Selenia MTG Card

Rarity	Rare
Type	Vanguard
Released	1997-05-01
Set symbol
Set name	Vanguard Series
Set code	PVAN
Number	206
Frame	1993
Layout	Vanguard
Border	Black
Illustred by	Quinton Hoover

Key Takeaways

Selenia offers superb evasion with an ability to return to hand, enhancing board presence retention.
Her synergy with enter-the-battlefield and casting trigger cards enables repeated exploitation.
Despite a significant mana investment, Selenia’s instant-speed adaptability is invaluable.

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.

Text of card

Attacking doesn't cause your creatures to tap.

Once a guardian of Crovax's estate, Selenia was freed from her magical bindings by the wealthy noble. Instead of remaining at his side, the angel chose to venture out into the world. For reasons unknown to Crovax, Selenia now serves the evil Volrath in his home realm of Rath.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Selenia, Dark Angel offers a unique advantage by being able to dodge removal and board wipes through its pay 2 life: return Selenia to its owner’s hand ability. This can lead to advantageous card retention over the course of a match, helping you to maintain a strong board presence.

Resource Acceleration: While Selenia itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its ability to return to your hand means it synergizes well with cards that trigger on casting or when a creature enters the battlefield, giving you multiple opportunities to exploit these triggers throughout the game.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of Selenia’s activated ability allows you to utilize it at instant speed, providing an adaptable response to your opponent’s moves. This means you can make strategic decisions on whether to redeploy your commander or hold back to ensure its survival, all during the critical timing of your opponent’s turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Selenia, Dark Angel requires an investment beyond her initial casting cost. Activating her ability to return her to your hand calls for two life—a trade-off that can be risky, especially in games where your life total is under constant threat.

Specific Mana Cost: Selenia’s casting cost includes hybrid White and Black mana symbols, making her a less flexible addition to multi-colored decks. Those not committed to a White and Black mana base might find it challenging to summon Selenia reliably.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Five mana is a significant investment in the early to mid-game. Considering Selenia’s abilities, some players may find that there are other creatures or spells that provide greater immediate impact or value at a similar or lower mana cost.

Reasons to Include Selenia in Your Collection

Versatility: Selenia is a unique card in that she can be utilized in a multitude of deck archetypes. Her ability to dodge removal by returning to your hand gives her a resilience that fits well into control or combo decks alike.

Combo Potential: Selenia’s pay 2 life to return to your hand ability complements strategies built around life manipulation. Combine her with effects that benefit from life payments or creatures leaving the battlefield, and you create powerful interactions that can swing the game in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where life totals are a resource to be leveraged, Selenia shines. Her adaptable nature makes her a good fit for metas with a focus on incremental advantage or where evasive creatures are key to victory.

How to beat

Selenia, Dark Angel, presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with her evasion and life manipulation abilities in MTG. Overcoming this card requires strategic play that can hinge on timing and baiting its ability. To start with, direct removal spells are effective as they bypass Selenia’s damage prevention by not dealing damage at all. Cards like Path to Exile or Murder are excellent responses. Moreover, forcing your opponent to pay life to save Selenia can set them back significantly if they’re not careful.

Countering Selenia’s life-swapping shenanigans is feasible with cards that limit life total changes such as Erebos, God of the Dead, or effects that negate gains like Tainted Remedy. Additionally, exploiting the timing when Selenia is returned to its owner’s hand presents an opening to deploy threats or commit to board-building, assuming the mana investment in Selenia’s ability leaves your opponent’s resources depleted.

In summary, while Selenia can be a formidable adversary in MTG due to her tactical flexibility, her strengths can also be her weaknesses. A well-timed removal or restrictive enchantments can flip the game in your favor, as can taking advantage of the moments she’s not on the field.

Cards like Selenia

Selenia, Dark Angel is a unique card in the vast angel lineup of Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to dodge removal by returning to its owner’s hand resonates with the mechanics of cards like Mistmeadow Witch, which can also protect creatures from harm. However, Selenia’s power is in the player’s control, as its ability isn’t reliant on other spells or external influences. Instead, the cost of life points offers direct and deliberate strategy manipulation.

Moreover, comparing her to Restoration Angel reveals differences in tactical value. While Restoration Angel is able to provide an immediate impact by flickering another creature, leading to various enter-the-battlefield effects, Selenia’s strength is in its resilience and potential combo enabler. The life payment required for her ability influences dynamic life-based deck strategies, distinguishing her from Restoration Angel’s more conservative use.

When considering Selenia against the broader spectrum of MTG angels, her unique life-exchange mechanic for evasion stands out, and she slots well into decks capitalizing on life manipulation. This card’s ability to blend defensive maneuvers with life-centric strategies cements its place in the MTG card hierarchy.

Cards similar to Selenia by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Selenia MTG card by a specific set like Vanguard Series, 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 Selenia and other MTG cards: