Blessed Sanctuary MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Enhances decks with creature entry by producing extra 2/2 Unicorn tokens, thus expanding on-board presence.
  2. Accelerates resource development through token synergies, resulting in more efficient use of mana.
  3. Instantly influences the battlefield by deterring opponents with its potential defensive token production.

Text of card

Prevent all noncombat damage that would be dealt to you and creatures you control. Whenever a nontoken creature enters the battlefield under your control, create a 2/2 white Unicorn creature token.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Blessed Sanctuary comes with a unique ability to enhance card utility within a player’s deck. Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, you get to create a 2/2 white Unicorn creature token. This effectively amplifies the number of creatures you have at your disposal, potentially multiplying your onboard presents without spending additional cards from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: By providing additional creature tokens, Blessed Sanctuary can be pivotal for strategies that hinge on creature-based synergies. This translates to an acceleration of your resources as it allows for a faster development of your battlefield presence, boosting the efficiency of your mana and cards already played.

Instant Speed: While Blessed Sanctuary doesn’t directly have instant speed, it impacts the game immediately upon entry. The card can deter opponents from targeting your creatures with spells or abilities, as it could further increase your board state with more tokens at any moment—a defensive advantage that complements your instant speed spells and abilities by providing additional blockers or sacrificial pieces.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Blessed Sanctuary doesn’t ask for discarding as part of its casting cost, its presence in a deck might force players to choose between holding onto creature spells for protection or discarding them for other needs.

Specific Mana Cost: Blessed Sanctuary demands a specific presence of white mana, requiring a minimum of two white mana sources. This cost could be restrictive for multi-colored decks that need to manage a more diverse mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing five mana, Blessed Sanctuary can be seen as a significant investment, especially since it does not immediately impact the board upon being played. In the fast-paced nature of many MTG games, allocating five mana to a non-creature spell must yield a meaningful advantage, and some players might prefer spells or creatures that have an immediate effect for the same or lower mana cost.


Reasons to Include Blessed Sanctuary in Your Collection

Versatility: Blessed Sanctuary serves multiple purposes as it can protect your creatures from harm while simultaneously creating tokens. This makes it a useful addition to decks building around defense and token generation, providing flexibility in how you shape your game plan.

Combo Potential: Its ability to produce an additional token whenever a creature token is created opens up numerous combo possibilities. Players can exploit this trait by using cards that are token-heavy to multiply their board presence swiftly, pushing the limits of what token decks can achieve in a single turn.

Meta-Relevance: Given the fluctuating nature of the meta, Blessed Sanctuary could hold a key position in a format where creatures and token strategies prevail. Its presence can tilt the scale in matches that rely on overwhelming opponents with numerous creatures, making it a strategic addition to collections aiming to stay ahead in the meta.


How to beat

Blessed Sanctuary is an enchantment that provides a unique protective bubble for your creature tokens in Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to prevent all noncombat damage to them makes it an obstacle in dealing with swarms of tokens via traditional damage-based removal spells or abilities. To overcome this protection, it’s advisable to pivot to alternatives that can bypass the Sanctuary’s shield. Cards like Wrath of God, Damnation, or other similar board wipes that don’t deal damage but rather destroy or exile creatures are effective counters to the sanctuary’s safeguard.

Control strategies are also beneficial, as they involve countering or removing Blessed Sanctuary before it can affect the board. Using cards with targeted enchantment removal such as Disenchant or Naturalize allows you to directly deal with the sanctuary, putting you back in command. Furthermore, employing exile effects like Anguished Unmaking or Oblivion Ring can be crucial as they remove Blessed Sanctuary from the game, circumventing its effects entirely.

Ultimately, incorporating versatile removal and having a strategy to address enchantments are key in maintaining the upper hand against Blessed Sanctuary and ensuring your MTG plays remain unhampered by token defense mechanisms.


