Venerable Monk MTG Card
1997-05-01 - Number 35
1998-03-02 - Number 21
1999-04-21 - Number 50
1999-07-01 - Number 28
2001-04-11 - Number 53★
2001-04-11 - Number 53
2003-07-28 - Number 55
2003-07-28 - Number 55★
2005-07-29 - Number 51★
2005-07-29 - Number 51
2007-07-13 - Number 55
2009-04-10 - Number 5
2014-12-05 - Number 5
| Card sets | Released in 13 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Monk Cleric |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
When Venerable Monk comes into play from your hand, you gain 2 life.
His presence brings not only a strong arm but also renewed hope.
Cards like Venerable Monk
The Venerable Monk possesses a charm that weaves into the essence of lifegain strategies in Magic: The Gathering. It presents a straightforward kinship with cards like Centaur Healer, which also provides a health boost upon entering the battlefield. What distinguishes Venerable Monk from other creatures is the subtlety of its life gain effect tied to a vanilla body. Unlike Centaur Healer, it doesn’t tout additional abilities like trample, yet it conveys a favorable cost-to-benefit ratio.
Among its counterparts, Lone Missionary warrants mention. This creature offers a greater life bump with less mana investment, though at the expense of power. It’s a delicate balance that players might weigh depending on their deck’s curve. Then there’s the Ajani’s Pridemate, a creature that doesn’t grant life upfront but rather thrives as a life gain result, growing more menacing with every instance of healing.
Considering every aspect, Venerable Monk delivers a simplistic yet reliable option for decks that aim to stabilize through incremental life gains. It might lack the frills and thrills of others in its category, but its efficiency and traditional design hold its own in MTG.
Cards similar to Venerable Monk by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Playing Venerable Monk can help strengthen your board presence. While it doesn’t draw cards directly, the creature provides a life gain, which can be beneficial in decks that capitalize on high life totals for card interactions or conditions.
Resource Acceleration: The Venerable Monk itself may not accelerate your mana resources, but it’s a budget-friendly option that fits smoothly into white weenie or life gain deck archetypes, potentially allowing for more robust plays in subsequent turns without a heavy investment.
Instant Speed: Though Venerable Monk is a creature spell and not an instant, its presence can sway the decision-making process during the game. In formats where timing is crucial, dropping a creature that also provides life when the opponent least expects it can be a subtle but decisive move towards maintaining pace in the match.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Venerable Monk offers a life gain benefit upon entering the battlefield, it doesn’t require a card to be discarded, hence there is no direct con related to discard requirement for this card.
Specific Mana Cost: This creature card requires a white mana and two generic mana to play, which can restrict its addition solely to decks that can consistently generate white mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana for a simple 2/2 body, the Venerable Monk might be considered costly given that there are other creatures with more impactful abilities or larger stats available at a similar or lower mana cost.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: The Venerable Monk offers a straightforward approach to creature-based strategies, providing a beneficial life gain upon entry that can be pertinent in multiple deck builds, particularly those centered around life manipulation and clerical themes.
Combo Potential: While not flashy, this monk pairs well with effects that are triggered by life gain or the casting of creature spells, making it a modest but reliable workhorse in synergistic combos.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where aggressive decks prevail, the Venerable Monk’s life gain can be a useful buffer, giving players the extra staying power they need to stabilize and mount a counter-offensive.
How to beat
Venerable Monk is a creature card that presents players with a strategic defense challenge in Magic: The Gathering. Upon its entrance to the battlefield, Venerable Monk provides the controlling player with a life boost. This immediate gain in life points can be a setback if you’re aiming for a swift defeat of your opponent. However, overcoming this card is not insurmountable.
To bypass the life advantage that Venerable Monk affords, consider using removal spells that can dispatch the creature before the life gain effect resolves. Spells like Murder or Doom Blade are perfect for this task, as they can remove the Monk from play instantly and without triggering its ability. Red deck strategies may employ burn spells like Lightning Bolt to eliminate the Monk before it can impact the game significantly. Additionally, players can utilize counterspell strategies to nullify the Monk’s cast altogether, thereby preserving the flow of the game in their favor without having to deal with a higher life total barrier.
Flexibility in your deck building and tactical foresight is crucial when facing life-gaining creatures like Venerable Monk. By utilizing efficient removal or counters, you maintain control of the game’s momentum and circumvent the potential obstacles that cards like Venerable Monk pose.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Venerable Monk MTG card by a specific set like Portal and Stronghold, 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 Venerable Monk and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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
Printings
The Venerable Monk Magic the Gathering card was released in 10 different sets between 1997-05-01 and 2014-12-05. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1997-05-01 | Portal | POR | 35 | 1997 | Normal | Black | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 2 | 1998-03-02 | Stronghold | STH | 21 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Terese Nielsen | |
| 3 | 1999-04-21 | Classic Sixth Edition | 6ED | 50 | 1997 | Normal | White | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 4 | 1999-07-01 | Starter 1999 | S99 | 28 | 1997 | Normal | White | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 5 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 53★ | 1997 | Normal | Black | Mark Brill | |
| 6 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 53 | 1997 | Normal | White | Mark Brill | |
| 7 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 55 | 2003 | Normal | White | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 8 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 55★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 9 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 51★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 10 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 51 | 2003 | Normal | White | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 11 | 2007-07-13 | Tenth Edition | 10E | 55 | 2003 | Normal | Black | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 12 | 2009-04-10 | Duel Decks: Divine vs. Demonic | DDC | 5 | 2003 | Normal | Black | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 13 | 2014-12-05 | Duel Decks Anthology: Divine vs. Demonic | DVD | 5 | 2015 | Normal | Black | D. Alexander Gregory |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Venerable Monk has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |