Answered Prayers MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. The card offers dual utility as an enchantment and a creature, optimizing board presence.
  2. Instant speed transformation can disrupt opponents’ strategies with unexpected blockers.
  3. Mana efficiency may be surpassed by other three-drops, so consider deck compatibility.

Text of card

Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, you gain 1 life. If Answered Prayers isn't a creature, it becomes a 3/3 Angel creature with flying in addition to its other types until end of turn.

Angels cannot ignore pious pleas.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gaining additional creatures can be a pivotal moment in many games. Answered Prayers not only provides you with a sturdy blocker but also becomes a creature itself under the right conditions, effectively increasing your board presence without spending more cards from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: This enchantment has the potential to accelerate your on-board resources. By converting itself into a 3/3 creature each time you meet its lifegain condition, it gives you an extra attacker or defender without dipping into your mana pool for the turn. This can be a subtle yet significant way to surpass your opponent’s resources.

Instant Speed: Answered Prayers’ transformation into a creature occurs at instant speed once its condition is fulfilled. This allows for sudden changes during combat or at the end of an opponent’s turn, making it harder for your opponent to plan their moves without considering the potential for a surprise blocker or attacker on your part.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Answered Prayers necessitates holding onto a creature card to fulfill its transformation condition. This can be a hindrance when you’re facing hand disruption tactics or needing to maintain a diverse set of cards in your grip.

Specific Mana Cost: The specific white mana cost of Answered Prayers makes it exclusive to mono-white or dual-colored decks that include white, thereby limiting its versatility across the various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, Answered Prayers may compete with other key three-drops in your deck. Considering its conditional nature and the availability of other low-cost creatures with lifelink or more immediate impact, it might not be the most mana-efficient choice.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Answered Prayers offers players a unique flexibility on the battlefield. As an enchantment that becomes a creature with lifelink under the right conditions, it adds strategic depth to decks that capitalize on both enchantment and creature synergies.

Combo Potential: This card can work wonders in decks focused on triggering enter-the-battlefield effects or those that aim to benefit from life gain. When paired with other cards that respond to life changes or creature casts, Answered Prayers shines.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Answered Prayers can serve as both a defensive and offensive asset. Its ability to switch between an enchantment and a creature allows for adaptability against an array of threats while keeping your life total healthy.


How to beat

Answered Prayers is a unique enchantment in the Magic: The Gathering universe that can pose a challenge on the battlefield with its creature-like qualities. Once the conditions are met, it transforms into a creature upon each of your successful creature casts, making it a recurring threat. The key to countering this card lies in timing and disruption. Employing instant-speed removal can effectively neutralize Answered Prayers before it becomes a creature, and keeping it off the battlefield is crucial.

Prioritizing the removal of creatures to prevent the enchantment from activating is an effective strategy. Notably, spells like Disenchant can directly target and eliminate Answered Prayers, negating its conversion into a creature and its lifegain ability. Additionally, board wipes, such as Wrath of God, can be instrumental in dealing with Answered Prayers by resetting the state of the board and clearing all creatures, thus depriving it of its activation catalyst.

Strategic gameplay can ensure that the enchantment remains just that, an enchantment. Addressing Answered Prayers swiftly will prevent it from becoming a repetitive threat and help maintain control of the battlefield, aligning your deck for victory.


Cards like Answered Prayers

Answered Prayers is an enchantment that diversifies the options for creature-centric decks in Magic: The Gathering. Its mechanics resonate with those of creatures like Serra Ascendant, which also beefs up in presence when you have a high life total. Answered Prayers differentiates itself with a unique ability to become a creature with flying and vigilance as long as you’ve gained life in the turn, elevating its flexibility in both defense and offense.

Walking the same path of life gain synergy, we encounter Ajani’s Pridemate, a card that grows stronger with each instance of life gained. While it doesn’t offer the evasion or the option to switch back to being a non-creature like Answered Prayers, it compensates with the potential to become a much larger threat if unchecked. Next, there’s Lone Rider, which transforms into a powerful First Striker with Trample once life gain criteria are met, although it does require a specific threshold of life gain in one turn to flip.

Considering the array of alternatives that work within the life gain strategy, Answered Prayers stands out as a unique piece in Magic: The Gathering, offering an adaptable playstyle that toggles between an enchantment and a creature based on the state of the game.

Serra Ascendant - MTG Card versions
Ajani's Pridemate - MTG Card versions
Serra Ascendant - Magic 2011 (M11)
Ajani's Pridemate - Magic 2011 (M11)

Cards similar to Answered Prayers by color, type and mana cost

Damping Field - MTG Card versions
Farmstead - MTG Card versions
Cooperation - MTG Card versions
Noble Steeds - MTG Card versions
Aura of Silence - MTG Card versions
Empyrial Armor - MTG Card versions
Pariah - MTG Card versions
Cessation - MTG Card versions
Arrest - MTG Card versions
Glorious Anthem - MTG Card versions
Samite Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Tattoo Ward - MTG Card versions
Sparring Regimen - MTG Card versions
Shielded by Faith - MTG Card versions
The Restoration of Eiganjo // Architect of Restoration - MTG Card versions
Oblivion Ring - MTG Card versions
Cage of Hands - MTG Card versions
Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant // Rune-Tail's Essence - MTG Card versions
Guardian's Magemark - MTG Card versions
Celestial Dawn - MTG Card versions
Damping Field - Antiquities (ATQ)
Farmstead - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Cooperation - Ice Age (ICE)
Noble Steeds - Alliances (ALL)
Aura of Silence - The List (PLST)
Empyrial Armor - Weatherlight (WTH)
Pariah - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Cessation - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Arrest - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Glorious Anthem - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Samite Sanctuary - Prophecy (PCY)
Tattoo Ward - Odyssey (ODY)
Sparring Regimen - Strixhaven: School of Mages Promos (PSTX)
Shielded by Faith - Signature Spellbook: Gideon (SS2)
The Restoration of Eiganjo // Architect of Restoration - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)
Oblivion Ring - Modern Masters 2015 (MM2)
Cage of Hands - Commander Legends (CMR)
Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant // Rune-Tail's Essence - The List (PLST)
Guardian's Magemark - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Celestial Dawn - Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Answered Prayers // Answered Prayers MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons Art Series and Modern Horizons, 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 Answered Prayers // Answered Prayers and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Answered Prayers // Answered Prayers Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-06-14 and 2019-06-14. Illustrated by Seb McKinnon.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-06-05Modern Horizons Art SeriesAMH1 302015art_seriesborderlessSeb McKinnon
22019-06-14Modern HorizonsMH1 22015normalblackSeb McKinnon

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Answered Prayers has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2019-06-14 If Answered Prayers becomes a creature but you haven’t controlled it continuously since your most recent turn began, you won’t be able to attack with it.
2019-06-14 Once Answered Prayers becomes a creature, you’ll still gain life whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control.

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