Guardian Seraph
Creature — Angel
Flying
If a source an opponent controls would deal damage to you, prevent 1 of that damage.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Magic 2010
- Price
- $0.58
- EDHREC rank
- #20261
Guardian Seraph redirects noncombat damage aimed at you to itself, turning every burn spell and triggered ping into a threat your opponents have to answer before it answers them. Three mana for a 3/4 flier that absorbs Commander damage redirected to players, Earthquake effects, and similar sources is a real rate — the catch is that combat damage bypasses it entirely, limiting the effect to specific metas.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Guardian Seraph is a Commander card through and through — the format's wide-open threat diversity, multiplayer burn effects, and life-total pressure from multiple opponents give the redirection ability genuine work to do. In Legacy and Vintage, it's legal but irrelevant: three mana for a creature with no immediate board impact doesn't compete in formats where the game is often over by turn two. Modern is the same story — the effect is too narrow and the body too slow. Guardian Seraph fits a specific Commander niche: pillowfort and lifegain shells that want to tax opponents for aggressive plays, particularly against red-heavy tables or decks running mass-damage effects.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.58 bulk tier
At $0.58, Guardian Seraph is deep bulk — you're paying for cardboard, not scarcity. The price reflects its narrow application; it's not a staple and won't appreciate, but it costs nothing to slot into the right deck.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.