Divine Arrow MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Divine Arrow’s instant speed offers strategic combat reactions, enhancing your defensive maneuvers during your opponent’s turn.
  2. Its specific mana cost can limit deck inclusion, especially in non-white or multicolor decks less focused on white mana.
  3. Despite comparable alternatives, Divine Arrow remains a relevant and efficient removal option within the current MTG meta.

Text of card

Divine Arrow deals 4 damage to target attacking or blocking creature.

Ravnica's defenders watched in horror as Oketra's shot pierced the body of the pegasus. Gideon tumbled through the air, Blackblade in hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Divine Arrow doesn’t directly contribute to card advantage, but its efficiency in eliminating a threat can indirectly lead to an advantage. This control aspect keeps your board safe and depletes your opponent’s resources one card at a time.

Resource Acceleration: While Divine Arrow itself doesn’t boost your mana pool, it aids in resource acceleration by ensuring your creatures stay on the board to attack or tap for mana, uninterrupted by potential blockers or attackers that Divine Arrow can remove.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of Divine Arrow’s instant speed is where it truly shines. It gives you the upper hand by allowing you to react to your opponent’s moves, offering surprise defense and thwarting their strategy during combat on their turn.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Divine Arrow requires both white mana and generic mana for its casting, which can restrict its integration into multicolored or colorless decks that do not prioritize white mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While providing a decent damage output, Divine Arrow’s casting cost may be on the higher side for its effect when compared with other instant-speed removal spells that offer similar or greater value for less mana.

Discard Requirement:While Divine Arrow doesn’t have a discard requirement, it’s worth noting that inclusion or preference for this card in a deck could potentially edge out other cards that offer additional benefits without needing to let go of precious hand resources.


Reasons to Include Divine Arrow in Your Collection

Versatility: Divine Arrow shines by being a flexible removal option. The ability to deal 4 damage to an attacking or blocking creature allows it to fit seamlessly into a wide array of white decks, from aggressive strategies wanting to clear a path to more control-oriented decks aiming to maintain board stability.

Combo Potential: While not a combo piece in the traditional sense, Divine Arrow’s utility can be enhanced through cards that facilitate instant spell casting or benefit from casting spells on the opponent’s turn. This enables it to dovetail nicely with strategies that value instant-speed interaction.

Meta-Relevance: Given that many popular creature-based decks in the current meta have key creatures with 4 toughness or less, Divine Arrow can serve as an efficient tool to disrupt your opponent’s tempo without sinking too much mana, making it a relevant inclusion in your deck tech arsenal.


How to beat

Divine Arrow is known for its versatile and sudden nature on the battlefield of Magic: The Gathering. As an instant that can deal 4 damage to an attacking or blocking creature for just two mana, it encompasses surprise defensive plays and combat tricks. When assessing how to navigate this card, it’s crucial to deliberate on timing and creature selection. If your creatures have indestructible traits or abilities that trigger upon being targeted, this can effectively nullify Divine Arrow’s impact, turning a threatening situation into a beneficial outcome. Similarly, you might consider holding back certain creatures to bait out your opponent’s removal spells, or alternatively, using spells that grant hexproof or protection to shield your prized creatures from targeted damage.

Moreover, think about utilizing spells that can counter or negate the effects of instants and sorceries to keep your creatures safe. Flexible, counteractive spells can maintain the balance and even give you an advantage, taking the edge off Divine Arrow’s sharp impact. By thoughtfully navigating around this potent removal option, you can minimize its effects and maintain control over the match, proving that even the most divine of arrows can be outmaneuvered on the strategic plane.


Cards like Divine Arrow

Divine Arrow stands its ground in the world of removal spells in MTG, serving as a reliable instant spell that can deal 4 damage to an attacking or blocking creature. It shares a common purpose with cards like Lightning Strike, which offers a more flexible option by targeting any creature or player, but it lacks the higher damage threshold of Divine Arrow against combat-oriented creatures.

On the other hand, Gideon’s Reproach also deals 4 damage, mirroring Divine Arrow’s cap, but is restricted to damaging only attacking creatures. This infers a slightly limited versatility compared to Divine Arrow, which extends its reach to blockers as well. Meanwhile, Condemn is a cost-efficient alternative, removing an attacking creature from combat at the mere cost of one white mana but placing it at the bottom of its owner’s library instead of dealing damage.

Moreover, evaluating these cards underscores the particular niche Divine Arrow fills. It may not possess the flexibility of some of its relatives, but its power against creatures embroiled in combat often proves to be a decisive factor on the battlefield, enabling it to shine within its category of MTG removal spells.

Lightning Strike - MTG Card versions
Gideon's Reproach - MTG Card versions
Condemn - MTG Card versions
Lightning Strike - Theros (THS)
Gideon's Reproach - Battle for Zendikar (BFZ)
Condemn - Dissension (DIS)

Cards similar to Divine Arrow by color, type and mana cost

Disenchant - MTG Card versions
Lightning Blow - MTG Card versions
Divine Offering - MTG Card versions
Alabaster Potion - MTG Card versions
Invulnerability - MTG Card versions
Remedy - MTG Card versions
Rhystic Shield - MTG Card versions
Samite Ministration - MTG Card versions
Shield Wall - MTG Card versions
Life Burst - MTG Card versions
Shelter - MTG Card versions
Equal Treatment - MTG Card versions
Aura Extraction - MTG Card versions
Raise the Alarm - MTG Card versions
Test of Faith - MTG Card versions
Echoing Calm - MTG Card versions
Bathe in Light - MTG Card versions
Dawn Charm - MTG Card versions
Graceful Reprieve - MTG Card versions
Last Breath - MTG Card versions
Disenchant - The Brothers' War (BRO)
Lightning Blow - Ice Age (ICE)
Divine Offering - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Alabaster Potion - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Invulnerability - Tempest (TMP)
Remedy - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Rhystic Shield - Prophecy (PCY)
Samite Ministration - Invasion (INV)
Shield Wall - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Life Burst - Odyssey (ODY)
Shelter - Eternal Masters (EMA)
Equal Treatment - Torment (TOR)
Aura Extraction - Onslaught (ONS)
Raise the Alarm - Mirrodin (MRD)
Test of Faith - Duel Decks: Knights vs. Dragons (DDG)
Echoing Calm - Darksteel (DST)
Bathe in Light - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Dawn Charm - Commander Legends (CMR)
Graceful Reprieve - Morningtide (MOR)
Last Breath - Shadowmoor (SHM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Divine Arrow MTG card by a specific set like War of the Spark and Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, 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 Divine Arrow and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Divine Arrow Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2019-05-03 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-05-03War of the SparkWAR 102015normalblackKieran Yanner
22020-04-24Ikoria: Lair of BehemothsIKO 92015normalblackSlawomir Maniak
32020-07-17JumpstartJMP 1002015normalblackKieran Yanner
42022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 1762015normalblackSlawomir Maniak

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Divine Arrow has restrictions

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

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