Rain of Blades MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. This card can clear multiple attackers, conserving resources and improving battlefield control.
  2. Despite its utility, the strict mana requirement and cost might limit its inclusion in diverse decks.
  3. Instant speed enables surprise defense, but it lacks hand disruption and broad-spectrum creature control.

Text of card

Rain of Blades deals 1 damage to each attacking creature.

Some say they are the weapons of heroes fallen in battle, eager for one last chance at glory.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Rain of Blades shines in scenarios against token strategies or armies of small creatures. Its ability to potentially neutralize multiple threats with a single card helps you maintain superiority on the battlefield, conserving your hand while diminishing your opponent’s presence.

Resource Acceleration: While Rain of Blades does not directly accelerate resources in the typical manner of generating mana or ramping, it efficiently preserves your life total and board state. This indirect resource conservation allows for more strategic deployment of spells in subsequent turns, keeping the pace of the game on your terms.

Instant Speed: The instant nature of Rain of Blades gives it the flexibility to be a surprise during your opponent’s attack phase. Its swift deployability ensures that you’re always ready to disrupt combat math and impose tempo swings in your favor. This can result in a stark advantage as you capitalize on your opponent’s now-vulnerable position.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the major drawbacks of Rain of Blades is that this card doesn’t force a discard, which means it lacks the potential to disrupt your opponent’s hand and overall game plan, a feature that many players seek to gain the upper hand in a match.

Specific Mana Cost: Rain of Blades requires a specific mana composition to cast—two white mana. This requirement may restrict its versatility as it’s best suited for mono-white or two-color decks that can reliably produce white mana, potentially leaving out many decks that can’t accommodate such a stringent mana requirement.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For an instant that deals one damage to each attacking creature, Rain of Blades has a relatively high mana cost. Other cards at lower mana points can offer similar or even broader control options, making this card a less efficient choice in situations where mana economy is crucial.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Rain of Blades stands out for its ability to quickly thin out opposing hordes of creatures, making it a solid defensive card for any white deck, particularly those in need of efficient crowd control.

Combo Potential: This card excels in combinations with cards that trigger upon casting spells or those that benefit from having fewer enemy creatures on the battlefield, giving you a strategic edge during combat.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame dominated by aggressive creature-based strategies, Rain of Blades serves as a powerful tool, effectively disrupting your opponent’s tempo and preserving your life total during critical turns.


How to beat

Rain of Blades is an intriguing tactical spell in Magic: The Gathering, known for its potential to thwart numerous creatures at once. This card can create an unwelcome surprise for opponents who amass a large army of smaller creatures. To effectively navigate against Rain of Blades, consider employing creatures with higher toughness to withstand the damage dealt by this spell. Another effective strategy is to use instant-speed spells or abilities that can buff the toughness of your creatures before the spell resolves.

Similarly, investing in indestructible creatures can nullify the impact of Rain of Blades. Creatures with this characteristic are not affected by state-based actions that would destroy them, which includes taking lethal damage. Moreover, using hexproof or shroud abilities can prevent Rain of Blades from targeting your precious creatures. The spell requires a target, and if your creatures can’t be targeted, it practically negates the card’s effectiveness.

Overall, while Rain of Blades can be a game-changer in battles against creature-heavy decks, a well-prepared player with the right creatures and spells can easily diminish its impact. Understanding these interactions is key to maintaining a strong board presence in the face of such sweeping removal tactics.


Cards like Rain of Blades

Rain of Blades stands as a unique defensive instant in Magic: The Gathering, aligned particularly with white mana strategies. It’s often paralleled with other mass-damage spells such as Pyroclasm or Electrickery, which address multiple creatures. However, it distinctly aims only at attacking creatures, signaling subtlety in how it can shift the balance during combat phases without affecting your own board.

Another card often brought up for comparison is Holy Light, that non-discriminately diminishes the power of all non-white creatures, something Rain of Blades does selectively. As an instant, Rain of Blades allows players to take their opponents by surprise during combat, a tactical edge not afforded by Holy Light’s sorcery speed. Also in discussion is Whiplash Trap, with its potential to send two creatures back to their owner’s hand, disrupting attack plans even further, although it comes with a higher mana cost unless its alternate cost condition is met.

When evaluating the tactical edge these cards provide, Rain of Blades seems tailored for players focusing on white-based defense tactics, offering a cost-effective and precise tool for maintaining battlefield control against aggressive strategies.

Pyroclasm - MTG Card versions
Electrickery - MTG Card versions
Holy Light - MTG Card versions
Whiplash Trap - MTG Card versions
Pyroclasm - Ice Age (ICE)
Electrickery - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Holy Light - The Dark (DRK)
Whiplash Trap - Planechase (HOP)

Cards similar to Rain of Blades by color, type and mana cost

Death Ward - MTG Card versions
Blaze of Glory - MTG Card versions
Healing Salve - MTG Card versions
Purelace - MTG Card versions
Guardian Angel - MTG Card versions
Swords to Plowshares - MTG Card versions
Righteousness - MTG Card versions
Indestructible Aura - MTG Card versions
Glyph of Life - MTG Card versions
Warning - MTG Card versions
Heal - MTG Card versions
Anoint - MTG Card versions
Reaping the Rewards - MTG Card versions
Rally the Troops - MTG Card versions
Scent of Jasmine - MTG Card versions
Moment of Silence - MTG Card versions
Enlightened Tutor - MTG Card versions
Orim's Touch - MTG Card versions
Pollen Remedy - MTG Card versions
Sacred Rites - MTG Card versions
Death Ward - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Blaze of Glory - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Healing Salve - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Purelace - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Guardian Angel - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Swords to Plowshares - Fallout (PIP)
Righteousness - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Indestructible Aura - Chronicles (CHR)
Glyph of Life - Legends (LEG)
Warning - Ice Age (ICE)
Heal - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Anoint - Tempest (TMP)
Reaping the Rewards - Exodus (EXO)
Rally the Troops - Portal Second Age (P02)
Scent of Jasmine - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Moment of Silence - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Enlightened Tutor - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Orim's Touch - Invasion (INV)
Pollen Remedy - Planeshift (PLS)
Sacred Rites - The List (PLST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rain of Blades MTG card by a specific set like Scourge and Eighth Edition, 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 Rain of Blades and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Rain of Blades Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2003-05-26 and 2012-07-13. Illustrated by Rob Alexander.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12003-05-26ScourgeSCG 201997normalblackRob Alexander
22003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 352003normalwhiteRob Alexander
32003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 35★2003normalblackRob Alexander
42012-07-13Magic 2013M13 282003normalblackRob Alexander

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rain of Blades has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks