Testament of Faith MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment |
| Released | 2001-10-01 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Odyssey |
| Set code | ODY |
| Number | 55 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Roger Raupp |
Key Takeaways
- Channel ability of Testament of Faith serves as insurance for creatures, preventing removal and maintaining board control.
- Enhances decks with life gain effects and enchantment synergies, offering strategic advantages to white-oriented playstyles.
- Though its high mana cost is challenging, Testament of Faith’s versatility in defense and synergy makes it a robust choice.
Text of card
o X: Testament of Faith becomes an X/X Wall creature until end of turn. It's still an enchantment. (Walls can't attack.)
"Belief in the Ancestor is admirable, but our enemies often demand something more . . . tangible." —Pianna, nomad captain
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Testament of Faith offers a unique channel ability that lets you discard the card to protect a creature. While this doesn’t directly draw you cards, it effectively replaces itself by saving a key creature from destruction or removal, keeping your board state strong.
Resource Acceleration: As an enchantment, Testament of Faith can be a recurring source of life gain. Every time you cast a white spell, you gain life, which can indirectly accelerate your resources by extending your life total and giving you more turns to deploy your strategy.
Instant Speed: The channel ability of Testament of Faith can be activated at instant speed, providing strategic flexibility. You can respond to your opponent’s actions during their turn, making it a versatile tool for protection and surprise.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Testament of Faith necessitates the sacrifice of a creature to activate its ability. This could deplete your board presence and work against you if you don’t have expendable creatures.
Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost demanding white mana, Testament of Faith may not fit seamlessly into multicolored decks that are not heavily white-centric.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Bearing a cost of five mana, this could be a steep investment, especially considering that other enchantments or spells might provide similar or better protection for a lower mana commitment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Testament of Faith offers a dynamic fit for decks that prioritize enchantment synergies or life gain strategies, enabling it to be a flexible choice for white-centric or multicolor deck constructions.
Combo Potential: With its ability to generate cleric tokens, Testament of Faith pairs well with other cards that benefit from creature tokens or clerics, ramping up the opportunities for powerful combinations on the battlefield.
Meta-Relevance: Given its alignment with creature-based strategies and life gain, Testament of Faith holds its ground in a meta where these elements are prevalent, making it a timely addition to tune your deck against the current competitive landscape.
How to beat
The Testament of Faith card in MTG can be a challenge, but it’s not invulnerable. This enchantment has the capacity to shift the tide of a game by creating creature tokens. Your strategy should involve either quick removal or capabilities that bypass enchantment-based defenses. Focus on cards with direct destruction abilities like Disenchant or Mortify, which can eliminate Testament of Faith before your opponent can capitalize on its value. Alternatively, countering it the moment it’s played using spells like Negate or Mana Leak will prevent it from ever taking effect.
Moreover, if Testament of Faith has already started to generate tokens, consider sweepers like Wrath of God or Doomskar to clear the board. Contingency plans with resilient creatures or spells that give you life rather than relying on creatures can be crucial. Keep in mind that hindering your opponent’s mana base through land destruction or hand disruption techniques can prevent playing Testament of Faith too early, giving you an advantage.
Conclusively, overcoming Testament of Faith requires a keen understanding of your own deck’s mechanics and recognizing the right moment to disrupt your opponent’s strategy, remaining a step ahead in the game.
Cards like Testament of Faith
Testament of Faith stands as a notable enchantment within the pantheon of versatile Magic: The Gathering cards, bearing a resemblance to a well-known counterpart, Faith’s Reward. Both have the capability to resurrect numerous permanents from the graveyard, making them pivotal in late-game scenarios. Testament of Faith, however, is a new iteration with the unique upside of being a repeatable effect, as long as the right conditions are met and mana is available.
Comparable cards in the same vein are Second Sunrise and Miraculous Recovery. Second Sunrise offers a one-time mass revival effect for all players, beneficial in artifact-heavy or sacrifice-oriented decks, while Miraculous Recovery allows for the reanimation of a single creature, plus it grants a +1/+1 boost. Although Testament of Faith doesn’t offer the instantaneous surprise that these cards can, its strength lies in the strategic advantage of endurance, giving players ongoing opportunities to capitalize on their graveyard’s potential.
In evaluating Testament of Faith against its counterparts, its sustained recovery ability can outshine the one-time wonders that others offer, depending on the build and strategy of your MTG deck. Its flexibility in reuse undoubtedly lends it a special status among reanimation spells.
Cards similar to Testament of Faith by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Testament of Faith MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey, 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 Testament of Faith and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Testament of Faith has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Testament of Faith card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-08-01 | A noncreature permanent that turns into a creature can attack, and its abilities can be activated, only if its controller has continuously controlled that permanent since the beginning of their most recent turn. It doesn’t matter how long the permanent has been a creature. |