Mending Hands MTG Card
2005-02-04 - Number 15
2005-07-29 - Number 29★
2005-07-29 - Number 29
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
Key Takeaways
- Instant speed casting of Mending Hands allows reactive play, preserving valuable creatures at crucial moments.
- Protecting mana dorks and tap ability creatures with Mending Hands ensures a consistent resource flow.
- Mending Hands strict white mana cost limits its use to specific decks, potentially affecting deck building.
Text of card
Prevent the next 4 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn.
"I can staunch their blood, mend their flesh, and knit their bones. But I cannot restore their hope." —Tender-Hand, kitsune healer
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Mending Hands keeps your key creatures on the battlefield by preventing the damage they would take, ultimately preserving the valuable resources in your hand and maintaining board presence.
Resource Acceleration: While the card itself doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, protecting your mana dorks or creatures with tap abilities ensures ongoing resource acceleration, keeping your engine running smoothly.
Instant Speed: The ability to cast Mending Hands at instant speed offers flexibility, allowing you to react to your opponents’ moves and protect your investments exactly when it’s most critical.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Mending Hands is that it necessitates the discarding of another card to fulfill its conditions. For players attempting to maintain a full grip of cards, this requirement can backfire, especially in critical moments when every card in hand counts.
Specific Mana Cost: Mending Hands comes with a mana cost that is strictly white. This specificity restricts its incorporation primarily to mono-white or white-heavy decks. Decks with a diverse color scheme may find it challenging to consistently meet this stringent mana requirement.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the cost-benefit ratio of Mending Hands, it’s apparent that the mana investment is quite significant relative to the anticipated gain. There are alternate cards with lower mana costs that may provide similar or improved protective benefits, rendering Mending Hands less tempting for those seeking to optimize their decks’ efficiency.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Mending Hands is a boon for decks that look for ways to preserve their key creatures and maintain a strong board presence. Its ability to prevent damage to multiple targets gives it a multipurpose role in both aggressive and control strategies.
Combo Potential: This card works seamlessly with mechanics that capitalize on damage prevention or life gain. Coupling Mending Hands with cards that trigger effects when damage is prevented can forge powerful game-winning combinations.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where burn spells or decks that focus on direct damage are prevalent, Mending Hands serves as an essential tool for survival. Its capability to thwart key spells can turn the tide of a game, making it an invaluable asset in your arsenal.
How to beat
Mending Hands is an intriguing spell in Magic the Gathering that provides a significant buffer to a player’s life total. On par with cards that grant life, such as Healing Salve, which also offers three life points or prevents damage, Mending Hands ups the ante by potentially protecting a multitude of creatures from destruction in one swift move. Yet, these life-focused cards generally function as a stall tactic rather than a direct path to victory.
To effectively counter Mending Hands, you’ll want to prioritize cards that offer long-term board control. Consider employing spells like Thoughtseize or Duress to disrupt your opponent’s hand, essentially leaving them devoid of these life-preserving spells. Moreover, it’s advantageous to apply consistent pressure with creature removal or damage spells that can handle multiple targets, such as Pyroclasm. This can dismantle the protective layer Mending Hands can create, sealing the life gain’s drawbacks for your opponent.
Ultimately, beating Mending Hands involves a strategic approach that emphasizes card advantage and resource denial. By staying one step ahead and maintaining board presence, you negate the temporary relief Mending Hands provides, inching closer to securing the game.
Cards like Mending Hands
Mending Hands is a unique spell among life-gaining cards in Magic: The Gathering. It parallels cards like Healing Salve, which also offers protection from damage or restores life points. However, Mending Hands promises specificity by targeting only creatures, whereas Healing Salve presents options for both creatures and players, with the flexibility in its utility.
Comparing it to another spell, Safe Passage, players will find Safe Passage shields all creatures and the player from damage for an entire turn, which could turn the tide in a multiplayer game. Yet, with Mending Hands focusing on a single creature, it allows for strategic play at a lower cost. Alabaster Potion is another alike card, varying in versatility since it can heal players or creatures, and even deal damage equal to the life gained under the right circumstances.
Assessing these cards side by side, Mending Hands might seem narrow in its application, but it excels in cost efficiency and the precise defense it offers in Magic: The Gathering, favoring players who seek targeted protection over broader defensive spells.
Cards similar to Mending Hands by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Mending Hands MTG card by a specific set like Betrayers of Kamigawa and Ninth Edition, 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 Mending Hands 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 Mending Hands Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2005-02-04 and 2005-07-29. Illustrated by Douglas Shuler.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005-02-04 | Betrayers of Kamigawa | BOK | 15 | 2003 | normal | black | Douglas Shuler | |
| 2 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 29★ | 2003 | normal | black | Douglas Shuler | |
| 3 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 29 | 2003 | normal | white | Douglas Shuler |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Mending Hands has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
