Breath of Life MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Card advantage through resurrecting creatures gives players a strategic edge without depleting their hand.
  2. Resource acceleration is possible by circumventing high mana costs of powerful creatures with Breath of Life.
  3. Flexibility in deck building is somewhat limited due to Breath of Life’s specific white mana requirement.

Text of card

Take any one summon creature from your discard pile and put that card into play. Treat it as though you just played it from your hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Breath of Life might not let you draw cards directly, it gives you a unique card advantage by resurrecting creatures from your graveyard. This not only returns a critical piece to your board but effectively negates any previous loss of that creature, potentially providing a swing in your favor without using additional cards from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: Reviving a powerful creature with Breath of Life can be a form of resource acceleration. It allows you to bypass the mana costs associated with casting high-cost creatures. This can help you in deploying threats earlier than expected and puts you at a significant mana advantage over your opponent.

Instant Speed: Though Breath of Life operates at sorcery speed, it fits seamlessly into a strategy where instant speed spells are kept in hand to respond during an opponent’s turn. By strategically planning your resurrection, you can reanimate creatures during your main phase that may have instant-speed impacts or enter-the-battlefield effects, thus subtly integrating with the reactive nature of instant-speed gameplay.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Breath of Life doesn’t ask you to discard, it is restricted to only functioning on creatures in your graveyard. If your deck isn’t designed to have creatures there readily, this card’s utility is significantly hampered.

Specific Mana Cost: Breath of Life has a strictly white mana cost, which can limit deck building flexibility. Without a diversified mana base, this can be a setback in multicolored decks optimizing for speed and variety.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, including three generic and one white, there are cheaper alternatives available to return creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield. This can make Breath of Life a less favorable option when every mana point counts.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Breath of Life is a classic choice for decks focusing on reanimation strategies. It can bring back powerful creatures from your graveyard directly to the battlefield, allowing for dynamic play styles across various formats.

Combo Potential: This card holds significant potential when combined with high-impact creatures that possess enter-the-battlefield effects or powerful static abilities. It’s a cornerstone for combos that aim to unlock massive value with a single cast.

Meta-Relevance: Depending on the popularity of graveyard interaction within the current meta, Breath of Life could serve as a potent tool. It’s effective in environments where players are less prepared to deal with reanimating tactics, making it a savvy inclusion for players looking to gain an edge.


How to beat

Breath of Life presents itself as a powerful tool for any Magic: The Gathering player fond of resurrection strategies. This white sorcery enables you to return a creature from your graveyard to the battlefield, potentially changing the tide of the game. Its value spikes in decks heavy on creatures, especially ones with impactful enter-the-battlefield effects or high combat stats.

To counter Breath of Life effectively, players should consider utilizing graveyard hate cards that can exile creatures from the graveyard before they are brought back. Instant speed spells such as Tormod’s Crypt or even Leyline of the Void provide a preemptive answer to stop this card before it becomes a threat. Another method is countering Breath of Life directly with a blue spell like Counterspell or Negate, which lets you remain on top of the situation before your opponent gains an advantage.

Managing your resources and keeping track of potential threats in opponents’ graveyards becomes part of the strategy to outplay Breath of Life. Remaining vigilant and prepared with the right answers ensures this potent comeback mechanic doesn’t catch you off guard during crucial moments of gameplay.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the avenues of MTG deck building and gameplay can be as thrilling as it is complex. With cards like Breath of Life offering strategic advantages such as bringing a fallen creature back to command your battlefield, it’s vital for players to remain adept at incorporating such tactical elements into their arsenal. For those looking to enhance their game and perhaps add a twist to their reanimation strategies, Breath of Life serves as an intriguing piece of the puzzle. Dive deeper into the art of resurrection spells and learn how to optimize your deck for surprising turnarounds. Join the BurnMana community and discover the next level of your MTG journey.


Cards like Breath of Life

Breath of Life holds its own among the resurrection spells in Magic: The Gathering, reviving creatures from the graveyard straight to the battlefield. It finds company with Zombify, another card equally capable of bringing creatures back to life. However, Breath of Life is distinguished by its white mana alignment, while Zombify’s black mana usage aligns with a different deck strategy. Both have the same converted mana cost, yet they play into distinct color themes and strategies.

Resurrection, a classic spell sharing the same effects as Breath of Life, also stands out. It mirrors Breath of Life’s functionality but was printed in earlier sets, highlighting the continued value of such effects in gameplay. Miraculous Recovery is another variant that does more, it not only brings back a creature from the graveyard but gives it a +1/+1 counter boost at an increased mana cost and at instant speed, offering a strategic advantage in surprise plays.

Analyzing these cards shows that while Breath of Life may not include additional perks, its straightforward, cost-effective revival makes it a solid choice for white decks in need of dependable reanimation tactics.

Zombify - MTG Card versions
Resurrection - MTG Card versions
Miraculous Recovery - MTG Card versions
Zombify - Odyssey (ODY)
Resurrection - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Miraculous Recovery - Visions (VIS)

Cards similar to Breath of Life by color, type and mana cost

Wrath of God - MTG Card versions
Armageddon - MTG Card versions
Resurrection - MTG Card versions
Cleanse - MTG Card versions
Vengeance - MTG Card versions
False Defeat - MTG Card versions
Ravages of War - MTG Card versions
Replenish - MTG Card versions
Gerrard's Wisdom - MTG Card versions
Decree of Justice - MTG Card versions
Presence of the Wise - MTG Card versions
Divine Congregation - MTG Card versions
Retether - MTG Card versions
Windborne Charge - MTG Card versions
Day of Judgment - MTG Card versions
Excoriate - MTG Card versions
Battle Screech - MTG Card versions
Cataclysm - MTG Card versions
Great Teacher's Decree - MTG Card versions
Dawn to Dusk - MTG Card versions
Wrath of God - Commander Masters (CMM)
Armageddon - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Resurrection - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Cleanse - Legends (LEG)
Vengeance - Eighth Edition (8ED)
False Defeat - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Ravages of War - Fallout (PIP)
Replenish - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Gerrard's Wisdom - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Decree of Justice - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Presence of the Wise - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Divine Congregation - Time Spiral (TSP)
Retether - Planar Chaos (PLC)
Windborne Charge - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Day of Judgment - Strixhaven Mystical Archive (STA)
Excoriate - The List (PLST)
Battle Screech - Commander Masters (CMM)
Cataclysm - From the Vault: Annihilation (V14)
Great Teacher's Decree - The List (PLST)
Dawn to Dusk - Commander 2015 (C15)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Breath of Life MTG card by a specific set like Portal and Portal Second Age, 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 Breath of Life and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Breath of Life Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 1997-05-01 and 2014-06-16. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11997-05-01PortalPOR 101997normalblackDiTerlizzi
21998-06-24Portal Second AgeP02 151997normalblackLubov
31999-07-01Starter 1999S99 101997normalwhiteDiTerlizzi
42000-04-01Starter 2000S00 31997normalwhiteDiTerlizzi
52001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 41997normalwhiteRoger Raupp
62001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 4★1997normalblackRoger Raupp
72014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 182015normalblackRoger Raupp

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Breath of Life has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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