Honorable Passage MTG Card

Visions (VIS)
1997-02-03 - Number 7

Honorable Passage - World Championship Decks 1997 (WC97)

World Championship Decks 1997 (WC97)
1997-08-13 - Number js7sb

Honorable Passage - Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)

Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)
2006-10-06 - Number 9

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant

Key Takeaways

Honorable Passage offers defense and indirect card advantage by protecting creatures and life totals.
Its instant speed allows for surprising and flexible responses to threats on the battlefield.
The card imposes strategic deck-building choices due to its specific mana cost and utility.

Text of card

Prevent all damage to you or target creature from any one source. If that source is red, Honorable Passage deals to the source's controller an amount of damage equal to the amount of damage prevented.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Honorable Passage can serve as a defensive tactic, potentially negating damage from a significant threat on the board. This can indirectly contribute to card advantage by preserving your creatures or life total, which could otherwise be lost.

Resource Acceleration: While Honorable Passage doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration, it effectively saves resources by protecting your assets. The mana spent on this card can prevent loss of life or creatures, which might require additional resources to replace.

Instant Speed: As an instant, Honorable Passage provides the flexibility to respond to threats as they arise during your opponent’s turn. This surprise element can shift game dynamics in your favor, especially when dealing with high-powered attacks or combo plays that hinge on damage dealing spells.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Honorable Passage doesn’t necessitate discarding directly, it does present a strategic conundrum if considering removal for key offensive plays. Emphasizing defense, this card might compel players to choose between retaining advantageous attack options or ensuring protective measures.

Specific Mana Cost: Honorable Passage demands white mana, restricting its seamless integration to only those decks that are oriented around or can accommodate the white mana pool. Decks not focused on white may find it challenging to justify the card’s inclusion.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring two mana, including one white, for a single-use redirection effect can be seen as costly, considering other cards in the same mana range offer broader control or prevent damage from multiple sources. Furthermore, its situational nature can lead to it being a dead card against non-damaging strategy decks.

Reasons to Include Honorable Passage in Your Collection

Versatility: Honorable Passage offers a unique defensive mechanism that can be effectively slotted into various white-centric or multicolored decks. Its ability to redirect damage maintains a level of unpredictability on the battlefield, making it a utility choice in your arsenal.

Combo Potential: This card thrives in combinations with strategies that encourage opponents to overcommit on powerful spells or attacks. It pairs well with cards that manipulate damage or benefit from damage prevention, turning the tides of battle in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta-game where direct damage spells or aggressive strategies are prevalent, Honorable Passage steers clear the way for advantageous counter-play. It acts not only as a safeguard but also as a psychological tool, forcing opponents to second-guess their strikes.

How to Beat

Honorable Passage is a unique card with a defensive twist in the game of Magic: The Gathering. The card offers a clever way to nullify damage from a source of your opponent’s choice and even turn it back as a tool for life gain. Overcoming this card requires a strategic approach.

When faced with Honorable Passage, it’s smart to bait it out or wait until your opponent is low on mana before executing high-impact spells or attacks. Remember, timing is key—if they can’t cast it, they can’t use it to their advantage. Additionally, using spells or abilities that can’t be countered or that deal indirect damage are effective ways around it. This might include a focus on building board presence or using burn spells that deal damage to multiple targets, reducing the efficacy of the Passage.

It’s all about predicting and playing around Honorable Passage’s capabilities. Considering alternative paths to victory and employing a versatile game plan can keep you one step ahead. Strive for a balanced approach that manages threats and considers potential defensive hurdles like Honorable Passage.

Cards like Honorable Passage

Honorable Passage stands out in the realm of damage prevention spells within Magic: The Gathering. This card shares a corner of the MTG universe with cards like Reverse Damage, which also turns potentially fatal blows into safe misses. However, Honorable Passage sets itself apart by giving players the ability to redirect the averted damage back to their opponent or a creature they control. Reverse Damage lacks this retaliatory capability, focusing solely on nullifying the damage.

Moving on, we encounter the card Healing Salve. Like Honorable Passage, it offers the option to prevent damage. It’s more flexible in that it can also restore health to a player, but it falls short in terms of offensive strategy as it does not provide a means to reflect damage. Comparatively, there is Reflect Damage, reflecting its similarity in name and in function. This spell also channels damage away but unlike Honorable Passage, it foregoes the potential to shield creatures, focusing on players exclusively.

Ultimately, Honorable Passage’s blend of defense and counterstrike capability affords it a unique position among its peers, offering Magic: The Gathering players a strategic advantage that can turn the tides of battle in their favor.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Honorable Passage MTG card by a specific set like Visions and World Championship Decks 1997, 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 Honorable Passage and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Honorable Passage Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1997-02-03 and 2006-10-06. Illustrated by Jeff Miracola.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1997-02-03	Visions	VIS	7	1997	Normal	Black	Jeff Miracola
2	1997-08-13	World Championship Decks 1997	WC97	js7sb	1997	Normal	Gold	Jeff Miracola
3	2006-10-06	Time Spiral Timeshifted	TSB	9	1997	Normal	Black	Jeff Miracola