Bishop of Wings MTG Card


Bishop of Wings bolsters health with Angels’ arrival, crucial for maintaining a robust board presence. Spirit tokens granted on Angel’s death offer tactical advantages, aiding in resource preservation. The card’s synergies provide substantial value across various metagames, fitting well in angelic strategies.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Cleric
Power 1
Toughness 4

Text of card

Whenever an Angel enters the battlefield under your control, you gain 4 life. Whenever an Angel you control dies, create a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying.

"Within every angel is a spirit of light that will fight as long as there is darkness."


Cards like Bishop of Wings

The Bishop of Wings is a unique card that finds its niche in angel-themed decks in Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to bolster life totals upon angel entry makes it a vital support card. Looking at similar cards, there’s Resplendent Angel, which benefits from life gain by creating angel tokens, synergizing well with the Bishop’s abilities. However, the Bishop of Wings has added resilience by providing spirit tokens when an angel dies, a feature not seen with Resplendent Angel.

Comparatively, we have Lyra Dawnbringer, another angel-centric card that provides a life boost each time an angel attacks. Whilst it doesn’t directly support a life gain strategy upon angel entry or death, Lyra’s consistent lifelink and strength-enhancing qualities to other angels make it an alluring choice for players. Yet, it doesn’t provide the immediate defensive advantage one gets from the spirit tokens created by the Bishop of Wings.

In evaluating similar cards, the Bishop of Wings holds a distinctive place in nurturing angel-heavy playstyles, granting both offense and defense advantages that appeal to players looking to stabilize their position and create a powerful board presence with angelic synergy.

Resplendent Angel - MTG Card versions
Lyra Dawnbringer - MTG Card versions
Resplendent Angel - MTG Card versions
Lyra Dawnbringer - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Bishop of Wings. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Selesnya AngelsSelesnya Angels PioneerSelesnya AngelsPioneer Master League Fecha 1

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Bishop of Wings supports you in keeping a robust board presence. Every time an Angel enters the battleground under your control, you gain a life, essentially drawing a lifeline from your deck’s strategy to bolster your health total. Also, when an Angel you control dies, you create a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying, which helps in maintaining a creature advantage on the field.

Resource Acceleration: While this card itself doesn’t directly accelerate your mana resources, the additional 1/1 Spirit tokens it can generate upon the death of your Angel creatures can be crucial chump blockers, preserving your life total and thereby safeguarding the resources (like lands and creatures) you have in play. This indirect protection can be a key element in reaching the late game where your deck’s full power can be unleashed.

Instant Speed: Bishop of Wings doesn’t have instant speed, but its ability complements instant-speed spells and effects in your deck. With the life gain triggered on Angels’ entry, you are better positioned to withstand damage and make use of instants like “Settle the Wreckage” or “Path to Exile” without as much worry about your life cushion. Additionally, the Spirit tokens can be utilized as surprise blockers or as instant-speed fodder for sacrifice effects if you have such mechanics at play.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Bishop of Wings does not directly require you to discard a card, its value is deeply tied with having other creatures on the battlefield, particularly Angels. Without them, its potential diminishes significantly, making it feel like a loss if you can’t pair it with other cards.

Specific Mana Cost: Bishop of Wings requires both white mana, which means its inclusion is typically restricted to white-based decks or those with a reliable mana base that can accommodate such color-specific cards. This can limit deck-building flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing two white mana may not seem excessive, but in decks where speed is crucial, the two-drop slot could be contested by other cards that don’t conditionally rely on creature synergy to provide value. This can impact the card’s viability in faster-paced metagames or those that favor universal answers over synergistic plays.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Bishop of Wings proves its flexibility by being a perfect fit in angel tribal decks as well as life gain strategies, assisting in both offensive and defensive tactics.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with effects that create angel tokens, triggering its ability to gain life, or in combination with cards like Resplendent Angel, to create substantial value over your opponents.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where aggressive strategies are prevalent, the life buffer provided by Bishop of Wings can be a substantial asset, giving you enough time to stabilize and take control of the game.


How to beat

Bishop of Wings is a cornerstone in Angel-themed decks in Magic: The Gathering, fortifying your life total while making your celestial creatures even tougher to dispatch. Its synergy with Angel cards allows you to reap life whenever an Angel enters the battlefield and provides a Spirit token when one dies, potentially frustrating your efforts to cut the game in your favor.

To combat this sturdy card, focus on removal spells that can bypass its ability to generate Spirit tokens. Consider using exile effects or cards that force the opponent to sacrifice creatures, thus avoiding triggering the Bishop’s replacement effect. Additionally, employing graveyard hate can inhibit the recurrence of Angel spells and stifle the life-gain engine the Bishop provides. Board sweepers are also effective, allowing you to reset the board and negate the incremental advantages gained through the Bishop of Wings’ triggers.

Successfully navigating around the Bishop of Wings can be the key to dismantling Angel-based strategies, securing a favorable position by disrupting your opponent’s life gain and token generation, which are critical to their game plan.


BurnMana Recommendations

For MTG enthusiasts, Bishop of Wings emerges as a linchpin in the angel-based deck strategies, enabling a robust life gain and creature token generation that aid in amassing a commanding board presence. Coupled with other synergistic cards, its value becomes integral in both offense and defense, establishing a formidable synergy that can turn the tide in your favor. Beyond just incorporating it into your collection, understanding this card’s nuances and interactions can elevate your gameplay. If you are eager to delve into intricate deck-building and capitalize on the angelic synergies, continue your journey with us, and discover how to optimize Bishop of Wings in your MTG deck compositions. Embark on this path to mastery and claim dominance in your next MTG duel.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bishop of Wings MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2020 and The List, 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 Bishop of Wings and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Bishop of Wings Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-07-12 and 2019-07-12. Illustrated by Matt Stewart.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-07-12Core Set 2020M20 82015NormalBlackMatt Stewart
22020-09-26The ListPLST M20-82015NormalBlackMatt Stewart

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bishop of Wings has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2019-07-12 If Bishop of Wings dies at the same time as one or more Angels you control, its last ability triggers for each of those Angels.
2019-07-12 If an effect (such as that of Arcane Adaptation) causes Bishop of Wings to be an Angel, its first ability triggers as it enters the battlefield and its last ability triggers as it dies.