Evra, Halcyon Witness MTG Card


Evra Halcyon Witness allows life-total manipulation, turning high life into major card advantage. Resource acceleration is possible with Evra, using life as a strategic asset for gain. Using instant-speed protection with Evra can pivot defensive plays into dominating strategies.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Avatar
Abilities Lifelink
Power 4
Toughness 4

Text of card

Lifelink : Exchange your life total with Evra, Halcyon Witness's power.

"Light from the Null Moon took form—a mirage made real, alone in grandeur, isolated in a world that once had been its own." —*Fall of the Thran*


Understanding Evra Halcyon Witness

Evra Halcyon Witness is a unique card that stands out in the world of MTG due to its ability to trade life totals with its power. When looking for comparisons, few cards offer such a bold effect. However, Serra Avatar comes to mind, a creature whose power and toughness are each equal to your life total. Though Serra Avatar doesn’t allow you to switch life totals, it grows as your life increases, potentially becoming a massive threat.

Cards like Evra, Halcyon Witness

If we examine cards akin to Evra Halcyon Witness, one might consider the likes of Seraph of the Scales. Both are angels that offer more than just flying, with Evra providing a dramatic life total switch, and Seraph of the Scales granting afterlife and vigilance or deathtouch at a moment’s notice. Additionally, Aetherflux Reservoir is another card that interacts with life totals, providing you with a way to harness a high life total for a powerful effect, a synergistic companion to Evra’s life-swapping mechanism.

While each card has its niche, Evra Halcyon Witness encourages a distinct strategic approach, tempting players with the thrill of exchanging a colossal power stat for life, potentially turning the tides of the game dramatically. Its comparison with other MTG cards highlights the exceptional creativity that goes into deck-building around life total dynamics.

Serra Avatar - MTG Card versions
Seraph of the Scales - MTG Card versions
Aetherflux Reservoir - MTG Card versions
Serra Avatar - MTG Card versions
Seraph of the Scales - MTG Card versions
Aetherflux Reservoir - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Evra Halcyon Witness itself doesn’t draw cards directly, its huge life gain potential can lead to significant card advantage. Using Evra’s ability to swap its power with your life total can lead to drawing a substantial number of cards with synergistic effects from other cards that capitalize on high life totals.

Resource Acceleration: Evra can be a cornerstone in a deck designed around resource acceleration. Having a substantial life total allows for safer activation of cards that require life payments for extra resources, effectively utilizing your life as a resource to accelerate your game plan.

Instant Speed: While Evra’s ability does not function at instant speed, the card can benefit from other instant speed spells that protect it or interact with it. For example, having open mana to cast spells that can give Evra indestructible or hexproof in response to removal can turn a defensive play into a game-winning move. Additionally, instant speed can be leveraged to surprise opponents during combat by switching Evra’s power with your life total at just the right moment.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Evra, Halcyon Witness doesn’t have a discard requirement in its activation, it can potentially leave you vulnerable. After switching your life total with its power, any form of removal or bounce could leave you with a significantly lower life total, effectively discarding the high life count you’ve invested in Evra.

Specific Mana Cost: Evra, Halcyon Witness requires a very specific mana investment of two colorless and two white mana. This can restrict its inclusion primarily to mono-white or two-color decks that can reliably produce the necessary white mana early enough to make the most of Evra’s abilities.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its cost sitting at four mana, Evra enters the battlefield as a significant investment. For the effect of swapping life for power, there may be more cost-effective creatures or spells that produce immediate impact without the setup and potential vulnerability created by Evra’s life-swapping mechanic.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Evra Halcyon Witness offers a dynamic role in lifegain and voltron strategies. Its ability to swap power with your life total can serve diverse purposes, from becoming an immediate game-ending threat to setting up a strong defense.

Combo Potential: This card can be a key piece in an array of combos. Using it with cards like Fling or Rite of Consumption can lead to a sudden victory. In addition, its interaction with life-doubling effects like Alhammarret’s Archive can produce staggering life totals, enabling victory through alternative win conditions such as Felidar Sovereign or Test of Endurance.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame that is heavy on creature-based combat, Evra Halcyon Witness can be an unexpected game-changer. Its ability to become an overwhelming force or to recover from brink-of-death situations makes it a compelling choice for inclusion, especially in decks that thrive on life manipulation.


How to beat

Evra, Halcyon Witness is a unique creature card that poses a significant challenge with its ability to exchange its life total with its power. When facing Evra in Magic: The Gathering, preemptive strategies can be crucial. One effective tactic is to utilize removal spells or counterspells to disrupt the opponent’s setup before they can swap their life total.

Instant-speed interaction is particularly potent against Evra. Cards like Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile can exile Evra before the ability activates. If Evra’s ability does go on the stack, responding with a damage spell like Lightning Bolt can turn the opponent’s high-risk play into a sudden defeat. Additionally, bouncing Evra back to its owner’s hand after the life swap but before it attacks can neutralize the threat without losing life.

Intelligent resource management and maintaining control over the battlefield are key. Forethought in keeping up mana for a timely response gives players the upper hand. Being aware of the combat phase and Evra’s potential impact on it will help in formulating a defense so that this powerful creature doesn’t catch you off guard, ensuring that Evra, Halcyon Witness doesn’t become the final witness to your defeat.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into the strategic depths of MTG with Evra Halcyon Witness, a versatile and powerful addition to your card collection. Hone your deck-building skills by incorporating Evra’s unique life-swapping ability to surprise opponents and dominate the battlefield. With our focused guidance on gameplay tactics and synergy, we can help you explore innovative ways to leverage Evra’s potential. From mastering resource management to discovering explosive combos, your MTG experience can reach new peaks. Curious about optimizing your deck with Evra or countering this formidable card in play? Connect with us for insights into becoming a more formidable player in the MTG arena.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Evra, Halcyon Witness MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria Promos and Dominaria, 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 Evra, Halcyon Witness and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Evra, Halcyon Witness Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2018-04-27 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Johannes Voss.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-04-27Dominaria PromosPDOM 16s2015NormalBlackJohannes Voss
22018-04-27DominariaDOM 162015NormalBlackJohannes Voss
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 972015NormalBlackJohannes Voss
42020-09-26The ListPLST DOM-162015NormalBlackJohannes Voss

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Evra, Halcyon Witness has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2018-04-27 Any power-modifying effects, counters, Auras, or Equipment will apply after Evra’s power is set to your former life total. For example, say Evra is enchanted with Dub (which makes it 6/6) and your life total is 7. After the exchange, Evra would be a 9/6 creature (its power became 7, which was then modified by Dub) and your life total would be 6.
2018-04-27 If Evra isn’t on the battlefield when its activated ability resolves, the exchange can’t happen and the ability will have no effect. However, if Evra is on the battlefield but has power 0 or less, the exchange happens and you’ll lose the game.
2018-04-27 When its activated ability resolves, Evra’s power will become your former life total and you will gain or lose an amount of life such that your life total equals Evra’s former power. Other effects that interact with life gain or life loss will interact with this effect accordingly.