Gabriel Angelfire MTG Card

Legends (LEG)
1994-06-01 - Number 226

Chronicles (CHR)
1995-07-01 - Number 76

Gabriel Angelfire - Masters Edition III (ME3)

Masters Edition III (ME3)
2009-09-07 - Number 148

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	7
Rarity	Rare
Type	Legendary Creature — Angel
Abilities	First strike,Trample
Power	4
Toughness	4

Key Takeaways

Gabriel Angelfire offers card advantage and a punishing rampage ability, turning the tide in combat.
Its specific mana requirements may limit deck inclusion, and high mana cost necessitates planning.
Strategically versatile, Gabriel Angelfire adapts to various game states and can define board control.

Text of card

During your upkeep, Gabriel gains one of the following abilities until your next upkeep: flying, first strike, trample, or rampage: 3.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gabriel Angelfire’s abilities can result in card advantage over time. The Rampage ability punishes opponents for blocking with multiple creatures, often allowing Gabriel to survive combat and requiring significant resources from opponents to tackle it.

Resource Acceleration: While Gabriel Angelfire itself doesn’t directly offer mana acceleration, its presence can protect your other sources of resource acceleration. Its substantial power and ability set make it a key target that can divert attention from your mana dorks or artifacts.

Instant Speed: Gabriel Angelfire may not have instant speed itself, but it synergizes well with instant speed spells that protect or untap it, maximizing the impact of its changable abilities. Interaction at instant speed offers flexibility in how you use Gabriel each combat and in maintaining board presence.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Gabriel Angelfire demands a particular commitment to the battlefield that can backfire. Without the right setup, this could leave you in a precarious position, as you might not have the resources or creatures in play that warrant its inclusion. This kind of requirement can be detrimental if you’re not holding cards that synergize well with its abilities.

Specific Mana Cost: With a blend of green and white mana necessary to summon Gabriel Angelfire, inclusivity in various deck archetypes is narrowed. You are likely tied to a specific deck type, restricting the card’s universal appeal and potentially its play rate outside dedicated dual-color decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Compared to other creatures in the same mana range, Gabriel Angelfire’s competitive edge is questionable due to its high mana cost. Seven mana is a heavy investment in the earlier stages of a game, and whether or not the return is worthwhile is often debated amongst players. With faster alternatives available, some might bypass Gabriel in favor of more immediate or impactful board presence.

Reasons to Include Gabriel Angelfire in Your Collection

Versatility: Gabriel Angelfire is a flexible card that accommodates different play styles. Its rampaging abilities change each upkeep, making it adaptable to shifting board states, offering tactical advantages whether you need a powerful attacker or a sturdy defender.

Combo Potential: With its ever-changing abilities, Gabriel Angelfire pairs well with various cards that synergize with abilities like rampage, regeneration, or flying. These combinations can unlock new potentials and enhance your deck’s capability to respond to opponents’ threats.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where creatures often dominate, Gabriel Angelfire can become a formidable presence. Its ability to gain different keywords such as flying or trample each turn can keep opponents on their toes and ensure that this card remains consequential in numerous matchups.

How to beat

Gabriel Angelfire is a formidable figure in Magic: The Gathering, thanks to its ever-changing abilities that adapt with each upkeep. However, each powerful card has its Achilles heel, and Gabriel Angelfire is no exception. One strategy is to manipulate the tempo to your advantage – since Gabriel Angelfire’s abilities rotate, timing your spells is key. When its Rampage ability is on, avoid blockers unless they can safely handle the increased power it gains from multiple blockers.

Removal spells are your next best friend. Direct damage spells or those that force it to be sacrificed circumvent its periodical indestructibility. Enchantment-based removal can also be effective during your turn, particularly when Gabriel Angelfire doesn’t have its protective layer of indestructibility that turn. Lastly, counterspells are highly effective since they prevent Gabriel from ever hitting the battlefield in the first place. Remember to reserve your counters for when your opponent has the mana to cast this angelic threat.

Ultimately, defeating Gabriel Angelfire revolves around precision and patience. Monitor the abilities, plan your removals, and control the board state. With the right timing and resources, you can ensure that this angelic champion’s glory is short-lived on the battlefield.

Cards like Gabriel Angelfire

Gabriel Angelfire’s unique appeal within Magic: The Gathering emanates from its versatility and potential for in-game adaptation. Its capability to choose from various abilities each upkeep is reminiscent of the adaptability found in other MTG creatures such as Morphling. Morphling allows players to boost its abilities on demand, offering a different but similarly strategic level of gameplay flexibility.

Examining Autumn Willow, we notice it shares the attribute of protection with Gabriel Angelfire, granting it some resilience against targeted spells. However, unlike Gabriel Angelfire, Autumn Willow does not offer the same range of abilities, focusing instead on its native shroud ability. Then, there’s the captivating Radiant, Archangel, which like Gabriel Angelfire, carries the angelic theme and centers around the battlefield’s flying creatures to enhance its power.

Ultimately, Gabriel Angelfire stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a multifaceted card, perfect for players who appreciate strategic diversity and the capacity to adjust tactics dynamically through creature abilities within the ever-evolving game environment.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gabriel Angelfire MTG card by a specific set like Legends and Chronicles, 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 Gabriel Angelfire and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Gabriel Angelfire Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1994-06-01 and 2009-09-07. Illustrated by Daniel Gelon.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1994-06-01	Legends	LEG	226	1993	Normal	Black	Daniel Gelon
2	1995-07-01	Chronicles	CHR	76	1993	Normal	White	Daniel Gelon
3	2009-09-07	Masters Edition III	ME3	148	1997	Normal	Black	Daniel Gelon

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gabriel Angelfire has restrictions

Format	Legality
Oldschool	Legal
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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