Shepherd of Heroes MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Angel Cleric
Abilities	Flying
Released	2020-09-25
Set symbol
Set name	Zendikar Rising
Set code	ZNR
Power	3
Toughness	4
Number	38
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Livia Prima

Key Takeaways

Offers substantial life gain, extending gameplay and bolstering strategies against opponents.
Shepherd of Heroes is vital for ramp decks, enhancing your board presence and survival.
Compatible with instant-speed decks, allowing for flexible and reactive play.

Text of card

Flying When Shepherd of Heroes enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life for each creature in your party. (Your party consists of up to one each of Cleric, Rogue, Warrior, and Wizard.)

"Rest, friends. I will protect you."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Shepherd of Heroes stands out by granting significant life gain which effectively extends your playing time and gives you more opportunities to deploy your strategies. The ability to gain life based on the number of creatures with different powers you control can continuously provide an advantage over your opponents, keeping you ahead in the game.

Resource Acceleration: As a card from the Zendikar Rising set, Shepherd of Heroes can act as a pivotal piece in ramp decks, supporting the advancement of your board state. Its ample stat line coupled with the ability to put you in a better position, life-wise, can accelerate your game plan even if it does not directly produce mana or treasure tokens.

Instant Speed: While Shepherd of Heroes itself is not an instant, it plays well with decks that operate at instant speed. Casting creatures like this during your main phase leaves your mana open to respond to opponents’ actions with instants, allowing you to remain adaptable and reactive throughout each turn, ensuring you make the most out of every card played.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Shepherd of Heroes does not directly demand a discard, its higher place on the mana curve could force players to discard other cards early game to maintain tempo, indirectly impacting hand resources.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes both generic and specifically white mana, Shepherd of Heroes may not seamlessly fit into multi-color decks, limiting its utility across diverse deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At five mana, Shepherd of Heroes faces stiff competition from other powerful creatures or impactful spells that could provide instant benefits or more aggressive board presence for the same or lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Shepherd of Heroes stands out for its flexibility in deck building. It can be an asset in both flying themed decks and those that focus on life gain, thanks to its ability to add significant life points while contributing to your board presence.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with strategies that capitalize on creatures entering the battlefield or those that benefit from having a high life total, allowing for various powerful interactions and combos within your gameplay.

Meta-Relevance: In a gaming environment where flyers and life-gain are pivotal components of many winning decks, Shepherd of Heroes plays a crucial role. Its impact on the game’s dynamic can shift the scales in your favor, especially in prolonged matches.

How to beat

Shepherd of Heroes stands out as a sturdy addition to the flying creature ensemble within Magic: The Gathering. Gracing the skies with its considerable presence, this angel from the Zendikar Rising set combines both life-gain and a notable body that can command the battlefield. While it provides a life buffer for those who command it, overcoming this celestial guardian hinges on a well-laid strategy.

Spot removal spells are the most direct method. Swift End, for instance, can handle the Shepherd before its controller reaps the life-gain benefits, maintaining pressure on your opponent’s life total. Enchantment-based answers like Pacifism also meddle with the Shepherd’s offensive capabilities without triggering its life-gain aspect. Board wipes, such as Shatter the Sky, can clear the path by removing multiple threats, including this vigilant sentinel, swinging the momentum in your favor.

Despite Shepherd of Heroes’ potential to tip the scales, smart play and appropriate sideboard cards can shepherd your game to a victory. By understanding its strengths and aligning your deck with answers to flying creatures and life-gain strategies, this heavenly adversary becomes a mere stepping stone on your path to triumph.

Cards like Shepherd of Heroes

Shepherd of Heroes stands out among creatures within Magic: The Gathering for its potent life gain ability. Comparable to cards like Serra Angel, Shepherd of Heroes not only offers a significant presence in the air but also provides a considerable life advantage. Serra Angel, the iconic flier, doesn’t come with life gain, emphasizing the Shepherd’s utilitarian edge.

Affinity with Cliffhaven Sell-Sword is notable, coming in a similar mana cost bracket and evasive capabilities. However, Cliffhaven Sell-Sword is devoid of the life-gaining prowess that Shepherd of Heroes boasts. Another kin by trait is the Aven Gagglemaster, offering life gain when it enters the battlefield tied to the number of creatures you control; still, it’s restricted to its own creature type, unlike the Shepherd’s broader utility.

Evaluating different options, Shepherd of Heroes provides a balanced mix of strategic aerial blocking and a method to stabilize player life, particularly in longer games. It serves not just as a creature that can sway the combat phase but also as a safeguard, bolstering life totals against aggressive strategies, encapsulating a diversified approach to MTG combat and survival strategies.

Cliffhaven Sell-Sword - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Shepherd of Heroes by color, type and mana cost

Enduring Angel // Angelic Enforcer - MTG Card versions

Celestial Gatekeeper - MTG Card versions

Kiyomaro, First to Stand - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Shepherd of Heroes MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar Rising, 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 Shepherd of Heroes and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Shepherd of Heroes has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2020-09-25	An ability referring to the number of creatures in your party gets a number from zero to four. Such abilities never ask which creatures are in your party, and you never have to designate specific creatures as being in your party. You can’t choose to exclude creatures from this count to lower the number.
2020-09-25	If a creature has more than one party creature type, and there are multiple ways to count that creature that could result in a different number of creatures in your party, the highest such number is used. For example, if you control a Cleric and a Cleric Wizard, the number of creatures in your party is two. You can’t choose to have it be just one by counting the Cleric Wizard first as a Cleric.
2020-09-25	If an ability of a creature counts the number of creatures in your party, that number is counted as the ability resolves. If that creature is still on the battlefield when the ability resolves, it’ll be counted if appropriate.
2020-09-25	To determine “the number of creatures in your party,” check whether you control a Cleric, whether you control a Rogue, whether you control a Warrior, and whether you control a Wizard. The number is the total number of those checks to which you answered yes. Each creature you control can be counted for only one of those checks.