Pilgrim of Virtue MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Cleric
Abilities	Protection
Released	2001-10-01
Set symbol
Set name	Odyssey
Set code	ODY
Power	1
Toughness	3
Number	41
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Massimilano Frezzato

Key Takeaways

Efficient cycling of Pilgrim of Virtue ensures deck fluidity and the potential for card advantage.
Instant speed ability offers flexibility, fitting well into control and life gain deck strategies.
Cost and specific mana requirements may limit its use to certain decks, impacting its versatility.

Text of card

Protection from black o W, Sacrifice Pilgrim of Virtue: The next time a black source of your choice would deal damage this turn, prevent that damage.

"A life is measured by the lives it saves."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Pilgrim of Virtue offers the opportunity to sift through your deck by cycling, which can help you replace it with a more immediate answer or a crucial land drop, leading to potential card advantage over the course of the game.

Resource Acceleration: With an affordable casting cost, it curves well into your early game, enabling you to establish your board presence without sacrificing tempo. Although it doesn’t directly accelerate resources like a ramp spell, its low cost helps maintain resource efficiency.

Instant Speed: The cycling ability of Pilgrim of Virtue can be activated at instant speed, offering flexibility and surprise factor. You can end your opponent’s turn by cycling to find an answer, potentially disrupting their strategy and improving your immediate board state.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside of Pilgrim of Virtue is its precondition that requires discarding a card for activation. This might not always be advantageous, particularly when your hand is already depleted and every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Pilgrim of Virtue demands a very specific mana cost to cast. Players with a diversified deck may find it challenging to meet the requirement consistently, restricting its inclusion to decks tailored around its mana needs.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although offering decent utility, the mana cost of Pilgrim of Virtue is on the higher side when compared to other options in the game. Savvy players might opt for lower-cost cards that provide similar or more impactful effects on the gameplay.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Pilgrim of Virtue offers a multi-functional role in various decks, mainly those angling toward life gain and control strategies. Its ability to produce colorless mana caters to a broad spectrum of decks and helps achieve mana stability.

Combo Potential: As a creature that can also be sacrificed for a benefit, Pilgrim of Virtue pairs well with mechanics that take advantage of such actions, like morbid or delirium, thereby enhancing its utility in specific deck builds.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the card’s ability to buffer life totals, it can be a significant addition if the current meta is aggressive. With the trend towards faster play, having a card that extends your survivability might just tilt the scales in your favor.

How to beat Pilgrim of Virtue

Pilgrim of Virtue presents an intriguing challenge on MTG battlegrounds, often demanding a shift in traditional tactics. This resilient card can shield players from aggressive strategies with its oration ability, effectively neutralizing some damage each turn. To successfully navigate around this obstacle, considering removal spells that can bypass its protection capabilities is crucial.

Direct damage spells or those that force a player to sacrifice a creature can serve as effective counters. For instance, utilizing spells like Doom Blade or Go for the Throat can remove Pilgrim of Virtue from the field without triggering its oration ability. These targeted removals can dismantle an opponent’s defense, clear the way for your attacking creatures, and reduce the Pilgrim’s damage-mitigating effect.

Moreover, cards that can exile, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, offer a clean solution to the Pilgrim dilemma. By removing it from the game entirely, you dodge the chance of it returning to the field. In essence, having the right removal spells in your deck can ensure that Pilgrim of Virtue is nothing more than a minor hiccup in your path to victory.

Cards like Pilgrim of Virtue

Pilgrim of Virtue finds its place among the ranks of other protective creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Its grace lies in being a defensive asset while also providing a small but valuable life gain upon exertion. This offering is somewhat parallel to the functionality seen in cards like Lone Missionary, which also grants life when it enters the battlefield. Yet, the Pilgrim of Virtue is unique with its ongoing potential to make life points during each of your turns.

Scrutinizing further along the lines of creatures that offer life gain, we meet the likes of Ajani’s Sunstriker, that also presents life gain with every strike it deals. Though not identical in operation, the Sunstriker requires aggression to be beneficial, as opposed to Pilgrim of Virtue’s consistent life padding without the need for attack. Similarly, Scholar of Athreos stands as another form of life-swelling creature, demanding mana and tapping to trigger its effect, something that Pilgrim of Virtue effortlessly achieves sans any additional cost.

In the landscape of MTG where board stability and life totals are constantly under threat, Pilgrim of Virtue offers a straightforward and repeatable way to raise one’s vitality while holding the fort, a trait that gives it an edge in decks aimed at outlasting opponents.

Cards similar to Pilgrim of Virtue by color, type and mana cost

Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Pilgrim of Virtue MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey, 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 Pilgrim of Virtue and other MTG cards: