Altar of the Pantheon MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeArtifact

Key Takeaways

  1. Boosts mana diversity, crucial for casting a wider range of spells and maintaining game momentum.
  2. Increases devotion, enhancing strategies that benefit from a higher devotion count.
  3. Integral for mana ramp in multicolored or devotion-themed MTG decks for a strategic edge.

Text of card

Your devotion to each color and each combination of colors is increased by one. : Add one mana of any color. If you control a God, a Demigod, or a legendary enchantment, you gain 1 life.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Altar of the Pantheon can provide a subtle yet consistent advantage in decks with a devotion theme, effectively letting you capitalize on the devotion mechanic to draw you deeper into your deck. With the correct board state, this translates to maintaining a flow of cards advantageous in prolonging your gameplay and out-maneuvering your opponents.

Resource Acceleration: This artifact is beneficial for ramping up your mana resources. It taps for one mana of any color which is perfect for multicolored decks that require a diverse mana base. The acceleration is not just about quantity; it’s also about the ease of access to the various types of mana, helping you to cast more spells sooner and keep up the momentum.

Instant Speed: While Altar of the Pantheon itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it enables your ability to cast spells at instant speed by smoothing out your mana resources. By ensuring you have access to any color mana, you can more reliably keep mana open for instant speed interactions, thus increasing your flexibility in responding to your opponent’s moves during their turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Altar of the Pantheon doesn’t force you to discard cards, it does require a specific board state to truly shine. Without a devotion to at least one color, its ability to generate additional mana is nullified, effectively making it a dead card in your hand or a less efficient mana source on the field.

Specific Mana Cost: This artifact card is costed at three generic mana, which makes it somewhat easy to play in any deck. However, its full potential is only unlocked in decks with a strong devotion to a single color or multiple colors, limiting its versatility in decks that don’t support such a strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For decks focused on speed and efficiency, Altar of the Pantheon’s mana cost might be a hindrance. Three mana for a mana rock can be considered steep when there are numerous two-mana or even one-mana alternatives that provide an immediate effect or are less conditional in their mana generation.


Reasons to Include Altar of the Pantheon in Your Collection

Versatility: Altar of the Pantheon is a dynamic card that can seamlessly fit into a broad array of decks, particularly those which revolve around devotion or gods. This artifact boosts your devotion count while providing mana fixing, making it a valuable asset for multicolored decks.

Combo Potential: This artifact plays well in combos, enabling activation of abilities requiring different colors of mana with greater ease. The additional bonus of increased life gain from your god cards can synergize with strategies that capitalize on life total as a resource.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where devotion strategies or multicolor decks prevail, Altar of the Pantheon can play a pivotal role. Its ability to ramp up devotion points while also smoothing out mana can be a game-changer in closely contested matches.


How to beat

Altar of the Pantheon stands out as a mana accelerant and devotion enhancer in the MTG arena. Its ability to tap for one mana of any color and the devotion increment it provides to all colors can be a boon for multi-colored or devotion-focused decks. Yet, like most artifacts, it comes with vulnerabilities that players can exploit. The most straightforward strategy is artifact removal – often found in red, green, and white decks – such as Disenchant, Naturalize, or Shatter. These straightforward spells can dismantle the advantage your opponent has built, ensuring that their mana base and devotion counts are severely disrupted. Additionally, countering such enabler cards with spells like Negate when they first hit the stack can save you the trouble of dealing with them on the board. Another tactic is to target the underlying strategy – if their deck heavily relies on devotion, cutting off the key components that contribute significant devotion points can weaken the impact of Altar of the Pantheon. No single strategy is foolproof, but combining artifact control with disruption of the opponent’s broader game plan can keep this card in check.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the nuances of MTG and leveraging the strengths of cards like Altar of the Pantheon can elevate your gameplay to new heights. This versatile artifact can be a powerhouse in decks that benefit from mana diversity and devotion mechanics. However, it’s crucial to recognize its limitations and strategize accordingly. Whether you’re optimizing your mana base in a multicolored deck, enhancing your devotion count, or weighing its place among similar mana rocks, every decision counts. Keen to refine your strategy and make the most out of every card? Dive deeper with us and discover how to turn the Altar of the Pantheon into a cornerstone of your MTG matches.


Cards like Altar of the Pantheon

Altar of the Pantheon is an intriguing mana-fixing artifact that can diversify your deck’s mana capabilities in Magic: The Gathering. Gaining one mana of any color puts it in line with cards like Manalith, but Altar of the Pantheon offers an added boon to players supporting a devotion to the gods by providing an extra level of utility. It steps up your devotion to each color by one, a trait not seen in Manalith, enriching decks that thrive on devotion metrics.

Another card it parallels is Darksteel Ingot, a similar three-mana artifact that also produces one mana of any color. However, Darksteel Ingot brings indestructibility to the table, guaranteeing its presence against most removal spells. Although it doesn’t impact devotion, its resilience could be vital in longer, more drawn-out matches. Furthermore, Chromatic Lantern not only provides mana variety but also turns all your lands into versatile mana sources. While it doesn’t contribute to devotion, nor is it necessarily as affordable to play with a higher casting cost, its broad mana optimization can be a significant advantage.

Considering the options, Altar of the Pantheon holds its own for players utilizing devotion strategies in Magic: The Gathering, offering an interesting dynamic that complements specific decks beautifully.

Manalith - MTG Card versions
Darksteel Ingot - MTG Card versions
Chromatic Lantern - MTG Card versions
Manalith - Magic 2012 (M12)
Darksteel Ingot - Arena League 2004 (PAL04)
Chromatic Lantern - Return to Ravnica (RTR)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Altar of the Pantheon MTG card by a specific set like Theros Beyond Death and The List, 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 Altar of the Pantheon and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Altar of the Pantheon Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2020-01-24 and 2023-05-08. Illustrated by Jonas De Ro.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12020-01-24Theros Beyond DeathTHB 2312015normalblackJonas De Ro
22020-09-26The ListPLST THB-2312015normalblackJonas De Ro
32023-05-08From Cute to BrutePCTB 482015normalblackJonas De Ro

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Altar of the Pantheon has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-01-24 If Altar of the Pantheon loses its abilities, you’ll still get a bonus to your devotion. This is because its effect is applied before any effect that would make it lose its abilities.
2020-01-24 The last ability of Altar of the Pantheon is a mana ability. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. You’ll immediately add mana to your mana pool and gain 1 life, if applicable.
2020-01-24 You gain just 1 life, no matter how many Gods, Demigods, and/or legendary enchantments you control beyond the first.
2020-01-24 Your devotion to two colors (for example, your devotion to red and green) is increased by one, not by two or three.

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