Lunarch Mantle MTG Card
2016-07-22 - Number 35
2018-03-16 - Number 24
2019-11-07 - Number 169
2023-03-21 - Number 37
2020-09-26 - Number A25-24
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
Key Takeaways
- Provides card advantage by enabling creatures to bypass ground blockers and deal consistent damage.
- Allows burst mana acceleration at crucial moments, albeit at the cost of sacrificing a permanent.
- The equipped creature’s ability can be activated at instant speed, offering significant tactical advantages.
Text of card
Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has ", Sacrifice a permanent: This creature gains flying until end of turn."
"A boon from the angels should never be cast aside." —Manfried Ulmach, Chief Inquisitor
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When you equip Lunarch Mantle, you effectively turn any creature into a potential card advantage engine. Given its ability to grant flying, it allows your creatures to evade common ground blockers and connect with your opponent more consistently. This can translate to more damage, causing your opponent to expend resources to handle the threat, indirectly leading to a gain in card advantage.
Resource Acceleration: Lunarch Mantle offers a unique form of resource acceleration. By giving the equipped creature the ability to sacrifice a permanent for mana, it allows for a burst of mana at critical moments. While sacrificing a land or other permanents is a cost, the strategic acceleration can be pivotal in casting crucial spells ahead of schedule.
Instant Speed: Although Lunarch Mantle isn’t cast at instant speed, the ability it grants the equipped creature is usable anytime you could cast an instant. This flexibility lets you make decisions with full knowledge of your opponent’s actions during their turn, which can give you a significant tactical edge in the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Lunarch Mantle requires you to sacrifice a permanent to untap the enchanted creature, which can be a setback if you are trying to maintain board presence or are short on permanents.
Specific Mana Cost: This Aura has a color-restricted mana cost, needing one white mana. This requirement can restrict its integration into multicolor decks or those not focused on white mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of one white and one generic mana and an additional cost to activate its ability, Lunarch Mantle can be somewhat mana-intensive when considering other cards that may provide greater utility or impact for a similar investment.
Reasons to Include Lunarch Mantle in Your Collection
Versatility: Lunarch Mantle is not confined to a single strategy. It can be a powerful addition to White Weenie, Aura-focused, or even generic aggressive decks by providing a cost-effective buff and evasion mechanism.
Combo Potential: With Lunarch Mantle, creatures can not only get a boost in power but also gain the ability to fly. This can be combined with cards that benefit from flying creatures or with creatures that have powerful tap abilities but lack natural evasion.
Meta-Relevance: The ability to give any creature flying can be incredibly relevant, especially against ground-based creature decks dominating many metagames. In such an environment, Lunarch Mantle provides an edge by allowing your creatures to soar over potential blockers.
How to Beat Lunarch Mantle
Lunarch Mantle stands out in MTG as a versatile Aura enchantment that not only bestows a power boost to your creatures but also grants them the coveted ability of flight. Its secondary ability can be a game-changer, allowing you to sacrifice a permanent to launch your creature skyward, easily circumventing ground-based defenses. However, like any other card, it can be outmaneuvered with the right strategy.
To effectively neutralize the threat of Lunarch Mantle, consider incorporating enchantment removal into your deck. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant offer a direct solution, dismantling the threat by sending Lunarch Mantle straight to the graveyard. Alternatively, cards with the sacrificial mechanic can exhaust the resources of a player relying on Lunarch Mantle, as the cost of lifting their creature becomes unsustainable.
Keep in mind, timing is key. Disrupting your opponent’s strategy by removing Lunarch Mantle before they declare attackers in the combat phase can turn the tides of battle in your favor. Always anticipate the enchantment when planning your moves, and you’ll minimize the impact of this aerial enhancer. By staying one step ahead, you’ll often find your opponent’s creatures grounded without their enchanting mantle, ready to be dealt with on your terms.
Cards like Lunarch Mantle
Lunarch Mantle adds a unique twist to the aura card pool in Magic: The Gathering. It bears similarities with cards like Flickering Ward, which also allows creatures to gain abilities, with Ward providing protection to the enchanted creature. Lunarch Mantle offers the ability to grant flying and a slight power boost, a significant advantage in many games. Unlike Flickering Ward, Lunarch Mantle has the additional sacrifice mechanic, offering a strategic layer to gameplay.
Comparably, we have Spectral Flight, another aura that gives a creature bonus power and flying. Spectral Flight does so without the sacrifice feature, providing a stable and uninterrupted enhancement. This can be preferable for those looking to maintain a strong defense. Additionally, there is Griffin Guide, which not only buffs a creature’s power and grants flying but also has the added benefit of leaving behind a 2/2 white Griffin creature token when the enchanted creature dies, giving players lasting value.
To sum it up, Lunarch Mantle secures its place as a versatile enchantment in Magic: The Gathering. Its coupling of evasion with a sacrifice outlet offers players flexible options during the heat of the match, showcasing its distinct edge in creature enhancement strategies.
Cards similar to Lunarch Mantle by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Lunarch Mantle MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Masters 25, 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 Lunarch Mantle 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
See Magic products
Printings
The Lunarch Mantle Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Anastasia Ovchinnikova.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-07-22 | Eldritch Moon | EMN | 35 | 2015 | normal | black | Anastasia Ovchinnikova | |
| 2 | 2018-03-16 | Masters 25 | A25 | 24 | 2015 | normal | black | Anastasia Ovchinnikova | |
| 3 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 169 | 2015 | normal | black | Anastasia Ovchinnikova | |
| 4 | The List | PLST | A25-24 | 2015 | normal | black | Anastasia Ovchinnikova | ||
| 5 | 2023-03-21 | Shadows over Innistrad Remastered | SIR | 37 | 2015 | normal | black | Anastasia Ovchinnikova |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Lunarch Mantle has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Lunarch Mantle card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-03-16 | Only the player who controls the enchanted creature can activate the ability it gains from Lunarch Mantle. This might not be the controller of Lunarch Mantle. |
| 2018-03-16 | You can activate the ability Lunarch Mantle grants to your enchanted creature by sacrificing any permanent you control, including Lunarch Mantle or the enchanted creature itself. If you sacrifice Lunarch Mantle this way, the creature it previously enchanted still gains flying. |
