MTG Salvation

Does anyone else find it funny that this set turned Angel's Grace into a creature and sublime archangel into an enchantment?

Edit: also, this card is really good. Really comperable to the other three angels with flash (flip avacyn/resto/dire hour).

Really stoked to see the angels getting some love this set! Love the design.

Couldn't it just say "The turn CARDNAME enters the battlefield, damage that would reduce your life total to less than 1 reduces it to 1 instead."

They probably want there to be a trigger going on the stack that players can respond to

Yeah, but they like to use semi-consistent phrasing so people know what kind of trigger something is. The way you phrased it, it's not an ETB effect.

Does Banefire get through this cards effect?

Yep. Note that Szadek, Lord of Secrets still gets through it (i.e., you'll still mill your opponent and put +1/+1 counters on Szadek, but Szadek never does damage), as do infect and Commander damage. The way it's written, you can also use life loss to get that last point in.

TBH, this type of effect is kinda lame. Even worse than lifegain in some ways. Hope you have a blink effect ready.

It's not preventing any damage. It's just modifying the end result.

Ex: You're at 2 life. Your opponent attacks with a 20/20 Lifelink. You don't block and Flash this thing in. The creature still does 20 damage. You still take 20 damage. The opponent still gains 20 life. Your life total is now 1.

No, it wouldn't, because unless I'm completely mistaken (which is certainly possible), this is a replacement effect, not a prevention effect.

It's just confusing because of the word choice. Does reduction count as preventing or not?

I think no. because you are not preventing damage (or countering). The damage happens then angel state based effect occurs.

Seems solid. The last ability could have been flavortext and this card would still be pretty good

Talk about the ultimate Tempo card. Swing back and forth until you can present lethal the following turn, regardless of your life total. Once they try and alpha strike you, flash this Angel in and smirk just a little bit while you kill them on the crackback.

Then, if it dies, gain some life at instant speed.

What an awesome card.

The only liabilities with this card seem to be its vulnerability to Lava Coil, and it's competitive dichotomy with Lyra Dawnbringer. Big, flashy, evasive creatures tend to always find ways into control shells though, so I'm sure there's probably room for both in a 75.