Brilliant Halo MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant

Key Takeaways

  1. Brilliant Halo provides repeatable card advantage by returning to your hand when its host creature dies.
  2. Its mana cost and color specificity may limit deck integration, requiring thoughtful deck construction.
  3. Brilliant Halo shines for its combo potential and persistent in-game presence, valuable for enduring matches.

Text of card

Enchanted creature gets +1/+2. When Brilliant Halo is put into a graveyard from play, return Brilliant Halo to owner's hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: When it comes to maintaining momentum in MTG, Brilliant Halo offers a subtle advantage. By returning to your hand when the enchanted creature dies, it ensures that you maintain resources and card advantage over time, effectively giving you another opportunity to boost a different creature without losing card economy.

Resource Acceleration: Although Brilliant Halo itself does not directly accelerate resources, the freeing up of mana that would otherwise be spent on drawing or playing another enchantment can be critical in the mid to late game stages, allowing for a more efficient distribution of mana towards other spells and abilities.

Instant Speed: While Brilliant Halo is not an instant, its recurring nature can be leveraged much like playing at instant speed. You can wait until it’s safest to redeploy to the battlefield, possibly dodging counter play from opponents who may not want to remove the enchanted creature, knowing you’ll reclaim the aura. This tactical flexibility can provide game-changing opportunities similar to instant speed reactions.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When Brilliant Halo is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, it returns to its owner’s hand. This effect, while seemingly advantageous, can be a double-edged sword. In scenarios where your hand is full, it might force you to discard other potentially crucial cards to keep Brilliant Halo, hindering your gameplay strategy and resource management.

Specific Mana Cost: Bearing a casting cost that includes white mana, Brilliant Halo is restricted to decks that can produce white mana. This mana specificity can be a setback for players running decks without white mana sources, limiting the card’s versatility across various deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing two mana might not seem much at a glance, but within the current pool of enchantments available in MTG, there are options that provide more significant buff effects or additional abilities at a similar or lower mana cost. This makes Brilliant Halo a less attractive choice when optimizing your deck for efficiency and impact, especially in a competitive environment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Brilliant Halo boasts the flexibility to attach to any creature, immediately turning it into a more formidable threat. Its ability to return to your hand when the enchanted creature dies makes it a persistent asset in matches where creatures are frequently exchanged in battle.

Combo Potential: This enchantment shines when combined with creatures that benefit from, or are able to protect, enchantments. Moreover, it can work in concert with game mechanics that capitalize on casting enchantments multiple times, such as constellation.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where longer, grindier games prevail, Brilliant Halo can be a consistent source of value. It gives creatures a vital power and toughness boost each time it’s played, which can turn the tides in your favor over the course of a game.


How to beat

Brilliant Halo is a unique Aura enchantment in Magic the Gathering that returns to a player’s hand when the enchanted creature dies. This recycle effect makes it a pesky card to deal with, essentially granting its buff of +1/+2 to multiple creatures over the course of a game. Overcoming the staying power of Brilliant Halo requires a multi-faceted approach. Playing cards that can exile it from the game or ones that can strip cards from a player’s hand are effective counters. Bojuka Bog or Nihil Spellbomb can deal with the card once it hits the graveyard, preventing its return. Alternatively, Thoughtseize or Duress are excellent choices to preemptively remove it from an opponent’s grip before it can be used. Destroying the creature it’s attached to without sending it to the graveyard, such as with Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile, can also be a pathway to permanently dealing with Brilliant Halo’s resilience. Tuning your deck to address this Aura can ensure you won’t be caught in an endless loop of buffed opponents.


Cards like Brilliant Halo

Brilliant Halo is an enchantment that belongs to the suite of aura cards that buffs creatures within Magic: The Gathering. Lingering with the flavor of older sets, this card resembles other auras that provide a power and toughness boost, such as Ethereal Armor or Holy Strength. Yet, Brilliant Halo stands out with its recursive ability to return to a player’s hand when sent from the battlefield to the graveyard. Unlike Holy Strength, Brilliant Halo can be a recurring resource, offering a more resilient option for players who face frequent removal spells.

When looking at Ethereal Armor, the power boost scales with the number of enchantments you control, potentially offering a more significant increase in power but without the resilience of Brilliant Halo. Moreover, comparing these auras reveals the strategic differences players might weigh – opting for the recurring, dependable bonus of Brilliant Halo or the potentially explosive but vulnerable power of Ethereal Armor.

Overall, Brilliant Halo puts itself in a unique position as a durable and reliable enchantment that can repeatedly protect and strengthen your creatures, perfect for players who prefer endurance over a single impactful, yet fleeting boost.

Ethereal Armor - MTG Card versions
Holy Strength - MTG Card versions
Ethereal Armor - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Holy Strength - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Cards similar to Brilliant Halo by color, type and mana cost

Blessing - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Red - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Black - MTG Card versions
Island Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: White - MTG Card versions
Crusade - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Blue - MTG Card versions
Hallowed Ground - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Artifacts - MTG Card versions
Energy Storm - MTG Card versions
Ward of Lights - MTG Card versions
Gossamer Chains - MTG Card versions
I'm Rubber, You're Glue - MTG Card versions
Absolute Grace - MTG Card versions
Serenity - MTG Card versions
Mageta's Boon - MTG Card versions
Seal of Cleansing - MTG Card versions
Absolute Law - MTG Card versions
Sacred Ground - MTG Card versions
Pacifism - MTG Card versions
Blessing - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Circle of Protection: Red - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Circle of Protection: Black - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Island Sanctuary - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Circle of Protection: White - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Crusade - Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Tezzeret (DDF)
Circle of Protection: Blue - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Hallowed Ground - Ice Age (ICE)
Circle of Protection: Artifacts - Renaissance (REN)
Energy Storm - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Ward of Lights - Mirage (MIR)
Gossamer Chains - Visions (VIS)
I'm Rubber, You're Glue - Unglued (UGL)
Absolute Grace - Urza's Saga (USG)
Serenity - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Mageta's Boon - Prophecy (PCY)
Seal of Cleansing - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Absolute Law - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Sacred Ground - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Pacifism - Duel Decks: Divine vs. Demonic (DDC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Brilliant Halo MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga and Vintage Masters, 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 Brilliant Halo and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Brilliant Halo Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1998-10-12 and 2014-06-16. Illustrated by Randy Gallegos.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-10-12Urza's SagaUSG 51997normalblackRandy Gallegos
22014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 192015normalblackRandy Gallegos

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Brilliant Halo has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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