Absolute Grace MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment |
| Released | 1998-10-12 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Urza's Saga |
| Set code | USG |
| Number | 1 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Jeff Miracola |
Key Takeaways
- Grants creatures protection from black, offering a strategic edge against black-dominated decks.
- Can create card advantage and preserves hand resources by negating opponent’s targeted removals.
- Its enchantment nature allows for instant-speed spell synergy, leading to more flexible play.
Text of card
All creatures gain protection from black.
In pursuit of Urza, the Phyrexians sent countless foul legions into Serra's realm. Though beaten back, they left it tainted with uncleansable evil.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When discussing the impact of Absolute Grace in a game, one aspect that stands out is its potential for subtle yet significant card advantage. By granting all creatures you control protection from a specific color, you effectively nullify many of your opponent’s targeted removals and threats. This shifts the balance in your favor, potentially saving your creatures and preserving your hand resources.
Resource Acceleration: While Absolute Grace itself doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration, it protects the assets capable of doing so. With your mana dorks and other accelerators immune to a swath of potential removals, you can maintain a faster development of your board state, outpacing the opponent’s strategies.
Instant Speed: An often understated quality of Absolute Grace is its enchantment nature which plays well with the instant-speed spells in your arsenal. By setting up a defense that is always on, you have more freedom to cast other spells at instant speed without needing to reserve mana for creature protection at crucial moments. This allows for more efficient and threatening play on both your and your opponent’s turns.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Absolute Grace requires having another card to discard, which can be a limiting factor, especially in a tight game scenario where each card in hand is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: This enchantment requires white mana, restricting its playability to white or multicolor decks that specifically have access to white mana sources, possibly excluding it from many deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an investment of two white mana, Absolute Grace may not always be the most mana-efficient option for board impact or protection strategies compared to other enchantments or reactive cards with similar or lower mana costs.
Reasons to Include Absolute Grace in Your Collection
Versatility: Absolute Grace is a powerful enchantment that can turn all of your creatures into significant threats by granting them protection from black. This can be particularly useful in formats where black removal spells are prevalent.
Combo Potential: When combined with cards that benefit from color protection or with other protection grants, Absolute Grace can create formidable defensive combos that frustrate opponents and shut down their strategies.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where black-based removal and creatures dominate, Absolute Grace provides an edge by nullifying those threats and clearing the way for your own creatures to shine.
How to beat
Absolute Grace presents an intriguing puzzle for players in the realm of Magic: The Gathering. Known for its unique ability to grant protection from black to all creatures, this enchantment can significantly alter the flow of combat and strategies on the battlefield. At first glance, it may seem like a daunting card to counter, especially when up against decks heavy on black spells and creatures.
To navigate this obstacle, players should consider including cards that can target enchantments directly, such as Disenchant or Naturalize, thereby removing Absolute Grace from play and restoring balance. It’s also wise to have a deck that doesn’t solely rely on black creatures or spells. Diversifying your strategy with multicolored creatures that aren’t impeded by protection abilities, direct damage spells, or board wipe effects that don’t target can help diminish Absolute Grace’s influence. Meanwhile, employing colorless creatures or artifacts, which remain unaffected by protection from black, ensures that your offensive and defensive options remain versatile and potent.
Ultimately, while Absolute Grace can create a unique challenge, a well-prepared deck with a blend of non-targeted removal, versatile threats, and enchantment destruction can overcome the serene yet formidable protection it provides.
Cards like Absolute Grace
Absolute Grace stands out in the realm of global enchantments that shift the landscape of creature interactions in the game. It’s akin to cards like Absolute Law, which also provides a universal modification of abilities, in this case, giving creatures protection from red. Absolute Grace sets itself apart by bestowing all creatures with protection from black, potentially shifting the tide in your favor against black-dominated decks.
Another card worth mentioning is Concerted Effort, which employs a shared benefit strategy but requires the presence of creatures with the desired abilities already on the battlefield to propagate them. Though not as straightforward as Absolute Grace, its adaptability to various abilities makes it versatile. Lastly, Akroma’s Memorial is another powerful card that provides creatures with a suite of advantages, including protection from black and red, much like the two previously mentioned enchantments. However, it demands a significant mana investment and is thus suitable for a different stage in the game.
In light of these comparisons, Absolute Grace offers a simple yet powerful strategic edge that is easily accessible early in the game. Its specificity in protecting against black can mean a significant advantage in the right matchup within the Magic: The Gathering universe.
Cards similar to Absolute Grace by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Absolute Grace MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga, 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 Absolute Grace 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 MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Absolute Grace has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Absolute Grace card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | This affects all creatures, not just your own. |
