Abzan Battle Priest MTG Card


Lifelink enhancement across the board can dramatically swing life totals in prolonged battles. Requires tailored mana and can slow down a fast-paced deck’s momentum. Combos well with proliferate and counter-based strategies for sustained advantage.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Cleric
Abilities Outlast
Power 3
Toughness 2

Text of card

Outlast (, : Put a +1/+1 counter on this creature. Outlast only as a sorcery.) Each creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it has lifelink.

"Wherever I walk, the ancestors walk too."


Cards like Abzan Battle Priest

Abzan Battle Priest offers a unique angle on creature cards within Magic: The Gathering, thanks to its lifelink enhancement for your team. Just like Seeker of the Way, which can temporarily gain lifelink, Abzan Battle Priest offers a more permanent buff to all creatures you control once it’s outfitted with a +1/+1 counter. While Seeker of the Way requires spells to activate its prowess and the temporary lifelink, the priest provides a steadfast advantage once it successfully uses its outlast ability.

In comparison, Ajani’s Pridemate can also benefit from lifelink, growing stronger with each instance of gaining life. However, it lacks the ability to boost other creatures’ power. Then we have Nyx-Fleece Ram, which brings a slightly different tactic to the table. While it doesn’t have outlast or buff other creatures, it offers a consistent life gain to the player every turn ensuring a steady growth in your life total.

These cards highlight different strategies around lifelink and growth in a deck, emphasizing how Abzan Battle Priest’s synergy with other creatures has the potential to progressively strengthen your battlefield presence in a match of MTG.

Seeker of the Way - MTG Card versions
Ajani's Pridemate - MTG Card versions
Nyx-Fleece Ram - MTG Card versions
Seeker of the Way - MTG Card versions
Ajani's Pridemate - MTG Card versions
Nyx-Fleece Ram - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Abzan Battle Priest by color, type and mana cost

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Cho-Manno, Revolutionary - MTG Card versions
Hero of Bladehold - MTG Card versions
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Galepowder Mage - MTG Card versions
Kor Cartographer - MTG Card versions
Sunspire Gatekeepers - MTG Card versions
Akroan Mastiff - MTG Card versions
Northern Paladin - MTG Card versions
Moorish Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Witch Hunter - MTG Card versions
Carrier Pigeons - MTG Card versions
Tormented Angel - MTG Card versions
Seasoned Marshal - MTG Card versions
Coalition Honor Guard - MTG Card versions
Mangara, the Diplomat - MTG Card versions
Akroma's Devoted - MTG Card versions
Aven Cloudchaser - MTG Card versions
Seht's Tiger - MTG Card versions
Valor - MTG Card versions
Guardian Seraph - MTG Card versions
Cho-Manno, Revolutionary - MTG Card versions
Hero of Bladehold - MTG Card versions
Mausoleum Guard - MTG Card versions
Galepowder Mage - MTG Card versions
Kor Cartographer - MTG Card versions
Sunspire Gatekeepers - MTG Card versions
Akroan Mastiff - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Abzan Battle Priest offers a unique form of card advantage by empowering other creatures. With its ‘Outlast’ ability, it turns every counter placed on itself or other creatures into a potential source of increased power, thanks to its passive ability that gives each creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it lifelink. This can lead to sustained long-term gains in both board presence and life total.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly influencing mana, Abzan Battle Priest accelerates your resources by enabling a more efficient use of the board. The lifelink ability it grants to beefed-up creatures ensures that you get the most out of every attack or block, potentially deterring opponents from attacking and conserving your life for more strategic plays. This indirect acceleration can be pivotal in outpacing opponents.

