Anya, Merciless Angel MTG Card


Anya becomes indestructible, making her a persistent threat that can evade common removal strategies. The card accelerates game pace in multiplayer settings and pressures opponents, enhancing your board position. Resource management and careful strategy can overcome Anya’s imposing presence in MTG games.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Angel
Abilities Flying
Power 4
Toughness 4

Text of card

FlyingAnya, Merciless Angel gets +3/+3 for each opponent whose life total is less than half his or her starting life total. As long as an opponent's life total is less than half his or her starting life total, Anya has indestructible.


Cards like Anya, Merciless Angel

Anya, Merciless Angel is a formidable force in MTG, offering a unique spin on conditional power increment among creatures. Comparable to the likes of Gisela, Blade of Goldnight, Anya has the potential to become a powerhouse as the game progresses. Unlike Gisela, her power boost is reliant on opponents’ life totals, not just damage amplification, being indestructible under certain conditions.

Flipping the coin, we take a glance at Aurelia, the Warleader, another Angel that can swing games but through granting additional combat phases instead of escalating power levels. Anya’s ability to grow stronger with the game state gives her distinct resilience, where Aurelia offers repeated offensive potential. This trait gears Anya towards a more defensive stance that can shift gears to become aggressive if left unchecked.

Another card on the radar is Avacyn, Angel of Hope, which ensures indestructibility for itself and other permanents. Though Avacyn offers a static form of protection, Anya becomes menacing as she feeds off opponents’ dwindling life. This duality of defensive and offensive capabilities carves a unique niche for Anya, Merciless Angel in the angelic hierarchy of MTG.

Gisela, Blade of Goldnight - MTG Card versions
Aurelia, the Warleader - MTG Card versions
Avacyn, Angel of Hope - MTG Card versions
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight - MTG Card versions
Aurelia, the Warleader - MTG Card versions
Avacyn, Angel of Hope - MTG Card versions

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Anya Merciless Angel has the unique ability to become indestructible as her power gets boosted for each opponent with 3 or fewer life. This allows her to stay on the battlefield longer, providing a sustained advantage by threatening substantial damage turn after turn without succumbing to the usual forms of removal.

Resource Acceleration: As a formidable flyer, Anya offers aggressive pressure that can ramp up quickly in multi-player formats. Her presence alone can accelerate the game’s pace, pushing opponents towards critical life totals, and in turn, powering her up even further. This aggression can also force opponents to allocate resources to deal with her, indirectly giving you a resource advantage.

Instant Speed: While Anya herself doesn’t have an ability that operates at instant speed, her indestructible nature when powered up means you can safely invest in other instant-speed interactions. Her resilience to board wipes and targeted removal lets you hold back spells until the most opportune moment, knowing that Anya will likely survive to keep applying pressure on the next turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Anya Merciless Angel’s full potential hinges on having opponents with a significantly damaged life total, pushing players to adjust strategies that might discard other valuable cards to keep opponents’ life totals down.

Specific Mana Cost: This formidable angel demands a precise mana combination, needing both red and white, making it less flexible and potentially a dead draw in multicolor decks that might struggle with mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at five mana, Anya’s cost might be prohibitive in faster-paced games where deploying threats earlier could mean the difference between victory and defeat. In an environment teeming with low-cost commanders, Anya’s higher cost could put players at a tactical disadvantage.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Anya Merciless Angel adapts well to different game scenarios, excelling in commander and multiplayer formats. Its ability to become indestructible under certain conditions makes it a resilient threat in various deck archetypes.

Combo Potential: This card’s power upticks with each opponent’s decreasing life total, synergizing with strategies aimed at consistent life point pressure. It forms powerful combinations with cards that manipulate life totals or enhance combat phases.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta with aggressive strategies prevalent, Anya Merciless Angel shines as a formidable defender and threat. Its presence on the board can deter attacks from opponents, making it a tactical addition to any arsenal focused on maintaining a presence under pressure.


How to Beat Anya Merciless Angel

Within the strategic battlefields of Magic: The Gathering, facing the indomitable Anya, Merciless Angel can be a true test of one’s deck resilience. This formidable Commander’s strength lies in its ability to grow stronger as your opponents lose health, becoming an impervious force that’s hard to take down. To triumph over Anya, savvy players often recommend building up board presence with creatures that can block effectively or have deathtouch to dissuade attacks.

Another tactic is to manage the loss of life across all players carefully, avoiding pushing just one opponent into a dangerous threshold where Anya becomes invulnerable. Direct removal spells that don’t depend on damage are your allies here; think along the lines of Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares. Enchantment-based removal can also be effective, such as Banishing Light, as it bypasses Anya’s damage prevention ability. Careful timing and an understanding of when to deploy your removal can turn the tide in your favor against Anya’s relentless assault.

Finally, remember that instant-speed interaction is key. Keeping mana open and cards in hand will ensure that you’re ready to answer Anya’s threat, no matter when she takes the battlefield. In this way, preparation and strategic play will see you through to victory against the Merciless Angel.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the dynamics of Anya Merciless Angel’s capabilities highlights key tactics for a robust MTG collection. Although her high mana cost and specific color needs can be challenging, her potential to turn the tide in a multiplayer setting is undeniable. Embracing Anya means crafting a strategy that capitalizes on your opponents’ vulnerabilities while reinforcing your defenses. For those looking to adapt their arsenal to harness Anya’s unique attributes, we offer a dive into deck-building insights that tailor to her strengths. Walk with us further into the world of MTG and discover how Anya Merciless Angel can elevate your gameplay experience.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Anya, Merciless Angel MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2015 and Legendary Cube Prize Pack, 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 Anya, Merciless Angel and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Anya, Merciless Angel Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2015-11-13 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by Alisa Lee.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12015-11-13Commander 2015C15 412015NormalBlackAlisa Lee
22015-11-18Legendary Cube Prize PackPZ1 942015NormalBlackAlisa Lee
32018-06-08Commander Anthology Volume IICM2 82015NormalBlackAlisa Lee
42024-02-09Murders at Karlov Manor CommanderMKC 1992015NormalBlackAlisa Lee

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Anya, Merciless Angel has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2015-11-04 Damage dealt to Anya is tracked even if Anya has indestructible. For example, if Anya is dealt what would be lethal damage and Anya loses indestructible (perhaps because each opponent’s life total is too high), it will be destroyed the next time state-based actions are performed. However, the check for whether a creature dealt damage by a source with deathtouch is destroyed happens only the first time that state-based actions are performed after that damage-dealing event.
2015-11-04 If a player’s starting life total is odd (Commander Vanguard? Sweet.), half that player’s life total will be a fraction, and that’s okay. For example, if an opponent’s starting life total is 41, half that number is 20 ½. If that player’s life total is 20 or less, Anya will have indestructible.
2015-11-04 If damage is dealt to Anya and to your opponents at the same time, Anya may gain indestructible and/or extra toughness before state-based actions are checked. Similarly, if damage is dealt to Anya by a source with lifelink controlled by an opponent, Anya may lose indestructible and/or toughness before state-based actions are checked.