BurnMana Recommendations

Enhance your MTG gameplay with Blessed Sanctuary’s potential for key strategic advantages. Its ability to amplify your board presence with additional creature tokens paves the way for exciting combos and swarm tactics. However, weighing its mana demands and timing is crucial. This enchantment shines in decks designed for token generation and creature protection, making it a worthwhile addition for players looking to stay competitive in the dynamic MTG meta. To delve deeper into optimizing your deck around Blessed Sanctuary or exploring counters, visit us and become a more formidable player in your next MTG battle.


Cards like Blessed Sanctuary

Blessed Sanctuary is a unique enchantment in the world of Magic: The Gathering that provides players with a dual advantage; it prevents all noncombat damage to creatures you control and creates a 2/2 white Unicorn creature token whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control. Its closest relatives in terms of protecting creatures come from cards like Make a Stand, which grants indestructible for a turn, but without Blessed Sanctuary’s persistent effect or token advantage.

Then there’s Anointed Procession, which echoes Blessed Sanctuary’s creature token theme by doubling tokens you produce. However, it lacks the Sanctuary’s protective ability. Another card worth mentioning is Privileged Position. It provides a wider blanket of protection offering hexproof to other permanents you control, but again, missing out on the token generation Blessed Sanctuary grants. This dynamic between protection and token generation makes for strategic gameplay considerations.

In weighing up the benefits and applications, Blessed Sanctuary certainly finds its niche. It stands out notably for strategies built around swarm tactics and offers consistent protection and board presence enhancement, a mix of features not commonly blended in other MTG cards.

Make a Stand - MTG Card versions
Anointed Procession - MTG Card versions
Privileged Position - MTG Card versions
Make a Stand - Oath of the Gatewatch (OGW)
Anointed Procession - Amonkhet Promos (PAKH)
Privileged Position - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)

Cards similar to Blessed Sanctuary by color, type and mana cost

Safeguard - MTG Card versions
Angelic Chorus - MTG Card versions
Noble Stand - MTG Card versions
Righteous Cause - MTG Card versions
Noble Purpose - MTG Card versions
Lucent Liminid - MTG Card versions
Boon Reflection - MTG Card versions
Mammoth Umbra - MTG Card versions
Commander's Authority - MTG Card versions
Cathars' Crusade - MTG Card versions
Sigil of the Empty Throne - MTG Card versions
Debtor's Pulpit - MTG Card versions
Celestial Archon - MTG Card versions
Mystic Barrier - MTG Card versions
Dictate of Heliod - MTG Card versions
Skybind - MTG Card versions
Spectra Ward - MTG Card versions
Knightly Valor - MTG Card versions
Near-Death Experience - MTG Card versions
Consulate Crackdown - MTG Card versions
Safeguard - Tempest (TMP)
Angelic Chorus - Tenth Edition (10E)
Noble Stand - Nemesis (NEM)
Righteous Cause - The List (PLST)
Noble Purpose - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Lucent Liminid - Future Sight (FUT)
Boon Reflection - Double Masters (2XM)
Mammoth Umbra - Planechase Anthology (PCA)
Commander's Authority - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Cathars' Crusade - Jumpstart (JMP)
Sigil of the Empty Throne - Commander Masters (CMM)
Debtor's Pulpit - Gatecrash (GTC)
Celestial Archon - Commander 2015 (C15)
Mystic Barrier - Commander 2013 (C13)
Dictate of Heliod - The List (PLST)
Skybind - Journey into Nyx (JOU)
Spectra Ward - Magic 2015 (M15)
Knightly Valor - Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales (WOT)
Near-Death Experience - From the Vault: Lore (V16)
Consulate Crackdown - Aether Revolt (AER)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Blessed Sanctuary MTG card by a specific set like Jumpstart and Jumpstart 2022, 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 Blessed Sanctuary and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Blessed Sanctuary Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-07-17 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Anastasia Ovchinnikova.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12020-07-17JumpstartJMP 12015normalblackAnastasia Ovchinnikova
22022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 1572015normalblackAnastasia Ovchinnikova

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Blessed Sanctuary has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-06-23 Combat damage is the damage that’s dealt automatically by attacking and blocking creatures. Any other damage is noncombat damage, even if it’s dealt during a combat phase by an attacking or blocking creature.
2020-06-23 Effects that cause you to lose life aren’t prevented.

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