Dazzling Reflection MTG Card

Dazzling Reflection - Oath of the Gatewatch

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2016-01-22
Set symbol
Set name	Oath of the Gatewatch
Set code	OGW
Number	17
Frame	2015
Layout	normal
Border	black
Illustred by	David Palumbo

Key Takeaways

Altering combat damage and gaining life, Dazzling Reflection can pivot game momentum to your advantage.
Its low casting cost and instant speed allow effective resource management and tactical flexibility.
While situationally powerful, it may not suit every deck due to specific mana requirements and one-time effect.

Text of card

You gain life equal to target creature's power. The next time that creature would deal damage this turn, prevent that damage.

"The light of a felidar's horns can give even an Eldrazi pause." —Zarra, lullmage

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dazzling Reflection can alter the course of a match by redirecting damage and potentially swinging the momentum in your favor. This makes it not just a defensive play but also a clever way to gain an upper hand, effectively ‘drawing’ out more value from the situation than what’s printed on the card.

Resource Acceleration: While Dazzling Reflection doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its low casting cost allows players to keep mana available for other crucial plays. This can indirectly lead to better resource management, enabling you to deploy more threats or answers efficiently.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Dazzling Reflection at instant speed provides a tactical edge. This flexibility means you can adapt to your opponent’s actions on the fly, potentially nullifying big attacks or key plays that would otherwise leave you at a disadvantage. It ensures that you always have the potential for a strategic response, keeping opponents guessing and playing around your open mana.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Dazzling Reflection’s effectiveness is reduced when a player doesn’t have disposable cards in hand, as it lacks the discard requirement that could help optimize other strategies.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both white mana and one generic mana, the card’s specific mana cost can make it less flexible, potentially disrupting the mana curve in multicolor decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of two mana for a one-time effect, players might find other cards with more sustainable benefits or lower costs for similar effects.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Dazzling Reflection can be a remarkable tool in decks that strive for life gain or those employing surprise defensive tactics. Its ability to negate a potentially damaging attack and boost your life total can shift the momentum of the game.

Combo Potential: When synergized with life gain triggers and spells that capitalize on altering life totals, Dazzling Reflection has the potential to be a linchpin in an intricate combo, further enhancing its value for strategic play.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where aggressive strategies dominate, this card offers a way to stabilize your standing while preparing for a counteroffensive. Its presence in your sideboard can prove to be essential when facing decks that rely on combat damage to win.

How to beat

Dazzling Reflection is an intriguing instant within Magic: The Gathering that can unexpectedly alter the tide of combat. Its primary function is to negate damage from an unblocked attacker while simultaneously providing life gain. This combination can be disruptive if you’re not prepared for such a defensive maneuver.

Overcoming Dazzling Reflection relies on strategic play. For instance, using spells that can’t be countered ensures that your damage will go through regardless of your opponent’s life-gaining tricks. Spell Pierce or Negate can effectively counter this surprise play, provided you have the mana available. It’s also important to monitor your opponent’s open mana and potentially bait out the card before committing to a game-winning attack.

Additionally, cards with abilities that deal direct damage or have trample can mitigate the effect of Dazzling Reflection by ensuring that some damage still gets through. Implementing these strategies will help you maintain the upper hand against this crafty instant and concretely position you for victory.

Cards like Dazzling Reflection

Dazzling Reflection is an intriguing instance of Magic: The Gathering’s instant spells that focus on life gain and creature debuff. It bears resemblance to the spell Safe Passage, which also prevents damage to your creatures and yourself. However, Dazzling Reflection’s uniqueness lies in its ability to target a single creature, neutralizing its combat damage and converting that into life gain for its caster. Unlike Safe Passage, it does not blanket-cover all your assets but rather zeroes in on a specific threat.

Another card with a similar defensive angle is Healing Salve. This card also allows players to gain life or prevent the damage but lacks the tactical edge of affecting combat by altering a creature’s damage capability. Then there’s Turn the Tide, a spell that reduces the power of opponent creatures during combat, akin to Dazzling Reflection’s combat-related debuff. While Turn the Tide impacts multiple creatures, it doesn’t provide the life gain perk.

When comparing the defensive and life-gain utility of these cards, Dazzling Reflection offers a unique blend of targeted defense and player benefit. In games where life totals are precariously close, this card can serve as both a protective move and a swing in life advantage, making it a valuable niche pick in any MTG player’s arsenal.

Healing Salve - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dazzling Reflection MTG card by a specific set like Oath of the Gatewatch, 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 Dazzling Reflection and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dazzling Reflection has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2016-01-22	If two Dazzling Reflections targeting the same creature have resolved in the same turn, only one prevention effect will apply the next time it would deal damage. The other effect will apply if the creature would deal damage a second time later that turn.
2016-01-22	You gain the life as soon as Dazzling Reflection resolves, not as the damage is prevented.