Serra's Guardian MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Angel
Abilities Flying, Vigilance
Power 5
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Vigilant Serra’s Guardian strengthens defense while keeping pressure on opponents each turn.
  2. Non-tapping for attacks allows for resource diversification, keeping other spells ready.
  3. Instant-speed defense readiness alters opponent strategies, providing tactical benefits.
Vigilance card art

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.

Text of card

Flying Vigilance (Attacking doesn't cause this creature to tap.) Other creatures you control have vigilance.

She watches over the city just as Serra watches over all.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Serra’s Guardian provides an ongoing advantage by allowing you to control the board with its vigilant nature. A player doesn’t have to tap it to attack, so you’re consistently able to both defend and apply pressure each turn, maintaining a strong presence.

Resource Acceleration: While Serra’s Guardian itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, the constant threat it presents can lead to advantageous board states that allow you to utilize your resources more effectively elsewhere.

Instant Speed: Although Serra’s Guardian isn’t an instant-speed spell, its static ability grants your other creatures vigilance, meaning you can always have your defenses up. This enables you to react with your creatures at a moment’s notice to unexpected threats during the course of play. This facet of the card can make your opponent hesitant to attack, altering their gameplay to your benefit.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Serra’s Guardian doesn’t make you discard cards directly, but its presence often necessitates maintaining a full grip to maximize its potential. In scenarios where you’re forced to choose between playing another spell or holding onto cards to benefit from the Guardian’s vigilance, it can indirectly contribute to discarding decisions.

Specific Mana Cost: The card’s casting cost demands two white mana, which may be hard to produce in a multi-color deck, particularly early in the game when color fixing is less stable. This makes Serra’s Guardian a less flexible pick for decks not heavily invested in white mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of six mana, Serra’s Guardian can be considered expensive considering the current meta that emphasizes efficiency. While it does provide a strategic advantage with its static abilities, other lower-cost creatures might offer more immediate board presence or impact at a crucial stage of the game.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Serra’s Guardian is a fantastic addition to any deck seeking a robust defensive strategy. Its ability to provide vigilance to all other creatures helps maintain a stable board presence by allowing your creatures to attack without tapping, thereby keeping them ready to block any threats.

Combo Potential: This card works exceptionally well within combos that revolve around creature abilities, especially in decks that capitalize on triggered abilities during combat. Serra’s Guardian’s capacity to keep your offensive line ready to defend offers a unique tactical advantage that can be leveraged in several deck archetypes.

Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to alter the dynamics of combat, Serra’s Guardian can be particularly effective in a meta that favors creature-based combat strategies. The guardian itself poses a formidable challenge to overcome, and when supplemented with other strategic pieces, it can enhance the resilience of your entire creature line-up.


How to beat Serra’s Guardian

Serra’s Guardian serves as a formidable force in MTG, endowing all your other creatures with vigilance and boasting a solid body itself. Its strength lies not only in its stats but also in its ability to keep your army alert and ready at all times. To overcome this celestial protector, focusing on removal spells that can bypass its abilities is key. Direct damage or destroy spells like Murder can take it out irrespective of its vigilant state.

Utilizing board wipes such as Wrath of God can effectively clear Serra’s Guardian along with other threats your opponent controls. Enchantment-based removals like Banishing Light offer another solution, neutralizing the Guardian without triggering any potential death effects it may have. Remember to assess the battlefield; sometimes it’s more strategic to address the creatures that benefit from the Guardian’s vigilance before targeting the Guardian itself to limit your opponent’s advantage.

A strategic MTG player knows when to strike and when to hold back, waiting for the opportune moment to cast spells that can dismantle an opponent’s strategy. By disrupting their plans, particularly against cards like Serra’s Guardian, you ensure your victory in the intricate dance that is MTG gameplay.


BurnMana Recommendations

Whether you’re bolstering your defenses or fine-combing your deck for that perfect play, Serra’s Guardian can be your angel in the outfield. This celestial powerhouse lends its protective aura to fellow creatures, keeping your board versatile and ready at all times. Yet, Magic the Gathering is a tapestry of choices, and the right card can turn the tides in your favor. If Serra’s Guardian fits into your deck’s strategy, it’s well worth considering its inclusion. Forge ahead in the MTG world with us, strategize with confidence, and let every card you play resonate with the wisdom of a seasoned player.


Cards like Serra's Guardian

Serra’s Guardian serves as a significant boon with its vigilant flying presence in Magic: The Gathering. Sun Titan shares similarities, capable of bringing back permanents with a mana value of 3 or less from the graveyard every time it attacks or enters the battlefield. However, Sun Titan does not grant vigilance to other creatures the way Serra’s Guardian does, which is a pivotal tactical advantage for maintaining a defensive stance while pressuring opponents.

Guardian of Faith represents another creature with protective qualities, providing a different approach by phasing out your creatures to dodge removal or damage in a pinch. Although the Guardian of Faith doesn’t offer a passive boost to your entire board’s combat capabilities, the versatility in protection is something worth noting when comparing it to the static sentinel role of Serra’s Guardian. Lastly, Victory’s Herald stands out by conferring flying and lifelink to attacking creatures when it attacks, potentially tipping the scales during combat phases, despite lacking Serra’s Guardian’s ability to keep other creatures on the alert.

Choosing the right guardian for your deck depends on your strategy, but Serra’s Guardian with its unique combination of vigilance and robust defense is a card that undoubtedly elevates creature-based strategies, making it a notable member of its class in the MTG realm.

Sun Titan - MTG Card versions
Guardian of Faith - MTG Card versions
Victory's Herald - MTG Card versions
Sun Titan - Magic 2011 Promos (PM11)
Guardian of Faith - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos (PAFR)
Victory's Herald - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)

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Crovax, Ascendant Hero - Planar Chaos (PLC)
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Auriok Survivors - New Phyrexia (NPH)
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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Serra's Guardian MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2019 and Core Set 2020, 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 Serra's Guardian and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Serra's Guardian Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2018-07-13 and 2020-07-17. Illustrated by Magali Villeneuve.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-07-13Core Set 2019M19 2842015normalblackMagali Villeneuve
22019-07-12Core Set 2020M20 3102015normalblackMagali Villeneuve
32020-07-17Jumpstart Arena ExclusivesAJMP 3102015normalblackMagali Villeneuve

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Serra's Guardian has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2019-07-12 A creature losing vigilance after it has attacked (most likely because Serra’s Guardian leaves the battlefield) won’t cause it to become tapped.

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