Willow Priestess MTG Card
1995-10-01 - Number 100
2009-09-07 - Number 138
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Faerie Druid |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
oc T: Take a Faerie from your hand and put it directly into play as though it were just summoned. oo G Target green creature gains protection from black until end of turn.
"Those of faith are those of strength." —Autumn Willow
Cards like Willow Priestess
The enigmatic Willow Priestess can be an intriguing card for Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts who appreciate quirky and unique abilities. She finds her kinship in cards like Wirewood Channeler and Priest of Titania, as each of these cards is a nod to the importance of tapping for mana within the Elf tribe. Both the Channeler and the Priest of Titania allow you to tap for an amount of mana equal to the number of Elves on the field, showcasing a significant mana acceleration, albeit without the ability to control other creatures.
Delving further into the green’s alliance with nature, Elvish Archdruid also shares the stage, not only generating vast amounts of mana depending on the number of Elves you command but also buffing them. The difference here lies in the Archdruid’s lack of any creature manipulation. Willow Priestess offers a more nuanced play by permitting you to take command of opponent’s green creatures, though it doesn’t amplify your mana pool as these other elf-centric cards do.
Assessing the distinct synergies and strategic uses, Willow Priestess holds a unique position in the Magic: The Gathering universe where her blend of mana generation and tactical creature control adds an interesting layer to gameplay involving Elves.
Cards similar to Willow Priestess by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Willow Priestess offers the capacity to tutor for a faerie each turn, allowing you to gradually build an overwhelming advantage in card count compared to your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: By facilitating access to key faerie creatures, this card can accelerate your board presence significantly. Its ability to fetch creatures from your deck streamlines the resource acceleration process.
Instant Speed: Though not an instant itself, Willow Priestess can utilize its abilities at the end of your opponent’s turn, which harmonizes well with the instant-speed nature of many faerie abilities and spells.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Willow Priestess card necessitates you to discard another card as part of its activation. This can be somewhat limiting when your hand size is already dwindling, forcing you to make tough decisions about resource management.
Specific Mana Cost: Costing two green mana, its playability is constrained to decks that can adequately produce or fix their mana to green. This can be restrictive when deck-building, as it may not fit seamlessly into multicolored or color-light strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Four mana to summon Willow Priestess is a significant investment, especially in formats where speed is of the essence. Given that there are creatures and spells that can perform similar or better functions for less mana, its efficiency is questionable in competitive play.
Reasons to Include Willow Priestess in Your Collection
Versatility: Willow Priestess serves as a flexible piece in any deck tapping into the faerie subtype, enabling you to manipulate the board with faerie-centric synergies and tactics.
Combo Potential: With the ability to tutor faerie cards and bypass normal summoning conditions, this card is adept at setting up and executing powerful combos that can turn the tide of a game.
Meta-Relevance: Given her capacity to indirectly control the battlefield by fetching critical faeries, this priestess can be a prudent pick in a meta where faeries or tribal strategies are prominent.
How to beat
The Willow Priestess card offers a unique synergy with faeries in MTG, allowing players to control the battlefield with subtle yet powerful effects. To effectively counter the Willow Priestess, it’s crucial to disrupt this synergy. One way to achieve this is by removing the Priestess from the field before her ability to interact with faerie cards can be utilized. Direct removal spells such as Path to Exile or Doom Blade are effective in taking her out of the equation quickly.
Another strategy is to target the hand, utilizing discard effects from cards like Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek. These can preemptively eliminate specific threats from an opponent’s hand, including faerie cards which would benefit from the synergy provided by Willow Priestess. If the faerie strategy has already been developed on the board, board sweeps like Supreme Verdict can reset the board state, rendering the Willow Priestess’s abilities irrelevant.
Acknowledging and countering the core of faerie-centric strategies, which the Willow Priestess represents, is crucial. Through thought-out removal, disruption, and board control, players can effectively negate the advantages she offers and maintain the upper hand in the match.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Willow Priestess MTG card by a specific set like Homelands and Masters Edition III, 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 Willow Priestess 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
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Printings
The Willow Priestess Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1995-10-01 and 2009-09-07. Illustrated by Susan Van Camp.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1995-10-01 | Homelands | HML | 100 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Susan Van Camp | |
| 2 | 2009-09-07 | Masters Edition III | ME3 | 138 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Susan Van Camp |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Willow Priestess has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Willow Priestess card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2007-05-01 | Putting the card onto the battlefield is optional. When the ability resolves, you can choose not to. |