Serra the Benevolent Emblem MTG Card
| Type | Emblem — Serra |
| Released | 2019-06-14 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Modern Horizons |
| Set code | MH1 |
| Number | 20 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | emblem |
| Border | black |
| Illustred by | Magali Villeneuve |
Key Takeaways
- Emblem provides flying and indestructible to creatures, creating a virtually impenetrable battlefield presence.
- Allows greater mana investment into aggressive strategies with less need for protective measures.
- While powerful, requires substantial mana and setup, potentially impacting tactical flexibility.
Text of card
If you control a creature, damage that would reduce your life total to less than 1 reduces it to 1 instead.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Serra the Benevolent’s ultimate ability creates an emblem with “Creatures you control have flying and indestructible,” a feature that can secure long-term card advantage. By protecting your creatures, this emblem helps maintain a robust battlefield presence without the worry of losing them to most removal spells or combat.
Resource Acceleration: While the emblem itself doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration, the protection it affords can indirectly lead to increased mana efficiency. With creatures being indestructible, you’re able to invest mana into more aggressive plays or further board development rather than holding back reserves for protective measures.
Instant Speed: Elements offered by Serra the Benevolent, including her emblem, enhance strategies that can operate effectively at instant speed. For example, knowing that your flying, indestructible creatures are less vulnerable to interaction allows for more confident end-of-turn plays, which can include instant-speed spells without the fear of having your board wiped before your next turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Summoning Serra the Benevolent and activating her emblem ability calls for a considerable strategic setup, potentially costing you valuable cards in the process. If you’re compelled to use or discard key cards to reach her emblem, you could find yourself short on tactical options later in the game.
Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost to deploy Serra the Benevolent demands a commitment to white mana, which might not seamlessly integrate into multicolor deck strategies. This requirement can make her emblem less accessible to decks that diversify their mana base beyond plain white.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Achieving the emblem requires not only casting Serra the Benevolent but also ensuring her loyalty counters are sufficient to use her ultimate ability. This overall cost can be restrictive, particularly when other planeswalkers or cards provide significant advantages earlier in the game for a similar or lower mana investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Serra the Benevolent Emblem provides a durable advantage that fits into a wide array of decks, particularly those utilizing creature strategies or requiring long-term defense.
Combo Potential: The emblem’s ability to prevent damage to creatures you control pairs exceptionally with cards or abilities that thrive on creatures surviving combat or spells.
Meta-Relevance: Given its resilience in games and its capability to shut down various damage-based strategies, the emblem can be a crucial asset against aggressive decks that dominate the current competitive scene.
How to beat Serra the Benevolent Emblem
Serra the Benevolent’s emblem is one of the more challenging aspects to tackle in Magic the Gathering. This emblem, once activated, grants your creatures an indestructible attribute, which can quickly tilt the battlefield in your favor. The key to overcoming this permanent advantage is to focus on non-destructive ways of dealing with creatures, such as exile or bounce mechanisms, since they can circumvent the emblem’s protection.
Alternatives like Merciless Eviction or Terminus can be game-changers, completely resetting the board status, irrespective of indestructibility. In addition to mass removal, another strategy is to shift the win condition focus. Utilizing direct damage through burn spells, milling the opponent’s deck, or employing alternative win conditions like Thassa’s Oracle or Jace, Wielder of Mysteries can bypass the need to deal with an opponent’s creatures altogether.
Adapting to the emblem’s presence and modifying your approach to win the game is essential. Always keep in mind that versatility and keeping the right answers handy in your deck will help you stay one step ahead, ensuring that the emblem’s advantage isn’t a sentence to defeat.
Cards like Serra the Benevolent Emblem
In the realm of powerful planeswalkers within Magic: The Gathering, Serra the Benevolent stands tall with an emblem that promises a perennial advantage. This emblem mirrors the enduring legacy of Elspeth, Knight-Errant’s emblem, which also furnishes creatures with an indestructible shield. However, Serra elevates the game by offering flying to your creatures, drastically enhancing their survivability and offensive capability.
When delving into similar abilities, we find Ajani Steadfast, which bestows a comparable boon. His emblem fortifies your entire battlefield presence with an additional layer of resistance, bolstering both creatures and players. Enumerating the virtues of each emblem uncovers nuanced strategic applications that cater to diverse deck archetypes. Gideon, Ally of Zendikar is another emblematic figure casting a long shadow with an emblem that perpetually strengthens creatures under your command.
Analyzing side by side, Serra the Benevolent’s emblem commands a unique aerial dominion that can be a game-closer in many situations. The sanctified winged advantage, coupled with the emblem’s indestructibility, makes it a formidable force in player arsenals, soaring high in its category.
Cards similar to Serra the Benevolent Emblem by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Serra the Benevolent Emblem MTG card by a specific set like 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 Serra the Benevolent Emblem and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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