Revered Unicorn MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Unicorn
Abilities	Cumulative upkeep
Released	1997-06-09
Set symbol
Set name	Weatherlight
Set code	WTH
Power	2
Toughness	3
Number	23
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	David A. Cherry

Key Takeaways

Revered Unicorn enhances card advantage and mana resources in life-gain synergistic decks.
It demands specific mana and may compel discarding, which could limit play options.
Potential as a delayed life reservoir makes it a versatile choice for various strategies.

Text of card

Cumulative upkeep o1 If Revered Unicorn leaves play, its controller gains life equal to Revered Unicorn's last paid cumulative upkeep.

"I felt unworthy even to dream of it." —Hanna, *Weatherlight* navigator

Card Pros

Card Advantage: In the often complex arena of MTG, the Revered Unicorn excels at ensuring players maintain their momentum. This card can contribute significantly to your card advantage once its ability kicks in, particularly in decks designed to capitalize on life gain mechanics. By synergizing with other life-gain cards, it sets you up for fruitful turns ahead.

Resource Acceleration: The Revered Unicorn may not produce Treasure tokens, but it does something quite significant for resource acceleration in the right builds. Each turn, it has the potential to boost your mana pool, allowing you to cast more spells or play high-cost cards earlier than usual. This type of advantage can be a game-changer in resource-intensive matches.

Instant Speed: While the Revered Unicorn itself isn’t an instant, it pairs well with cards that operate at instant speed. Being able to respond to an opponent’s actions with life-gain instants can directly enhance the Unicorn’s ability, allowing you to maximize its benefits during your upkeep. This interactive dynamic keeps your opponents on their toes and your strategies flexible.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Running the Revered Unicorn in your lineup comes with the drawback that you must discard a card to leverage the Unicorn’s effect. This can be particularly taxing when your hand is already running thin, potentially putting you at a disadvantage in terms of available plays.

Specific Mana Cost: The Revered Unicorn demands a very specific mana arrangement to cast—a requirement that might not align smoothly with all deck strategies. Those built around a more diversified mana pool may find incorporating the Unicorn less optimal.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the Unicorn offers certain benefits, its mana cost is on the higher side when compared to other creatures in its category. Deck builders may find that the cost does not correspond to an equally significant impact on the gameplay, potentially making it a less desirable choice when optimizing mana efficiency.

Reasons to Include Revered Unicorn in Your Collection

Versatility: The Revered Unicorn is not confined to a single strategy; its life gain feature complements a variety of deck archetypes, particularly those that focus on life manipulation or need consistent life support.

Combo Potential: This creature’s ability to accumulate and release life points offers interesting combinations with cards that profit from life total changes, enabling dynamic plays and synergies.

Meta-Relevance: Given that the game often cycles through phases where life gain can offset aggressive strategies, having Revered Unicorn on hand can be a strategic defense against certain shifting meta conditions.

How to beat

Unlocking strategies to tackle the Revered Unicorn in your MTG games is crucial if you want to stay ahead. This creature, while not the strongest in raw power, can be a linchpin in life gain decks. Its ability to accumulate and protect life points makes it a persistent nuisance if left unchecked on the battlefield.

Overcoming this unique card requires a careful approach. Targeted removal spells are the most straightforward method, ensuring that the unicorn is sent to the graveyard before its life-boosting ability can become a game-changer. Spells like Doom Blade or Murder are classic examples, capable of taking out the Revered Unicorn irrespective of how much life it threatens to yield to its controller upon leaving the field.

Furthermore, Counterspells are another efficient way to neutralize it before it ever grazes the board, with Mana Leak and Negate offering cost-effective ways to prevent the unicorn from coming into play. Focusing on these types of interactions and staying vigilant for the right moment to act, ensures that the Revered Unicorn won’t disrupt the delicate balance of life totals in your match.

Cards like Revered Unicorn

The Revered Unicorn unfurls its presence in Magic: The Gathering as a unique life gain asset. Resonating with the abilities of cards such as Celestial Unicorn, it shares the theme of accruing life points. The Revered Unicorn, though, advances this concept by converting previous accumulations into a burst of life when it leaves play, distinguishing it from the steady pace of life granted by its counterpart. Celestial Unicorn, unlike the Revered Unicorn, triggers life gain with each successful cast of another white spell, making it more predictable in white-centric decks.

Another creature to consider is Ajani’s Pridemate, an entity that grows stronger with each instance of life gain, providing not just incremental life benefits but also becoming a more formidable creature. It stands apart in that, while the Revered Unicorn consolidates life gain for a single event, Ajani’s Pridemate can swiftly become a major threat with repeated gains. Lastly, Cradle of Vitality is a card that also thrives on life gain, offering the ability to bolster any creature’s strength and toughness and thus proposing a more versatile application of life gain.

Assessing life-centric cards in MTG reveals a vast spectrum of strategies, among which Revered Unicorn offers a unique mechanism of delayed but potentially monumental life gain, a different tactical angle worth considering for decks capitalizing on life as a resource.

Cards similar to Revered Unicorn by color, type and mana cost

Voice of the Blessed - MTG Card versions

Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Revered Unicorn MTG card by a specific set like Weatherlight, 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 Revered Unicorn and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Revered Unicorn has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2008-04-01	If you choose not to pay Revered Unicorn’s cumulative upkeep, it will still get an age counter before being sacrificed, which impacts the amount of life you gain.
2008-04-01	Revered Unicorn’s leaves-the-battlefield ability triggers no matter how it leaves the battlefield, not just when you don’t pay its cumulative upkeep.