13	Tenth Edition	10E	53★	2003	Normal	Black	Alex Horley-Orlandelli
3	2007-07-13	Tenth Edition	10E	53	2003	Normal	Black	Alex Horley-Orlandelli