Vigilance is one of the best abilities that any MTG creature card can posess. Attacking without taping? It doesn’t get any better than that. Read on below and discover 10 of the very best vigilance cards ever made.
Top 10 Best Vigilance Cards
1. Angelic Field Marshal
Angelic Field Marshal is a rare 3/3 flyer, of the Angel creature class. Her Vigilance ability is also rare; when she enters the battlefield, all creatures you control gain vigilance and the Angelic Field Marshal herself gain a +2/+2 hit counter.
The Angelic Field Marshal is a great standalone vigilance card, but works best in a full vigilance deck with the support of a full range of vigilance cards.
2. Heliod, God of the Sun
Heliod, God of the Sun, is a 5/6 rare white legendary enchantment creature (G0d) that costs 3 colorless mana and 1 plains land to bring into play. When the card enters the battlefield, if your devotion to white is less than five, this “God” is not a creature, and cannot be targeted as one.
When/if the card is a creature, it has vigilanc. Heliod also comes with an awesome ability; by paying 2 colorless mana and 2 plains lands, you may create a 2/1 white cleric enchantment creature token.
3. Loyal Unicorn
The Loyal Unicorn is an uncommon white vigilance card worth having in your deck for sure. A 3/4 unicorn, Loyal Unicorn negates any combat damage that would be dealt to your creatures, as well as granting vigilance to all your other creatures (not including the ones whichhad damaged prevented).
Loyal Unicorn costs 3 colorless mana and 1 plains land to bring out onto the battle field. The card is the perfect example of how useful vigilance creatures are, as she is able to attack for 3 combat damage points and block for 4 pointes simultaneously.
4. Ring of Thune
The Ring of Thune is another awesome vigilance card, and one with a super affordable casting cost (2 colorless mana). The card is classified as artificat equipment, which means that it needs to be played and then attached to a creature you control for an additional cost of 1 colorless mana.
When equipped, the creature wearing the Ring of Thune gains vigilance. In addition, the creature receives a +1/+1 counter at the beginning of your upkeep stages if its a white card.
5. Batterskull
Another piece of artifact equipment that deserves to be added to anyones vigilance deck is the mythic rare card, Batterskull. The powerhouse card costs 5 colorless mana to bring into play. Interestingly, playing Batterskull activates a 0/0 black Germ creature, which automatically gets Batterskull attached to it. So, in essences, Batterskull becomes a 4/4 creature the same turn it hits the battlefield.
You may remove Batterskull from the Germ and attach it to any other creature you own for 5 colorless mana. Whatever creature Batterskull is attached to gains +4/+4 to strength and defense. The card is also returnable to your hand for an additional 3 colorless mana.
6. Sword of Vengeance
The final piece of artifact equiptment to make our list of the top 10 best MTG vigilance cards is the Sword of Vengeance. A rare card from the Commanders Legends series, Sword of Vengeance costs 3 colorless mana to bring into play. Once on the battlefield, the card costs 3 more colorless mana to equip to a creature.
Creatures equipped with Sword of Vengeance gain vigilance, haste, trample, first strike, and get a +2/+0 boost to their power and defense.
7. God-Eternal Rhonas
God-Eternal Rhonas is a Legendary Creature – Zombie God class card with a mana cost of 3 colorless and 2 forest plands. As a creature, this god comes into play as a 5/5 with the deathtouch ability. Another cool feature about this card is that when it “dies” or is exiled, you have the option of adding it back into your deck three cards from the top.
Additionally, and more importantly in this case, when God-Eternal Rhonas hits the table, he doubles the power of all your other creatures until the end of your turn. He also grants them vigilance for the rest of the turn.
8. Akroma’s Memorial
Akroma’s Memorial is a legendary artifact from the Time Spiral Remastered series. It is a mytic rare card with a mana cost of 7 colorless mana.
The card is an artifact, therfore when it comes onto the board its abilities are activated: your creatures gain vigilance, haste, trample, first strike, and flying as well as protection from red and black.
9. Divine Visitation
A mythic rare card from the Guids of Ravnica series, Divine Visitation is one of the best vigilance enchantment cards in MTG.
When Divine Visitation is in play, creature tokens that you create during your turn are instantly converted into 4/4 white Angel creatures instead. All Angels creatured with Divine Visitation have vigilance and flying as well.
10. Response / Resurgence
The Response / Resurgence card allows you to choose from one of two rares; response (an instant) or resurgence (a sorcery). While both choices may give you an edge, Resurgence is the way to go for those playing vigilance decks.
Choosing to play Resurgence will cost you 3 colorless mana, 1 mountain land, and 1 plains land. That said, the ability is well worth it. When you cast Resurgence all creatures you control gain vigilance and first strike for the remainder of the turn. Even more, Resurgence also allows you an additional combat phase AND main phase.
Common Questions on Vigilance Cards
How Does the Vigilance Ability Work in MTG?
Vigilance is an extremely beneficial ability for creatures in MTG, it allows the player to attack without tapping creatures. That means your creatures with vigilance may attack other players yet still remain available for blocking and/or tapping to activate other abilities after your turn is over.
What Are the Best Planeswalkers with Vigilance?
MTG is ripe with planeswalkers and legendary planeswalkers that have the vigilance ability. A few of the best ones are:
- Vivien, Champion of the Wilds
- Arlinn Kord/Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon
- Gideon Blackblade
- Ajani, the Greathearted
- Ajani Steadfast
How Powerful Are MTG Vigilance Decks?
The strength of a vigilance deck in MTG depends on the strength and defence of the creatures in the deck. Instants, sorceries, equiptment, artifacts, and planeswalkers cards with the vigilance ability also help to boost the “power” of the deck.