Instant Speed: The Outlast ability, while not at instant speed itself, interacts favorably with other instant-speed mechanics. It allows you to strategically plan your moves during your turn, potentially holding up mana for instant-speed responses or tricks and then using any unspent mana to strengthen your creatures at the end of your opponent’s turn. This synergy with instant-speed interplay can be crucial in maintaining tempo and keeping opponents on their heels.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Abzan Battle Priest enables outlasting to boost its power, this mechanic may come at the expense of playing other cards from your hand. Effectively, you could be discarding a potential play each time you choose to enhance the priest instead.

Specific Mana Cost: The priest’s casting cost demands a precise mix of white and other colors typical to the Abzan family. If your deck isn’t tailored to these colors, or if it’s a faster-paced environment where color flexibility is paramount, incorporating Abzan Battle Priest effectively can be challenging.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring four mana to hit the board, the priest may not compare favorably with other creatures in the same range. Considering you must invest additional turns and mana to utilize its outlast ability effectively, you could find yourself behind on the battlefield, where more immediate threats or answers might be warranted.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Abzan Battle Priest offers utility across different deck builds with its ability to give all creatures you control lifelink when it’s bolstered, which is essential for maintaining staying power in longer matches.

Combo Potential: As a key component in +1/+1 counter strategies, this card works well with proliferate mechanics and other creatures that benefit from counters, opening doors to potent synergies.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to alter the course of a game by swinging life totals, Abzan Battle Priest remains relevant in metas that are heavy on creature-based combat, subtly shifting the tide in your favor over the course of a match.


How to beat

Abzan Battle Priest is an integral component of lifelink strategies in Magic: The Gathering. Enhancing the board with an ability that gives lifelink to each creature you control can quickly tilt the scales in your favor. Unlike standalone lifelink creatures, the priest amplifies the effect across the board, fortifying your position with every successful attack or block.

To effectively counter this advantage, prioritizing removal spells that can bypass indestructible or regenerate characteristics is key. Cards like Path to Exile and Murderous Cut can unseat the priest before lifelink triggers stack up. Moreover, controlling the battlefield with board wipes such as Wrath of God ensures that the synergy the priest relies on is disrupted. It’s also useful to have counterspells ready to prevent the priest from entering the battlefield in the first place, cementing your defense against lifelink tactics. Understanding the importance of timing your removal or counters can be the deciding factor in outmaneuvering an opponent who leans heavily on Abzan Battle Priest’s unique abilities.

Ultimately, facing down Abzan Battle Priest demands a direct approach to removal or anticipating the play to maintain your life total and keep the game in your favor.


BurnMana Recommendations

If you’re looking to refine your collection and strategies in Magic: The Gathering, consider the prowess of Abzan Battle Priest. This unique card acts as a catalyst for lifelink synergies and can steady your foothold in prolonged matches. With its capacity to distribute lifelink across the board, it’s a valuable addition to any deck focusing on +1/+1 counters. Strategic use of this card absolutely can enhance your gameplay experience. Dive deeper into the intricacies of building a more resilient deck and learn how Abzan Battle Priest could become a cornerstone in your MTG battles. Enhance your knowledge and summon the full potential of your deck with us.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Abzan Battle Priest MTG card by a specific set like Khans of Tarkir and Iconic 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 Abzan Battle Priest and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Abzan Battle Priest Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2014-09-26 and 2023-04-21. Illustrated by Chris Rahn.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12014-09-26Khans of TarkirKTK 12015NormalBlackChris Rahn
22017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 22015NormalBlackChris Rahn
32021-08-26Jumpstart: Historic HorizonsJ21 332015NormalBlackChris Rahn
42023-04-21March of the Machine CommanderMOC 1642015NormalBlackChris Rahn

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Abzan Battle Priest has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Abzan Battle Priest card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2014-09-20 Several creatures with outlast also grant an ability to creatures you control with +1/+1 counters on them, including themselves. These counters could come from an outlast ability, but any +1/+1 counter on the creature will count.
2014-09-20 The cost to activate a creature's outlast ability includes the tap symbol (). A creature's outlast ability can't be activated unless that creature has been under your control continuously since the beginning of your turn.