Vow of Lightning MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides card draw when targeting your creature, enhancing hand advantage during play.
  2. Instantly enchants to surprise opponents and gains an upper hand in battle.
  3. Speeds up resource use by boosting the power of your creatures on the battlefield.

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +2/+2, has first strike, and can't attack you or a planeswalker you control.

"Ruhan would never agree to such terms." —Ruhan of the Fomori


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Vow of Lightning ensures that whenever you target one of your creatures, you capitalize on drawing a card, keeping your hand filled with options and maintaining pressure on your opponents.

Resource Acceleration: By enchanting a creature, Vow of Lightning turns that creature into a formidable threat that can shift the tide of the game, effectively using your resources to enhance your board presence swiftly.

Instant Speed: The ability to attach Vow of Lightning at instant speed provides you with strategic flexibility, allowing you to surprise your opponent during combat or in response to their actions, always keeping them guessing.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Vow of Lightning requires the discard of a card as an additional cost to trigger its effect. This can hamper your hand advantage, particularly if you’re already struggling with a limited number of cards.

Specific Mana Cost: With a specific need for red mana in its casting cost, Vow of Lightning may not seamlessly fit into multi-colored decks. This limitation hinders the card’s flexibility and restricts it to primarily red or red-compatible decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: A total cost of three mana, including two that must be red, might seem steep for an enchantment that affects only one creature. Players might consider other cards that can impact the game more broadly or with a lower cost to cast.


Reasons to Include Vow of Lightning in Your Collection

Versatility: Vow of Lightning integrates well with a range of decks, particularly those geared towards control or enhancing creatures. Its ability to grant a power boost and first strike can be a game changer in both offensive and defensive scenarios.

Combo Potential: This enchantment can turn any creature into a significant threat, and when paired with cards that have tap abilities or those that benefit from increased power, the combo possibilities start to emerge, granting new tactical advantages on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: As the gameplay environment ebbs and flows with different deck archetypes, Vow of Lightning maintains relevance by empowering creatures to withstand and surpass popular removal spells, making it an excellent card to adapt to the ever-changing MTG meta.


How to Beat

Vow of Lightning is a unique enchantment aura in MTG that can turn enemy creatures into double-edged swords. It boosts the power of the enchanted creature while preventing it from attacking you or a planeswalker you control. This can create tricky situations during combat, especially when an opponent’s creature is transformed into a powerhouse that can only assault your rivals.

Overcoming the strategic implications of Vow of Lightning demands careful planning. One effective tactic involves utilizing removal spells that either destroy or return the enhanced creature to its owner’s hand, circumventing the limitations imposed by the aura. Cards such as Naturalize or Disenchant are perfect for this task as they can target and eliminate enchantments directly, removing the threat entirely.

If enchantment removal isn’t an option, shifting your strategy towards indirect damage or using creatures with reach or flying can help maintain control of the battlefield. In essence, while Vow of Lightning can temporarily shape the flow of combat, a well-prepared deck with versatile answers can quickly turn the tables and restore balance to the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the dynamic strategies of MTG is a constant endeavor, and Vow of Lightning is no exception with its instant boost and captivating game play possibilities. If you’re keen to incorporate this feisty aura into your builds or simply craving to expand your MTG card knowledge, we encourage you one step further. With its pros and cons weighed, considering its inclusion in your collection might just spark the winning edge. Dive into the strategies, learn to deftly maneuver through its potential pitfalls, and harness its power to your advantage. Welcome to a richer MTG experience; join us, and let’s unlock the full potential of Vow of Lightning together.


Cards like Vow of Lightning

Vow of Lightning elevates the dynamics of red enchantments in Magic: The Gathering, bearing resemblance to other aura cards geared towards enhancing creatures. Like Vow of Lightning, cards like Madcap Skills also grant bonus power, making the targeted creature a bigger threat. Madcap Skills, however, pushes the narrative further by giving the enchanted creature a useful evasion ability, enabling it to be blocked by fewer creatures compared to Vow of Lightning’s inability to enhance evasiveness.

Another comparable card is Infectious Bloodlust. While this enchantment boosts the creature’s power and encourages aggression much like Vow of Lightning, Infectious Bloodlust adds the advantage of fetching another copy from your deck upon the creature’s demise. This recurrence provides a form of card advantage that Vow of Lightning lacks. Finally, Crown of Flames shares the red aura space but focuses on recasting and flexibility, proving that in MTG, there’s an enchantment for each strategic angle.

Each of these cards offers unique benefits and trade-offs, but Vow of Lightning stands out by imposing restriction on the enchanted creature’s potential opponents, shaping both attacker strategies and defensive responses within the game.

Madcap Skills - MTG Card versions
Infectious Bloodlust - MTG Card versions
Crown of Flames - MTG Card versions
Madcap Skills - Gatecrash (GTC)
Infectious Bloodlust - Magic Origins (ORI)
Crown of Flames - Tempest (TMP)

Cards similar to Vow of Lightning by color, type and mana cost

Mana Flare - MTG Card versions
Gravity Sphere - MTG Card versions
Goblin War Drums - MTG Card versions
Aggression - MTG Card versions
Heat Wave - MTG Card versions
Goblin Warrens - MTG Card versions
Heat Stroke - MTG Card versions
Hand to Hand - MTG Card versions
Seismic Assault - MTG Card versions
Torch Song - MTG Card versions
Ghitu War Cry - MTG Card versions
Fervor - MTG Card versions
Spellshock - MTG Card versions
Mana Cache - MTG Card versions
Citadel of Pain - MTG Card versions
Insolence - MTG Card versions
Granite Grip - MTG Card versions
Steam Vines - MTG Card versions
Magma Vein - MTG Card versions
Pyromania - MTG Card versions
Mana Flare - Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales (WOT)
Gravity Sphere - Legends (LEG)
Goblin War Drums - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Aggression - Ice Age (ICE)
Heat Wave - Visions (VIS)
Goblin Warrens - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Heat Stroke - Weatherlight (WTH)
Hand to Hand - Tempest (TMP)
Seismic Assault - Ultimate Masters (UMA)
Torch Song - Urza's Saga (USG)
Ghitu War Cry - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Fervor - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Spellshock - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Mana Cache - Nemesis (NEM)
Citadel of Pain - Prophecy (PCY)
Insolence - Planeshift (PLS)
Granite Grip - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Steam Vines - Odyssey (ODY)
Magma Vein - Odyssey (ODY)
Pyromania - Torment (TOR)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Vow of Lightning MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2011 and Legendary Cube Prize Pack, 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 Vow of Lightning and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Vow of Lightning Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 2011-06-17 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12011-06-17Commander 2011CMD 1382003normalblackSvetlin Velinov
22015-11-18Legendary Cube Prize PackPZ1 682015normalblackSvetlin Velinov
32017-06-09Commander AnthologyCMA 892015normalblackSvetlin Velinov
42017-11-24Explorers of IxalanE02 302015normalblackSvetlin Velinov
52020-09-26The ListPLST CMR-2092015normalblackRandy Vargas
62020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 2092015normalblackRandy Vargas
72022-10-14Game Night: Free-for-AllGN3 882015normalblackRandy Vargas
82024-02-09Murders at Karlov Manor CommanderMKC 1642015normalblackRandy Vargas

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Vow of Lightning has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

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