Opal Avenger MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment |
| Released | 1999-02-15 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Urza's Legacy |
| Set code | ULG |
| Number | 15 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Edward P. Beard, Jr. |
Key Takeaways
- Opal Avenger transitions from enchantment to creature, offering both card and board presence versatility.
- It introduces unique tactical elements to gameplay, encouraging a more dynamic interaction with opponents.
- Understands its perfect role in decks geared towards triggering transformations for strategic advantage.
Text of card
When you have 10 life or less, if Opal Avenger is an enchantment, Opal Avenger becomes a 3/5 creature that counts as a Guardian.
As the sun grew cold in the realm, the statue grew warm.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Simplifies reaching the necessary threshold for transformation into a powerful creature, thus maximizing your card’s potential without the need for additional resources.
Resource Acceleration: Works well in decks that focus on amassing permanents quickly, fueling the strategy of rapidly switching from an enchantment to an aggressive creature. This accelerates the pace at which your board state becomes a substantial threat to opponents.
Instant Speed: Enables strategic flexibility by transforming at instant speed, allowing you to surprise your opponent with a sudden blocker or attacker, adapting to the flow of the game as needed and keeping your adversaries on their toes.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: For players aiming to bring Opal Avenger into play, there’s a catch. You are forced to discard precious cards to transform it from an enchantment to a creature. Such a requirement can strain your hand, leaving you scrambling for resources later in the game.
Specific Mana Cost: Opal Avenger’s casting cost is highly specific, requiring not just three mana but three white mana. In decks that aspire to a rainbow of colors or even a dual-color strategy, having such a mana-intensive white card can be restrictive and challenging to cast on curve.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Carrying a mana value of three for its initial enchantment form, Opal Avenger may seem steep for what it offers. Considering this card transforms into a creature only under specific conditions, its cost effectiveness is debatable when pitted against other creatures that are readily available to swing or block without the extra steps.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Opal Avenger’s ability to transform into a creature under certain conditions allows it to be a flexible choice for decks that need defensive options or additional board presence without committing to a creature card outright.
Combo Potential: Given its nature as an enchantment that becomes a creature, Opal Avenger works well with strategies that toggle between card types or benefit from having versatile permanents on the board, enhancing synergy in combo-oriented decks.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state where permanents are frequently entering or leaving the battlefield, Opal Avenger can be particularly effective. It fits well in environments that reward resilience and adaptive strategies, a card that can stay relevant across various meta shifts.
How to beat
Opal Avenger is a unique and defensive Magic: The Gathering creature card that can throw opponents off their game plan. Known for its ability to become a creature after taking enough damage, it presents a challenge to face head-on. Despite this, the key to outmaneuvering Opal Avenger lies in handling it before it transforms. Control and removal spells are your best allies here, allowing you to address the card while it’s still a harmless enchantment.
Employing tactics such as direct damage or ‘destroy enchantment’ spells can effectively neutralize the threat before it comes to life. Additionally, you can take advantage of the fact that it must take cumulative damage to activate. By managing the flow of damage in the game and preventing it from accumulating, you can maintain control. Strategic game plans that include counter spells or bounce effects can also be effective in keeping Opal Avenger at bay, ensuring that it never gets the chance to morph into its formidable creature form.
Thus, staying proactive and keeping the pressure on your opponent prevents Opal Avenger from becoming a larger threat on the board and helps secure your path to victory.
Cards like Opal Avenger
Opal Avenger is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering, creating dynamic playthroughs for its users. This card aligns with the likes of other transformational cards, such as Guardian Automaton for its ability to evolve under certain conditions. The key differentiator for Opal Avenger lies in its ability to transform into a large creature when your life total is sharply reduced, providing a potential game-changing defender.
When comparing it to other cards, Porcelain Legionnaire stands out for its flexibility costing either white or two life and two other mana to be cast. While it doesn’t become bigger as the game progresses, its first strike ability provides a steady and reliable form of offense and defense from the get-go. Meanwhile, Seraph of the Sword offers another comparison with its damage prevention ability, which converges with Opal Avenger for its protective nature albeit without the transforming trigger.
To sum up, Opal Avenger competes favorably among defensive creature cards with its transformational ability activating as a defensive mechanism under dire conditions. This unique aspect, along with its solid defense post-transformation, makes it a considerable option for players looking to strengthen their defense while keeping opponents on their toes.
Cards similar to Opal Avenger by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Opal Avenger MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Legacy, 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 Opal Avenger 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 Opal Avenger 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 Opal Avenger card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | When it turns into a creature, it is no longer an enchantment. |
| 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. |
